Studies in Higher Education Vol. 35, No. 1, February 2010, 11–24 ISSN 0307-5079 print/ISSN 1470-174X online © 2010 Society for Research into Higher Education DOI: 10.1080/03075070903131933 http://www.informaworld.com Writing in the discipline of anthropology – theoretical, thematic and geographical spaces Judith Reynolds* Extended Studies Unit, Rhodes University, P.O. Box 94, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa Taylor and Francis CSHE_A_413366.sgm 10.1080/03075070903131933 Studies in Higher Education 0307-5079 (print)/1470-174X (online) Original Article 2009 Society for Research into Higher Education 00 0000002009 Ms JudithReynolds j.reynolds@ru.ac.za Writing in different academic disciplines is not only different in superficial ways but in deeper ways that are connected to the history and characteristics of each discipline. Although many writing theorists now understand writing in this way, little has been written about these connections in specific disciplines, and even less about student writing in specific disciplines. This article explores the links between epistemology and writing in the discipline of anthropology. It argues that writers in anthropology situate themselves theoretically, thematically and geographically. The intersection of thematic and geographical spaces seems to be of particular relevance to students. This article examines texts read by students, writing tasks given to students and texts produced by students in an introductory anthropology course. It explains some of their writing difficulties in terms of the nature of the requirements of specific tasks and students’ limited understanding of the discipline of anthropology. Keywords: academic writing; academic literacy; anthropology; first-year students; epistemology of disciplines The place of writing in academic disciplines Writing is not just something that happens after thinking and researching. It is not merely the end result of activity within a discipline, but part of how a discipline is produced and replicated. Hyland (2000, 5) argues that ‘Writing … is not simply marginal to disciplines, merely an epiphenomenon on the boundaries of academic practice. On the contrary it helps to create those disciplines by influencing how members relate to one another, and by determining who will be regarded as members, who will gain success and what will count as knowledge’. Recognising the close relationship between writing and epistemology has serious consequences for under- standing the teaching and learning of academic writing. Lea and Street (1998) report on the experiences of a first-year student at a university in the UK. In the same week he wrote essays in similar ways for both history and anthropology. The history essay received positive feedback but the anthropology essay was strongly criticised. The tutor advised the student to attend essay-writing clinics at the Study Centre. Lea and Street describe three approaches to understanding and developing student writing. The ‘study skills’ approach pathologises student writing and focuses on surface features such as grammar and spelling. It ‘conceptualises student writing as technical and instrumental’ (159). In the ‘academic socialisation’ approach ‘the task *Email: j.reynolds@ru.ac.za