ANTH lecture 10

Attendance and Absences

• Excused Absences: Students may request two excused absences automatically for reasons such as illness or job interviews.

  • Must email the TA to request an excused absence.

• Missed Classes: Recordings of every lecture are available on Canvas for review.

• Final Exam Preparation: Review previous lectures, especially for the upcoming final exam next month.

Course Updates

• Last Lecture Review: The final day of lecture will be dedicated to reviewing material for the final exam. Students are encouraged to think of questions and topics they need clarity on.

• Grades Released: Essay 2 grades and attendance from the previous week have been released. Some students may have blank attendance records due to ungraded entries by the TA.

• Final Essay: Essay 3 is due Friday by midnight, and students are allowed to ask for extensions if needed.

  • Extensions should be requested before 5 PM on the deadline day to ensure consideration.

Key Topics for Discussion

• Disability: An important concept that will be covered, emphasizing understanding disability in a social context.

  • Includes definitions, intersections with identity, and how society constructs the meaning of disability.

• Intersectionality: A major topic to be covered. Intersectionality refers to the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group.

  • Aimed to explore how interconnected identities lead to unique experiences of privilege and oppression.

• Marked and Unmarked Categories: To help understand how society defaults to certain norms which often marginalize others.

Writing Days and Essay Guidelines

• Last Writing Day: The final writing day for assignments occurs on Wednesday.

  • Students encouraged to work on Essay 3, with extensions available for genuine needs.

• Essay Directions: In essays, students can perform an intersectional analysis, critiquing readings on their attention to various identities and experiences.

Class Logistical Notes

• Discussions and Engagement: Lectures will include opportunities for student engagement and discussion.

• Accessible Learning: Encourage students to think critically about class structures that may be institutionally ableist.

• Class Inequality Topics: Future lectures will cover socioeconomic status and class inequality, with a focus on social theories.

Understanding Intersectionality

• Definition: Intersectionality describes how various aspects of a person's social and political identities can overlap, leading to unique experiences of discrimination or privilege.

• Historical Context: Coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, who pointed out the inadequate representation of black women in mainstream feminist and civil rights movements.

• Examples: Individuals negotiating multiple marginalized identities may face compounded experiences of discrimination or structural inequalities.

Disability as a Social Construct

• Understanding Disability: Disability arises when social barriers prevent those with impairments from participating fully in society.

  • Distinction between impairment (the biological limitation) and disability (the social response to impairment).

• Implications of Normative Expectations: Societal norms dictate what is viewed as "normal," which impacts individuals with impairments based on existing societal structures.

Ableism Defined

• Ableism: Prejudice against people with disabilities seen both at personal and institutional levels.

• Productivity Focus: Identifying how societal values of productivity create barriers to success and reinforce ableism, as those who cannot conform to these norms are disabled by the system.

Marked vs. Unmarked Categories

• Key Definitions:

  • Marked: When an identity or characteristic is highlighted as 'different' or 'other' from the norm.

  • Unmarked: The default or assumed state in society that is typically not labeled or recognized (e.g., able-bodied, male).

• Societal Implications: Understanding marked and unmarked categories can help analyze power dynamics and social bias in various contexts including language, titles, and societal roles.

• Examples: Gender identity terms such as "Mr." being unmarked for men, while women are marked as "Mrs." or "Ms."

• Public Spaces: Ethnic food aisles in grocery stores represent marked categories of culture, while mainstream foods remain unmarked.