Welcome back to school! This is the page for the Understanding Anglophone Cultures course (officially, and awkwardly, known as “Understanding Culture in English-Speaking Countries”) for Spring 2011, taught by Gord Sellar. We are scheduled to meet on Tuesday mornings from 10:00am-12:00pm, and Thursdays from 11:00am-12:00pm, in M309. (I have not announced office hours yet — check here […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Welcome to Understanding Anglophone Culture(s), Spring 2011!I recently saw an interesting video by Michael Ruhlman, a chef who works in the United States. Here’s what he had to say: Had Something to Say – Thomas Keller from michael ruhlman on Vimeo. Ruhlman is talking about a chef friend of his who talked about what it takes to make a great restaurant […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on On Pushing Yourself, and Not Saying NoWell, I don’t think I really assigned you any homework, other than reading the syllabus (which you can download below if you’ve lost yours). However, I did ask you to make a Google Account, so that you can use it for some feedback sessions and other things. You can sign up for a Google account […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Homework, First ClassHere is the homework assigned to you on 8 March 2010, to be completed by 10 March 2010: go out with your assigned group of classmates and fill out one anothers’ Student Information Sheets (downloadable below). Do Not Fill Out Your Own Sheet. In your group, discuss the following questions — and take notes, as […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Homework for 10 March 2010Since your class on Thursday morning was canceled, due to the Mass, I figured I’d update you on the plan for next week: On Tuesday: you will hand in your Student Information Sheets, which you filled out during your outing. you will have filled out the online form linked below, which I asked you to […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on An Update….Sorry about the errors some of you were getting. The link for the Student Information Sheets should now be working on all pages in this site.
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Student Info Sheets: Now DownloadableFolks, Next time (17 March), we’re going to continue discussing the James Clifford reading, so make sure that you have your questions and inquiries ready for the class discussion. While you’re at it, start reading the next reading for next week!
Continue Reading... Comments Off on For next time…Whatever problems thinking people have with the metaphysics of Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” if we see it as a metaphor for culture–a system through which we learn to see the world, which shapes us and our expectations, understanding, and perhaps to some degree even our ability to see the world in certain ways–it’s a […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on On Culture and Plato’s Allegory of the CaveLast time, we (sort of) finished up our discussion of the Clifford article, and I asked you to prepare the next article (the extract from the Hobsbawm/Ranger text) for discussion. Remember that you are required to write 500 words in preparation for the March 24 class, when we begin discussion of the text. I will […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on The Discussion ContinuesFolks, We’re continuing for the last week of March with our discussions of Hobsbawm’s intro to The Invention of Tradition, along with Chapter 1 (on the invention of the Scottish Highland tradition). Be ready with questions and discussion points. I will be trying to stay clear and give you the chance to talk more, express […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Readings and Discussions