English 1A

Spring 2008

Seminar #3

Note:  Your seminar grade will be determined by the quantity of your responses (how many questions you answer and how many other students you respond to) and the quality (how well you demonstrate an understanding of the ideas you're responding to, how detailed your responses are, how coherent and in-depth they are, etc.)

Directions:
1.  Read the essays listed below.

2. Choose one question for each essay and respond with at least one paragraph per question. Include quotes and/or specific references to the text to back up your responses.

Miner:  Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Choose one question from the following:

1.   Our expectations : What kind of essay does Miner set us up to expect?  Point to examples in the opening paragraph that show how he sets us up.  In the end, how does he meet those expectations, and how does he rebel against them?

2.  Audience: Who was Miner writing this essay for?  (Hint:  it was originally published in American Anthropologist.)  What might he have been trying to say to his original audience?  Does it matter if you are a member of that intended audience?  Why or why not?

3. Magic: At the beginning and end of the essay, Miner refers to the Nacirema as having “magical beliefs and practice” (para. 1) and as being “magic-ridden” (20). What kinds of cultures are usually described in this way? Why does Miner use such terms to describe the Nacirema?

4.  Irony: Explain the irony of the last paragraph. Keep in mind that Malinowski, the author of the final quote, was writing from a functionalist point of view. In other words, he saw ritual as having a certain purpose or function in any culture, and the purpose as being unique to the smooth operation of that particular culture. What does this paragraph suggest about Nacirema rituals and the functional role they play in the society?

Jessica Mitford: Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain Choose one question from the following:

1.   Your reaction: This, to me, is an interesting essay because it always provokes a lot of discussion, once the students understand what Mitford is driving at. What was your initial reaction to this essay, and did it change at all after thinking about it?

2.  Purpose: What is Mitford trying to accomplish with this essay? What effect does she want to have on her readers?

3. American Death Ritual: What are the central reasons for the ritual of embalming, according to Mitford? Why is it the most common American death ritual - so common that it's become the default method? What does it imply about our culture's view of death, and the values we hold?

4. Mitford’s Attitude: What is Mitford's attitude about this practice? How do you know? Point to specific areas that indicate how she feels about it.

3. Save your work as a .doc or .rtf document and submit your response to the Assignment Chamber. 

4. Post your responses to the appropriate forum by midnight on Tuesday, 2/19.

5. Read all the other students' posts throughout the week.

6. Respond to at least two other student's post (more is better) .  You will have until midnight, Monday, 2/24 to read and respond to the other students' ideas in the website.

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