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Southern Anthropologist

Abstract

Anthropological theory often appears as the capstone course for undergraduate anthropology majors – the final barrier to the degree or perhaps even ‘becoming an anthropologist’. Despite its importance, however, this class is often underappreciated and its full potential left unrealized due to a lack of student engagement. The abstract language of original texts can be intimidating and difficult to apply to the complex realities of daily life. In addition, simply learning about theory does not prepare students to function as critical thinkers, much less future practitioners. This paper profiles a successful compromise: the use of popular television and film as accessible proxies for ethnographic data. Commercial media appeals to student preferences for high production values and contemporary visuals, while providing instructors with a uniform set of simplified phenomena for the application of theory. Here, this usage is (1) outlined with an example from the television series, LOST, which originally aired on the ABC network from 2004 to 2010, and (2) grounded by both a larger consideration of the criteria for successful media selection and a critical examination of the role of popular culture and technology within the classroom.

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