Anotace
Examines various anthropological theories and their utility in explaining contemporary global issues. Students read, discuss and compare original theoretical works, and synthesize ideas through class writings and debates.
DATE DISCUSSION TOPIC READING 02/10 Course Introduction NONE 07/10 Marxism “Bourgeois and proletarians” (Marx/Engels) and
“Contribution to a critique of political economy” (Marx) 09/10 Early Theories “Organic analogy reconsidered” H. Spencer and “Ethnical periods” and “Preface,” L. H. Morgan 14/10 Franz Boas “Methods of ethnology” 16/30 Margaret Mead “Introduction” to Coming of age in Samoa 21/10 Malinowski “Subject, Method, and Scope of this inquiry” in Argonauts of the
W. Pacific 23/10 Structural-Functionalism “Concept of function”+ “Social structure” Radcliffe-Brown 28/10 Independence Day No class 30/10 Multilinear Evolution “Multilinear evolution” and “Concept and Method of
Cultural Ecology” J. Stewart 04/11 Sociobiology 2 chapters from On human nature E. O. Wilson 06/11 Neo-Sociobiology “Beyond ‘nature v. culture’” (Nettle), “Biological potentiality”
(Gould), and “Evolutionary Psychology” (Marks) 11/11 Cultural Materialism 2 chapters from Cultural Materialism M. Harris 13/11 Political Economy “Introduction” to Europe and the people without history (Wolf) 18/11 Structuralism 2 chapters from Structural Anthropology C. Levi-Strauss 20/11 Structuralism “Genesis as myth” (Leach) and “Meaning of myth” (Douglas) 25/11 Symbolism “Introduction,” “Symbols in Ndembu ritual,” “Ritual symbolism,” and
“Betwixt and between,” 4 chapters from Forest of symbols (V. Turner) 27/11 Interpretivism “Thick description” and “Notes on the Balinese Cockfight” C. Geertz 02/12 Feminism “Role of women in human evolution” (Ehrenberg) and “Woman the gatherer: male bias in Anthropology” (Slocum) 04/12 Post-Modernism “Partial truths” (Clifford) and “Post-modern ethnography” (Tyler) 09/12 Post-Modernism “Crisis of representation” G. Marcus and M. Fischer 11/12 Post-Post Modernism “Birth of the asylum” (Foucault) and “Production and reproduction of legitimate language” (Bourdieu) 16/12 Contemporary critiques “Past and future of anthropology” (Rubel and Rosman) and
“Unofficial histories” (L. Lamphere) 18/12 Global Anthropology “Disjuncture and difference” (Appadurai) and “Introduction” to
Other peoples’ anthropologies (Boskovic and Eriksen 23/12 – 01/01 Holiday Break No class 06/01 Class Debate: Science vrs. Humanity (Final Exam distributed) 08/01 Class Debate: Materialism vrs. Ideology 13/01 Class Debate: Applied vrs. Neutral 15/01 Final Discussion None 17/01 FINAL EXAM Submit electronically. Due by 17:00.