tep 1: Find an article that is NOT assigned for the course (i.e., one that does not
appear on the course syllabus)
The article you choose should relate directly to one (or more) of the social relational
categories examined in the second part of the course. These are: “age”, “class”,
“race”, “ethnicity”, “religion.”
In the assignment, you must show me that you have taken the course and are engaging
with its key concepts.
The article you select must be:
*no more than 7 years old, so published between 2014-2021
*between 15-30 pages (one page more, or one page less, is okay)
*an article from one of the following journals: American Ethnologist, American
Anthropologist, or Anthropological Quarterly. Your article cannot come from any
other journal. Please use the resources in the Dafoe Library: go to the library’s
website and search the content of these journals.
*a research article based on ethnography, NOT a book review, commentary, editorial
or opinion piece.
*based on data collected during fieldwork. (the author should state this in the
introduction [or any other section] of the article)
Step 2 (5 points for identifying the argument + 10 points for the diagram = 15 points):
Identify the argument
Look at the title of the article, the beginning of the article, and the conclusion of the
2
article to identify the basic premise/contribution of the article. Look for formulations
such as “I will argue that…” “my contribution to the debate is…” “the central premise
of this article is …”
a. Quote the argument straight from the text, using quotation marks and, in
parentheses, the year and page number.
b. Paraphrase the author’s argument (in one or two sentences) to show me that
you have understood it and can express it in your own words.
c. Draw a diagram of the argument (you can use bubbles, arrows, images
[remember to provide the source when using internet images]). Identifying the
keywords in the argument and their relation will help you illustrate the
argument.
Please note that you cannot simply identify the key concepts in the article and put
them in boxes with arrows. Your visual representation must pertain to the concepts in
the argument itself, and must clearly show their relation: e.g., x causes y, or in
response to x, people perform y and z.
Step 3 (5 points): Write a brief summary of the article
What are the article’s major points (some can be sub-arguments)? How do they relate
to the central argument? Remember that the purpose of any research article is to
present data that support the author’s main argument.
Step 4 (5 points for each of your two sources =10 points): Connect the article to
wider anthropological themes or debates
For this section, you must use at least two (2) sources external to the article:
1) class notes OR one of the articles/chapters assigned for class. (You may use
themes found in already posted class notes and readings. Or, if you wish, you could
also draw on upcoming readings [including the film “Race: Power of an Illusion”
in Week 12]), but there should be sufficient relevant material available to you from
the assigned course material so far.
* find one concept from class notes or readings that is relevant to your article, and
explain why it is relevant. Please note that the following concepts: “culture”,
“society”, or “cultural relativism/ethnocentrism” cannot be used as they are too
general.
2) You must also find an additional article (a second article) NOT from the
required or recommended articles for our class that helps you understand the
contribution of the original article you are analyzing. Your second article must be
an ethnographically-based research article, 15-30 pages. However, it can be from
any anthropology journal and no older than the year 2000.
3
*find one point of intersection/connection between your original article and your
second article (e.g. topic, theoretical model used) and explain how this helps you
better understand the original article You should discuss HOW your main article
speaks to themes found in your two external sources. Please be SPECIFIC about these
points of intersection: a vague connection or one that is not justified is not adequate.
Step 5: Make sure your review is in the correct format
-1000 words maximum
-pages numbers at the bottom of each page
-Times New Roman, 12-point font
-double-spaced
-no large spaces between paragraphs, please
-It has a bibliography with the information on the article you reviewed and on the two
external sources you used. Bibliographic format (referencing style, etc.) should be the
same as the one found in the journal American Ethnologist. Looking at any article
from that journal will show you how a bibliography is done.
-The review does not need a cover page. However, be sure to write your name and
student number at the top of the first page.
