HOW TO APPROACH BOOKS AND FILMS IN THE COURSE

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HOW TO APPROACH BOOKS AND FILMS IN THE COURSE
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STUDY GUIDE FOR WRITTEN TEXTS AND FILMS USED IN
OUR STUDY OF!Kung bands in the Kalahari Desert,
a Shiite village in southern Iraq, a worker in
a Puerto Rican sugar plantation, Puerto Rican
drug dealers in New York City, and a Hmong family

• As stated at the outset of the course a major
  goal is to increase your understanding of the way
  of life of the groups named above. In order to do
  this we are reading several texts and also
  viewing several videos. As a first step toward
  understanding the way of life of these people we
  need to become familiar with their culture. Below
  are three checklists what to look for
  (factoids) in your reading and viewing so that
  you are prepared not only to describe the various
  groups and individuals we study, but also to help
  you to engage in more complex discussions of
• How and why cultures change
• How cultural norms and values are transmitted
• How the individual both shapes and is shaped by
  the culture of which he/she is a part
• What is universal to the human experience and
  what is particular to different groups and
  individuals

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CHECKLIST FOR ETHNOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF
PARTICULAR CULTURES

• Environment/Ecological Backdrop
• Modes of Production Agriculture, Pastoralism
  (Herding), Hunting/Gathering, or Industrial
• Consumption and Exchange of Foods, Goods and
  Services
• Disease, Illness and Healing
• Kinship Systems Marriage and Descent
• Domestic Life
• Social Groups with non-Kin
• Political Organizations and Leadership
• Legal systems
• Conflict
• Religion Practices, Practitioners, Belief
  Systems
• World View, Norms and Values

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CHECKLIST FOR INDIVIDUAL IN RELATION TO SOCIETY

• Individuals place in the culture
• Individuals view of others
• Individuals view of culture/ society
  particularly norms, values, roles and
  responsibilities
• Individuals handling/management of emotions
• Individuals primary concerns/ issues

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CHECKLIST FOR THE AUTHOR/FILMMAKER

• What did the individual go to study?
• What problems did he/ she encounter?
• What are the authors/filmmakers sources of
  information?
• What are the methods used for data collection,
  analysis and presentation?
• What is the authors/filmmakers theoretical
  stance on agency vs. structure, interpretive vs.
  cultural materialism, biological determinism vs.
  cultural construction?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the book
  or film?

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• NOTE For each society, you will prepare a
  kinship chart for a key individual Nisa, Selma,
  Don Taso, Primo, and Lia Lee.