Anthropology

Continued…..

Anth 330 – Final Paper: Overview and options Do not email. [1250-1500 words] One major goal of this course is critical examination of issues involving science, technology and society. For your final paper, you have a choice in how you will tackle this subject. This assignment helps you achieve course learning outcomes 1, 3, and 6-9.

General instructions  Whichever option you choose, your final product will be a paper based on your

research. o If you are unsure how to write a term paper for the option you have chosen, the

OSU Writing Center is a great place to go for help. o Please be aware that they become quite busy later in the term, so you need to

plan ahead and make an appointment.

 The paper must consist of a minimum of 1250 words (excluding the bibliography).

 Citation will be in the American Psychological Association (APA) style.

o The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) provides a very thorough APA format and style guide.

 Your sources should be academic and include materials outside of those used in our class.

Unless arranged with me ahead of time, I will NOT accept late papers. Any paper submitted late will receive zero points.

Plagiarism is NEVER a good thing and will not be tolerated in this class. Any one act of plagiarism can result in your receiving an “F” and/or zero points for that assignment. Any additional acts of plagiarism can result in your receiving an “F” for the class. Please read the policy statement to find out the university policy on plagiarism, to find help with how to recognize plagiarism, and to find information on citing of quotes and paraphrased thoughts. Other sources to help you ensure you are presenting your own original thoughts (always of more interest to me than something you are copying from another person or another class) go to: Purdue’s OWL The Valley Library

Read on for options….

Paper options

Option 1: Find a popular publication or other popular media reference to a study on human evolution and then compare the original study with the popular presentation. How did the information transfer between the two cases, did the popular version remain true to the original study? Examples:

 The Big Bang Theory, 'The Contractual Obligation Implementation' Season 6, Episode 18- When Raj asks where to take his new girlfriend for a date Amy tells him “Well, evolutionary biology says that women are attracted to a man who is steady in the face of danger. So I recommend an unsafe environment. A seedy bar on the wrong side of the tracks. Picnic near a lunatic asylum. A wine tasting on skid row.”

 “Stop me if I’ve told you this before”: why you can’t remember whom you’ve told what.” Discover Magazine,

o http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/seriouslyscience/2013/07/10/stop-me-if- ive-told-you-this-before-why-you-cant-remember-whom-youve-told-what/#.V- g0IyErIdV

Topic Choice proposal: If you choose this option your proposal should include:

 A working title and a brief summary of the “popular study” you have chosen.

 Who wrote your “popular study” or what venue was it presented in?

o Give me a brief description of the publication, TV show, blog, or other popular venue where the study was mentioned.

 When was your “popular study” published (aired)?

 Identify the original study being referred to – title, author, where published

You must receive instructor APPROVAL of your proposed project before you can proceed!

Option 2: Find an editorial or opinion piece on some aspect of human evolution, and see if you can find actual studies that support the editorial’s position/claims. This will give you a chance to deconstruct someone else’s argument. The goal is for you to enter this investigation with an open mind and willingness to discover what science has been done that would support the editorial’s argument, whether you agree with the editorial’s stance or not. Examples:

 “Not a Very Brady Blended Family” (available through the OSU Valley Library) o (http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/07/not_a_very_brady_ble

nded_famil.html#incart_river)

o What does evolution say about family? The role it plays, how it should be structured?

 Various ‘Paleo’ blogs/articles o Google ‘paleo’ and see what people are attributing to our evolutionary history;

investigate the research they use to support their positions. How does it compare with information from our course?

o Our textbook - Paleofantasy can be helpful here.

Topic choice proposal: If you choose this option your proposal should include:

 A working title and a brief summary of the editorial or opinion piece you have chosen.

 Who wrote your editorial and what venue was it presented in? Give me a brief description of the publication, TV show, blog, or other popular venue where the opinion was expressed.

 When was your editorial published (aired)?

 Identify the evolutionary principle being referred to and a scientific study on that topic. You must receive instructor APPROVAL of your proposed project before you can proceed!

Option 3: Write a traditional research paper on some aspect of human evolution. Pick some aspect of human evolution that you are interested in – social evolution, anthropological methodologies for studying evolution, morphology, genetics, etc. – and then choose a specific topic within that general category that you would like to explore.

Topic choice proposal: If you choose this option your proposal should include:

 A working title and a brief summary of the topic you have chosen. Be sure to tell me how it pertains to human evolution.

 Include at least one scientific study on this topic that you have already identified – title, author, brief summary.

 Include at least three academic articles or books written on this topic that you have already identified – title, author, brief summary.

You must receive instructor APPROVAL of your proposed project before you can proceed!