January 12th marked the beginning of my second semester of grad school. Last semester went very well; however, this semester isn't starting off well...
Unlike last semester, my new TA class' material is challenging. Gone are the days of teaching 101, basic anthropology to eager little Freshman who look adoringly at me (maybe that was in my head?) as I explain how our ancestors traveled to Australia by boat. Now, I am the TA of a class teaching a defunct school of anthropology and using Gregory Bateson as the only member of the Culture and Personality school. Bateson's big contribution was systems' theory. Oh God, I hate thee. Basically, it's hard stuff. Bateson is a tough read. The kids don't get it. I look at their horror stricken faces as I explain (to the best of my ability, which is lacking) vague concepts and what they will have to do for their first paper.
What's worse? THE KIDS! Dear Lord, where did these seniors and juniors come from? They could give two shits to be there. It's an upper level anthro course, so I (mistakenly) assumed there would be mostly Anthropology majors. Alas, I was wrong. Very, very wrong. For seventy-five percent of them, this is there first anthro course, used to fill a perspective. I'm not all that familiar with the undergraduate degree requirements, but logic should inform them to take a 100-level class and not a 500-level class as a "perspective." They have no clue what anthropology is, and I am sad Bateson is their introduction. They will never read anything anthropological again. Hell, if Bateson were my introduction, I would be getting my PhD in history or something right now. Worse, is that unlike my little Freshman, they are older, some are older than I am. I would never tell a class my age, and I hope my strands of gray inflate my presumed age severely. They must be able to smell the fear of being the one to explain Bateson to them, think I am too young, or are just rude, because they challenge me and have their ipods on and text message while I am speaking. Well, three challenge me, and one had the ipod and did the text messaging.
Anyway, they challenged me on Bateson's theory of applying natural systems (the water cycle, blood sugar regulation,etc) to social systems. I quieted their screams of protest, and told the text messager/ipod listener to put it away. I am proud of myself for not publicly embarrassing them or saying mean things to them. Ugh they get to review me at the end, and I am pretty sure the professor thinks I am going to have a mental breakdown while teaching this class, so I don't want to push it.
In an unrelated note: what do first-year grad students do during the summer? There are no jobs because of budget cuts for research assistants in our department and SC's Gov School was canceled. I need a summer job! If not, I will be a Girl Scout camp counselor and I am NOT a fan of the outdoors. I am not that kind of anthropologist. If you are in need of a feminist anthropologists or know of a summer job, please let me know!
I'll end on happy notes: one more week of systems, then on to Nancy Scheper-Hughes and sexual repression among the Irish...a few of the kids like me and asked me about grrrl zines...it snowed 6 inches here Tuesday, January 20th!!!...I heart my Archaeological Theory professor who is feminist and an anthropological genius...my borderline homophobic brother actually read the David Sedaris book I gave him for Christmas (I gave Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim and Anthropology for Dummies to every member of my nuclear family), liked it and bought two more books by David...My paper on breastfeeding was accepted at Southeastern Women's Studies Association Conference and this will be the third time I have presented there.
10 years ago
