***IF YOU NEED TO WRITE THIS IN MORE THAN 1 PAGE LIKE 2-4 PAGES THAT IS FINE.
MY PROFESSOR ALLOWS EXTRA PAGES AND FOR A HIGHER GRADE
will send extra $ if you do
Instructions for Writing Assignment 4: A Message to Future Societies (The WIPP Project)
Imagine the year is 1990 and you are a cultural anthropologist. You learn that the U.S. Department of Energy is recruiting experts to serve on two panels that will write official recommendations for developing warning markers intended to deter future human societies from intruding into the Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP), planned for development in New Mexico (see video links below).
Write a 3-4 page persuasive essay (3 full pages of text minimum) explaining why it is imperative to include an anthropologist on these two upcoming panels: The panel titled “Expert Judgement on Inadvertent Human Intrusion into the WIPP” (or Future Societies Panel, 1991) and the panel titled “Expert Judgement on Markers to Deter Inadvertent Human Intrusion into the WIPP” (1993).
For a possible 30 points total, your essay must include ALL of the following:
An explanation in your own words of what anthropology is (5 points) and why anthropological insights are important to the WIPP project (5 points).
A description of a possible future society that you imagine (5 points) and a scenario in which members of that society might inadvertently intrude into the WIPP (5 points).
See the documents attached for examples given in the real panels, but the future society and the scenario that you describe should come from your own ‘anthropological imagination’ – be creative!
Include at least five keywords from your textbook or class lectures in your explanation for why anthropological knowledge is needed when designing a marker that will convey the appropriate message to future societies like the one you have imagined. (10 points)
The keywords you use should be integrated into your essay, NOT simply listed with definitions at the bottom of your paper.
Watch the following links for background into this case study:
https://youtu.be/lOEqzt36JEMLinks to an external site. – Vox
https://youtu.be/PUXwrWMS-x8Links to an external site. – The Nation
https://youtu.be/E9MzWJLhDu8?si=4ZKhEL0QWfEID9DQLinks to an external site. – WIPP Experience
See also the two documents attached. They are LONG and repetitive. Just skim the introductions and jump to page 163 (or “C-38”) of the file titled “Hora Expert Judgement Human Intrusion WIPP” for examples of the future societies that the real panels imagined.
Hora Expert Judgement Human Intrusion WIPP -1-2.pdfDownload Hora Expert Judgement Human Intrusion WIPP -1-2.pdf
Sandia Report WIPP markers project.pdfDownload Sandia Report WIPP markers project.pdf
**Reminder: The use of any AI program or other software to generate, add, enhance, or restructure your writing is prohibited in this class. And may result in an automatic zero for the assignment**
Formatting Instructions:
A cover page that is not included in the page count of the assignment
HERE ARE SOME NOTES THAT NEED TO BE USED WITHIN ESSAY
VOCAB
Holistic: encompassing past,present, and future; biology,society,language, and culture
4 fields in American Traditions
-Cultural Anthropology
-Archaeological Anthropology
-Biological Anthropology
-Linguistic Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology: “The comparative, cross-cultural study of human society and culture”
Anthropology: the study of humans around the world and through time
Cultural Anthropology: “The comparative, cross-cultural study of human society and culture”
Ethnography: writing culture; participant-observation
Culture Shock: the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone who is suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set off attitudes
Enculturation: the process by which culture is learned and transmitted across generations
IMPORTANT TO MENTION
Symbol: something verbal, or nonverbal, that stands for something else
Sign: in semiotics, a sign is anything that communicates meaning
Semiotics: the study of signs and symbols and their interpretation (the study of meaning)
-future generations are warned about the dangers of intruding into this repository of nuclear waste.
– The DOE has recognized the necessity of expert panels
-imperative that these panels include cultural anthropologists.
-One of the reasons anthropologists should be included on these panels is their expertise in understanding human behavior across time and cultures.
-knowledge is invaluable when considering how future societies, potentially vastly different from our own, might perceive and respond to warning markers.
-Anthropologists can provide crucial insights into the diversity of human cultures and mindsets, helping to ensure that warning messages are designed in a way that resonates with a wide range of potential intruders
-cross-cultural studies to identify universal symbols and communication methods that have been effective in conveying messages of danger or taboo throughout history.
-Another reason anthropologists are good to these panels is their expertise…
– long-term thinking and intergenerational communication.
-experience is directly applicable to the challenge of creating warning markers that remain effective for thousands of years.
-Anthropologists can contribute valuable insights into how to design warning systems that transcend language barriers and technological changes.
-They can help communication strategies
-durable materials and symbols with enduring significance, ensuring that the message persists over time even as languages evolve and civilizations change.
Ethics
-anthropologists bring a deep understanding of ethics and cultural sensitivity.
-navigate complex cultural landscapes and to engage respectfully with diverse communities.
-WIPP project, this expertise is essential for ensuring that warning markers are not only effective but also ethically and culturally appropriate.
-Anthropologists can help issues of cultural heritage
-the development of warning markers respects and honors the perspectives
– provide guidance on
-how to involve local communities in the design process
-ownership and responsibility
Wrap up
– the inclusion of anthropologists on the Future Societies Panel (1991) and the Markers Panel (1993) for the WIPP project is not just advisable; it is imperative.
-Anthropologists bring a unique set of skills and perspectives to the table, including an understanding
-human behavior
-expertise in long-term thinking and intergenerational communication, and a commitment to ethical and culturally sensitive practices.
-these insights, the panels can ensure that the warning markers developed for the WIPP project are not only effective in deterring inadvertent human intrusion but also respectful of the diversity of human cultures and perspectives.
