Marilyn Ivy

If you want to take this class, be prepared. She has completely restructured the course since these last reviews. Instead of a final paper, because she is so paranoid about Chat-GPT, we have had a midterm and a final that are both in-class essays with confusing prompts that are unnecessarily complicated and rely on only one reading (so if you don't guess which one it will be correctly, you're screwed). She also has strange and often problematic views on the anime we watch, and gets super defensive when people disagree with her. The content is fascinating and I loved most of the materials we watched and read, but the seminar experience was so frustrating I am not sure if I would take this class again given the chance.

Initially, I wasn't the biggest fan of Professor Ivy because she can be kind of quick to cut you off and sometimes dominated the conversation with her opinion I quickly warmed up to her. She doesn't always demand you participate, although sometimes she'll randomly ask you a question or ask A question and have everyone go around and give their thoughts, so as someone with participation anxiety I wasn't stressed about it usually so if you abuse that you could get away with not doing all the readings some weeks but I have to say i absolutely loved most of the selection of readings, they were engaging and offered unique perspectives (only some weeks, like the nuclear got a little repetitive the material but you could kind of jump around anyways). I enjoyed listening to the conversations in class and I can say I definitely learned things that'll stick with how i see and engage with the world.

I think of all the professors I have had at Columbia Marilyn stands at the top as the most pompous, arrogant, and unforgiving teachers at the school. Not only does she like to show just how little she cares for her students, but she also enjoys rubbing them in the mud when they don't reach her high expectations. Avoid this teacher at all costs.

I took this class in the fall of 2012. Professor Ivy was great, very approachable, and made the readings interesting and fun. She expects you to have completed the readings, and to contribute something to the class discussion, whether through volunteering to read or approaching her after class with questions/comments. The structure of the class may have been a little disorganized, and sometimes you were required to read a large portion of a reading in a short amount of time, but they were always interesting, and the TAs were very helpful when it came to answering questions. Overall, this was a great way to fulfill any anthro-related requirements, and also a good way to supplement an interest in philosophical works.

Of all my classes this semester, I learned the most from this class. I never intentionally skipped this class, and that says a lot for a large lecture course. Ivy will give you a good background in theory without scaring you away from it. There is an inhumane amount of reading, but you can space it out over the semester. The lectures are still helpful even if you're behind in the reading. She's a good grader and gives do-able exams.

marilyn ivy is both one of the top in this department --quite a club actually--and (bonus) one of the nicest and warmest people you'll meet in a classroom. but while she smiles at you, welcoming your thoughts, you can never forget that you are in the presence of a truly brilliant mind and tough critical thinker. read her book and you'll also see what a great writer she is. it will wow you and cow you. her ability to use and explicate theory clearly and carefully is obvious on every page. she also clearly likes to teach students of all levels. her subtlety and presence is such that she can discipline you with her eyebrow--as if to say, do you really think so? she will expect you to read and write as carefully as she does, or to try to learn to do so. make the most of it when you get your 20-30 minutes of office hours. absolutely top notch, and delightful to know.

really interesting class and would recommend to fans of anime! as other reviews have said if you don't mind much discussion and want to her what Prof ivy has to say about the different readings that we discuss and the different styles of anime that we discuss over the course. i liked being able to watch films that i wouldn't have before, but there are also some classics in there like spirited away that are interesting the revisit from an critical perspective. however you should do the readings and may struggle on the midterm and final if you do not, so if you are just looking to watch anime for 4 credits, this class is not exactly that lol. but, take it if you can, she's nice!

so interesting and such great readings that I wouldn't have encountered in another course and that I will be able to work into all of my other environmental courses. 1 Columbia University: Arts & Sciences Fall 2023 Course: ANTHUN3888_001_2023_3-ECOCRITICISMFORTHEENDTIMES : ANTHUN3888_001_2023_3 - ECOCRITICISM FOR THE END TIMES Instructor: Marilyn Ivy

Beneath clear lectures on anthropological and social theory, Professor Ivy has very interesting viewpoints. In terms of class lectures, she does her job, mapping out the ideas of Levi-Strauss, Foucault, and even contemporary anthropologists. Yet, sometimes you get a glimpse of her interest in critical and literary theory, and how anthro approaches these disciplines. I enjoyed writing papers for this course. There was much room for creativity as well as theory. More than providing answers, she asks questions, revealing the contradictions within anthropology. You will want to follow the Interpretations of Culture course with this one. Some prior knowledge is helpful. All in all, Ivy's a cool professor.

in class midterm, take home final, and lots and lot and lots of reading. you learn a lot.