ANTH 203 : Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology
Fall 2025
Source Analysis Essay
(Documentary Analysis)
This essay is aimed at analysing a documentary of your choice, from the options provided. The documentary/films are made by social anthropologists in the years c.1930 – 1970. Our task is to analyse the documentary for what it hopes to communicate, and also to critique the research methods, ideologies or worldviews that are presented in the media. The essay is worth 20% of the total grade for the course.
1. Please select ONE of the documentary/films
2. Watch the documentary/film at your own time – we will NOT watch these documentaries during the class time
3. Consult relevant research (journal articles, excerpts from academic talks, etc) through UCalgary library website. You will find quite a few works of modern scholarship that reference the documentaries.
4. Develop your arguments with the help of any TWO sources of research + the course textbook
5. Follow the outline below to craft your essay in 1500-2000 words (excluding bibliography)
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Criteria
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Details
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Maximum points
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Introduction
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a. What is the documentary about
b. Central idea presented in the documentary
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5
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Theoretical
grounding
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a. Which theoretical concept is presented more prominently in the documentary?
b. What examples (the scenes, methods, narration, etc.) are used in the documentary that underscore the theory?
c. Provide example from the textbook that explains the theory you focus on, in your discussion of the documentary.
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20
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Reflection / Critique
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a. Does the documentary successfully present the theory?
b. From the standpoint of 2025, what are the lacunae in the presentation?
c. What would you suggest that the anthropologists improve on? OR What are the blind-spots of the documentary makers in this presentation of a culture?
d. Support your claims through references.
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10
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Conclusion
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Summary of theoretical discussion and critique
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5
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References
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Systematic references for the academic work consulted.
PLEASE DO NOT RELY on AI-powered apps to generate the bibliography.
Please cite at least TWO works of academic
scholarship (in addition to the course textbook). See details below.
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10
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Maximum points
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50
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The essay can be presented with references in any citation styes of the following: APA, MLA, or Chicago Manual of style. Please do not use IEEE or other reference guides for this course.
Specific conventions for referencing can be found here:
APA: https://libguides.ucalgary.ca/c.php?g=664585&p=4671793
MLA: https://libguides.ucalgary.ca/c.php?g=664585&p=4671795
Chicago Manual of Style. https://libguides.ucalgary.ca/c.php?g=664585&p=4671794
The deadline to submit your essays in .docx or .pdf format is November 21st, 2025.