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Prof. K. Gibel Mevorach – xxx-4324/
Office hours: Tues 2-5pm and Wed 11-2pm by appointment
After Postmodernism B T 10-11:50/ TH 10-10:50 (ARH 130)
(n.b. Thurs class may be extended to 11:15 when there is no convo).
Objective:
This seminar will explore meanings of postmodernism, including the historical
moment in which the concept emerged, implications and impact of ideas which it
generated. The scholarly articles comment on, or reflect, the influence of postmodernist
approaches while the films (documentaries and commercial) register the condition of
postmodernity. Articles by anthropologists and other social scientists take up questions of
methodologies and theories whose grid may be located within the culture concept itself.
Topics for reflection and discussion include: the relationship between power and
knowledge, representations and ethnographic authority, the question of subjectivity and
objectification and the consequences of globalization on dominant concepts which
ground the discipline of anthropology. As part of this examination, we will watch several
ethnographic films and commercial movies which register the condition of
postmodernity.
Pre-requisite/ Reading & Assignment: to be submitted in class on Tues 1 Sept
George Marcus & Michael Fischer, Anthropology as Cultural Critique
(University of Chicago Press). For each section/chapter (vii – 188/ Preface to
Notes) : identify & outline key questions and/or points (a supplementary set of
questions to facilitate this assignment will be emailed before class begins)
Class Format
This seminar is organized as roundtable discussions of the assigned readings.
Therefore:
i. Each student shall come to class fully prepared to summarize the key points of
the assigned readings and to relate them to previous class discussions.
ii. In order to facilitate an informative class discussion, each student shall come
prepared to discuss a specific passage in the assigned reading -- keep in mind:
what did you learn? why is the new information or perspective significant?
relevant?
N.B. If you do not understand something B come prepared to discuss what you
did understand and to explain what you think you do not understand. Keep in mind that
we are focusing on the broad themes in each article related to ethnographic
representations. Avoid getting distracted by extraneous details and concentrate on key
points.
iii. Students will be required to keep a reading journal [see below].
Course Requirements
This seminar aims to sharpen skills of critical reading and thinking in order to
identify and evaluate issues and arguments which were sharpened during debates over
postmodernism and its relationship to anthropology. Particular emphasis is on
attentiveness to information presented in readings, documentaries and film. The texts are
privileged in this seminar – there are no exams, however extensive writing and active
participation in class discussion are expected and will be graded.
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1. Attendance (5%). There is an automatic credit for attendance.
2. Reading Journal (40%). Every student must keep a reading journal. This
represents a conversation with the text, the author and class discussions. For instance:
what did you learn? what opinions or preconceptions did you have and did they change?
how? what insights did the reading provide which can be applied to other topics you have
studied in anthropology (off-campus study etc)?
The journals are to be typed and an entry should be made at least once a week. You will
be expected to write at least one page per reading assignment [minimum two pages a
week].
JOURNAL ENTRIES ARE TO BE DATED AND PAGINATED
CONSECUTIVELY. The journals are due in my office each Monday no later
than 1:30pm. Ideas will not be graded as correct or incorrect – i.e. this is an
opportunity to bracket "opinions," explore new "ways of thinking" and follow an
engagement of scholarly exchanges.
** Note that some journal entries will consist of an outline of the reading and
others are directed.
3. Active Participation in Class Discussions (10%): ADVANCE
PREPARATION OF READING ASSIGNMENTS IS ABSOLUTELY
REQUIRED! Class discussion represents an exchange of ideas -- it is a
conversation among peers. You are responsible for coming to class fully prepared
to discuss the readings in detail B therefore, you are responsible for bringing
notes and an outline to class in order to use them as the reference for all
discussions. Collaboration is recommended: form reading groups and review
material in advance and/or after class (lunch and dinner meetings are often
useful conversation sites; re-view films with friends – its a great way to generate
inter-disciplinary conversation).
Consensus is not the goal of scholarly inquiry -- Shared perspectives as well as
differences of opinion further our own understanding of a topic. Critical thinking and an
engaging exchange of ideas depends on listening carefully to another person's perspective
and responding respectfully. Exchange does not translate into “consensus.”
Focus specifically: what and why are are points of agreement or disagreement -how is one interpretation different and in what ways should it be valued as more or less
persuasive? Always skim carefully an article’s “Notes” (footnotes or endotes) and
bibliography – who references whom? Over the semester, do you notice certain articles,
books or authors who are regularly cited? Does this change over time (i.e. publication
dates)?
Personal experience is important, but draw on it as an additional resource -- not a
substitute -- for insights into analyzing the significance of texts we will be reading.
Situate your arguments within the context of the readings. Feel free, as well, to relate
specific points from our readings to outside sources and insights/learning from other
courses.
4. Class Presentations (20%) Each Tuesday, 2-3 students will guide a
discussion of the readings and read a 2-page introduction of main points in the
text(s) as well as questions/themes for discussion (pointing out specific
passages/page references etc) and includes comment on relation to previous texts
where relevant.
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5. Evaluation Paper (25%) due 14 December by 1pm: A 6-7 page (maximum
10 pages) paper summarizing what you have learned throughout the semester and
how it integrates with your cumulative studies as an anthropology major. In your
essay, include specific references to the material used during the semester.
You must keep a folder for journal entries. These, with your final paper will
be re-submitted at the end of the semester in a (unsealed) stamped, self-addressed
envelope. Do not reprint. If you will be back on campus in Spring semester, you may use
your campus mailbox as the returning address.
ALL previously submitted WRITTEN WORK (journals and outlines) AND FINAL
PAPER should be placed in unsealed, stamped and self-addressed envelope. These
are DUE in Carnegie Office on MONDAY 14 DECEMBER BY 1:00 PM -ABSOLUTELY NO EXTENSIONS B in case of emergency or extenuating
circumstances, you must request an incomplete from the Registrar=s Office and get an
official extension. (Don=t even ask: this is non-negotiable).
BACKGROUND RESEARCH –
Contextualize year of birth for: your parents, grandparents and greatgrandparents according to the following (this can be bullet points):
What were key political, economic and legal events in the U.S. and the following
geographical region (western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East, North Africa, Central
Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, East Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, Pacific Rim,
Central and South America, the Caribbean countries, Mexico) for each of the following
decades: 1920s 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s?
To Be Seen Before Semester Begins
-- Wall Street (1987)
-- Blade Runner (1982)
-- Enemy of the State (1998)
-- The Matrix (1999)
WEEK 1 -27/8 Thursday – extended class meeting 10-11:45
Brief Introductions (10-10:40)
Documentary - Descartes, Berkeley, Locke, and the new way of ideas / Stanford
Alumni Association (10:45-11:45)
SUN 30 AUG 1:30 – 2 Documentaries: Life and times of Sara Baartman & Return of
Sara Baartman (Icarus Films, 1999 & 2003)- ARH 120
1/9 Tuesday
{Pioneer Web} eds. 4 chapters in Hall et al., Modernity : Stuart Hall 1-18; Peter
Hamilton 19-54; Robert Bocok 149-183, John Allen 280-306),
5 min presentations around the table: Outline readings and come prepared to
comment on the key concepts and identify questions/themes highlighted in each chapter
(what did you learn? Why is it significant? Who is the author – institutional affiliation,
disciplinary field?)
3/9Thursday continuation of discussion
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What is the significance of learning about Sara Baartman in the context of reading
the chapters by Hall, Hamilton, Bocok and Allen?
Week 2 Reading week…. post-industrialism/post-modernity
Reading for class + in discussion groups
8/9 Tuesday
{Pioneer Web} 3 chapters in eds. Hall et al., Modernity: Stuart Hall 184-228;
John Allen 533-563; Kenneth Thompson 564-594
10/9 Thursday Metaphors/ Fieldwork, the Culture Concept and Interpretation
[Pioneer Web] Clifford Geertz
(2 essays from The Interpretation of Cultures, 1973): AThick Description,@
ADeep Play,@ & (1 essay from Works and Lives, 1988): ABeing There.@
JSTOR: Paul Shankman, (1984) AThe Thick and the Thin: On the Interpretive
Theoretical Paradigm of Clifford Geertz.@ Current Anthropology 25, 3 AND Comments
JSTOR: Sherry Ortner (1997) AIntroduction@ representations 59: 1-13.[[special
issue on >culture= and Geertz]
Journal entries are due in class on Tues 15 September –discussion of the
readings should include comments on the films viewed in advance for this class Blade Runner (1982), Wall Street (1987), Enemy of the State (1998), The Matrix (1999).
Week 3
15/9 Tuesday – culture, representations and globalism
(1) {Pioneer Web}Mary Margaret Steedly. AWhat is Culture? Does It Matter?@
(2) {Pioneer Web}Henry Louis Gates. ANotes on the Globalization of Culture.@
(3) [EBSCO] Zoreda, Margaret Lee. “Anglophone Popular Culture in the
Mexican University English Curriculum.” Journal of Popular Culture, Vol.
30, Issue 1 (Summer96)
17/9 Thursday Postmodern(ity/ism) – naming an epoch, a mood and a conceptual state
of mind
[EBSCO] Coombie, Rosemary J. (1991) AEncountering the Postmodern: New
Directions in Cultural Anthropology.” Canadian Review of Sociology & Anthropology
28, 1.
[JSTOR] Weiner, Annette B. (1995) ACulture and Our Discontents.@ American
Anthropologist N.S. 97, 1: 14-21 1993 presidential address to AAA in
D.C.
Fri eve – Sun eve Rosh HaShana
Week 4
22/9 Tuesday
Reading groups create outline of discussion points (include page references) for
presentation on:
I. Paul Shankman and Sherry Ortner
II. Rosemary Coombie and Annette Weiner:
III. what are similarities and differences in the framing/articulation of issues;
IV. Contexualize: identify the socio-political context of “1980-1988” and “19861996.”
V. Can you identify 1-2 concrete examples from your collective experiences (the
reading group as a collective)
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24/9 Thursday
Group presentations
Week 5(Sun eve – Mon eve Yom Kippur)
29/9 Tuesday 2 The Gaze and the Power of Representation
Documentary (30 min) Passing girl, riverside: an essay on camera work / by
Kwame Braun ; in collaboration with Catherine Cole. Watertown, MA : Documentary
Educational Resources, c1997
Documentary (60 min) Stranger with a camera [videorecording] / a film from
California Newsreel ; producer and director, Elizabeth Barret ; narration writer, Fenton
Johnson ; Appalshop, Inc Publication Info San Francisco, CA : California Newsreel,
c2000
For Thurs: Write 2-3 page journal entry (to be submitted in class and exchanged
for discussion):
Who is behind the camera? Why does it matter? Whose stories are conveyed and how?
What messages are conveyed? For what purpose? What differences in authorial power
are there between films and the written text? Discuss the similarities and differences of
purpose and realization in the documentaries of Kwame Braun and Elizabeth Barret?
1/10 Thursday
Discussion of documentaries in relation to article by Jessica Johnston:
[EBSCO] Johnston, Jessica. “The Battle for Local Identity: An Ethnographic
Description of Local/Global Tensions in a New Zealand Advertisement.” Journal of
Popular Culture, Fall 2001, Vol. 35 Issue 2, p193, 13p;
Week 6
Sun 4/10 1:30 pm film: I’m Not There (dir. Todd Haynes)- ARH 305
6/10 Tuesday
[Project Muse] Special Issue: The Performance of Bob Dylan: Conference
Proceedings of the Caen Oral Tradition 22, 1( March 2007) – view the table of contents
and “About the authors” and carefully read the following:
(i)
Désveaux, Emmanuel. “Amerindian Roots of Bob Dylan’s Poetry.”
(ii)
Rollason, Christopher. “Sólo Soy Un Guitarrista”: Bob Dylan in the
Spanish-Speaking World––Influences, Parallels, Reception, and
Translation.”
(iii)
Thomas, Richard F. “The Streets of Rome: The Classical Dylan”
8/10 Thursday
[EBSCO] Giamo, “I'm Not There.” Journal of American History; Jun2008, Vol. 95
Issue 1, p285-286,
Week 7
13/10 Tuesday (typed outline of article to be submitted in class)
[Project Muse] Stephanie Hawkins. “What is a cosmopolitan culture…? What is
cosmopolitan? Savage Visions: Ethnography, Photography, and Local-Color Fiction in
National Geographic.” Arizona Quarterly: A Journal of American Literature, Culture, and
Theory, Volume 64, Number 2, Summer 2008, pp. 33-63
15/10 Thursday –no class meeting
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FALL BREAK
Week 8
27/10 Tuesday
Paul Stoller . “Circuits of African Art / Paths of Wood: Exploring an
Anthropological Trail.” Anthropological Quarterly, Vol. 76, No. 2 (Spring, 2003), pp.
207-234 (JSTOR)
29/10 Thursday
Saloni Mathur . “Social Thought & Commentary: Museums Globalization.”
Anthropological Quarterly, Vol. 78, No. 3 (Summer, 2005), pp. 697-708. (JSTOR).
Week 9
Sun 1/11 1:30 Film dir. Ramin Bahrani: (title tba) – ARH 305
3/11 Tuesday
Michael F. Brown. “Cultural Relativism 2.0.” AND “Comments” Current
Anthropology, 49, 3 (June 2008) 363-384
Current Anthropology hard copy in Burling or use this link:
http://0-www.journals.uchicago.edu.cat.lib.grinnell.edu/toc/ca/current
5/11 Thursday
Discussion of Bahrani film and “cultural relativism” continues
Dennis Lim. “Asian-American film: Defying assumptions.” New York Times
(Thursday, April 27, 2006) {use Lexis Nexis database – News}
Week 10
10/11 Tuesday
Kevin Birth . “Time and the Biological Consequences of Globalization.” Current
Anthropology Volume 48, Number 2, April 2007
12/11 Thursday
Comments on Kevin Birth …..
Week 11
Sun 15 Nov 1:30 Film “Stuart Hall, Race: The Floating Signifier” (notes on lecture due
with this week’s journal)- ARH 305
17/11 Tuesday
Kaja Finkler . “The Kin in the Gene The Medicalization of Family and Kinship
in American Society.” Current Anthropology Volume 42, Number 2, April 2001
Current Anthropology hard copy in Burling or use this link:
http://0-www.journals.uchicago.edu.cat.lib.grinnell.edu/toc/ca/current
19/11 Thursday
Comments on Kaja Finkler
Week 12
24/11 Tuesday
{Pioneer Web}K. Gibel Azoulay, “Reflections on ‘Race’ and the Biologization
of Difference.” Patterns of Prejudice, 40, 4-5 (2006), 353-380.
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Thanksgiving Thursday
Week 13
1/12 Tuesday
Alfredo González‐Ruibal. “Time to Destroy: An Archaeology of
Supermodernity.” Current Anthropology. Volume 49, Issue 2, (April 2008) 247–279.
3/12 Thursday
Comments to González‐Ruibal, Current Anthropology. Volume 49, Issue 2,
Page 247–279, (Apr 2008)
Week 14
8/12 Tuesday
{Pioneer Web} Nicolas Bourriaud, “Altermodern.” And Okwui Enwezor,
“Modernity and Postcolonial Ambivalence.” Tate Triennial, Tate Publishing, 2009;.
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/exhibitions/altermodern/
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/exhibitions/altermodern/resources.shtm
why does N. Bourriaud introduce the term “altermodernity” and what are the
concerns Enwezor has about the politics of modernity and post-coloniality? In what ways
does the Tate Triennial exhibition, as an event, compliment and bring closure to the
seminar, After Postmodernism?
10/12 Class Meeting 10-11:50
LAST CLASS MEETING Concluding Discussion and Closure:
Your folder of previously submitted journal entries and your final paper
should be submitted in an unsealed stamped, self-addressed envelope. Do not
reprint. If you will be back on campus in Spring semester, you may use your campus
mailbox as the returning address.
ALL WRITTEN WORK AND FINAL PAPER in stamped self-addressed envelope
ARE DUE in Carnegie Office on MONDAY 14 DECEMBER BY 1:00 PM -THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO EXTENSIONS.