Anthropology302:(31090)(31095)(31100)(31105)

CulturalAnthropology
Spring2013 M/W11:0012:00,CollegeofLiberalArtsBldg.(CLA)0.112 FDiscussionSectionMeetings:Variable ProfessorCirceSturm Office:SAC5.122(2321561),circe@austin.utexas.edu OfficeHours:Tuesdays1:003:00andbyappointment. GraduateTeachingAssistants: ChelsiWest Office:SAC5.114 OfficeHours:Fridays9:0011:00

chelsi.west@utexas.edu

TaneWard Office:NAIS,CLABldg,2.106 OfficeHours:Wednesdays12:002:00 tane.ward@gmail.com

CourseDescription Bystudyingarangeofselectedtopicsandcasestudies,thiscourseintroducesyoutothe culturaldiversityofhumanbeingsandwillprovideyouwithtoolsforthinkingcritically abouttheclassicconcepts,theoriesandmethodsofculturalanthropology.Ourprimary objectivewillbetounderstandboththeuniversalmannerinwhichallhumanbeings constitutethemselvesthroughculture,andthegreatdiversityofspecificcultural expressionsthathaveresultedfromtheseprocesses.Inthepastanthropologistshave pursuedtheseendsbystudyingdistantandexoticpeoples,themoredifferentfrom usthebetter.Inthisclasswewillcriticallyexaminethiswe/theydichotomyand howithasshapedthediscipline.Wewillalsoexplorewhathappenswhenweturnthe anthropologicallensbackonourownsocietiesandexperiences. Readings 1. ConradP.Kottak(2013),CulturalAnthropology:AppreciatingHumanDiversity,15th edition.McGrawHillPublishers,Guilford,CT. 2. Bourgois,Philippe(2002)InSearchofRespect:SellingCrackinElBarrio,2ndedition. CambridgeUniversityPress:Cambridge. 3. SelectedChaptersfromWelsch,RobertL.andKirkM.Endicott(2006).Taking Sides:ClashingViewsonControversialIssuesinCulturalAnthropology, 2ndedition. McGrawHillPublishers:Guilford,CT.

4. TheseChaptersandArticles,availablefordownloadonBlackBoard: Foucault,Michel.1977.TheBodyoftheCondemned.DisciplineandPunish:The BirthofthePrison.VintageBooks:NewYork. Geertz,Clifford.1973.ThickDescription:TowardandInterpretiveTheoryof Culture.TheInterpretationofCultures:SelectedEssaysbyCliffordGeertz. Basic Books:NewYork McIntosh,Peggy.1988.WhitePrivilegeandMalePrivilege:APersonalAccount ofComingtoSeeCorrespondencesthroughWorkinWomensStudies. Critical WhiteStudies:LookingBehindtheMirror.RichardDelgadoandJean Stefancic (eds.).TempleUniversityPress:Philadelphia. Hiner,Horace.1956.BodyRitualamongtheNacirema.AmericanAnthropologist 58(3):5037. ScheperHughes,Nancy.2000.TheGlobalTrafficinHumanOrgans.Current Anthropology41(2):191224. Seriff,Suzanne.1987.GivingandAltar:TheIdeologyofReproductioninaSt. JosephsDayFeast.TheJournalofAmericanFolklore100(398):446460. Smith,LindaTuhiwai.1999.Imperialism,History,WritingandTheory. DecolonizingMethodologies:ResearchandIndigenousPeoples. ZedBooks:London andNewYork. Whorf,Benjamin.1944.TheRelationsofHabitualThoughtandBehaviorto Language.Language,Thought,andReality:SelectedWritingsofBenjaminLeeWhorf (2ndEdition).TheMITPress:Cambridge.

Requirements Becausethecoursereliesuponablendoflectureanddiscussion,readinginadvanceis required.Studentsshouldarrivewithquestionsandideasandbepreparedtodiscuss readingsinclass.Studentsarealsorequiredtokeepupwiththekeypointspresentedin eachclassmeeting.Ifyouarehavingdifficultywithanyoftheideaspresentedinclass, thenitisyourresponsibilitytomeetwithotherstudentsortoattendofficehourswith theprofessororgraduateteachingassistantstoclarifycoursematerials.Pleaseusethese opportunitiestoyouradvantage. Assignmentswillbedueatthebeginningofclassandtherewillbenomakeupexams, incompletes,ortimeextensions,exceptinthecaseofemergencies.Thescaleforfinal

gradesissuchthat90to100%=A;80to89%=B;70to79%=C;60to69%=D;59%and below=F. Youwillbeevaluatedandassignedagradeonthefollowingbasis: 2midtermexams Finalexam Filmcritique AttendanceandParticipation KinshipExercise 200pts. 125pts. 50pts. 50pts. 75pts. 500pts.

Yourgradeisdeterminedbyyourtotalpointscored,scaledagainsteveryoneelseinthe class.Noextracreditassignmentsareavailable.Examsareacombinationofmultiple choice,fillintheblank,andtrue/falsequestions.Theexamsaregenerallyabout50% fromlectureand50%fromthetexts.Cheatingwillnotbetolerated!Anyonecaught cheatingwillbechargedundertheacademicmisconductcode.Nocellphonesaretobe usedinclass.Pleaseturncellphonesoffuponarrival. Anystudentinthiscoursewhohasadisabilitythatmaypreventhimorherfromfully demonstratingtheirotherabilitiesshouldcontactmepersonallyassoonaspossibleso wecandiscussthenecessaryaccommodationstoensureyourfullparticipationinthe classandtofacilitateyoureducationalopportunities. Ireservetherighttoamendorchangethecoursesyllabusasnecessary,primarilydueto anyunforeseencircumstancesthatmayariseduringthecourseofthesemester. However,anychangesinthesyllabusshouldnotadverselyaffectyourgradeor workload.

Relaxandhaveagoodsemester!

CourseSchedule
Key:K=KottakTextbook,Respect=InSearchofRespect,TS=TakingSides,BB= ArticlePostedonBlackBoard. DateTopic Week1: Jan.14 16 R eadings

IntroductionandAimsoftheCourse AnthropologyWhat?Why?How? DiscussionSections Ethics:AppliedandActivistAnthropology KCh.1 K.Ch.4

Week2: 21 23

MLKHoliday:NoClass

BB:H.Miner

TheConceptofCultureandCulturalRelativism KCh.2 DiscussionSections ShouldAnthropologistsWorktoEndFemale Circumcision? TS,Issue18

Week3: 28

ParticipantObservationandEthnographic FieldworkHow? LanguageandCommunication DiscussionSections FieldworkacrossLinguisticDifferences

KCh.3

30

KCh.5

Week4: 4

LanguageContinued (Film1:AmericanTongues) Race,EthnicityandSystemsofSocialInequality DiscussionSections RaceandEthnicity:AffirmativeAction,Social ReproductionandPersonal/FamilyHistories

BB:B.Whorf

KCh.6

Week5: 11

EthnicityandRaceContinued:Whitenessand TheInvisibleKnapsack EconomicSystems:MakingaLiving (ClassroomExercise)

BB:P.McIntosh

13

KCh.7

DiscussionSections FirstMidtermExamPreparation Week6: 18 20

FIRSTMIDTERMEXAM PoliticalSystems KCh.8

DiscussionSections ContemporaryAmericanPolitics Week7: 25 27

RespectIntro&Ch.1

TheoreticalFrames:Materialismvs.Idealism Marxism101 DiscussionSections HowDoesTheoryAffectEthnography?

RespectCh.2&3 RespectCh.4 RespectCh.5

Week8: Mar.4 6

TheInterpretiveTurn (Film2:OkieNoodling) DiscussionSections Explanationvs.Description:FindingYourOwn TheoreticalVoice

BB:C.Geertz RespectCh.6 RespectCh.7

Week9: Mar.1117 Week10: 18 20

SpringBreak,NOCLASS

Gender,SexualityandStatus Families,KinshipandDescent DiscussionSections IsItNaturalforAdoptedChildrentoWantto FindOutAboutTheirBirthParents?

K.Ch.9 KCh.10

TS,Issue8

Week11: 25

KinshipSystems (ClassroomExercise) Marriage (Film3:SmallHappiness) DiscussionSections SecondMidtermExamReview

RespectCh.8

27

KCh.11

RespectCh.9

Week12: Apr.1 3

SECONDMIDTERMEXAM Religion KCh.12

DiscussionSections DiscussInSearchofRespectandDrug Decriminalization Week13: 8

RespectFinishAll, incl.epilogue

TheArts,Media,Spectacle KINSHIPDIAGRAMDUE Religion,RitualandWomen (Film4:TexasTavola) DiscussionSections Homeworkvs.Fieldwork:Ethicsin Anthropology

KCh.13

10

BB:S.Seriff

BB:L.Smith

Week14: 15 17

PracticeTheory WhatisModernity?ACritique DiscussionSections ShouldAnthropologyStopTryingtoModel ItselfontheNaturalSciences? BB:M.Foucault TS,Issue1

Week15: 22 24

TheWorldSystemandColonialism(s) (Film5:BlackHarvest,First45min)

KCh.14 BB.S.Hughes

DiscussionSections TS,Issue16 DidResearchersAdverselyAffecttheYanomami IndiansofVenezuela? Week16: 29 May1

(Film5:BlackHarvest,Second45min). GlobalIssuesToday KEEPERSEXERCISEDUE FridayDiscussionSections FinalExamReview KCh.15

Week17: May

FINALEXAMINATION DateandTimeTBA