Writing in Anthropology is the ideal, pocket-sized manual for undergraduate students and emerging anthropologists who wish to improve their writing.
Writing is central to the work of anthropologists. They employ a wide range of genres, including fieldnotes, ethnographies, journal articles, reviews, reports, essays, personal narratives, and grant proposals. Most anthropology courses--both those in the major and for general education and W requirements--include substantial writing assignments. Those assignments often align with the professional genres listed above, but perhaps more are framed as school or apprentice genres-reading responses, summaries, literature reviews, personal reflections, and research papers-designed to help students process course content.
While anthropologists appreciate good writing and occasionally focus explicitly on it each year, there has been no compact, practical writing guide that meets the needs of undergraduates and beginning graduate students. This brief guide aims to address that gap by pursuing four goals:
. Introduce the major genres and habits of writing in anthropology
. Explain how reflexivity, expression, and interpretation are vital to the field
. Convey insider strategies for writing and editing in the discipline
. Describe the basic conventions for using sources; and to model a scholarly yet accessible style
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