My Favorite Course Freshman Year: Alex Enrique
Although PWR was not my favorite course freshman year, my passion for anthropology started as a result of PWR. My final research-based argument (RBA) investigated the mourning rituals of Pakistani women and how those rituals further enforced the typical gender roles and social structure of Pakistan. This fascinating study of women in society pulled me into the larger world of anthropology, thus leading to my enrollment in “Introduction to Cultural and Social Anthropology.” Now that was my favorite course freshman year. This basic introductory course was split into two parts. The first familiarized the students with major concepts and important terms. We looked at the evolution of anthropology, and it was intriguing to discover that anthropology today is fairly new and still developing. However, it was the second part that really appealed to me. We took controversial topics such as drug abuse, abortion, immigration, and gay marriage in America and looked at them from an anthropological perspective. This challenging perspective of the world allowed me to think outside the box of my own personal opinions and biases. Taking on this new perspective helped unveil some similarities between opposing sides of contemporary issues and investigate the reasons for contestation in modern America. We read several books, such as Purity and Danger by Mary Douglas, books about the drug addicts from San Francisco, and books about the Nuer people of the Nile Valley. It was eye opening and thought-provoking to be able to cover historical events and contemporary issues ranging from places halfway around the world to issues rooted in the very places we inhabit here in the Bay Area. I highly recommend the Intro to Anthropology course with the eloquent and intelligent Professor Ferguson.
I did not complete this course as part of my major and it’s this lone fact that makes Stanford such a wonderful experience. We are given the time, resources, and flexibility to further investigate the areas that pique our curiosity. It is such a luxury to be able to simultaneously study various fields; for example, computer science and theater.
Alex Enrique
Undeclared
Class of 2018
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