ATH 111 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric

Overview Anthropologists will often conduct research to objectively evaluate cultural practices. Cultural anthropology is the branch of anthropology that deals specifically with human culture. Studying cultural anthropology provides a great amount of insight into other cultures. It can also shed light on and create a deeper understanding and appreciation of one’s own culture. For example, is the culture that you are observing similar to your own culture? If so, you might not even recognize cultural nuances, because they seem “normal” to you. On the other hand, if you see behavior or hear language and slang that you do not recognize, it is likely because the culture differs from your own. In this course, you were introduced to cultural anthropology and the anthropological concepts that are used to study and understand people, their culture, and their behavior. In the final project film study, you will have the chance to become a cultural anthropologist. The film study is your opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of what culture is, the role it plays in people’s lives, as well as how it influences behavior. In order to do so, you will need to recognize and describe the culture portrayed in the film and discuss cultural values and norms that you observe. You will use anthropological concepts to analyze and explain the behavior of characters, or conflict between the characters, in your chosen film. You will also compare the cultures represented in the film to your own culture. Select one film from the approved film list. You may select a different film with instructor approval. Select three of the following anthropological core concepts to discuss in your film study:

 Assimilation

 Cultural symbols/symbolism

 Enculturation

 Ethnocentrism

 Gender

 Globalization

 Kinship

 Marriage

 Modernization

 Political systems

 Power

 Religion/systems of belief