Kind of realised the Anthropology research essay is due in no time as well - 9th May. And as I looked at the 15 topics that I can choose from, I realised all looked very bland except:
1) "Religion is above all a conservative and stabilising force". Discuss with reference to two examples of religious change.
or
2) There has been a lot of debate in Australia and the USA in recent years about gay and lesbian marriage. What useful information and perspectives could an anthropologist and/or sociologist contribute to this debate?
I particularly like attempting the 2nd question cos' it's such an interesting topic. Compared to the rest like "discussing pastoralists, and some kind of horticultural society" questions. As in, I've always been interested in gender studies.. how homosexuality is constructed by society, how it negotiaties around religion and politics etc. But therein lies a very big problem.. it's exactly those type of questions where you'll either get a 95% or a 35%. And there's also a problem of writing with a biased slant... you'll inevitably be writing an essay shaped on what you are, what you believe. Very hard to remain neutral in a sense. And that's a no-no in any arts essay. Besides, the question isn't really asking you to villify or support them... it's about how an anthropologist or sociologist can help elucidate the debate about gay and lesbian marriage. Hmm I'll send you a limited preview copy if I'm writing on this one. Don't think it'd take me 10 months to do so. =)