Anthropological Theory syllabus

MUHLENBERG COLLEGE ATH 205: ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEORY SPRING 2014 TUESDAYS 2:00-4:20, Hillel 107 Dr. Amy Cooper Email: acooper@muhlenberg.edu Office: Soc/Anth 10 (phone: 664-3437) Office Hours: Mondays 12:30-1:30, Tuesdays 4:30-5:30, or by appointment COURSE DESCRIPTION AND GOALS This course reviews the major theoretical approaches that make anthropology unique among the social sciences. These approaches include evolution, functionalism, structuralism, interpretive and symbolic anthropology, political economy, and postmodernism. The course is organized chronologically in order to analyze the emergence and development of theories in their broader social, historical, and theoretical contexts. We focus on major figures in the field and specific schools of thought in order to better understand, compare, and critique the core theoretical orientations that undergird contemporary anthropological research. Because this is a writing intensive course, students will practice different kinds of writing across the semester to improve their fluency with written communication and learn to use writing as a tool for critical thinking. Prerequisite: ATH 112 Cultural Anthropology; meets general academic requirement W Students should: 1. Gain a working understanding of core theoretical perspectives in anthropology. 2. Be able to compare, contrast, and critique theories studied in class, as well as articulate the usefulness and limitations of different theoretical assumptions and claims. 3. Build the skills needed to apply theories to novel circumstances and cases. 4. Practice key writing skills in order to improve papers’ clarity, organization, paragraph structure, argumentation, and use of evidence. REQUIRED READINGS Readings marked * are available as PDFs on Blackboard. All other readings are found in the following book: Paul Erickson and Liam Murphy, Eds. 2013. Readings for a History of Anthropological Theory. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN: 9781442606562. ASSIGNMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS Grading 15% 30% 15% 40% Participation Reading Response papers (6 total, 5% each) Group Presentation Final Portfolio Participation This is an advanced seminar, based on discussions in which you are active participants (rather than lectures, in which I am the main actor and you act more like audience members). You are expected to speak up and engage in every class meeting. You are expected to read and reflect on assigned texts beforehand and come to class ready to discuss them. Please bring your assigned readings to class in hard-copy form, because we will refer to them to read quotes and complete small-group activities. Your participation grade in this class is based on attendance, meaningful participation in discussions and other activities, and respectful collaboration with your peers. Freewrites Each week we will set aside time for quiet reflection and free writing that focuses on what you learned and what you think about the theories we’ve discussed. I will collect these from you and may use them in class discussions. Individual freewrites will not be graded, but together they comprise part of your grade for your Final Portfolio. You are responsible for keeping track of your freewrites and including them in your Final Portfolio. Note: There are no “make-up” freewrites if you miss class. Maximizing your participation: Questions for engaged reading  Did you find the main point (or argument) of the reading convincing? Why/why not?  What kinds of evidence does the author use to make her point(s)?  What assumptions, concepts, or theories does the author rely on in her analysis?  How does this reading relate to other readings we’ve covered so far?  What does this reading add to your understanding of anthropology? Reading Response Papers A major part of the work in this course consists of 6 short papers that respond to the assigned readings. Effective reading response papers will (1) provide a concise, well-written summary of that weeks’ texts and their central arguments, (2) identify the authors’ main concepts, assumptions, and theoretical concerns, and (3) include one or more questions the texts have raised for you that would make for fruitful class discussion. You may also discuss how a text relates or responds to other theories we’ve discussed in class. Reading response papers are due at the beginning of class on the day we discuss those readings. I may use them in class discussions, so be prepared to read your summaries and/or questions to the class. Each paper should be approximately 2 pages (no longer, please). You can choose the weeks in which you write response papers, but must do 3 before spring break (during weeks 2-7) and 3 after spring break (during weeks 9, 10, 11, 15, or 16) for a total of 6 papers. Each one is worth 5% of your final grade. Group Presentation Working in a group of 3-4 students, you will study and analyze social life in a televised drama series from different theoretical perspectives. Your group will choose one of three TV shows— Downton Abbey, The Wire, or Battlestar Galactica—and apply anthropological theories to explain important aspects of the drama series. Your presentation should identify and explain key characters and plot points that you choose to analyze, presenting brief scenes from the series as appropriate. You should apply at least two major theoretical perspectives to your analysis of social life in the series. If you obtain my permission in advance, you may choose another comparable television series to analyze. Presentations will be 20-30 minutes in length and you will be graded as a group. Final Portfolio The culminating assignment for this course is a final portfolio that contains all the written work you did in this course (all response papers and freewrites) as well as a final integrative essay. The starting point for the integrative essay should be your previous written work and my comments and suggestions on it. Building on what you studied and wrote across the semester, write a 5-7 page essay (double spaced) that explains and assesses three theoretical approaches to culture and social life. Focusing on the authors we read for each theoretical approach, what did these authors seek to understand? What were their assumptions about human nature and social life? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each theoretical approach, and how do the approaches contradict and/or complement one another? How do these approaches account for social inequalities and social change (if at all)? Use concrete examples and quotations judiciously to support your claims about each approach, and be sure to put theories into conversation with one other. The portfolio should be turned in with your original response papers and freewrites in chronological order and the integrative essay at the end (please attach them together using a folder, binder, large binder clip, etc.). Grading Scale: Excellent 93-100 90-92 87-89 Good 83-86 80-82 A AB+ B B- 4.0 3.7 3.3 3.0 2.7 Satisfactory Marginal Failing 77-79 73-76 70-72 65-69 below 65 C+ C CD F 2.3 2.0 1.7 1.0 0.0 Instructor Expectations I am enthusiastic about this course, and will do my best to make the class useful, fun, and rewarding for each of you. I will always try to make my explanations and expectations clear, and will listen if you express concerns. My office hours are on the first page. These are times I set aside to meet with you, no appointment necessary. Come by to talk about anything related to this course or anthropology more generally. If you are unable to visit during office hours, you can make an appointment to meet at another time. Please note: rough drafts of assignments will not be read/edited by the instructor, but office visits to discuss assignments are warmly welcomed. Attendance and Late Assignments Policy You should attend all class sessions. This is especially relevant in a class like this one, which meets once a week. I will keep track of attendance, and multiple absences will adversely affect your grade. You should turn in all assignments on time (or early). If you turn in an assignment late, I will still grade it, but you will not earn full credit. Instead, you will lose 2/3 of a letter grade (from A- to B or from B+ to B-, for example) for each 48-hour period following a due date (beginning directly after the due date/time). I can only make exceptions to these policies if you provide a documented, college-approved reason for the exception. Please do not falsify illness or injury if you miss a class or deadline. If you must miss class due to your observance of a religious holiday, please let me know in advance of the date. Whenever you miss class, for whatever reason, you are responsible for obtaining class notes from a peer and making up missed work. Classroom Demeanor I have found that students who collaborate with each other and teach each other in class have more meaningful and rewarding learning experiences and do better academically. I encourage you to engage with each other inside and outside the classroom (within the guidelines of the Muhlenberg Academic Behavior Code). I support and respect a diversity of student experiences, ideas, and learning styles in the classroom, and I request each student to abide by basic rules of civility and to be respectful of all others in discussions and other exchanges. All digital devicescell phones, laptops, tablet computers, etc.- must be turned off and out of sight during class time. Academic Integrity Students must familiarize themselves with and abide by Muhlenberg’s Academic Integrity Code (AIC). You will be held accountable for your adherence to the code in this course by faculty, administration, and fellow students. The AIC is printed in full in the Student Handbook. I have a zero-tolerance policy regarding cheating, plagiarism, or academic dishonesty of any kind. Repercussions for students who violate the AIC may include, but are not limited to, earning a failing grade on the assignment and/or a failing grade for the course. Examples of plagiarism include (but are not limited to) obtaining text from any source, including the Internet, and passing it off as your own work rather than citing the source of the material. It is your responsibility to learn how to properly cite sources and avoid plagiarism. To learn more about plagiarism, visit: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/main/academics/soc-anth/policies/plagiarism.html. Students with Disabilities or Special Needs Students with disabilities requesting classroom or course accommodations must complete a multi-faceted application/approval process through the Office of Disability Services prior to the development and implementation of an Accommodation Plan. Each Accommodation Plan is individually and collaboratively developed with the Directors or staff of the following Departments, as appropriate: Academic Resource Center, Office of Counseling Services, Student Health Services, and the Office of Disability Services. If you have not already done so, please contact the appropriate Department to have a dialogue regarding your academic needs and the recommended accommodations, auxiliary aides, and services. Course Unit Instruction This class is scheduled to meet for 3 hours per week. Additional instructional activities for the course include film viewings, attendance at specified College lectures, and required writing workshops distributed across the semester. These activities will add an additional 14 hours of instruction. COURSE SCHEDULE Week 1 January 14 ORIENTATION TO THE COURSE Week 2 January 21 EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVES E.B. Tylor, The Science of Culture (11 pp) Lewis Henry Morgan, Ethnical Periods (8 pp) Herbert Spencer, The Organic Analogy Reconsidered (4 pp) Further Reading: Charles Darwin, General Summary and Conclusion, The Descent of Man George Stocking, Victorian Anthropology George Stocking, Race, Culture, and Evolution: Essays in the History of Anthropology Week 3 January 28 MARXISM Karl Marx, Bourgeois and Proletarians (Excerpt from The Communist Manifesto, 7 pp) *Karl Marx, Capital Vol. I, The General Formula for Capital, 329-336 (7 pp) *Karl Marx, Capital Vol I., 344-345 (2pp) Further Reading: June Nash, We Eat the Mines and the Mines Eat Us: Dependency and Exploitation in Bolivian Tin Mines Sidney Mintz, Sweetness and Power Maurice Bloch, Marxism and Anthropology: The History of a Relationship Week 4 February 4 EARLY FRENCH SOCIAL THEORY *Emile Durkheim, What is a Social Fact? (10 pp) Emile Durkheim, Elementary Forms of Religious Life, Introduction (12 pp) *Marcel Mauss, The Gift, Selections Further Reading: Durkheim, Suicide Durkheim, The Division of Labor in Society Week 5 February 11 STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM *E.E. Evans-Pritchard, The Nuer of Southern Sudan (11 pp) A.R. Radcliffe-Brown, Social Structure (6 pp) Max Gluckman, Rituals of Rebellion in South-East Africa (17 pp) Further Reading: Evans-Pritchard, Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic Among the Azande Malinowski, Argonauts of the Western Pacific George Stocking, After Tylor: British Social Anthropology, 1888-1951 Week 6 February 18 EARLY AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGY Margaret Mead, Introduction, Coming of Age in Samoa (5 pp) Ruth Benedict, The Individual and the Pattern of Culture (12 pp) Franz Boas, The Methods of Ethnology (6 pp) Further Reading: Franz Boas, A Franz Boas Reader: The Shaping of American Anthropology, 1883-1911 Paul Shankman, The Trashing of Margaret Mead: Anatomy of an Anthropological Controversy Ira Harrison and Faye Harrison, African-American Pioneers in Anthropology Week 7 February 25 STRUCTURALISM Claude Lévi-Strauss, Structuralism and Ecology (11 pp) Edmund Leach, Structuralism in Social Anthropology (11 pp) Marshall Sahlins, Introduction to Islands of History (7 pp) Further Reading: Lévi-Strauss, Tristes Tropiques Mary Douglas, Purity and Danger Week 8 March 4 SPRING BREAK Week 9 March 11 SOME LEGACIES OF MARX Marvin Harris, The Cultural Ecology of India’s Sacred Cattle (Cultural Materialism, 14 pp) Eric Wolf, Introduction to Europe and the People without History (Political Economy, 15 pp) Week 10 March 18 SYMBOLIC & INTERPRETIVE ANTHROPOLOGY Victor Turner, Symbols in Ndembu Ritual (17 pp) Clifford Geertz, Thick Description (17 pp) Further Reading: Clifford Geertz, Deep Play: Notes on a Balinese Cockfight Victor Turner, Betwixt and Between: The Liminal Period in Rites of Passage. In The Forest of Symbols: Aspects of Ndembu Ritual. Jean and John Comaroff, Of Revelation and Revolution, Vols. I and II Week 11 March 25 FEMINISM Sally Slocum, Woman the Gatherer: Male Bias in Anthropology *Sherry Ortner, Is Female to Male as Nature is to Culture? Further Reading: Ellen Lewin, Feminist Anthropology: A Reader Michelle Zimbalist Rosaldo and Louise Lamphere, Woman, Culture, and Society Week 12 April 1 POSTMODERNISM: POWER & PRACTICE Michel Foucault, The Birth of the Asylum (14 pp) Pierre Bourdieu, The production and reproduction of legitimate language (16 pp) Sherry Ortner, Theory in Anthropology Since the Sixties Pierre Lemonnier, selections TBD Further Reading: Paul Willis, Learning to Labor Ann Stoler, Carnal Knowledge and Imperial Power: Race and the Intimate in Colonial Rule Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities Week 13 April 8 GROUP PRESENTATIONS Practice applying anthropological theories to social life using televised dramas (e.g., Downton Abbey, The Wire, Battlestar Gallactica). Week 14 April 15 GROUP PRESENTATIONS Practice applying anthropological theories to social life using televised dramas (e.g., Downton Abbey, The Wire, Battlestar Gallactica). Week 15 April 22 REPRESENTATION/WRITING CULTURE James Clifford, Partial Truths (16 pp) George Marcus and Michael Fischer, A Crisis of Representation in the Human Sciences (6 pp) Further Reading: James Clifford and George Marcus, Writing Culture: The Poetics and Politics of Ethnography Margery Wolf, A Thrice-Told Tale: Feminism, Postmodernism, and Ethnographic Responsibility Week 16 April 29 THEORIZING GLOBALIZATION Arjun Appadurai, Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy (8 pp) *Philippe Bourgois, From Jíbaro to Crack Dealer: Confronting the Restructuring of Capitalism in El Barrio Further Reading: Carolyn Nordstrom, Global Outlaws: Crime, Money, and Power in the Contemporary World Aihwa Ong, Neoliberalism as Exception Week 17 May 5-9 FINALS WEEK Reading response portfolio (originals, freewrites, & integrative essay) due Tuesday, May 6th by 5 pm.