ANTH 211 Theory Synopsis Worksheet

A synopsis is a condensed summary of the main arguments of a text for a reader who has not necessarily read the text in question. In this class, we work to develop the skill and the art to accurately and compellingly summarize complex theoretical arguments. This kind of close engagement with others' social theories is an essential component of anthropology's "skeptical empiricism," in which we seek ways to bring our own deeply held cultural and linguistic assumptions into critical dialogue with those of others. Accurate portrayals of others' arguments are thus important preparation for writing your analytic papers. Thus here, we focus on the first step of summarizing, NOT critiquing the arguments.

Here, we also experiment with writing synopses of different lengths. Theory synopses need to be concise, but you may have different space requirements in various writing projects.

  • Choose ONE of the two main theorists we read for the assigned day.
  • Draft two synopses of that theorist's main arguments: 1) a 100-word synposis, and 2) a 250-word
  • It might work best to start with the longer synopsis and then pare down.
  • Bring your drafts to class for peer review!
  • You'll then revise and upload them to Moodle for my feedback by Friday midnight the same week.

Avoid Plagiarism!

While we may do collaborative work in and outside of class, my expectation, unless otherwise specified, is that all work you turn in for this class (regardless of the medium) is your own work. Be sure to carefully cite all text and images you borrow from others. For more information on this and how to cite correctly in the discipline of anthropology see these links on Plagiarism and Anthropology Citation Practices under "Resources for Anthropology 211 Assignments".

NOTE: When you write papers and other course discourse, you are claiming the words and the ideas within them as your own. Thus for this class, you may not use generative artificial intelligence or large language models such as Chat GPT to compose all or part of your papers, Moodle blog posts, comments or discussion questions. Such materials written entirely or in part by others, including generative AI, will be considered violations of academic integrity and the Honor Principle. However, some uses of AI tools are permitted (see the course AI Tools Policy).

To draft your synopsis paragraphs, see some sample theory synopses, and consider:

The empirical basis for the text:

  1. On what phenomenon does the theorist focus (e.g., a social process; a cultural and political-economic shift; a social structure, the nature of knowledge etc.)?
  2. Where is this phenomenon located (e.g., in a neighborhood, in a country, in “Western Culture,” in a transnational world)?
  3. Within what historical trajectory is the phenomenon situated? What, in the chronology provided or implied, is emphasized (e.g., the role of political or economic forces, the role of certain individuals or social groups, a seemingly inevitable historical development)? What does the chronology leave out or discount?
  4. Who are the players or key figures in the text and what are their relations? Does the theorist trace how these relations have changed across time?
  5. Does the theorist provide comparative or systems level perspectives? In other words, does the theorist situate the particular phenomenon described in this text in relation to similar phenomena in other settings? Is this particular phenomenon situated within "global" (or other large-scale) structures and processes?

Logic of the argument:

  1. What is the main argument of this article? (Paraphrase as accurately as possible.) This should be part of an opening statement in your synopsis.
  2. Is the theorist's goal to verify, challenge or extend prior theoretical claims? If so, which ones?
  3. What empirical material does the theorist use to support or build the conceptual argument? How does the theorist use it to support the argument?
  4. What are the key concept(s) we need to understand in the text? (What important ideas do you need to understand in order to understand the theorists’ line of reasoning?)
  5. What are the main assumption(s) underlying the theorists’ thinking? (What are the theorists taking for granted [that might be questioned]? This could include how they use stylistics to create a type of voice or authority. Hint: look for the theorists' main orienting metaphors, like Clifford Geertz' famous "web" metaphor for "culture".)
  6. What are the social/political implications of this argument? (The “so what?” question: Why does this argument matter? Why should we care? What consequences are likely to follow if people accept the theorists’ line of reasoning?)

Tips:   

  • While including a few direct quotes from the text is important for readers, try not to rely too heavily on them. Use your own words as best you can.
  • In parenthetical citation, include page numbers from the text for reference.
  • Be sure to distinguish direct quotations from paraphrasing.