Purpose of
Course|
|
Office: 216 Heger (3-5590)
Office Hours: Tues (4-5 pm ) Thurs (8:30-9:30 am, 4-5 pm) or by appt.
Reading the Assignments
The purpose of this course is fourfold:
(1) to provide the student with a brief history of the major figures and ideas in the history of cultural anthropology,(2) to highlight the basic methods of analysis in the discipline,
(3) to introduce the student to cutting-edge ideas in the discipline,
(4) to focus on a detailed analysis of a particular theoretically-based ethnography.
It is difficult to adequately cover the history of a discipline as diverse and prolific as anthropology. Thus, this course is designed to give the student an exposure to main trends and to provide information that will allow for future follow-up on theoretical and methodological issues. The course will include critical understanding and analysis of classic and exemplary texts.
• Barrett, Stanley R. (1996) Anthropology: A Student's Guide to Theory and Method. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
• Jackson, Michael (1989) Paths Toward a Clearing: Radical Empiricism and Ethnographic Inquiry. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
• Lett, James (1997) Science, Reason and Anthropology: The Principles of Rational Inquiry. New York: Rowman and Littlefield.
• A186 Reader (To be picked up at Sir Speedy (794-1234) at 2039 Hempstead Turnpike, across from Home Depot)
9/1 Introduction to Course
9/3 Anthropology as A Discipline: A Historical Overview
READ: Barrett, pp. 3-44
9/8 The Intellectual Road to Anthropology
READ: La Peyrère and Monboddo in Slotkin (pp. 81-83, 447-451) and Montaigne "Of Cannibals" (pp. 202-215) in A186 Reader
CAJ #1: What Makes a Man a Savage?
9/10 Evolution and Diffusion
READ: Barrett, "Evolutionism" pp. 47-52; Tylor (pp. 37-46) and Morgan (pp,47-59) in A186 Reader
9/15 American Anthropology: The Impact of Boas
READ: Barrett, "Historical Particularism" pp. 52-59, Boas (pp. 130-137) in A186 Reader
FILM: Franz Boas: The Shackles of Tradition (1994) V-3546
9/17 Culture as Patterns and Rules
READ: McGee and Warms, "Culture and Personality" (pp. 202-204), Benedict (pp. 205-214) and Goodenough (1970) "General and Particular" (pp. 98-112)
CAJ #2: Apollo, Dionysius and Ruth Benedict.
9/22 No school
9/24 Functionalism
READ: Barrett, "Structural Functionalism" pp. 59-68, Durkheim (pp. 85-92) and Radcliffe- Brown (pp. 178-187) in A186 Reader
9/29 Malinowski: Father of Fieldwork
FILM: Bronislaw Malinowski: Off the Veranda (1994) V-3547
CONCEPT EXAM #1 (10 minutes)
10/1 Ecology and Cultural Materialism: Harris' Sacred Cows and Rappaport's Pigs
READ: Magnarella (pp. 307-313) and Harris (pp. 282-296) in A186 Reader
10/6 The Interpretive Anthropology of Clifford Geertz
READ: Barrett, pp. 150-163, Geertz (pp. 459-479) in A186 Reader,
10/8 Interpreting Interpretive Anthropology
READ: Lett, pp. xiii-xvii, 1-19 and Crapanzano (pp. 498-512) in A186 Reader
- CAJ #3: Critiquing Geertz.
10/13 The Nature of Knowledge: Guest Lecture
READ: Lett, pp.21-55
10/15 Anthropological Approaches to Knowledge
READ: Lett, pp. 55--88
10/20 MIDTERM ESSAY EXAM (entire class period)
10/22 The Ethnographer and the Kuranko
READ: Jackson (pp. 1-118)
10/27 The Body Metaphor
READ: Jackson (pp. 119-155)
10/29 Paths Toward a Clearing: 3. On Ethnographic Truth
READ: Jackson (1989: 170-87)
CAJ #4: Understanding Jackson.
11/3 Reason and Humanism in Anthropology
READ: Lett, pp. 89-112
11/5 Library Resources for Anthropology
11/10 Methods
READ: Barrett, 69-80, 107-136, 207-235
11/12 The Fieldwork Experience: Guest Lecture
READ: Malinowski (1967:3-21) and Wagner (1981:1-16) in A186 Reader
11/17 Cultural Relativism
READ: Herskovitz (1964: 46-64) in A186 Reader
11/19 Ethics and Ethnography
READ: Fleuhr-Lobban (1991:213-236, 274-279) in A186 Reader
CONCEPT EXAM #2 (10 minutes)
11/24 Oral Presentations
Last day to hand in draft of reflective essay for comments
11/26 No School. Thanksgiving.
12/1 Oral Presentations
12/3 TBA. Anthropology Meetings in Philadelphia
12/8 The Future of Anthropology
READ: Barrett, pp. 236-240, Lett, pp. 113-132, Weiner "Culture and Our Discontents" (pp. 14-20) in A186 Reader
CAJ #5: Divining Anthropology's Future.
12/17 ESSAY EXAM #2 IN HEGER 100 from 1:30-3:30 pm
REFLECTIVE ESSAY DUE NO LATER THAN START OF FINAL EXAM
1. READING THE
ASSIGNMENTS by the date noted in the course schedule or as
directed by the professor. It is is important to read the assigned
material before class so that you can participate fully in class
discussion and bring up questions or explore issues you are not clear
about. Bring the assigned text with you to class on the relevant day.
2. CLASS ATTENDANCE. Attendance will be
taken each day at the start of class. [See attached sheet on
attendance policy.]
3. EXAMS: There will be two in-class essay
exams of 4 questions each: one at midterm and one during finals week.
Each will be worth 20 points. Each exam essay will be graded
according to the following criteria:
a. Demonstration that the information is understoodb. Use of relevant and appropriate information and examples from the course
c. Critical analysis of key concepts and perspectives
d. Synthesis and reformulation in your own words
e. Clarity, completeness and coherence of response.
Exams cannot be made up without advance
notice for a legitimate reason.
4. CLASS ASSIGNMENT JOURNAL (CAJ)
Each student is required to maintain a class journal for assignments related to assigned readings and discussions in class. An 8 1/2 by 11 file folder with pockets will work fine. The student will be asked to hand in the journal assignment on the day due. These assignments may be hand-written. Be legible and please do not write on the back of a sheet, as this makes it harder to read. Each assignment should be about 2-3 pages in length. The idea of the assignment is to show how you interact with the material you are reading or seeing. You must relate your ideas and opinions to the assigned reading or topic.
The grading for this journal is "outcome based," which means that a particular assignment can be revised or expanded as necessary to meet the established criteria for full credit of 4 points per assignment, assuming the first is handed in on time. I will substract one point if the assignment is not handed in on the date due. All assignments must be revised no later than the last official day (Dec. 8) of class. Each CAJ is worth 4 points, according to the following criteria:
a. Level of effort (length and degree you interact with the material)b. Appropriate and relevant examples
c. Coherent argument and clear presentation
d. Assignment handed in on time.
The following are the specific class assignments for the CAJ:
• CAJ #1 (due 9/8) What Makes a Man a Savage? In reading the selections by La Peyrère and Monboddo, you get a feel for how "primitive" others were viewed prior to the 19th century. Montaigne, in his social satire "Of Cannibals," concludes: "We may therefore well call those people [i.e. cannibals] barbarians in respect to the rules of reason, but not in respect to ourselves, who surpass them in every kind of cruelty" (p. 210). Based on the information in these readings, what makes a person or people "savage" and what is Montaigne's point in the quote above.
• CAJ #2 [due 9/17) Apollo, Dionysius and Ruth Benedict. Ruth Benedict argues that the Pueblo Indians have a cultural psychological pattern she calls "Apollonian." Read through her article and make a list separating characteristics she describes as Apollonian as opposed to those described as "Dionysian." What do you find useful about such a distinction and what do you see as the problems in using this concept of "cultural configuration" to understand human personality traits?
• CAJ #3 (due 10/8) Critiquing Geertz. Having read Geertz' analysis of the Balinese cockfight and the critique in Crapanzano, explain what this critique is and then provide your own analysis of the arguments. Whatever your view, you must back it up with information from the readings.
• CAJ #4 (due 10/29) Understanding Jackson. "Let us then accept that there is no ahistorical, absolute, nonfinite reality either outside or within us that we can reach by adopting a particular discursive style. The world is out there, to be sure, and deep within us too, but not the truth." (Jackson, p. 182) Reflecting on Jackson's ethnography, where do you think the truth is?
• CAJ #5 (due 12/8) Divining Anthropology's Future. Pick one point in each of the three readings that you think best exemplifies the future of anthropology. Discuss these three points in light of what we have learned in the course.
Each student will prepare a reflective essay (7-9 pages) and make an oral presentation (10 minutes) of the main points to the class at the end of the course.
Purpose: The aim of this essay is to address the issue of whether anthropology is a discipline closer to the sciences or to the humanities. This will develop skills in using appropriate library/internet resources, critical reading and analysis of a concept, and oral presentation of the main points of an argument. Each student must meet with the professor individually to discuss ideas for the essay topic and receive advice on sources.
Length and Style: The written essay is not designed to be a "term paper" full of documentation. The idea is to highlight the issues that divide anthropologists on the spectrum from scientific analysis to hermeneutic interpretation. The length of the written essay should be in the range of 7-9 pages typed (double-spaced). You must include a bibliography and I suggest this must be in an anthropological format (as provided by the professor on the website). A separate half-page paragraph "abstract" must be included at the beginning of the paper. This abstract should summarize your argument rather than introduce new information. Write this after you have finished your essay! The oral presentation should focus on key issues rather than providing descriptive data. Each student has a 10-minute slot. This includes a short opening statement (stating purpose and main points), use of a few examples to illustrate one of your key points and elaborate an argument, and interaction with the audience (asking questions, soliciting comments, etc.)
Grading:
The oral presentation is worth 4 points, as follows:
a. clear outline of purpose and main points
b. use of appropriate examples from course material
c. interaction with audience (Note: the professor is just another member of the audience for this presentation; do not address your remarks at the professor]
d. within time allotted
The written essay is worth 16 points. The major criteria I will use to grade the written essay are the following: [Note that each criterion is worth 2 points]
a. demonstration that the information presented is understood
b. use of relevant and appropriate examples from the course
c. covers an adequate range of issues
d. adequate use of library/internet resources
e. critical analysis of key concepts and perspectives
f. ability to synthesize rather than merely repeat or describe
g. coherent explanation of points made)
h. originality and creativity
Be sure to read the guidelines on the essay cover sheet, which must be attached to the final submission of the essay. Note that I will deduct one point for each of the following: no abstract, inappropriate length of essay
Due: The oral presentation (a summary
of 10 minutes) will be given in class by each student on Nov. 24 or
Dec. 1. The idea of the oral presentation is to present your main
points and respond to comments from your fellow students. The written
essay is due no later than December 17, but you can hand in a draft
copy for comments without a grade up until 11/24.
6. EXTRA CREDIT OPTIONS
Grading in this course is based on a 100 point scale (although the student has the opportunity to earn 103 points in the course). In general, the "A" range will extend from 90-100, the "B" range from 80-89, the "C" range from 70-79, the D-range starting at 64. The point accumulation breaks down as follows:
ITEM POTENTIAL POINTS
• Exam #1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
• Exam #2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
• Concept Exam #1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
• Concept Exam #2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
• CAJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
• Reflective Essay
• Extra Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
|
|
