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Migration and Diaspora Studies (SOAS) 2006-07

The First Week of School |

So...this was my first week of class. Talk about, I wasn't ready!!!

Each class consists of: a 1 hour lecture, a 1-2 hour tutorial and a 1-2 hour seminar. So when I thought I was taking three classes, it fell like 12. And for each class you get a weekly reading list that's anywhere between 15 - 30 books and articles. And depending on which professor it is, they might expect you to have them all read.

Anyhow, my first week of Anthropology was a real rollercoaster. I started off the week extremely excited with the program in general but especially with classes since I was expecting to start last week.

Today...I had to let it rip. I mean, the whole foundation of anthropology is based on some old rich British men who had a lot of money and less to do with it, so they would travel to 'far off lands' and conduct 'research' on the natives. There was no real interest in learning about the culture for the sake of learning but more so to make a comparison of how "uncivilized" people could be. I mean, well I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. But when I read that (and I would document it for you but I haven't purchased the offical British guide to Grammar and Citation - or whatever it's called) I was so taken aback.

So since we have these two hour tutorials and everyone was being so honest. I felt it was time for me to voice my concerns for the ingenuine field of Anthropology. I guess it went over ok. Don't really know though. Well, there was a girl who talked about having to switch her major in undergrad from Anthropology to Creative Writing because as research she infiltrated a Muslim religious organization yet didn't want to adopt a thesis statement (since in anthropology you HAVE to prove something or your research is worthless) and she was told that she was brainwashed. So eventually they accepted her report as an assignment though EXTREMELY reluctantly. So I think her overall views on Anthropology was more insulting than mine.

I'm hoping I get over it though. I don't think "Anthropology: The Non-Field of Study" will go over well as a thesis. =)

Locations Visited: London

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