cultural studies

The Discussion Board is part of the core of online learning. The purpose of the Discussion Board is to allow you to learn through sharing ideas and experiences as they relate to course content and the Discussion Board question. Classroom discussion in an online environment requires your active participation with classmates and your instructor to create robust interaction and dialogue. Students are highly encouraged to engage on the Discussion Board early and often, as that is the primary way the university tracks class attendance and participation. Because it is not possible to engage in two-way dialogue after a conversation has ended, no posts to the DB will be accepted after the end of each unit.

At a minimum, you will be expected to complete 3 posts during the unit: 1 original response to the Discussion Board question and 2 posts responding to classmates, following these guidelines:

Your original post must be at least 200 words in length. It must reference the text or course learning materials at least once. Please note that even if the question asks for an opinion, you are still expected to support opinions with references to course materials and any other credible academic sources to support your opinions. Do not use Internet sources other than those provided in the course materials. APA format is not necessary for your Discussion Board when citing references, but you are required to acknowledge your resources: In the narrative, describe where information was obtained. For example, “As mentioned in Chapter 2 of the course textbook, prioritizing tasks is…” or “As mentioned in the intellipath lesson for Unit 2…”

Your two response posts must be at least 75 words in length. Responses should contribute to the conversation by being reflective, specific, and engaging. Quick responses (such as “I agree” or “Thank you!”) will not be counted as adequate.

Your first contribution must be posted before midnight CST (Central time) on Friday of each week. You must make 2 additional posts—on separate days between Saturday and Tuesday—before midnight CST. The original response and the peer responses can be completed in any order.

For assistance in supporting your assignment, please use your text and all course materials.

After you have reviewed the Assignment Details below, click the Discussion Board link under the My Work heading above to make your post.

Review this tutorial on How to Post to the Discussion Board.

Assignment Details

In the United States, “witches” take many forms—from the caricatures at Halloween, to Wiccans, to comic book characters. You have found from your readings that witchcraft is common to cultures throughout history and across the globe.

Some have suggested that witchcraft and the threat of being cursed keeps members of society in line. Others have argued that a belief in witchcraft is a kind of delusion or sickness.

For this discussion, focus on the following:

Compare how witchcraft has been viewed historically in the United States and in Europe. What purpose have these beliefs served?

Compare and contrast the typical Western European version of witchcraft with one of the following non-Western versions of witchcraft by reviewing these resource links on witchcraft:

15 Countries and Witchcraft

Witches and Witchcraft

Witchcraft and Sorcery

What purpose do the beliefs serve in the contrasting society’s view of witchcraft that you selected above?

References

Coffey, J. R. (2017, December 14). Witches and witchcraft: A cross-cultural perspective. Retrieved from https://spirituality.knoji.com/witches-and-their-craft-a-crosscultural-perspective/

Harvey, E. (2017, March 10). 15 places around the world that still practice witchcraft. TheTalko. Retrieved from https://www.thetalko.com/15-places-in-the-world-where-witchcraft-is-still-practiced/

What-When-How. (n.d.). Witchcraft and sorcery (Anthropology). Retrieved from http://what-when-how.com/social-and-cultural-anthropology/witchcraft-and-sorcery-anthropology/

In your own words, post a response to the Discussion Board, and comment on at least 2 other postings. You will be graded on both level of engagement and the quality of the contribution to the discussion.