So far in this course, we have explored the 19th century cultural evolutionists, key figures in
social theory of the 19th century/Early 20th C (Marx and Engels, Weber, Freud, Durkheim and Mauss), the Boasians (Boas, Sapir, Benedict), and moost British Social Anthropologists Malinowski and Radcliffe-Brown.
Discussing two authors we have read, evaluate a contemporary social problem that
interests you –it could be a discourse that is politically charged in this moment and that you
find interesting, it could be about national political discourse, or a global crisis/problem–
according to these theorists’ arguments. You may choose any two we have read.
Your essay should make a claim/argument about which author’s perspective is most
illuminating/convincing as a tool to analyze the social problem you have chosen, or what you see to be the benefits of each author’s approach to the problem.
EXAMPLE: Marx and Engels’ approach to change and crisis in capitalism is the most useful
lens through which to view our time of climate crisis, but Weber’s attention to the
conditions of social movements and forms of leadership and authority could be crucial for
climate activists… The short paper would then explain how, and draw specifically on the
texts to do so.
Paper Length: 4-5 pages double-spaced, 12-point font, one-inch margins.
DUE DATE: Feb 28 by 11:59pm
