Requirements (Spring 2018)

Summary of Requirements

 Late Paper Policy: Deadlines are strict. Barring personal crisis, family emergency, or illness (please let me know ahead of time), all late papers will be subject to one half point off per day late. I do not give paper extensions for time management issues. Except for sudden crises, no requests for extensions will be heard within 48 hours before the deadline (that includes for reasons of computer malfunctioning, minor illnesses or being "behind").

  • Complete weekly readings in time for class
  • Discussion leadership (sign up first week)
  • Social Impact Media Lecture Series attendance (5 Thurs-Fri dates): All lectures required (all lectures will be recorded). Workshop attendance is optional.
  • 2 2-page lecture commentaries with reference to the course readings (due Monday after the event, 5 pm, upload to Moodle). NOTE: you will sign up for which lectures you will write on.
  • 3 2-page readings commentaries with reference to a news article (due Friday Feb 2, Friday Mar 2, and Friday Mar 30, 5 pm, upload to Moodle)
  • 2-3 page Final paper proposal/draft and bibliography; Friday Apr 13, 5 pm, upload to Moodle.
  • 7-8 page Final Paper; Friday May 4, 5 pm, upload to Moodle.

Classes will revolve around student-led discussions and presentations. I will expect your avid participation--including regular attendance, prompt completion of assignments, and active involvement in discussions whenever possible.  In fact, class participation and attendance will comprise a significant portion of your grade.  Beginning week 2 class members will take turns posting discussion questions on the Course Moodle Page and helping to lead class discussions. This class also comes with with a significant commitment for time outside class. The course is integrated with a lecture/workshop series on "Social Impact Media". Attendance at all lectures is required (they will be recorded in case of schedule conflicts) and attendance at the Friday workshops is optional. You will sign up to write commentaries on 2 out of the 5 lectures (and workshop, if desired). There will also be three readings commentaries, in which you consider issues raised in the readings with reference to a chose popular/news article (the link to which you'll share with the class via our Moodle course blog). The final paper, in which you analyze some aspect of the cultural politics of mediation with reference to the course readings and some outside research, will be a 2-step process (proposal/draft, final paper).

Reading and writing assignments are meant to encourage close, critical engagement with the texts and the issues they raise. The reading load is moderate to heavy and it is assigned per week. On average, you should expect to put in two to three hours of work outside of class for every hour of in-class time.

Weekly further readings are provided for your use on the online syllabus. These readings are ones that are especially relevant or provide differing viewpoints; they offer points of departure for deepening your understanding of particular issues. 

Required readings are marked on the syllabus for where they can be found. I tried to provide multiple places for most readings. Multiple copies of all texts are available on reserve in the library, and many books are available in the bookstore. Most of the readings that are excerpts from books are available via ereserve. In addition, several of the required readings are available on-line through the library's collection of ejournals.  Their URLs are available on the course website. Please print out as many on-line readings as you can and bring them to class! Reading is much more engaged when it is on paper. Smartphones are not permitted in class; laptops will only be allowed in class as a last resort or if you have documented need. Please let me know if you have any trouble obtaining the readings.

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 (including close paraphrasing!) 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.

Sensitive Topics and Ethical Use of Images

Anthropology courses address some of the most sensitive issues humans face (kinship, race, gender, sexuality, class inequality, violence, state politics, etc.). At the same time, class discussion is the central activity of this course and students are required to be proactive in their preparation for it. I define active participation in class as promoting a positive and inclusive learning environment through respectful discourse with students and me about the topics at hand. While most of our readings, films and assignments will not directly portray graphic or violent material, I will use "Content Notes" to alert class members to any such content ahead of time. I prefer that term (vs. "Trigger warnings") because it avoids psychologizing us and does not assume what our responses to material will be. I also prefer the more neutral-sounding "Content Notes" because it encourages us not to prematurely foreclose our engagements with difficult material, but just to be aware of our own needs and to provide extra care for ourselves if necessary.

Similarly, please be thoughtful and respectful in your image-sharing practices (in your blogs, papers and Moodle posts). All images or videos shared with class members or me should be framed or contextualized with some information about their sources, why they are relevant to the discussion and any Content Notes you feel are needed.

Disability Services and this course

If you have a disability that may impact your work in this class and you have received an accommodations letter from Disability Support Services, I encourage you to meet with me early in the semester or as soon as possible after receiving your letter. Discussing your accommodation needs early on can help clarify expectations and allow time to implement accommodations that require some coordination. If you have not yet requested accommodations through Disability Support Services for this semester, or you are interested in learning about disability resources at Reed, I encourage you to contact DSS at disability-services@reed.edu to request an appointment.