Writing An Anthropology Essay Guide
Anthropology is basically the science that describes human beings and their culture, societies and behavior. As an anthropology student, you will have multiple anthropology essays and papers to write in your academic career.
How do I write this essay?
It is common to ask yourself questions such as, “Why do I have to write an essay?”, “What should I write about?”, “How do I get started?”
In the anthropology essay, your instructor is looking for your insights and understanding about your topic of choice. He will be checking to see that you conducted adequate and significant research for your essay.
Also included in the requirements will be proper citations and a reference section. If you use charts or diagrams, be sure and document them properly.
How to choose a topic when the choices are endless?
Well it’s true; the choices do seem endless when it comes to choosing anthropology essay topics. But there are ways you can narrow it down. Try the following procedure:
- Write out several general topics you are interested in. Some ideas might be:
- Amazon native cultures;
- Icelandic language;
- History of Paganism;
- The Bali Miracle;
- The British Empire;
2. Narrow down each topic into something more specific, such as the following:
- Head shrinking practices of native Amazonian cultures;
- Stages of development in the Icelandic language;
- History of Paganism as related to their sacred brotherhood;
- The miracle of Bali as interpreted by its own residents;
What are current views as to the power of the British Empire today?
Find an area of anthropology that really excites you and sparks a fire within you. This passion will come out in your writing and will grab your reader and pull him in for the entire anthropology essay.
Step by step guide to writing your essay
- Identify the topic and thesis statement. Your research will revolve around supporting the thesis statement.
- Read the research and write down notes as you study each article or book chapter. Make sure you reference in your notes where each citation came from.
- Construct the body of information. Sketch out an outline first, then fill in each section with the pertinent information.
- Write the introduction, which should include the thesis statement, and tell the reader what you are going to cover in the body of the essay.
- Write the concluding paragraph, which basically summarizes all the information in the essay but in condensed form.
- Read over your essay and make any changes or adjustments as needed.
- Get someone else to read your essay and give you feedback for editing.
- Always proofread your anthropology essays to catch and correct any spelling, grammar, punctuation errors.
Your essay should be finished now, and in excellent form. If you have done it in good time, then take a few days if possible to forget about it. Then read the essay again while your mind is clear and you haven’t seen it for a while. Doing this will give you a fresh perspective and give you the last-minute chance to change anything you may have missed before.