comes first and find meaning in the local Wolof Linfield students collaborate with her to think on your feet and be adaptive. language to give me cultural insight comes on research into the disease, and she has The way to develop those skills is to directly from Hillary’s teaching.” been surprised by some of their findings. practice them.” For example, student researchers Craig Geffre ’11, who recently Fieldwork and research trendiness of the gluten-free diet and feel completed Thailand, said his celiac Fulbright grant teaching a inEnglish thefound that some celiacs resent Anthropology has been described like their disease is not taken seriously research experience taught him how to use as “making the strange familiar and the because people treat them like they are and develop theories, conduct fi eldwork familiar strange.” Fieldwork is a critical following the fad. They also discovered and interpret results. part of that and it is integral in Crane’s some pop culture lingo, such as “glutard,” “The skills I learned were immediately classes and research. Crane said students which is how some younger celiacs refer applicable and helped me immensely gain an understanding of concepts by to themselves. in Thailand as I sought to navigate and conducting social experiments. Crane gives students autonomy in understand a culture that is very different For example, Ramberg’s study group the field and they often struggle at the from my own,” he said. “Students get a real chose to violate normal etiquette in beginning, as though they have been sense of what it is to be an anthropologist elevators by facing the back of the elevator, pushed in the water with no life preserver. by doing fi eldwork, thinking critically singing or striking up conversations with “I want them to bring a fresh about culture and analyzing existing people and then observing the other perspective,” Crane said. “That requires research. They come away with a solid riders’ reactions. that I can’t give them a lot of direction. understanding of how anthropology can be “Those projects provided concrete It’s not until you are doing research that applied to everyday lives, regardless of their examples of what we learned in class, you realize what questions matter in the fi of work or study.” eld encouraged self-reflection and were also context of what you are studying. You have – Mardi Mileham entertaining,” Ramberg said. Because anthropology is a discipline based on the study of culture, knowledge can shift constantly, Crane said. “That fluidity of knowledge and imperfect understanding is something I want students to get comfortable with,” she added. “They often feel like they have to master something before they can use it. Life is not like that. It’s not like a high school math test or a grammar test. It’s not about memorizing concepts. It’s about understanding why something matters.” Collaborative research Crane has a personal interest in one aspect of her research. While she was completing her dissertation, she was diagnosed with celiac disease. Now Gabi Leif ’14, left, said Professor Hillary Crane has had a major impact on her education and growth as a student and world citizen. Leif is a theatre and anthropology double major. Crane is an associate professor of anthropology. Winter 2013 l i n f i e l d m a g a z i n e - 1 9
Linfield Winter 2013
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