Undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in ANT473 and ANT 6200 Ethnographic Practicum: The University, together with other members of the Ethnography Lab have been investigating various aspects of life at the University of Toronto. The purpose of the course is for students to learn how to conduct an independent ethnographic inquiry, analyse data, and write it up as an original contribution to knowledge. Data comes from observations, archives, interviews, photos and other methods, as students spend time in field sites in a range of venues across campus. They use weekly meetings for brainstorming, sharing insights, coming up with provisional analysis, and allocating tasks for individuals or sub-groups to work on in the week ahead. The resulting blog posts and final papers are archived here.
My project looks at food politics on campus. The questions I am interested in are why and how students’ enduring interest in food has yet to generate more assertive political action. Although we hear the term ‘food politics’ often, it is quite a challenge to pin down what ‘politics’ actually signify in the context of … Continue reading
I am a third-year undergraduate student studying Socio-Cultural Anthropology, Global Health and French as a second language, and an editor for the Anthropology Undergraduate Journal. After taking part in a science-heavy high school program, it was an internship in the Chitwan Medical College in Bharatpur, Nepal, that introduced me to the complex relationships that are … Continue reading
I’m a Master’s student in Sociocultural Anthropology, with a Collaborative Specialization in South Asian Studies. I completed my Honours B.A. with High Distinction in Sociocultural Anthropology, Environmental Studies, and Equity Studies, also at U of T. My M.A. research explores the intersections of caste, indigeneity, and social mobility in Kerala, India. I’m also interested more … Continue reading
My name is Ailin (Zhi Wen) Li and I am currently a fourth-year student double-majoring in Sociocultural Anthropology and Psychology. The project I pursued for this class, titled “Politics as Fun: Laughter, Relief, and Bonding through Memes,” takes a look at the UofT Memes for Edgy Teens, a large Facebook meme group at the University … Continue reading
ANT473 Syllabus PDF Continue reading
By Ailin (Zhi Wen) Li This blog post as part of a series by the students of the University of Toronto Anthropology course ANT473 and ANT6200 Ethnographic Practicum: The University, taught by Prof. Tania Li at the University of Toronto in 2018. Click here for the syllabus. During the middle stages of identifying and applying … Continue reading
By Ailin (Zhi Wen) Li This blog post as part of a series by the students of the University of Toronto Anthropology course ANT473 and ANT6200 Ethnographic Practicum: The University, taught by Prof. Tania Li at the University of Toronto in 2018. Click here for the syllabus. The contours of humour are nuanced and when … Continue reading
By Ailin (Zhi Wen) Li This blog post as part of a series by the students of the University of Toronto Anthropology course ANT473 and ANT6200 Ethnographic Practicum: The University, taught by Prof. Tania Li at the University of Toronto in 2018. Click here for the syllabus. A red dot appears by the Facebook app … Continue reading
Who works at the university and on what terms? By Lama El-Hanan and Joanna Abdulhamid and Mirae Lee Exploring common themes within our projects, we noticed some significant parallels between the employees we were studying. Firstly, all of their work-products contributed in some way, shape or form to the University’s mandates of image and reputation … Continue reading
Negotiating Role Conflicts through Social Media By Lama El-Hanan I am doing my research at the Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office (ARCDO). Doing anti-racism work at the University is challenging, given that it involves conflicting role demands. ARCDO employees must work to eliminate racism and systemic discrimination while also enabling the University’s academic mission. Although … Continue reading
Ethnography Lab 