Cultural Anthropology Essay

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR ASSIGNMENT 2: LITERACY AND IDEOLOGY
TOTAL POINTS: 20
QUESTION & BIBLIOGRAPHY (due April 10): 5
FINAL PAPER (due May 1): 15
Choose a technology that contributes to literacy in your everyday life (e.g., the use of a laptop,
cell phone, typewriter, pen and pencil, digital recorder, camera, translation software, video
conferencing, etc. for reading and writing) and formulate a research question to ask about its
language ideologies. Then, formulate a working bibliography of at least 5 anthropological,
sociological, historical, and/or linguistics articles and books discussing the technology’s social
use, history, or economic and political significance. Annotate each of these sources with a 1-2
sentence description. Then, find 3 people (e.g., friends, colleagues, family members, etc.) to
interview for about 15 to 20 minutes to learn: what are their attitudes and experiences of
reading and writing while using this technology and how does these impact their identity and
relationships. (You do not need transcripts of interviews). Also, pick one person to observe for
twenty minutes to record how they use this technology. Finally, write a 5–7-page essay
analyzing your ethnographic and interview data and discussing what are the dominant language
ideologies associated with the technology that you have chosen and its literacy practices. Make
sure that your argument is explicitly stated as a thesis statement in your introduction and that
the sources that you cite support your argument. Your thesis statement should address in some
fashion or another what you think are the dominant language ideologies associated with this
technology and literacy practice and, also, what are the impacts of these language ideologies on
the individuals whom you interviewed and society more broadly (see examples below).
Open-ended questions to ask during your interviews may include, but are not limited to:
 How would you describe the importance of this technology for reading and writing? Do
you believe that this technology enhances literacy? To what extent should it be used in
schools?
 How has this technology changed or affected how you communicate with your friends,
family, colleagues, and strangers on a daily basis? Give examples.
 Tell me about your early experiences learning how to use this technology. Was it easy
or difficult? Did you receive help from someone or take an instructional course?
 What are the economic and social costs or benefits of this technology for society at
large? What is the social and moral impact of this technology on local communities? Do
you believe that this technology is contributing to progress or decline? Why?
SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS
1) The dominant language ideology associated with _________________(technology)
suggests that ___________________(description of a literacy practice, usually in moral
terms) is _______________________(similar to/indicative of/”iconic of” etc.)
_________________(social group/activity/domain) such that this
__________________(social group/activity/domain) has historically or recently
_________________(benefitted/not benefitted/been stigmatized/garnered prestige,
etc.) relative to _______________ (another social group/activity/domain.
2) Comparisons between ___________________ (technology A), which are popularly
described in terms of _______________ (adjectives referring to A), and
__________________(other technologies B or C that also use literacy), which are
popularly described in terms of _______________ (adjectives referring to B or C),
suggest a liberal narrative of ____________________
(progress/modernization/development/success, etc.) that differentiates between
_________________________ (social group/activity/domain A and B) in ____________
(moral, social, or political) terms.
3) Historical and ethnographic studies of ________________(technology) erase
___________________ (some dimension of gender, race, class, ethnic inequalities), yet
ethnographic research instead reveals __________________________ (stereotypes)
that draw attention to the ________________(reproduction/transformation/resistance
to) of these inequalities.
GRADING RUBRIC
A range (20-A+, 19 - A, 18 - A-)
 Well written and organized essay with supporting evidence, thesis statement
 Research methodology goes beyond the basic interview requirements and produces rich
observational data
 Incorporates concepts and theories from class and outside sources, original insights going
beyond basic expectations, thoughtful and reflective analysis, excellent literature review
B range ((17.5 to 16)
 Well written and organized essay with supporting evidence, may lack thesis statement
 Research methodology produces data that reflects the basic interview and observational
requirements
 Meets basic requirements of assignment; a few outside citations, good although minimal
literature review
C range (15.5 to 14)
 Mediocre writing skills, lacks coherent organization, sparse evidence, no thesis statement
 Research methodology produces insufficient data to meet the basic interview and observational
requirements
 Poorly understood course concepts; minimal literature review; little self-reflection
D range (13.5 to 12.5)
 No thesis statement
 Poorly written essay
 Research methodology produces insufficient data to meet the basic interview and observational
requirements
 Failure to understand course concepts or conduct an effective literature review