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| Essay #3: Spring 2009 In this essay, you will apply what you have learned to a particular society in the world, while experiencing that society--as much as possible--from its own point of view. The task of the assignment is to choose one specific society and learn what you can about it, especially from its own sources. Most societies today have their own websites, their own media, their own publications, their own political parties or cultural movements, etc. To begin, you should identify a society for more investigation. You could choose one that we have talked about in class, like the !Kung or the Yanomamo or the Warlpiri or the Nuer, etc. etc. It would be better if everyone did not choose the same society or the same few societies. There are 1,000s out there. Try Googling or otherwise searching for the society. You can also look at such websites as Center for World Indigenous Studies Indigenous Peoples Issues and Resources International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs Peoples of the World Foundation And others. Focus on the contemporary cultures, struggles, and activities/responses of the group. (1) You can and probably should start with a very brief description of their "traditional" culture (foraging? Tribe? Kinship system?) (2) What do they say about their contact history with the outside world--for example, colonialism, development, relations with the state, etc.? (3) What are the current cultural issues they face--loss of land, culture loss, political oppression, etc.? (4) What are they currently doing with/about their culture? How are they organized? What actions are they taking? How are they using modern media--TV, internet, print, and such? (5) How do all of these things relate to and illustrate the course? What do they tell us about the particular experience of culture change, colonialism, development, and cultural survival/revival? 45 points, length minimum 1,000 words |