Download ANTHROPOLOGY 100.922.2014.Summer.Course Description

ANTHROPOLOGY 100.922
INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
Summer (May 12, 2014 to Jun 20, 2014)
Instructor: Dr. Vinay R. Kamat
Phone: 604-822-4802
Email: [email protected]
Course Description
This course is an introduction to cultural anthropology, which is one of the four subfields that
commonly characterize the discipline of anthropology. The other three subfields include
linguistic anthropology, biological/physical anthropological and archeology. The course is
designed to introduce students to the language of cultural anthropology; key concepts such as
culture, cultural relativism, ethnocentrism; social constructs such as race, gender, ethnicity;
theoretical approaches such as historical particularism, structural functionalism, structuralism,
postmodernism; methods such as participant observation and in-depth interviews that
characterize the field of cultural anthropology, and guide the work of cultural anthropologists.
We will take the concept of “culture” as a point of departure, and problematize it in the context
of some of the theories and methodological approaches that cultural anthropologists have used in
gathering data and doing ethnographic analyses. We will briefly explore the history of the
anthropology as a discipline through the lives of some of the celebrated “fieldworkers” such as
Bronislaw Malinowski, Franz Boas, Evans Pritchard, Margaret Mead, and Clifford Geertz, and
focus on what cultural anthropologists in particular do “in the field” in pursuit of research
questions that concern the human condition, and write ethnographies. Thus, for example, we will
examine the nature of fieldwork that cultural anthropologists undertake to study the institution of
marriage across different cultural groups.
Why are some societies matrilineal while others are patrilineal? Why do some societies
practice monogamy, while others encourage polygamy or polygyny – one husband with multiple
wives? What does the practice of witchcraft in societies undergoing rapid social and economic
transformation tell us about how people in so-called traditional societies are coping with the
forces of globalization? For example, why do the Sukuma people in Northern Tanzania
frequently engage in witch hunts? Why are albino children being murdered for ritual purposes in
Northern Tanzania? Why do some communities in sub-Saharan Africa continue to practice
female genital circumcision/mutilation as a ritual, even though the World Health Organization
and several human rights organizations have advocated banning this practice? Why were some
communities such as the Ilongot in the Philippines, until recently, practicing head-hunting?
Ultimately, cultural anthropologists undertake a cultural analysis of such questions and formulate
explanations with the goal of making “the strange familiar and the familiar strange,” which is the
goal of most ethnographies. We will examine the humanistic outlook, the unique perspectives
that different cultural anthropologists bring to bear on questions such as the above, and questions
that make us human. Thus, we will begin this course by asking: What is it that makes us human?
Or, what does being a human being mean? And how can anthropology in general and cultural
anthropology in particular shed light on the question: What does it mean to be human? Finally
we will conclude the course by addressing some questions about the future of anthropology as a
discipline in a globalizing world, and as a career path.
1
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Course Goals
To familiarize the student with some of the key concepts, ideas, concerns and
methodologies that inform the work of cultural anthropologists.
To provide the student with an opportunity to appreciate the fascinating history of
anthropology, and to reckon how it is related to historical context and the lives of some of
the pioneers of anthropology.
To develop awareness and sensitivity among students to the scholarly debates
surrounding the concept of culture.
To introduce the students to the different methods that cultural anthropologists as they
engage in fieldwork leading to the write-up of ethnography.
To enable the student to appreciate the challenges and opportunities that cultural
anthropologists face in an increasingly globalizing world.
To sharpen students’ abilities to express their thoughts through reading, speaking,
researching, and writing about issues that are at the core of cultural anthropology.
To cultivate students’ skills in analytical thinking, engaging discussion, and expressing
ideas in a non-threatening, non-intimidating environment.
Most important, to instill in the student a passion for the discipline of anthropology and to
ensure that the student comes away excited and enthusiastic about anthropology.
Exams and Grading
Your final grade will be determined by one in-class exam, one take-home exam, two review
papers (details will be announced in class during the second week), a final exam, and class
participation which includes regular, punctual class attendance.
First in-class Mid-term Exam
Second Mid-term take-home Exam
Review/Reaction papers (Two, two pages each)
Final Exam
Class attendance and Participation
→
→
→
→
→
2
20%
20%
10%
30%
20%