One-Minute Talk Revised

My name is Ashley. Before this class I didn't know what anthropology was. I surely didn't think it was important because I avoided it. I made my LC choice by making sure my block didn't have anthropology in it. The first day of class, I still didn't understand anthropology. The class introduction left me intrigued but puzzled. Then, the first reading assignment cleared things up. I learned a lot about culture. My favorite concept in this course was gender. Perhaps it was because I had a group presentation on that chapter but I just really enjoyed it. I never heard of matriarchical socities. The enthnography in the other book was also interesting. The society described, where there were no fathers, was alien to me.

One Minute Talk

My name is Ashley and before this class I didn’t even know what Anthropology was. I dismissed all the LC’s that offered Anthropology when I was first applying to Baruch. I didn’t hate the class like I thought I would. Out of participating in this class, I decided to try to be more open minded and not compare other cultures to my own. As this course progressed, I found myself wishing we would have more time to allot on each chapter so that I could really learn everything. I also was initially excited to hear that this class environment was going to be different than any other class. There was supposed to be more participation and class discussions. We were so pressed for time this semester that I never experienced that and as a result became disappointed and a bit uninterested.

My Final Blog Post

When I started this semester, I found myself most excited for this Anthropology class. I didn’t like the blogs or the quizzes or all of the reading that was thrown at us in the first few days. I felt overwhelmed. But Professor Gaunt’s animism and enthusiasm made me feel excited none the less. I hated the Kottak book. It was almost always a dry read that I could not focus on. I did poorly on all the quizzes because of how hard it was for me to read that book. I did enjoy the second book. The enthnographies that we read this semester helped me to understand concepts better than the Kottak chapters. Blogging was definitely a chore for me this semester. I don’t like to use the internet so much for homework. It’s easy for me to get distracted or forget. I had to make an immense effort to get the comments and blogs done on time. I also didn’t like that other people had access to my thoughts. I would’ve preferred handing in my reactions on a typed sheet of paper. I liked the ideas and most of the videos that were on the Anthropology 1001 blog. I believe those also helped solidify concepts.

Initially, I did not know what anthropology was and I dismissed it (especially when I was choosing an LC freshman semester). But I took it as a requirement and I learned a lot from it. I don’t know if I’ve become more tolerant but I do try to not compare things cross-culturally. I just try to take everything at face value and stay open-minded. My excitement did dwindle throughout the semester. We were too pressed for time and far too many things were being taught to us. A lot of the ideas that I had to share were ignored and I often noticed students with their hands up who were never called on. I hope that next semester, others students will be able to participate actively in class as we were promised in the beginning of the semester. But there was good feedback when I needed it. I feel that my final project, the mini-ethnography, will be much better because I received the direction that I truly needed.

Chapter 15

"The Road to Refugee Resettlement," by Dianna Shandy, is, to say the least, an eye-opener. And it was definetly my favorite of all the enthnographies we read this semester. The structure of the piece made it feel more like a story then any other ethnography. The beginning of the story of the Nuer youth and the ceremonial scaring seemed like it was going to be what the entire story was about. But, it was overshadowed by the theme of immigration, and more specifically the immigration process for refugees. I thought Thok Ding’s story was interesting. The way it begins with him being in refugee camps and that being the way he gains his education was inspirational. And then, he learned, like other refugees did, to tell a refugee story without making yourself the dramatic murderer. His experience in America was fascinating. He found other Nuer to live with, even though the United States separates groups of refugees to speed up the process of assimilation.

Shandy mentions that in America, when a person is educated they are deemed either underemployed or their degree is not recognized (157). My boyfriend lives in the Lower East Side and frequently visits the local hookah bars. A lot of the employees at the Cozy Café are immigrants and they are college graduates in their countries. One man, Ayman, has a degree in accounting in Egypt but his degree isn’t acknowledged here. His English is impeccable, as are his social skills. I’m around him a lot and I just think it’s unfortunate that he has to pursue his degree yet again here in America. One of my sorority sisters is married to a man from Brazil and his degree is also ignored. He also has to take jobs that he would never have to consider if he still lived in Brazil. I think this is an extreme disservice to the immigrants that come to this country. It’s an injustice that could definitely be remedied through a qualification test or something.

Shandy, Dianna. “The Road to Refugee Resettlement.” Conformity and Conflict. Pearson 2008. pp. 151-160