Anthropology 417: People and Cultures of Southeast Asia

9762Instructions
Second Set of Journal Entries ( 6% of Final Grade – 3 Entries x 2 Points)
One of the requirements of this course is an ongoing reflective journal of personal observation on topics relating to the materials being covered in class. These observations should not be confined to the assigned texts, but should extend into the “real” world beyond the classroom, and should help you observe and analyze current events relating to East Asia and to your own ethnographic final paper. You can choose any of the themes, issues or topics relating to the anthropological study of East Asian society (such as family and kinship, religious practices, social class differences, ethnic identity, culture change, etc.), and note what you can see in the wider world that illustrates these themes. The basis for your observations can include films you have seen, current news items, literature, manga, the behavior of people you have known, and your own personal experiences.

Each journal entry should be at least one paragraph in length, and focus on one particular observation or event. Each entry should explain the topic, and describe how it relates to the anthropological approach to understanding East Asian culture and society. All submission must be original and in your own words. Please DO NOT just cut and paste something that has already been written, whether by yourself or someone else.

There are two main aims for the Journal. First, it should help you apply the anthropological concepts you are learning in the course to real situations and events in the wider world, especially as they relate to the societies of East Asia. And secondly, the Journal will help the instructor see what you are getting from the class, especially things that are not being addressed directly in the weekly discussions.