Teaching always W arrived at Linfield, you can see why it is logical for another way. fields ranging from nursing live that in toCrane’s classes include studentssocietymajoring amazed that washen Hillary Craneshestudents immediately sought her out. and political science to business and “I was surprised by how much environmental studies. Anthropology the students here expect to have close involves also understanding human interactions with their faculty,” she said. behaviors by examining them in their “And then I was surprised by how much wider cultural contexts. It is applicable I liked it.” to nearly every discipline and profession. Now Crane, an associate professor Business students find it useful in of anthropology, looks forward to offering marketing and nurses need to be able advice on papers, sharing ideas, or just to understand patients from different talking with students on any topic. cultures. It can help people who study or “Those one-on-one meetings where live abroad adjust to different cultures. you have conversations about the meaning Concepts can be applied to college of life, the nature of reality and other campuses and families. things are truly fun,” she said of her “Anthropology touches every aspect students, whom she calls earnest and of our lives,” she said. “It looks at human eager to learn. “When the ideas are cool phenomena in their wider cultural The Crane file: you not students are excited, how could messy and our holistic perspective makes complicated and becontexts. Humans can that?” up in caught get theand At Linfield since 2007 Crane has earned the devotion and anthropology useful to anyone who wants B.A., history, Seattle University respect of her students. In November to understand human behavior.” M.A., Ph.D., anthropology, Brown during the President’s Circle dinner, Gabi University Leif ’14 spoke about Crane’s influence and impact on her education (see story Metaphors as a tool Book: on page 20). Missionary Impositions: Conversion, Crane is quick to laugh and, like Crane, like all anthropologists, uses Resistance, and other Challenges to any anthropologist, she peppers her stories and illustration in her teaching. Objectivity in Religious Ethnography 2012 comments with stories and examples. Her Her classes are rigorous, combining (Lexington Books) research interests are diverse: Buddhism extensive reading, writing and fieldwork in Taiwan and celiac disease. But, she to help students grasp complex theories Academic interests: quickly admits, the biggest reason she is at and understand the intricacies of howsocieties operate. teach. to because she loves isLinfield Sociolinguistics and linguistic theory, “Teaching is our priority,” she said. But her use of metaphors is one of medical anthropology, religion, gender “I get to mentor students in their research her best teaching techniques, according and sexuality, ethnicity, East and and I keep myself active as a researcher. to Arielle Ramberg ’12, who is currently Southeast Asians, and Asian Americans. But, I love teaching.” teaching 10 classes of English between Anthropology, the study of humans kindergarten and 11th grades at a private past and present, looks at cultures and Catholic school in Dakar, Senegal. people who have dramatically different “It is a strategy that I have found views, and studies a complex array helpful to explain complicated ideas to of interrelated issues. “In teaching others,” she said. “I will always think of anthropology, you are asking people to the process of writing an essay as making a think from the perspective of others,” braid, with each of the strands signifying she said, adding that a foreign cultural different elements coming together practice may seem wrong to an American, to make a complete braid. The way I but if you climb into another culture, immerse myself in Senegalese culture 1 8 - l i n f i e l d m a g a z i n e Winter 2013
Linfield Winter 2013
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