Final Essay Options and Related Concepts in Anthropology of the Supernatural

Assessment 3: Final Essay Options

• Option 1: Supernatural Research

  • Research a story, belief, or practice related to the supernatural within its cultural context.
  • Compare it to similar materials in folk tradition and analyze using anthropological/folkloristic theories.
  • Sources can include:
  • Auto-ethnography: Personal experiences.
  • Digital ethnography: Public Internet sources (folklore archives, reddit boards, social media).

• Option 2: Literary Analysis

  • Select a work of fiction that features supernatural or magical elements inspired by folklore (can be any form: film, novel, etc.).
  • Compare the depiction with its folkloric and cultural context.
  • Analyze how being adapted into popular culture alters the practice, belief, or narrative and the potential effects of these changes.

• Option 3: Object Analysis at UBC’s Museum of Anthropology

  • Identify an object related to supernatural beliefs or practices within the collection.
  • Contextualize the object in its original cultural setting.
  • Examine the object’s use, symbolism, production context, and implications of its museum inclusion.
  • Analyze the display of the object and its impact on original meaning and purpose.

• Option 4: Magic Systems

  • Choose one studied magic system (e.g., Kabbalah, Tarot, Astrology).
  • Contextualize its historical and cultural roots and how it integrated into Western magic.
  • Examine its role in the Western Magical Revival and its relation to other systems.
  • Analyze operational principles of the magic system discussed in lectures.

Research Guidelines

• Sources:

  • 3 to 4 peer-reviewed sources (not from course reading list).

• Proposal:

  • Submit short paragraph (half to one typed page).
  • Include topic details and references to two peer-reviewed sources.
  • Proposal feedback window: March 20 - March 28.
  • Late submissions may not receive feedback.

• Final Essay:

  • Due: April 14 (after exams).
  • Length: 2,000 - 3,000 words (~9-11 pages double-spaced).
  • Referencing style: Chicago Turabian.
  • In-text references: Author-date format (e.g., Clark 2025, 200).
  • Follow style guide for reference list format.

Essays and Concepts in Anthropology of the Supernatural

• Lecture Focus: Vampires in modern imagination.

• Perkowski’s Research on Romanian Vampires:

  • Emic terms: strigoi (feminine: strigoica), moroi, varcolaci, pricolici.
  • The term 'vampire' from Serbian origins recorded in the 18th century.
  • Analysis of Emil Petrovici’s folkloric work, gathering folklore in the 1930s, published 1943 amidst WWII.

• Analytical Framework: Perkowski examines Petrovici’s data through 10 prisms:

  1. Source of information.
  2. Geographical context.
  3. Emic naming.
  4. Origin of vampires.
  5. Detection methods.
  6. Attributes and perceptions.
  7. Activity patterns.
  8. Protection measures.
  9. Cures for vampirism.
  10. Social/psychological roles.

• Barber’s Forensic Pathology:

  • Correlates natural decomposition signs (bloating, blood at lips) with vampirism folklore.
  • Links vampire beliefs to plagues and changes in funerary practices.

• McNeill’s Study on Vampires in Fan Culture:

  • Discusses contemporary vampire narratives versus historical beliefs.
  • Explores fan culture as a form of folklore.
  • Impact of technology and new media on vampire narratives.
  • Addresses copyright issues in fan fiction and cultural borrowing.