Anthropology 605
Seminar in Applied Anthropology
Dr. Frederick J. Conway
Wednesdays 2:00-4:40 p.m.
AL-379
Office Hours:
Tues. 2-3 p.m.
Wed. 10 a.m. -12 p.m.
Thurs. 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
and by appointment
Spring, 2012
Office: AL-484
Tel.: 594-5643
Anth. Dept.: 594-5527
E-mail:
conwayl @mail.sdsu.edu
Syllabus
Applied anthropology is the use of anthropological perspectives, knowledge, and
theory to help solve human problems. As such, applied anthropology is a very broad field
that involves all the subfields of the discipline. In this seminar, we will focus on applied
sociocultural anthropology. The goal of the seminar is to examine in depth some of the
arenas in which anthropology is applied. We will not attempt to survey the entire field of
applied anthropology, but rather to focus on selected experiences and issues that have
relevance for the discipline as a whole.
Learning Outcomes
In this seminar we will examine the application of anthropology in various
domains, including health, human rights, the environment, gender, and business. We will
do this by exploring six specific arenas of applied anthropology: female circumcision,
consumer research, gender and environment, anthropology and the security state, disaster
response, and immigration. Our discussions in these six arenas will go beyond the
specifics of the domain itself to broader issues in applied anthropology.
The seminar should enable you to:
o identify of the scope of applied anthropology
o analyze critically writings and perspectives in applied anthropology
o examine of the relationships of anthropological theory with applied
anthropology
o evaluate ethical issues in applied anthropology
o synthesize diverse materials and points of view
o write coherent arguments
o direct class discussions
Texts
There are seven texts in this in this course:
Foner, Nancy, ed.
2003 American Arrivals: Anthropology Engages the New Immigration. Santa Fe, NM:
American School of Research Press.
Ellen Gruenbaum
2001 The Female Circumcision Controversy: An Anthropological Perspective.
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Gunewardena, Nandini and Mark Schuller
2008 Capitalizing on Catastrophe: Neoliberal Strategies in Disaster Reconstruction.
Lanham, MD: Altamira Press.
Kedia, Satish and John van Willigen, eds.
2005 Applied Anthropology: Domains of Application. Westport, CT: Praeger.
Price, David H.
2011 Weaponizing Anthropology: Social Science in Service of the Militarized State.
Petrolia. CA: Counterpunch. (Also available at counterpunch.org.)
Schroeder, Richard
1999 Shady Practices: Agroforestry and Gender Politics in The Gambia. Berkeley:
University of California Press.
Sunderland, Patricia and Rita Denny
2007 Doing Anthropology in Consumer Research. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press.
The Kedia, and Schroeder books are available at the Aztec Shops bookstore. The Foner,
Gruenbaum, Gunewardena, Price and Sunderland books are available from the publisher
or on-line book sites (such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powell Books), often at a
discounted price.
The Foner, Gruenbaum, Schroeder and Sunderland books are also on Reserve in the
Library.
Other materials will be available on Blackboard or through the Library website.
Course Requirements
Class Participation and Direction
The major emphasis in this seminar will be on weekly discussion of our readings.
Each student is expected to attend all class sessions prepared to discuss the readings
assigned for that week. Failure to attend and participate actively will affect your grade.
Each student will help to prepare the discussion for two of our class sessions. You will do
this by working with another student (or two) to develop discussion themes from the
readings. You will send your material to the class through Blackboard by Monday night.
You will then initiate the discussion of the themes of the readings in class with a brief
presentation. The assignments for individual class sessions were made by random
sequence. Class participation is worth 100 points.
Analyses
You will write three analyses of the material on the main themes of our course. The main
themes are: female circumcision, consumer research, gender and environment, the
security state, disaster, and immigration. (You will select three of these six themes.) In
your analysis you will discuss how different readings relate to one another, as well as
evaluate different approaches to the topic, including our class discussions. You analysis
will be about 1,000-1,500 words in length.
Your analyses are due in class the week after we complete our discussion of the theme
(for example, 2/8 for female circumcision). The analysis for immigration will be due on
May 9 in the Anthropology Department office.
Term Paper
You will write a paper on a topic on a domain of applied anthropology. In this
paper you will explore different perspectives anthropologists have taken on human
problems and relate these perspectives both to theoretical groundings and anthropological
practice. You may choose to elaborate on one of the topics covered in our readings or you
may pick an entirely different topic in applied anthropology. (If you do pick a term paper
topic related to our course material, you must write your three analysis papers on
different topics.)
You should consult with me while selecting a topic and submit your proposed
topic in class by February 29. Your paper should be between 4,800 and 5,800 words.
Citations in the paper should follow the AAA Style Guide, available on the Anthropology
Dept. website (under “Resources”). The paper is due in class on May 2, and is worth 100
points of the final grade.
Course Grade
The grade for the course will be calculated as follows:
Class Participation and Direction
Analyses (3 @ 50 points)
Term paper
Total
100 points
150 points
100 points
350 points
The course grade will be determined by a cumulative point score.
Plus (+) and minus (-) grades may be given.
322-350
315-321
308-314
297-307
280-296
273-279
262-272
245-261
238-244
227-237
210-226
<210
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Students with Disabilities
Students who need accommodation for their disabilities should contact me privately to
discuss specific accommodations for which they have received authorization. If you have
a disability, but have not contacted Student Disability Services at 619-594-6473 (Calpulli
Center, Suite 3101), please do so before making an appointment to see me.
Student Rights and Responsibilities
Cheating is the most serious offense in academia and it will not be tolerated. If students
have any questions about cheating, they should consult SDSU’s official policy, which can
be found at: www.sa.sdsu.edu/srr.
Studying with other students is encouraged, but all written work, including tests and
papers, must be the work of the individual student. Examples of cheating include
unauthorized sharing of answers during an exam, use of unauthorized notes or study
materials during an exam, altering an exam and resubmitting it for regarding, having
another student take an exam for you or submit assignments in your name, and
participating in unauthorized collaboration on coursework to be graded.
Blackboard
This course uses Blackboard, a web-based course aid that can be accessed from any
terminal. Information and materials about the course will be posted on Blackboard, as
well as announcements. Blackboard uses the same password as WebPortal.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME WITH ANY CONCERNS OR
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COURSE.
YOU CAN E-MAIL ME AT conway1@mail.sdsu.edu
OR CALL ME AT 619-594-5643.
I HAVE OFFICE HOURS IN AL-484 ON:
TUESDAYS: 2-3
WEDNESDAYS: 10-12
THURSDAYS: 11-12
AND BY APPOINTMENT
Anth 605
Spring, 2012
Class Schedule
1/18
Introduction to the Seminar
- Kedia 1
1/25
Female Circumcision I
- Kedia 5
- Female Circumcision Controversy: Introduction, 1-4
- El Guindi: “Had This Been Your Face, Would You Leave It as Is?” Female
Circumcision among Nubians of Egypt” (on Blackboard)
- Leonard: “Interpreting Female Genital Cutting: Moving Beyond the Impasse”
(on Blackboard)
Presenters: Carver, Yin
2/1
Female Circumcision II
- Female Circumcision Controversy: 5-8
- Macklin: “The Double-Edged Sword” (on Blackboard)
- Shell-Duncan: “From Health to Human Rights” (on Blackboard)
Presenters: Singleton, Whitney
2/8
Anthropology and Consumer Research I
- Kedia 8
- Doing Anthropology in Consumer Research: Preface, 1-6
Presenters: Huizar, Katzman
2/15
Anthropology and Consumer Research II
- Doing Anthropology in Consumer Research: 711
- Malefyt: “Understanding the Rise of Consumer Ethnography” (on Blackboard)
Presenters: Brodie, Hoff
2/22
Anthropology and Development
- Kedia 2
- Gardner & Lewis: “Anthropology, Development, and the Crisis of Modernity”
(on Blackboard)
- Chambers: “Rural Poverty Unperceived” (on Blackboard)
- Gow, David D 2002 Anthropology and Development: Evil Twin or Moral
Narrative? Human Organization 61 (4): 299-313. (on Library Website under
Human Organization)
- Dove: “Bitter Shade” (on Blackboard)
Presenters: Collins,Wright
2/29
Gender and the Environment I
- Kedia 3
- Shady Practices 1-4
- Rocheleau, Thomas-Slayter and Wangari: “Gender and Environment” (on
Blackboard)
Term paper topic due
Presenters: Khachikians, Tangco
3/7
Gender and the Environment II
- Kedia 4
- Shady Practices 5-7
- Rocheleau et al.: From Forest Gardens to Tree Farms” (on Blackboard)
- Leach: “Earth Mother Myths” (on Blackboard)
Presenters: Corona-Romero, Ramirez
3/14
Anthropology and the Security State I
- Weaponizing Anthropology Part I & II
Presenters: Khachikians, Sanchez
3/21
Anthropology and the Security State II
- Weaponizing Anthropology Part III
- AAA Final Report on the Army’s Human Terrain System
Presenters: Wright, Yin
Spring Recess (No class on 3/28)
4/4
Disaster I
- Kedia 7
- Capitalizing on Catastrophe 1, 2, 5, 7, 8
- Oliver-Smith: “Theorizing Disasters: Nature, Power and Culture” (on
Blackboard)
Presenters: Collins, Corona-Romero
4/11
Disaster II
- Capitalizing on Catastrophe 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, Conclusion
- Rajan: “Missing Expertise” (on Blackboard)
Presenters: Carver, Ramirez
4/18
Praxis and Theory
- Nader: “Preface” (on Blackboard)
- Hill: “Strategic Issues” (on Blackboard)
- Baba: “Theories of Practice” (on Blackboard)
- Kozaitis: “Rise of Anthropological Practice” (on Blackboard)
Presenters: Hoff, Tangco, Whitney
4/25
Immigration I
- American Arrivals: 1-5
- Richman: “’Call Us Vote People’” (on Blackboard)
Presenters: Huizar, Singleton
5/2
Immigration II
- Kedia 10
- American Arrivals: 6-9
- Martinez: “Thirty Cans of Beef Stew” (on Blackboard)
Term paper due
Presenters: Brodie, Katzman, Sanchez