This series of “Items” essays will explore different “Routes of Inquiry for Off-Centering the State
This series of “Items” essays will explore different “Routes of Inquiry for Off-Centering the State
500 to 750-word essay and 150-word reply.
PROMPT
| This series of “Items” essays will explore different “Routes of Inquiry for Off-Centering the State” (Krupa and Nugent, 2015) in political and legal anthropology. In the introduction to the 2015 edited volume, State Theory and Andean Politics: New Approaches to the Study of Rule, Christopher Krupa and David Nugent note that “to off-center the state is to denaturalize it as the transcendental core of political life and the master symbol of political practice. It is to dis-locate our inquiries from the gravitational pull of state and to expose the concrete work and outright violence involved in positing the state as the center of political life” (p. 5). Off-centering the state highlights how the elements of everyday experience that people seize on to form an image of the state — to make claims on it, and to reach conclusions about it — vary enormously, e the political and cultural work the “state idea” (Abrams,1988) performs. Similarly, we seek essays that showcase the rich contributions of scholars, intellectuals, activists, filmmakers, artists and musicians across the region of Latin America. Some relevant questions to explore might include: • Who does and does not invoke the state? What motivates them to do so, and what ends do they seek in the process? In what social contexts does the state become salient, and for which groups?How might we make sense of the fact that so many people have such high expectations of the state despite having (inevitably) been let down by it time after time after time? • How is the state invoked? By means of which practices – material, discursive, ritual, and/or performative – do people come to accept (or not) states as real and enduring parts of the social landscape? What role does fantasy, imagination, and deception play in legitimizing (or questioning) power relations or authority? To what extent does investing hope in the state mask or reinforce systemic inequalities? • What meanings or qualities are attributed to the state in the course of projecting its idea? For instance, is the state seen as a site of corruption or virtue, as a domain that wields force in an arbitrary manner, or as an institution that protects the rights of citizens (or that reproduces systemic exclusions)? • What gets produced (or masked) as a result? What claims do people make on the state in the course of constructing it?In making such claims, how do they position themselves with respect to the state and /or seek to reinforce (or challenge) the status quo? How is the state idea situated in relation to non-state political projects or alternative notions of social harm and its repair? Assigned Materials: POWER, COMMUNITY AND THE STATE The Political Anthropology of Organisation in Mexico / Chapter 1 (Pages 11- 35) & Chapter 5 (Pages 101- 128) https://vimeo.com/410925337 Latin American racial equality law as criminal law https://www.npr.org/2020/07/02/886568058/the-afro-latinx-experience-black-lives-matter https://www.youtube.com/watch?embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fcanvas.ucsd.edu%2Fcourses%2F44799%2Fpages%2Fthurs-5-slash-4-session-materials%3Fmodule_item_id%3D1811980&source_ve_path=MTY0OTksMjg2NjQsMTY0NTA2&feature=emb_share&v=ht-bvoawOx0&ab_channel=InteraprendizajeIPDRS INSTRUCTIONS STEP 1: (50 points) Blog Essay. Write a short essay addressing 1-2 of the prompt questions that introduces the topic, fully incorporates assigned materials from the corresponding module, and concludes with a consideration of how, taken together, the materials offer new “insights” or understandings in relation to any of the broader themes or issues raised. Please review the basic criteria carefully to ensure you receive full points for Step 1 (see also Basic Criteria & Grading Rubric Links to an external site. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dP0T5M0E96MVEmA52TlEQf4-RsbqVWhkfS69jcYmUeo/edit for additional tips and guidelines). BASIC CRITERIA: • Length: Your posts can be open-ended but should aim for around 500-750 words • Organization: Your discussion should aim to synthesize and evaluate relevant the themes, debates, anthropological approaches, contributions, etc. of the readings by connecting them to the assigned media (as well as any other relevant examples). • Assigned material: Your post must incorporate at least two of the assigned readings and at least one of the assigned media from the module in your discussion. ◦ Optional (up to 10pts. Extra Credit; see Basic Criterial Checklist) ▪ Supplementary materials: You are welcome to incorporate additional readings or media, images, clips as you would like to connect ideas from supplementary materials (for up to ee optional extra credit on Basic Criteria Checklist) ▪ Outside examples: You are encouraged to embed images, discuss current events, describe everyday experiences or other relevant examples /”anecdotes” to help elaborate key points raised in your essay. Keep in mind your imagined audience (an online academic forum) to guide your analysis. • Citations: Imagine you are creating an online academic blog post. Use in-text citations or footnotes to cite all sources, including academic texts, media, and outside examples, followed by a works citied list at the bottom of your essay. Also, feel free to incorporate images and/or hyperlinks to relevant stories, and/or use subheadings to organize your discussion (see Items essays for examples). You may follow MLA, ASA, Chicago, or any other standard style guidelines used in the social sciences, just be consistent. You may also cite your portfolios, lecture slides, peers / class discussions in your essay using footnotes. When in doubt, cite everything always – its good practice! • Content: Your posts will not be assessed on the basis of a “right” or “wrong” answer but rather active and thoughtful analysis of assigned materials within key themes or critical issues raised in the module (see grading rubric for more on assessment). STEP 2: Reply (5 points). Once you post your response you will see others’ posts. Respond to at least one of your peers by engaging in a discussion on the specific themes, examples, anthropological approaches, etc. they offered in their post. Your replies can be personal reflections about what stood out to you but should also try to connect back to the class material to offer reflections on how, taken together, your posts expand our understanding around questions related to race, ethnicity, class & gender and their interconnections Try to distribution your replies, meaning do not reply to a post that has already has multiple comments. Imagine this step as a peer workshop to share ideas for an official Items forum essay collection. Word limit is flexible, aim for a meaningful reply that might generate dialogue (100-150 words) |
Requirements: 900 words
Masters Latin American Studies
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