Annotation
Readings and discussions examine major theories in Anthropology over the past century or so by means of original works and class discussions on those readings. Theories generally follow a historical outline. Readings are available in XXXXXX.
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.