Thurs. 4/3 Session Materials

Session Materials

Assigned reading:

Stephen, Lynn. 2008. “Reconceptualizing Latin America,” In A Companion Guide to Latin American Anthropology, edited by Deborah Poole. Blackwell Publishing, pp. 426-446. Download Stephen, Lynn. 2008. “Reconceptualizing Latin America,” In A Companion Guide to Latin American Anthropology, edited by Deborah Poole. Blackwell Publishing, pp. 426-446.
- NOTE: The .pdf is complete volume featuring contributions of research in Latin America to Anthropology; skim the table of contents to get an idea of the different topics relevant to the field of study and then scroll down to locate the assigned chapter starting on page 426.

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We will pick up our discussion from last class, on the theme of "Reading North by South" as an approach to Latin American Studies. Although the author does not explicitly use "Reading North by South" in the assigned chapter, they are making a very similar argument for how anthropologists (and the social scientists more broadly) can rethink their research objectives, methods, and conceptual frameworks. As you read, ask yourself: What does the reading add in terms of our own approach to "Reading North by South" we started discussing last class? We will work together as a class to breakdown each section of the reading and cover key concepts; ahead of time, try to identify some key ideas on your own and bring your ideas to class to share!

GENERAL TIPS FOR ANNOTATING AS YOU READ

The assigned readings for the first few weeks introduce A LOT of different concepts and new historical information. Your task is not to memorize all of these concepts but rather to learn them by actively annotating the text as you read. There is no "right" or "wrong" way to annotate texts but rather something that will take practice over time.

Strategies for annotating texts

- As you read, highlight main ideas or key points as you come across them and then try adding short notes to the snippet that summarizes the main idea. Try asking yourself "why is this important?" or, taking this even further "how might this apply to other ideas or examples Ive seen elsewhere".
- If something strikes you as interesting or raises a question as you read, highlight the passage and then leave a comment or question in the margin of the text and bring them to class to share (this is not an assignment but rather an optional activity for you to share your own strategies and thoughts with your peers). If you do not regularly annotate in this way then give it a try, you can choose to keep your annotations private or share them!
- Try to locate key terms or concepts that are defined in the reading (summarize in your own words, reflecting on how the author uses the concept to make their argument).
- New to annotating texts and/or looking for ideas to refine your critical reading skills? See "Discussion Section - Shared Resources" on next page for handout and early extra credit activity.

All lecture slides and recordings will be embedded on this page by the end of the day after the scheduled meeting.

Link to prezi presentation (with class notes): https://prezi.com/view/IOw5ExfX8tGdt7sJMNTs Links to an external site.
.PDF of Prezi Download .PDF of Prezi (reduced version of slides, for individual note taking)