SOAN 309: Colonization and Development
Last Updated 11-2-99
OVERVIEW OF THE ETHNOGRAPHY ASSIGNMENT:
This assignment has four major parts:
I. Reading the text
II. Presenting a report to the class on the text [Class Reports on
Ethnographic Reading]
III. A written version that elaborates on II and incorporates critiques [detailed below]
IV. Critiques of other reports [see Critiques of Ethnographic
Reports]
The overall structure and logic of the report is detailed in Class Reports on Ethnographic Reading. The written version will follow the same format, with a few additions.
As with Reaction Papers, consult How to Write Essays for Professor Hall
First page should list the full citation to the ethnography, your group number, a list of the your names, and whether your report is emphasizing similarities or differences. You may then start the report [that is, not title page, cover etc.] Be sure to number the pages, and put the group # on each page. If you can do running headers, do it that.
THE BODY OF THE REPORT:
I. CONTEXT: In the written version you may want to spend a
paragraph to a page describing the context. You can go into more detail than in the
class report.
II. SUMMARY: For all written reports this should be a full summary. It will be much longer than what your present in class. Here you can go into further detail, including quotations from the ethnography if you think they are necessary. This part should be between 5 and 15 pages. Remember, the criterion for inclusion in the summary, is, is this material necessary to make the points your raise in Parts III or IV?
III. SIMILARITIES or DIFFERENCES: You may begin with your list of similarities/differences. You are free to change the list you used in the class presentation. Suppose in the debate you decide one of your points is inappropriate. Then you would eliminate it. Again, suppose upon hearing another report, it suggests some point you did not raise in the class presentation, but which you feel should have been included. Put it in now. Your task remains TO explain how and/or why these elements are similarities or differences. For those presenting after the first round, you may also refer to issues discussed in the earlier presentations. In the final written form I strongly encourage you to make comparisons or contrasts to the other presentations. If you do, you can reference them by simply citing their class report as (Group x).
What about disagreement within the group about a point? This can actually be useful and make a good report better. Suppose two members of the group think event X illustrates a similarity, but the other two think it does not. You can list X as problematic, and give both sides. As always in such cases, the account is improved if you can suggest what sort of evidence you would want to have to settle the issue. Remember, you do not need to go find the evidence, merely state, "If we could find evidence on..... which showed...., we would then say X is an instance of similarity, or not whichever you are arguing.
This part should be between 5 and 15 pages, again depending on the complexity of the items and the number of items you discuss.
IV. CRITIQUE: Recall that the major criterion here is: How much do we learn about colonialism and development from this ethnography. This part should be between 2 and 10 pages. Here, too, there may be disagreement within the group. You can handle that as suggested above.
APPENDICES:
In addition to the main points I would like two brief appendices, each
on a separate page.
Appendix I: Should be an assessment from one paragraph to 2 pages on whether this ethnography is one that should be required reading for the entire class. Again, you may disagree. Also you may "calibrate" your assessment: "while we think this might be a good book for everyone in a class like this to read, it should be used for a outside reading and a reaction paper," or "we think everyone in a class like this should read this book, it needs to be discussed in class, and supplemented with lectures on xxx." A few sentences or paragaphs on WHY you think this should be included. Here you may say anything you wish about the book.
Appendix II: How are you dividing up the credit for the group. Here is where you will need to assess who did what for the presentations on readings, on the class report on the ethnography, and the final written report. It is always tempting to say everyone did equal, or equivalent work. But if it is not the case, those who did more are short-changing themselves. One the more difficult things you must decide, is, how much of the final writing is the equivalent of actually giving the report. You, collectively, did the work, and only you know who did what.
REFERENCES & CITATIONS:
It is quite conceivable you will have only references to your ethnography. In that
case you may merely cite the page numbers: (p. 57). You may also want to make
reference to one of the course texts. You may do this thusly: xxxxx (Memmi p.
52). For these items you do not need to include them in the
bibliography [as with reaction papers]. If you refer to another group's presentation
cite it by group #: xxxxx (Group X). In the bibliography list it as:
Group X. 1999. Presentation on AUTHOR of the ethnography.
As with reaction papers you do not need to cite other sources, but if use them citethem in the usual way, and list them in the bibliography. Some of you have already done this in reaction papers. For details on bibliographies see Formats & Bibliographies.