Though the emphasis is on anthropology, interdisciplinary skills are essential to cultural studies and I often use theories and data from different disciplines in my courses. I have a special interest in the cultural construction of space and draw on work from architecture and geography (Soja, Lefevre, Harvey). I like to douse the lectures with discussions of popular culture and the impact of the media. I draw on material from visual studies. Though seemingly complicated for most undergraduates, I like to expose them to post-structuralist theory with the belief that though they may not “get it” now, they may understand it the next time (Foucault, Bourdieu, De Certeau). Though I do not want to overwhelm my students with information, I think it is important to push them to integrate ideas from other disciplines as well as their other courses.
I try to make the complicated understandable by grounding abstract theory with everyday cultural practices that students can understand. For instance, the Kula exchange is a practice of reciprocity where Trobriand Islanders exchange shell necklaces. Shell jewelry has no monetary value, but rather historical value based on who owned it before. I explain it is as if you had a $20 dress that Marilyn Monroe owned – the dress itself has no value, however the fact that a movie star owned it gives it value. The trading of the shell necklaces is not about the monetary value, but the historical value and the ability to form alliances with trade partners. In my discussion of “habitus” I explain that it is something you habitually do everyday such as taking a shower and making toast for breakfast. Every person is going to have her own strategy, her own way of doing things, maybe she takes a bath the night before and eats an apple for breakfast. Each society, however, is going to structure each person’s strategy. In America we may have a range of possibilities for morning routines that would be totally different among foraging Dobe’ Ju’hoansi from the Kalahari Desert. The point is that although every person has his own way of doing things, cultural structures or patterns frame his understanding of how to do things.
Teaching in different academic environments makes me appreciate the social dynamics of a classroom. At New York City College of Technology the teaching load can be heavy and I have learned not to assume the students are academically prepared. The students at City Tech are very bright, but some have not been taught the skills needed to do well in college such as how to study, how to read an article, how to write a paper, etc. I spend time in my classes telling students how to study, how to develop a thesis statement, and what to look for when reading an article. The aspirations of these students motivate and inspire me as they challenge me to make my courses more comprehensible and applicable to their experiences and interests.
