Integrating Essays & Journal Papers
In order to graduate with a master’s degree in Anthropology, students must complete one of the following.
1) A master’s thesis; OR
2) A journal paper. This is a course paper, reworked in preparation for submission to an anthropology journal of the student’s choice (such as Cultural Anthropology, American Ethnologist, Current Anthropology, etc.); students should revise their papers in accordance with each journal’s requirements by using articles from that journal as a model; students are strongly encouraged to consider actually submitting their papers in consultation with their advisor, though not all revised papers will be suitable for submission; OR
3) An integrating essay.
Each one of these options must be prepared in consultation with a faculty advisor who will be the director of the research. For each option, students must also secure a second faculty member to be the reader. Both the director and the reader sign the Report on Culminating Project form, after which it goes to the director of graduate studies.
Integrating Essay. In the integrating essay, students address a theme, issue, or set of data using perspective and literature from three of anthropology's four fields (archaeology, biological/physical, cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology). Students may include material from course papers they have already written. Some students successfully revise an earlier paper to fit the IE requirements. In doing so, it is essential to (a) stay within the general page limits and (b) include discussion of three fields of anthropology, with supporting references from the literature. For complete information, see the Graduate Student Manual, p. 13-15.
Past examples include the Roma, forced resettlement, obesity, diabetes, the Neanderthals, and racism. Check out the sample integrating essays of recent graduates:
Robin Freeman: "Impaired Theory of Mind in Autistic Individuals: The Cultural Construction of Disability"
Amy Klein: "Anthropological Perspectives on Violence: a Three-Field Approach"
Maureen Moodie: "Cultivating Identity and Harvesting Our History: Anthropological Engagements with Food"
Kirsten Thompson: "More than a Declaration of Peace: The Plains Indian Pipe and Calumet Ceremony"
Gelman Library Anthropology Research Guide
Studying for a final or working on a research paper? The Gelman Library Anthropology Research Guide can help you find what you need.