anthro notes

a newsletter for teachers

vol. 3 no. 1

winter 1981

TEACHERS ATTEND 1980 A. A. A. MEETINGS

“The students we teach in high school are at a stage where they are particularly idealistic, where ‘it is the ideological potential of a society which speaks most clearly to the adolescent who is so eager to be inspired by worthwhile ways of life. ‘ (Erik Erickson, Identity, Youth and Crisis, p. 30.) In a world where the forces of human love and concern seem to be in precarious balance with the forces of fratricide and chaos, we teachers must ‘bear personal witness to the reality of anthropology as a vital and potent contemporary path to meaningful existence.’ (Anthropology Newsletter , November 1980, p. 4.) In this way we make our lives and our courses an inspiration to the young men and women we teach.”

Richard Abell, “Teaching High School Anthropology”

For many teachers attending the American Anthropological Association symposium, “Teaching Anthropology to Teachers and Students: Reaching a Wider Audience”, Dick Abell's eloquent description of his attempts to “neutralize student ethnocentrism” provided the highlight of the session, along with Beatrice Kleppner's films showing her high school students’ fieldwork at Plymouth Plantation and Prudence Island. These two presentations were part of the symposium which over 80 area teachers and anthropologists attended on Saturday morning, December 6 at the Washington Hilton. Many teachers stayed through the day attending other sessions and browsing through book displays. One teacher, Paula deNobel, attended a particularly animated archeology session that was scheduled for three hours but moved to a nearby restaurant so that panelists could continue to “argue with one another. What an opportunity to hear well-known anthropologists discuss their profession, all in a good humored if a bit heated way. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.”

The morning symposium focused primarily on pre-collegiate anthropology. It included papers on the history, potential, and present status of pre-collegiate anthropology, and on teacher training programs in New York State and Washington, D.C. Four case studies were presented by teachers working in high school, college, and community center settings. Papers from the session will be edited and published through the Anthropology Curriculum Project at the University of Georgia. (Four papers in unedited form are available: Richard Abell's “Teaching High School Anthropology” Ruth Selig's “Pre-Collegiate Anthropology: History and Potential” JoAnne Lanouette and Alison S. Brooks’ “The Anthropology for Teachers Program” and Patricia Higgins’ “Getting Anthropology into the Secondary Social Studies Classroom.” These can be obtained from Ann Kaupp, Department of Anthropology, Stop 112, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560.

During the morning symposium on teaching anthropology, a distinguished British guest in the audience, Lady Firth (Sir Raymond Firth's wife) described efforts in Great Britain to encourage teacher education in anthropology. As in America, anthropology is not widely understood by teachers nor has there been strong support from professional anthropologists to encourage anthropology teaching in schools. Lady Firth, an anthropologist, a teacher of teachers, and a long time supporter of pre-collegiate anthropology, was most interested in learning about the situation in America and spent a day at the Smithsonian visiting the Anthropology Resource Center for Teachers.

Following the symposium, Committee 3 (Teaching Anthropology, Thomas Dynneson, Chair) of the Council of Anthropology and Education (C.A.E.) held a business meeting. The committee elected a new Chair (Selig) and a new Program Coordinator (Higgins) and agreed to sponsor a program at the 1981 Los Angeles meetings. Anyone interested in presenting a paper at the 1981 symposium “Innovative Teaching in Anthropology” please prepare abstracts on the standard forms (see the November 1980 issue of Anthropology Newsletter) and send them to Professor Patricia Higgins, Committee 3 Program Coordinator, Department of Anthropology, SUNY, Plattsburgh, New York 12901 by “ March 1. The 1981 symposium will concern the teaching of anthropology at collegiate and pre-collegiate levels and in formal and non-formal educational settings, interested practitioners in all these areas are invited to contact Prof. Higgins at 518-564-3003 to discuss possible presentations.

Finally, at the Council on Anthropology and Education Board of Directors meeting in December, the Board unanimously passed a resolution offered by Marion Rice, University of Georgia, supporting teacher education. Discussion followed concerning strategies to encourage more anthropology in the pre-service and inservice training of teachers. The resolution passed was stated as follows: “Be it resolved, that the Council on Anthropology and Education supports efforts to 1) improve the teaching of anthropological concepts and ideas in the schools, either in a course in anthropology or in other Social Studies courses, e.g., history, global education, cultural studies, and 2) encourages the inclusion of courses in anthropology in teacher education programs at all levels.

Anyone interested in working with Committee 3 towards the goals stated in this resolution, please contact Ruth Selig, Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560; (202) 357-1592.