You will be able to ...
From the syllabus: "Conduct independent library-based research on a topic related to nation-building, national belonging, migration, diaspora, and transnationalism."
Option 1: Investigate how a contemporary nation is represented (national culture and identity) and how the nation's experience of migration ("in" or "out") and/or transnational dynamics influence ideas about the nation.
Option 2: From anywhere in the world, explore the contemporary diasporic or transnational experience of an ethnic population.
You may approach either of these options from a historical perspective (any period from the 19th century to the present) with a national locus. For example, you could examine the 19th century Trail of Tears: the forcible removal of Native American tribes from the US South to reservations in the western US. You might also examine the forced removal of the Metis and French settlers to South Carolina and Louisiana. However, as we are examining migration in a context of nationalism and politics, please avoid migrations that took place during the colonial era (US and Latin America).
You might also approach either of the prompts from a political science perspective or a sociological perspective. But you should keep in mind: ANTHROPOLOGY IS FOCUSED ON SHARED AND COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCES -- populations, groups, cultures, et c. Your topic should focus on the perspectives of communities and nation-states, not a single person.
Please remember: this is a library research project. While you can incorporate personal experience, your assignment will be weighed on its use of secondary scholarly sources found through library databases or in the library collections. You should contact Olivia or Prof DeLugan to discuss before you begin your research.
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