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Introduction to Anthropology

Critical Thinking Questions

Introduction to AnthropologyCritical Thinking Questions

Critical Thinking Questions

1 .
Can you think of any genres of mass media not covered in this chapter? How could an anthropologist conduct research on those topics? What might be the focus of the research? What might be the challenges?
2 .
Do you take photographs to document your day-to-day life? If so, who constitutes the audience for these photos? What messages are you conveying by sharing images with others or viewing your own images? How does taking a photo influence the way you remember an experience?
3 .
Select a news story from the front page of a newspaper or the website of a national news organization. Why is this story on the front page? What techniques make the story appear to be true? What perspectives or facts are left out of the story? Does that make the story false? Are there different versions of truth?
4 .
What is your favorite television program? What notions of identity and sociality are depicted in the show? Consider gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, and nationalism. How might the show affect the way you view yourself and your community?
5 .
What social relationships in your life are made possible and/or enhanced by the use of digital media? Would you have the same sorts of friends and/or romantic relationships without digital interaction? How would your relationships be different without digital media?
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