Day 1
Wed. Jan. 6
Intro to class:
Why write about culture?
Why write about our own culture?
Close reading: “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema”
Homework
➤ Read the Course Handbook
This document explains everything you need to know at this point about how this class will work. Please read carefully and message me if you have any questions.
➤ Finish reading “Body Ritual among the Nacirema”
Finish reading the article, as best you can. Each paragraph describes a common behavior in American culture (during the 1950s, when this article was written) but uses language to describe it that makes it sound strange and exotic. As you read, try to your best to guess what behavior each paragraph is referring to.
➤ SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT: “RITUALS OF THE ESENICH”
Write 2-3 paragraphs in the style of “Body Ritual of the Nacirema” about some specific aspect of Chinese culture. Title it “_____ Ritual among the Esenich,” where _____ is the aspect you’re focusing on.
Do your best to imitate the style of “Body Ritual among the Nacirema.” Make everything you write be true (to the best of your abilities) but write it in a way that makes it sound so strange that another Chinese person, reading it, wouldn’t realize this was about his/her own culture.
Upload your assignment as a .doc or .docx file to the folder titled “Rituals of the Esenich” in our shared Box folder.
(This assignment will be ungraded — as long as you follow directions and complete the assignment in good faith, you’ll get full credit for it.)
➤ Come up with a List of Questions about Chinese culture
Think of someone you think of as an “outsider” to Chinese culture — a friend, or classmate, or teacher, or somebody else you know personally or have interacted with (in other words, not a celebrity or famous person). Come to next class ready to tell us who this person is and describe them to us.
Come up with a list of at least 6 questions that you think this person might have about Chinese culture. What might this person have difficulty understanding about how Chinese people act and think? What might confuse them, or intrigue them, or strike them as strange? Write your list of questions in a .doc or .docx file and upload it to the folder titled “Questions about Chinese Culture” in our shared Box folder.
(This assignment will be ungraded — as long as you follow directions and complete the assignment in good faith, you’ll get full credit for it.)