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Anthropology 202

Assignment #1 Sci Fi. Treatment


Due Tuesday, Sept 23th by 1:00pm (You must upload your essay to MyCourses
instructions to be posted shortly)
Imagine you are a science fiction writer. Your goal is to sketch out a scenario for a
science fiction film that you would like to try to sell to a Hollywood movie studio.
Your sketch should outline a science fiction film project of your own design that
makes the familiar seem strange by depicting some strange world that makes us
suddenly notice something we might have otherwise taken for granted about our own
society. For this project it is not so important that you work out the details of the plot
or the story line of the film. What is more important is that you sketch out, with
anthropological attention, some of the parameters of this world. In other words,
provide us with a concrete understanding of the setting where the plot will unfold.
The strange world that you depict might be an extra-terrestrial one, or it might be our
own society some time in the future, or it might be our society but in some sort of
alternative reality where something crucial about it is different (and strange). Use
what you have learned about Anthropology so far to give some sense of the complex
whole (the culture) of those who live in this world. How do the strange properties
of this world affect, for example, how people relate to each other, how does it affect
the things they do in their world, their beliefs, their economic and political systems,
etc.? In short, trace out a few ways in which the strange properties you describe
reverberate through the culture and society of this world you depict.
Here is an example of a science fiction scenario that illustrates this. In her 1969 novel
The Left Hand of Darkness Ursula Le Guin describes a world in which there are no
seasons (the planet is called Winter and it is always cold) and the people who live
there are neither male nor female (they only go into heat, acquiring gender
identities and sexual urges, once a month). Since, according to Le Guin, there are no
gender divisions in this society, there is also no war. In creating this world Le Guin
makes strange, and therefore apparent, the dualisms that we take in our own society to
be natural (for example, the ways in which in our society men are opposed to women
as day is to night, as cold is to hot). This other world she creates reveals something
important about our own society and culture, at the same time that it critiques it and
suggests to us an alternative way of living.
You must come up with your own scenario. Do not copy one from an existing movie,
novel, or story, and do not use one that another classmate is using.
Sketch out this strange social world that defamiliarizes ours in one page (doublespaced). Think of this as a very short, tight, essay. Use complete, well-written
sentences arranged in paragraphs that are logically connected to each other. Make
sure that you give a title to the assignment (which would also be the title to your
movie) that captures something important about its subject or point.
Following your sketch write a short (one paragraph) rationale that explains how the
proposed movie youve described creates the anthropological effect of making the
familiar strange by way of making the strange familiar. That is, how does your movie
reveal to us the logic of a seemingly strange world in a way that makes us question
something about our society that we normally take for granted? And, what is it,

precisely, about our society that we can no longer take for granted after seeing the
movie you propose to make?
Do not exceed 1.5 double-spaced pages for the entire assignment (we will not read
any text over page length). You may find it helpful to write a first draft that is slightly
longer than page length and then edit back the inessentials. Follow precisely all
writing instructions outlined here and in the course syllabus.
When you think you are finished, youre not. Print out your paper. Read it to yourself
out loud, or, better, read it to a friend, or have a friend read it to you. This too can be
an anthropological experience. Hearing the strangeness of your writing from the
outside can help you critique your own writing. Learning this little trick of
defamiliarization is an essential part of good writing. Once youve done this, edit,
edit, and edit! Re-write the parts that sound strange, and repeat this process if
necessary before turning it in.
And, finally, have fun creating your own strange world!
Grading Criteria (out of 15 points):
Title (1 point)
Does your title capture something important about the strange world youve created?
The Scenario (8 points total)
Conceptual - Do you sketch out a strange world that in some way renders some
element of our familiar world strange? (3 points)
Clarity - Have you traced out the relationship between the strange properties of this
world and the effects it has on its culture? (3 points)
Creative - Have you done this in a creative or interesting way? (2 points)
The Rationale (4 points)
Have you clearly articulated how your scenario creates the anthropological effect of
making the familiar strange by exploring a strange world? Have you described what
it is in our society that we can no longer take for granted once weve watched your
movie?
Overall Writing (2 points)
Is your paper well organized with paragraphs that flow well and clear sentences?
Did you fulfill all the instructions outlined here and on the syllabus?
Did you carefully edit your paper? Is it free of typos?

Eduardo Kohn 10-9-16 8:36 PM


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