Students will complete three (3) Investigation Papers (1500-1600 words each). Five of the subject modules we cover offer two options for Investigation Papers. Pick three modules on which to write, and for each select one Investigation option. Plan in advance which Investigations you intend to do, since some involve coordinating with other people or travel to off-campus destinations. Each assignment requires collecting anthropological data using methods such as participant observation or interviewing, and then analyzing your findings through the lens of related readings. You must cite, quote, and engage relevant readings from the class in your papers.
The Investigation Papers are worth 60% of the final grade.
Module 1: Family
Option 1
Interview someone who is or has been married about their expectations and experiences of the widespread yet culturally varied social institution of marriage. In what ways do their experiences match or diverge from their expectations before being married? To what extent have they experienced marriage as a “moral laboratory” (refer to Cheryl Mattingly’s article “Moral Selves and Moral Scenes: Narrative Experiments in Everyday Life” )? In their view, how has marriage or “being married” changed over time, from (say) their parents’ generation to their own? What have been the gains and losses of these changes, for whom? If the interviewee is an immigrant or the child of immigrants, how does cultural difference factor into their experience and assessment? Be sure to engage and cite at least two of our readings in your discussion.
Option 2
Write an Op-Ed in (at least partial) response to Amy Chua’s “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior.” You may argue against her piece or write in praise of it — either way, your piece should speak from the perspective of a parent’s child. You do not need to speak directly from your own personal experience (although you may) but rather from that of your generation more broadly — think of your friends’ experiences, of discussions you’ve seen unfold over social media, perhaps. Be sure to engage the insights of and cite at least two other readings (Hirsch, Kuan, Mattingly,Kolbert) in your discussion.
This paper is due during session 6.
Module 2: Wealth
Option 1
Interview someone about what money means to them. How is it connected with independence or interdependence? How do they think about earning money? About sharing, lending, or giving money? Do they receive money from their family, send money to their family, or some combination? Does money imply freedom or servitude? What is money good for? Has their relationship to money changed over time? Is money a source of pride or shame? What does debt mean to them? Do they view money differently from other people in their family (particularly people of other generations) or their peers? Do they feel like their views about money are in line with the rest of society? Be sure to engage and cite at least two of our readings in your discussion.
Option 2
Interview someone about their job search or employment history. This could be someone who is currently employed, unemployed, or even retired. In addition to documenting past and present jobs and future career aspirations, explore what work means to this person. Do they live to work or work to live? To what extent does their sense of identity or personal worth come from work? Do they fantasize about changing jobs? How much did they train for their current position? Are they satisfied with their current situation (in terms of responsibilities, opportunities, relationships with co-workers, remuneration, etc.)? Why or why not? Is their work adequately appreciated by others? Why or why not? Is the job getting better or worse? Be sure to engage and cite at least two of our readings in your discussion.
This paper is due during session 10.
Module 3: Sex
Option 1
Find and analyze a piece (or pieces) of dating and/or sex advice: this could be from the past or the present; something you deem as helpful or harmful. Who’s the presumed audience for this advice (and who’s left out)? What is presumed about what ‘sex’ is and why it’s important — and to whom? What broader values or virtues — e.g., about human nature, about pleasure, about gender (being “good” at being a man or woman), about morality (being a “good” person) — are encoded, implicitly or explicitly, in the advice given? What do you find helpful and/or harmful about this advice, to whom, and why? Be sure to engage and cite at least two of our readings in your discussion.
Option 2
Write a dating and/or sex advice column for a specific audience of your choosing (be sure to specify). Keeping your target audience in mind, what do you think they ought better to understand about what sex is (and is not), what it means (culturally, morally, legally, etc.), and what its rightful place should in people’s (again, be specific) lives. Think about the best way to convey this message to your audience (through anecdotal illustration, in terms of tone, etc.). Explain your reasoning as you go. Be sure to engage and cite at least two of our readings in your discussion, either as part of your main text, or in footnotes, or as a coda.
This paper is due during session 14.
Module 4: Self-Cultivation
Option 1
Conduct a week-long self-tracking exercise with the aid of an app (e.g. time management, dietary intake, exercise, sleep or mood tracking). Describe what you did and why you chose the activity/app you did. Analyze not only the data that resulted, but also the experience of tracking. What surprised you about the exercise, and/or results? Did awareness of tracking affect your behavior or thoughts at the time, regardless of the data? What benefits, or losses, did you experience, or do you think would accrue over time if you were to continue the practice? Will you try to continue? Why or why not? In analyzing your findings, draw on at least two readings from this module (and not only the media pieces assigned for recitation).
Option 2
Interview a friend or relative about a hobby or avocation. If possible, accompany them to engage in the activity and, ideally, try to do it with them. How important is the hobby to their sense of self? Has involvement with the activity changed them over time and, if so, how? What kinds of qualities are necessary to excel at the activity, and do those qualities translate into other aspects of life? Is there a community associated with this practice and, if so, how important is membership in that community to your interviewee? Does the hobby help to relieve stress or does it have stresses of its own? In the context of this activity, are there accomplishments that the person is particularly proud of? How important is challenging oneself to keeping the activity fun or gratifying? In analyzing your findings, draw on at least two readings from this module.
This paper is due during session 19.
Student Example
“Self-Cultivation Investigation Paper - Option 2” (PDF)
Module 5: Belonging
Option 1
Visit a cultural institution or historical site associated with collective cultural memory that raises questions concerning belonging (e.g., Boston’s Museum of African American History and/or Black Heritage Trail, the Jewish Heritage Museum, the West End immigration museum – you might also look to see if there are current art exhibits or other relevant cultural events to attend). What is the central narrative about belonging (and/or exclusion) presented at the site or exhibit? Whom does the site seem to address as its audience(s)? If interpretative materials are available, what do they say about the meaning and significance of the site or event commemorated, and to whom? How does the site, or the history to which it speaks, connect to the social and physical environment around it today? You may wish to conduct this site visit with a friend who has a meaningful personal connection with the place or history evoked; if so, how does this affect your own experience? Be sure to engage and cite at least two of our readings in your discussion.
Option 2
Identify an object that represents a sense of belonging — to a particular place, an ethnic group, a religion, a nation, etc. (an entity broader than ‘family’) — for yourself or someone you know. (If the object is yours, offer your own reflections in this assignment; if the object is someone else’s, interview the owner to address the following questions.) What is the history of the object, and how did its owner come to acquire it? What stories does it contain? To what larger group or history or community does it connect the owner? Where does the object reside in its owner’s room/home (e.g., is it hidden away or put openly on display)? What can we learn from this object and its personal significance to its owner about the cultural significance and politics of belonging more broadly? Be sure to engage and cite at least two of our readings in your discussion.
This paper is due during session 23.
Student Example
“Belonging Investigation Paper - Option 2” (PDF)
Note: Student examples appear courtesy of MIT students and are anonymous by request.
