Los Angeles Harbor College
Anthropology 121 Spring 2016
The Anthropology of Magic, Religion and Witchcraft
Dr. Sasha David
davidae@lahc.edu
Section 0109: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:35 - 11 AM
Office Hours: Monday – Thursday 1 – 3 PM
Office Phone and Location: (310) 233-4577; NEA 157
Course Description: This course considers the origins and varieties of religious beliefs and practices
cross-culturally. Topics include mythology, symbolism, shamanism, altered states of consciousness,
magic, divination, witchcraft, and the question of cults.
Los Angeles Harbor College Mission Statement:
Los Angeles Harbor College promotes access and student success through associate and transfer
degrees, certificates, economic and workforce development, and basic skills instruction. Our
educational programs and support services meet the needs of diverse communities as measured by
campus institutional learning outcomes.
Student Learning Outcomes:
1. Using a culturally relativistic and ethnographic framework, students should recognize a
variety of religious experiences.
2. Define the term “culture” and explain how it impacts the lives of individuals.
3. Compare the different ways the term religion is defined and distinguish different
anthropological approaches to the study of religion.
4. Identify and discuss the functions served by various religious phenomena, both for the
individual and society.
5. Explain how religious phenomena, such as the nature of supernatural beings and witchcraft
beliefs, reflect the culture in which they are found.
6. Identify and apply the basic concepts of the class, including mythology, symbolism, rituals,
specialists, altered states, magic, divination, supernatural beings, and witchcraft.
7. Examine how and why new religious movements arise, and why others decline.
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Assigned readings for the course:
Stein, Rebecca and Stein, Philip. 2010. The Anthropology of Religion, Magic and Witchcraft (3rd edition).
New York: Pearson Publishers. ISBN-10: 0-205-71811-6. ISBN-13: 978-0-205-71811-5.
***
COURSE WORK:
Group Discussion Activities: In this class we will learn through hands-on activities. During class,
we will read scholarly papers that pertain to the anthropology of magic, religion and witchcraft, as
well as watch TED talks, YouTube clips, and documentaries on these topics. Discussion will be
student-generated and all members of the class will be required to participate.
Pop Quizzes: On certain days, there will be a pop quiz at the end of class, to check to make sure you
were paying attention during the class discussion. The pop quiz will only cover that day’s material
and you will be allowed to use any notes you have taken. Any failed pop quiz will result in 1 point
deducted from your final grade for the course.
Reading Quizzes: These quizzes will assess your mastery of the material in the assigned textbook
reading. See below for Reading Quiz dates and the chapters they will cover. These quizzes consist
of five True/False questions. Make sure you study the reading in depth for these quizzes.
Group Presentation: You and your assigned group members will be asked to present a chapter from
the textbook. This presentation is essentially an oral midterm exam. Your group’s presentation
should summarize the main points made by the readings (15 minutes total); include a sense of your
own personal reactions to these writings (5 minutes total); and pose discussion questions to your
classmates about the readings – not just pass around stuff for people to look at or do word search
puzzles (10 minutes total). Be certain to cover all of these elements, following the time guidelines, if
you would like to receive an A for your presentation. The presentation should last 30 minutes
total. If your presentation exceeds 30 minutes, your group will be stopped before the presentation
is complete.
When planning the presentation, your group may want to consider using Skype, Facebook
video chat or FaceTime if there are certain group members who cannot make it in person to the
group meetings. If there are any group members who do not make an effort to participate in
planning the presentation, please let me know immediately, as their grade will be negatively affected.
It is not your job to track down unresponsive group members.
Please note that Prezi does NOT work on the classroom computer, and laptops do not work
with the projector, either. If you wish to use the classroom computer for your presentation, make
sure that you email me your file in advance of your presentation date, so that I can check it for
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compatibility. The classroom computer has very limited compatibility. If you find on the day of
your presentation that your file is not compatible, you will be asked to present without it.
Final Paper: For this assignment, you will conduct an ethnographic interview with a participant of
your choosing. The overall purpose of this interview is to answer the following questions:
1.) What role does faith play in the life of your interview participant?
2.) How have his or her beliefs been influenced by his or her culture(s)?
The following questions could be useful for this interview:
-What are your religious affiliations?
-Have you ever changed religious affiliations, and why?
-Do you worship with a group, alone, or not at all?
-If you do not believe in a higher power, why not?
-If you do not believe in a higher power, is there anything else you believe in?
-What do you imagine your higher power looks like?
-Do you pray as part of your faith?
-If so, when do you pray, how do you pray, and what do you pray about?
-Do you do anything besides just praying to make your prayers more effective?
-How do your spiritual practices influence your social life?
-How do your spiritual practices influence your work life?
-Why have you chosen your particular spiritual beliefs?
-How important is spirituality in your life? Has its importance to you ever been different in
the past?
-How have your beliefs influenced the choices you have made in life, such as choosing a
marriage partner, your career, your political views, or how to raise your children?
-How has your faith been influenced by your family’s faith?
In addition to asking these questions, you can allow your respondent to lead the interview in any
other direction that speaks to the two primary questions noted above.
You should plan to meet with your respondent for an initial interview, lasting an hour or more. It
would also be helpful to schedule in advance a follow-up meeting in which you can clarify any loose
ends from the previous meeting.
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It is suggested that you locate your informant as soon as possible, since life (yours and your
respondent’s) can be unpredictable, and no late papers will be accepted.
Lastly, you must commit to maintaining the complete anonymity of your research subject in your
final write-up as well as during class discussions, so do not choose to interview any individual whom
a classmate would be able to identify based on their personal details.
This paper needs to be five to seven pages, double spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, with
1” margins at the top, bottom, and sides.
You are expected to integrate into this paper five BOLD-FACED, UNDERLINED
references to the Stein and Stein book. (In other words, you need to connect your paper back to
the textbook reading in five different places.)
This paper is due in class, on the last day of class.
***
GRADING FOR THE COURSE:
Reading Quizzes: Six quizzes worth a total of 30% of your final grade total; each quiz is worth 5%
of your final grade for the course.
Group Presentation: Worth 35% of your final grade for the course.
Final Paper: Worth 35% of your final grade for the course.
Pop Quizzes: One point deducted from your final grade for the course for each failed quiz.
Extra Credit: Ten points will be added to your final grade for the course based upon successful
completion of the course Service Learning. (For example, a final grade of 75/C will become 85/B
with the extra credit.) There will be no other extra credit offered for this course. Service
Learning is taught by Prof. Lori Minor and Prof. Megan Lange; you may enroll with either
instructor. I will distribute two handouts that give you further information about this course and
enrollment instructions.
If you have taken Service Learning during a previous semester, please give me a copy of your
unofficial transcript on or before the date of the final exam, so I can give you your extra credit for
the class. Make sure to let me know if you are enrolled in multiple sections of mine, so I can apply it
to all your sections.
Calculation of final grades: This class will use the traditional numerical values for each letter grade.
(A = 90%-100%; B = 80%-89%; C = 70%-79%; D = 60%-69%; F = 59% or lower.)
***
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COURSE POLICIES:
Attendance: Attendance is taken at the end of class using a sign-in sheet.
Latecomers: Always enter through the rear door to the classroom. Do not walk in through the front of the
class when instruction is occurring.
Drop Policy: After the first week of class, it is your responsibility to drop the class if you will no
longer be participating.
Test Taking Policy: You must be present at the very beginning of any quiz or exam in order to take
it. This pertains to all pop quizzes and reading quizzes, as well as the Midterm and Final Exam.
Make sure to bring an unwrinkled, 50-question per side Scantron form and pencil with you for every
reading quiz and the Midterm and Final Exam. You must take all quizzes and exams for the class
during the time that is specified for the section in which you are enrolled. You will not be permitted
to take any tests or exams during a class in which you are not enrolled.
Make-Up or Late Work: There will be no make-up quizzes or exams given for this class. You will
only be able to take the quizzes and exams for this class at the time that they are given in class; you
will not be able to take them earlier or later than the scheduled time and date. If you are sick, have
car trouble, cannot find a babysitter, have a doctor’s appointment, etc., you will NOT be given an
early or late make-up test. If you miss the test, you miss the test. THERE ARE NO
EXCEPTIONS TO THIS POLICY, REGARDLESS OF CIRCUMSTANCE. Therefore it is wise
to do the Service Learning extra credit opportunity in case anything like this should come up for you
during the semester. Remember, you must add Service Learning at the start of the semester. You
will not be able to add it later on.
Academic Honesty/Plagiarism Statement: All students are expected to adhere to the Los Angeles
Harbor College standards of academic honesty. These standards forbid plagiarism, unlawful copying
and, or, failure to give credit to sources that you may use in the research and writing of your class
work. Cheating and other forms of misconduct are covered under this statement. Failure to comply
with these standards will result in a failed assignment and, or, a failed grade in this class.
Controversial Content Statement: This course includes visual presentations and discussions of a
frank nature regarding particular subjects including race, religion and sexual orientation protected by
the college’s academic freedom statutes that may be considered offensive and controversial to some.
When such topics may arise during the course of this semester and a student wishes to be excused,
please notify the instructor that you wish to be excluded from class discussion on the ground that it
is personally offensive and the instructor will excuse you until such discussion has concluded.
Cell phone policy: For safety reasons, you may keep your cell phone on your desk at all times during
class; ringers must be turned off or set to vibrate. However, if you use your phone for any reason
that is not related to an emergency, I will confiscate your phone and keep it for the rest of the class
period.
Disruptive behavior: Students who engage in behavior that is disruptive to the learning environment
will be asked to leave the classroom and not return until the following class meeting, which may
involve missing a quiz or test that cannot be made up, as per the policies stated above. Assigned
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seats may also be given. “Disruptive behavior” is defined as interacting with one’s neighbor at an
inappropriate time, sleeping, using the Internet, or otherwise disturbing the learning environment.
Repeated instances of disruptive behavior may lead to a failed grade or withdrawal from the class.
Disability Statement: Students with a verified disability who may need authorized accommodation(s)
for this class are encouraged to notify the instructor and the Office of Special Services or Disabled
Students as soon as possible, at least two weeks before any exam or quiz. All information will
remain confidential.
Also, please let me know if you are hard of hearing so I may accommodate you during
lectures and audiovisual presentations.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO ANY OF THE ABOVE POLICIES,
REGARDLESS OF CIRCUMSTANCE.
***
SOME WORDS OF ADVICE:
Hearing from Dr. David: All emails that I send to you—and there may be quite a few—will only go
to your LACCD email account, so make sure you have it up and running ASAP. Also, there is a
good chance that the emails I send you will go to your spam/bulk/junk folder.
Start Keeping a Calendar: If you don’t have one already, use a calendar (whether it’s a desk or wall
calendar, or an app on your phone) and keep all your assignment dates marked in it. I am not
going to remind you about the reading quiz or exam dates.
Financial aid students: Please be aware that you will likely not receive your aid until several weeks
into the semester. The textbook is on reserve at the library from the beginning to the end of the
semester, so not having your textbook will not be accepted as a reason to take the reading quiz late.
***
CLASS SCHEDULE:
2/9
Syllabus Review
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2/11
What is Socio-Cultural Anthropology?
2/16
Formation of Presentation Groups
Film: Ten Questions for the Dalai Lama
2/18
Reading Quiz #1: Chapters 1 &2
Interview Practice
“Anthropological Basis for Religion: Why do we have Religion?” (Prof. Jared Diamond)
What is the function played by religion in America?
2/23
Cultural Relativism
Times of India: “Four Questions ISIS Rebels Use To Tell Sunni from Shia”
The Guardian: “Beheaded Syrian scholar refused to lead Isis to hidden Palmyra antiquities”
2/25
Group Presentations: Chapters 1 & 2
3/1
TED Talks:
“When People of Muslim Heritage Challenge Fundamentalism”
“Is Religion Good or Bad? This Is a Trick Question”
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3/3
Reading Quiz #2: Chapters 3 & 4
Interview Practice
TED Talk: “Finding the Story Inside the Painting”
The Metropolitan Museum of Art – The Collection Online
3/8
Group Presentations: Chapters 3 & 4
3/10
JSTOR: “Indigenous Spirit and Ghost Folklore of Settled Australia”
3/15
Film
3/17
Reading Quiz #3: Chapters 5 & 6
Interview Practice
TED Talk: “What the People of the Amazon Know That You Don’t”
TED Blog: “The Jaguar Stone in the City of the Monkey God”
3/22
Group Presentations: Chapters 5 & 6
3/24
“Connecting Modern Medicine to Traditional Healing: Dr. Cheo Torres at TEDxABQ”
TED Talk: “Dean Ornish: Healing Through Diet”
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3/29
The New York Times: “To Dream in Different Cultures”
TED Talk: “How Do You Explain Consciousness?”
4/12
Reading Quiz #4: Chapters 7 & 8
Interview Practice
Film: The Dhamma Brothers
4/14
Group Presentations: Chapters 7 & 8
4/19
Anthropology in Practice: “The Spirit of America: Haunted and Hallowed”
4/21
TED Talk: “The Four Stories We Tell Ourselves about Death”
YouTube: “Hindu Funeral Ceremony”
4/26
Reading Quiz #5: Chapters 9 & 10
Interview Practice
JSTOR: “The European Witchcraze of the 14th to 17th Centuries: A Sociologist’s
Perspective”
4/28
Group Presentations: Chapters 9 & 10
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5/3
Films: Strange Beliefs: Sir Edward Evans-Pritchard
Inside Ghana’s Witchcraft Refugee Camps
5/5
Indigenous Religions – Metropolitan Museum of Art
5/10
Interview Practice
Eastern Religions in the Roman World - Metropolitan Museum of Art (Syncretism)
5/12
Reading Quiz #6: Chapter 11
TED Talk: “How Cults Rewire the Brain”
TED Blog: “Q & A with Diane Benscoter”
5/17
Group Presentation: Chapter 11
5/19
“The Fantastic Invasion: John Frum and USA”
5/24
Final Paper Prep Work – Bring your textbooks!
5/26
Final Papers Due
Discussion of Final Papers
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