What is AnthroWrites?
AnthroWrites is a joint venture of the Department of Anthropology, the Harvard College Writing Program, and the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. The site, an extension of HarvardWrites, is designed to assist Anthropology concentrators with their transition to the study of Social Anthropology and Archaeology, and to acquaint them with the norms, expectations, of their department specifically in regards to writing.
Reading & Writing
in Anthropology
What does it mean to read anthropologically? How do you grapple with a difficult text? How might you deal with theory?
How do you develop a research question from a personal interest or experience? What is at stake in your project?
What are common methods used by anthropologists to engage and build an argument? How do you bring in existing literature to strengthen your claims? In this section we cover six techniques of "making moves" in your writing.
Throughout your time at Harvard you will face many types of writing assignments - but how does each require a specific approach in your reading & writing? Here we examine response papers/précis, the "short long" essay, and final papers.
How do we approach fieldwork & Writing
Ethics & Process
Issues of representations are at the core of Anthropology - but how are our actions in the field, and the ways in which we represent our experiences in writing, tools of power and privilege?
How does one prepare for fieldwork as well as the process of returning with humility to write about these experiences?
Resources
Helpful materials and links to support your study and writing in Anthropology.
