Tag Archives: Leah McCurdy

Proposing a Harry Potter and Anthropology Course

My discussion last month centred on the emerging trend for developing disciplinary courses in concert with popular culture themes. The possibilities for relevant and insightful connections are as endless as the imaginations of fiction authors, screenwriters, musicians, and other artists. In this post, I want to delve deeply into a course at the intersection of popular culture and anthropology that certainly would have held my attention as an undergraduate. Here, I propose a Harry Potter and Anthropology course that uses Harry Potter as a gateway to discussions of the important themes of four-field anthropology. read more…

  • dateApril 20, 2016
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  • posted byLeah McCurdy
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Popular Culture Courses for Anthropology

There are some important distinctions to make regarding popular culture and/or imaginative literature as an aspect of a course. First, what is the primary focal point of the course: popular culture or the academic discipline as a whole? There are many courses in media studies, sociology, or anthropology departments that focus on popular culture or media as a subject of inquiry and critical analysis. Here, I highlight courses in which introductory disciplinary understanding is the primary goal and popular culture serves as a lens through which to focus student attention and the development of their disciplinary knowledge. read more…

  • dateMarch 15, 2016
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  • posted byLeah McCurdy
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“Creative Connections” with J.R.R. Tolkien: Teaching Anthropology with Imaginative Literature

How do J.R.R. Tolkien, his legendary stories, and other examples of imaginative literature relate to anthropology? The possibilities are endless. You can make “creative connections” in your classroom and engage students in a dialogue about the resonance of anthropology and its themes to many of their favorite imaginative universes. read more…

  • dateFebruary 11, 2016
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  • posted byLeah McCurdy
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Assigned Readings: Strategies and Ponderings

To mark the beginning of the fall semester at most US colleges and universities, we would like to return to our series of blog postings by the Anthropology Teaching Forum (ATF) at the University of Texas, San Antonio. Here we … read more…

  • dateAugust 24, 2015
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  • posted byLeah McCurdy
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Empowered and Empowering Students with Emily Lloyd

This blog posting on student empowerment is inspired by a recent talk given by Emily Lloyd, a PhD candidate and adjunct instructor at the University of Texas, San Antonio. Emily includes a list of references as a helpful starting place for others seeking inspiration for empowerment in the classroom. read more…

  • dateJanuary 28, 2015
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  • posted byLeah McCurdy
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