Day: March 20, 2021

Written Activity #8: MEAD Project Proposal

Overview:  As students, you have engaged in a series of activities called “Public Anthropology” this semester.  These activities – your readings, assignments, and discussions – were inspired by Margaret Mead’s foundational engagement with wider publics, and not just with other anthropologists.  Our thinking and approach are also based on departmental outcomes and principals outlined below.   
Objective:  Communicate an empirical, holistic, and contextualied anthropological approach to a broader public debate or problem in the form of an empirically and holistically based “question”.
Outcome:  A MEAD Talk, MEADia object, or multiMEADia approach that effectively communicates the anthropological engagement to a wider debate, question, or issue.

The Assignment: Your ultimate goal is to create your own MEAD Project; this is the “proposal” stage.  A MEAD Project is a public presentation to a non-specialist audience on a topic of critical import.  It is not an original “research” paper or project.  Rather, it is drawing from anthropological research and evidence to re-present the importance and significance of anthropological discourses and data using a multi-subfield approach (archaeology/material culture, bio-physical, linguistic, cultural, medical).  You may see examples of previous MEAD Projects (in the file).

In other words, these projects are designed to insert your collective anthropological wisdom into a wider public debate, illustrating the critical import and unique ability of anthropological data and discourses to address the broad and existential concerns of humanity.  Some potential formats include:
Film/YouTube Video
Interactive Documentary,  Creating a “mystery” or explorer game/experience
Podcast, TED Talk
Museum display
Website/Blogsite
Theorizing an Immersive Experience (Theme Park, Virtual World, Video Game)
Written work (a series of letters, blogs, white papers, business plans, grant applications)

In one post of at least 500 words, and building from your initial thoughts write-up and subsequent group discussion in class, answer the following questions in the format of a project proposal.

1. What broad topic will you engage with your public anthropology project?  What specific issue or project that you are committed to (i.e. your “Big Idea” or a human/social issue about which you feel strongly)?  Answer this by discussing and exemplifying the “broad” (i.e. Diversity & Inclusion) as well as potential “specifics” (i.e. “social stratification through the built environment, “race” issues through public discourses, etc). NOTE: This will be refined from last week’s assignment.
2. You should include SPECIFIC references to AT LEAST ONE COURSE READING TO JUSTIFY YOUR APPROACH AND PROJECT, and one OUTSIDE READING as empirical evidence to use to substantiate and illustrate your topic. You will need to do some research to find the ONE anthropological journal article or book chapter that DIRECTLY RELATES to your chosen topic.  How and why are these readings relevant? 
3. What format or portfolio object have you chosen (i.e. video, Ted talk, museum display, white/policy paper, podcast)?  Why and how does your topic lend itself well to your chosen format, especially considering public consumption of your work?
4. How will you “bring to life” your topic?  How do you foresee gathering the requisite data/information/images for your project, and what steps do you see necessary for completion?
ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT THIS:  What is your topic and why is it crucial, give empirical evidence, what is your proposed structure and format, and how will you go about getting it done?

Available course readings are in the attachment except the book: Fuentes, Augustin (2012) Race, Monogamy, and Other Lies They Told You: Busting Myths about Human Nature. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.