compare and contrast death/funerary customs betweeen the Yaqui (sonoran desert, US and Mexico) and Nuer (Africa). You will also select and apply two anthropological concepts, cultural relativism and animism.
1500 words no more than 1750 words
As you research and collect information about the topic and the cultural groups you chose
for your Proposal, remember to locate at least SIX (6) scholarly resources
Include at least 7 internal citations within your essay in support of your explanations.
The essay assignment should include:
1. Introduction: In your opening paragraph, introduce the topic and the two cultures you
are studying. Include in-text citations for your sources.
a. Introduce the topic.
b. State the names and geographic locations of the two cultural groups you are
studying for your cross-cultural analysis.
c. Explain why you chose the topic and the cultural groups.
d. Introduce the anthropological concepts selected to help in your analysis.
2. Exploration: This is the heart of your essay! It is a detailed discussion of the specific
topic you have chosen in each of the cultures in your research project. Support and
document your findings with citations from your sources. Address the following areas in
your essay, to share what you have learned during your research.
a. Exploration of the cultures and the topic.
1. Introduce the first culture you have studied for this assignment, and
explain how they incorporate aspects of the topic you are studying into their
lifeways.
2. Introduce the second culture you are studying, and explain how they
incorporate aspects of the topic you are studying into their lifeways.
In other words, here you will describe the selected topic in each culture.
b. Application of anthropological concepts — these should be woven into your
essay (not ″tacked on″ at the end).
Explain and apply the anthropological concepts you have chosen, and use them to
help define and analyze how your topic is incorporated into the lifeways of each
culture. For example, how does an understanding of gender (concept) shed light on
the ways people create and incorporate coming of age ceremonies (topic) in these
cultures? Be sure to use an in-text citation from your textbook as you define each
concept.
c. Cross-cultural analysis.
Compare AND contrast the way specific aspects of the topic are incorporated in each
culture. For example, each group may have a coming of age ritual, but the rituals will
be specific to each culture! Be sure to explain at least one similarity AND at least one
difference between the two cultures.
3. Conclusion: Reflect on your research, and think about future research!
a. Explain one way this cross-cultural analysis has deepened your appreciation for
the uniqueness of each culture or the topic in your essay.
b. Describe one new area you would like to explore in your cross-cultural analysis.
Explain how that would broaden your knowledge of the cultures or their lifeways.
4. Bibliography or References List at the end of the essay. It must include the six sources
AND our textbook. Make sure they follow a complete MLA, APA, or Chicago style.