Theoretical Perspectives in Anthropology

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Theoretical Perspectives in Anthropology
Anthropology 301
Fall 2009
TR 3:10-5:15 DDH/K103
Dr. Jane Granskog
Office: DDH CC208 654-3117
e-mail: jgranskog@csub.edu
webpage: www.csub.edu/~jgranskog
Office Hours:
Tu Th: 12:00-2:00
Or by appointment
Course Goals:
This course will introduce students to some of the predominant theories of cultural anthropology, archaeology,
biological anthropology, and linguistic anthropology. Students will also become familiar with several of the
principal concepts and methods used in anthropology and familiarize themselves with the ethical guidelines of
the American Anthropological Association and also with those pertaining to each sub-discipline.
Course Objectives:
Through readings, lectures, guest speakers, and videos, students will gain understanding of theoretical
paradigms and paradigm shifts, ethnographic methods, theories including new archeology, middle range theory,
cultural ecology, cultural materialism, Marxist theory, functionalism, postmodernism, the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis,
language ideology, evolution, particularism, structural-functionalism, structuralism, interpretive and symbolic
anthropology, political economy, poststructuralism, postcolonialism, feminist anthropology, critical race theory,
and applied anthropology. Students will demonstrate their understanding of these theories through leading
discussion, by writing about them, by testing them, and through their application.
Course Requirements:
Students will be responsible for writing essays on ethics and on Death By Theory, and for writing two brief
response papers to a film (out of four opportunities from which to choose). In response papers, students will
draw connections between readings and films. Students will also be responsible for leading discussion on the
theoretical readings once during the quarter. Finally, students will compare and analyze theories from two
subdisciplines or compare two from different eras of thought within the same subdiscipline.
Required texts:
Praetzellis, Adrian
2000 Death By Theory. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press. ISBN 0-7425-0359-3
Erickson, Paul A. and Liam D. Murphy, Eds.
2006 Readings for a Historical Anthropological Theory, 2nd edition. Toronto: Broadview Press.
ISBN 1-55111-760-6
Recommended text:
Erickson, Paul A. and Liam D. Murphy, Eds.
2008 A History of Anthropological Theory, 3rd edition. Toronto: Broadview Press. ISBN: 978-1-44260-110-9
Other required readings will be placed on Blackboard9 as well as on my website at www.csub.edu/~jgranskog.
To access materials on Blackboard9 click on “RunnerCourses” on the CSUB homepage and follow the
directions to log into Blackboard 9 (Bb9) and Anth 301. If you need to download Adobe Reader to view the
readings, you may do so at www.adobe.co.uk/products/acrobat/readstep2.html. Readings will include but are
not limited to the following:
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Abu-Ludhog, Lila
1991 Writing Against Culture. In Recapturing Anthropology, Working in the Present. Richard Fox ed. Pp. 137162. Santa Fe, NM: School of American Research Press.
Behar, Ruth,
1996. The Vulnerable Observer. Boston, MA: Beacon Press (Ch. 1 & 6, pp. 1-33, 161-177).
Delgado, Richard and Jean Stefancic
2001 Critical Race Theory. New York: New York University Press. (Excerpts, pp. 1-35.)
Early, Ann M.
1999 Profiteers and Public Archaeology: Antiquities Trafficking in Arkansas. In The Ethics of Collecting
Cultural Property. Phyllis March Messenger, ed. Pp. 39-50. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico
Press.
Fishman, Joshua
1996 “What Do You Lose When You Lose Your Language?” pp. 80-91 in G. Cantoni, ed., Stablizing
Indigenous Languages. Flagstaff, AZ: Northern Arizona University
Freeman, Derek
2001 Mead’s Misconstruing of Samoa. In Readings for a History of Anthropological Theory. Paul Erickson and
Liam Murphy eds. Pp. 454-465. Toronto: Broadview Press.
Friedlander, Jonathan S.
2005 Commentary: Changing Standards of Informed Consent: Raising the Bar. In Biological Anthropology
and Ethics. Trudy R. Turner, ed. Pp. 263-274. Albany: SUNY Press.
Kaestle, Frederika A. and David G. Smith
2005 Working with Ancient DNA: NAGPRA, Kennewick Man, and Other Ancient Peoples. In Biological
Anthropology and Ethics. Trudy R. Turner, ed. Pp. 241-262. Albany: SUNY Press.
Larsen, Clark Spencer and Phillip L. Walker
2005 The Ethics of Bioarchaeology. In Biological Anthropology and Ethics. Trudy R. Turner, ed. Pp. 111-119.
Albany: SUNY Press.
LeCompte, Margaret D. and Jean J. Schensul
1999 Designing and Conducting Ethnographic Research. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press.
Lippi-Green, Rosina
1997 English with an Accent: Language, Ideology, and Discrimination in the United States. London:
Routledge. (Excerpts, pp. 79-103)
Maggio, Rosalie
1997 Talking About People: A Guide to Fair and Accurate Language. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press. (Excerpts: pp
1-27)
Maltz, Daniel N. and Ruth A. Borker
2003 “A Cultural Approach to Male-Female Miscommunication.” In Aaron Podolefsky and Peter J. Brown,
eds., Applying Cultural Anthropology. Boston: McGraw Hill. p. 51-66
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Ortner, Sherry B.
1974 Is Female to Male as Nature is to Culture? In. Woman, Culture, and Society. Michelle Zimbalist Rosaldo
and Louise Lamphere, eds. Pp. 67-87. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Relethford, John H.
2001 Genetics and the Search for Modern Human Origins. New York: Wiley-Liss, Inc. [Chapters 4 and 6; pp.
67-93 and119-144]
Stinson, Sara
2005 Ethical Issues in Human Biology Behavioral Research and Research with Children. In Biological
Anthropology and Ethics. Trudy R. Turner, ed. Pp. 139-148. Albany: SUNY Press.
Thompson, David
2006 The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis: Worlds Shaped by Words. In Conformity and Conflict, Readings in Cultural
Anthropology. James Spradley, and David W. McCurdy eds. Pp. 63-75. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Turner, Trudy R. and Jeffrey D. Nelson
2005 Darkness in El Dorado: Claims, Counter-Claims, and the Obligations of Researchers. In Biological
Anthropology and Ethics. Trudy R. Turner, ed. Pp. 165-183. Albany: SUNY Press.
Walsh-Haney, Heather and Leslie S. Lieberman
2005 Ethical Concerns in Forensic Anthropology. In Biological Anthropology and Ethics. Trudy R. Turner, ed.
Pp. 121-131. Albany: SUNY Press.
Warren, Karen J.
1999 A Philosophical Perspective on the Ethics and Resolution of Cultural Properties Issues. In The Ethics of
Collecting Cultural Property. Phyllis March Messenger, ed. Pp. 1-25. Albuquerque: University of New
Mexico Press.
Grading and Assignments:
Leading discussion on theoretical readings
Write-up of discussion questions (see below for guidelines)
Paper on ethics (3-5 pages)
Response paper 1 (1-2 pages)
Response paper 2 (1-2 pages)
Paper on Death By Theory (2 pages)
Final paper (approximately 5 pages)
Participation in class (see item three under Classroom Policies)
15 points
15 points
20 points
15 points
15 points
20 points
25 points
15 points
TOTAL
140 points
Grading scheme:
100 - 93 = A; 92 - 89 = A88-86 = B+; 85 - 83 = B; 82 - 79 = B78-76 = C+; 75 - 73 = C; 72 - 69 = C68 - 66 = D+ 65 - 63 = D; 62 - 59 = D- ; 58 and below = F
Classroom policies:
1. I will not accept late papers unless you have a documented excuse (proving illness, death in the family, or
participation in university-sponsored events). See the guidelines below for policies related to response papers.
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All papers are due at the beginning of class on the date listed, and you must attend class that day to have your
paper received. Response papers are due at the beginning of the class period following the event (movie or
guest speaker) reported. In addition to turning in a hard copy, please submit an electronic copy to
www.turnitin.com before class begins. The Class ID number is 2867743 and the password is anthropology.
You will each need to get a free turnitin.com account in order to do this. If you do not submit your paper to
turnitin.com, the grade for your paper will be reduced by 10%.
2. Do not come into class late or leave early, unless you have a compelling reason that you have discussed with
me prior to class.
3. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed. Any more than three unexcused
absences will negatively affect your grade. Excused absences are those for which you can provide
documentation proving illness, death in the family, or participation in a university-sponsored event. Students with
perfect attendance who find themselves on the border between two grades at the end of the quarter will be
given the benefit of the doubt. Likewise, students without excessive absences, who participate actively in class
will receive the same benefit. Active participation includes not only frequency, but quality of participation, in a
manner that demonstrates both completion of assigned work and respect for classmates and the instructor.
Demonstrating respect includes taking care to avoid monopolizing discussion, interrupting classmates, and
taking more than one’s share of time. It also includes making sure that one’s comments are directly pertinent to
the topic at hand.
4. Please turn off your cell phones or pagers.
5. All students must adhere to CSUB’s policy on Academic Integrity, as outlined under Rights and
Responsibilities in the Fall Class Schedule. Students who do not do so will receive an F in the course and will
face disciplinary sanction by Student Discipline and Judicial Affairs.
6. Qualified students with disabilities who need appropriate academic adjustments should contact me soon as
possible to ensure that your needs are met in a timely manner. Any disability needs to be verified by Services for
Students with Disabilities (SSD). Upon such verification, all handouts and assignments will be available in
alternative accessible formats upon request.
7. Students are responsible for tracking their own grade progress (see “Grading and Assignments,” and
“Grading Scheme” above).
Assignments are due on the day under which they are listed. For example, by Thursday, September 17,
students must have read the Code of Ethics of the AAA, the Code of Ethics of the SAA, the Code of Ethics of
the APA, and “Ethnical Treatment of Research Participants and Care for Human Relationships” by LeCompte
and Schensul. [All of these are available on Blackboard9 and on my website].
GUIDELINES FOR RESPONSE PAPERS
Your task is to write a total of 2 reviews (no longer than 2 pages each) of the guest speakers or films that will
be presented in class. There will be several such opportunities to choose from. Each review must include the
following:
• Name of film or speaker (1 point)
• A brief synopsis of the film or of the main points covered by the speaker (3 points)
• An explanation of how what you heard or saw is related to specific discussions from class and from your
readings. Be specific and cite the pages of your readings appropriately (5 points)
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• Your reaction: What did you like or dislike and why? (3 points)
You will be graded on the completeness of your response (whether or not you addressed each of the points
above) and on your writing. Remember to proofread your work for organization, clarity, spelling, and grammar (3
points).
Each review is due on the class session immediately following the film or speaker being reviewed. I will not
accept late reviews unless they are accompanied by documentation of illness, death in the family, or
participation in university-sponsored events. In that case, you must talk to me as soon as possible to make
arrangements for turning in your paper.
TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE AND READINGS
PLEASE NOTE THE MANDATED “FURLOUGH” DATE FOR THIS CLASS – NOV. 12TH
Week 1 (9/15, 17) Topic: Introduction and overview of historical trends in anthropology;
common points of the subfields; ethics
Readings 9/17: [available on Blackboard]: Code of Ethics of the American Anthropological Association (AAA);
“Appendix II: Code of Ethics of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists,” “Appendix II: Codes
of Ethics: Society for American Archaeology,” and the excerpt entitled “Ethical Treatment of Research
Participants and Care for Human Relationships” from LeCompte, Margaret D. and Jean J. Schensul
[Additional resources on ethics and other codes of ethics are available online at
http://www.aaanet.org/cmtes/ethics/index.cfm, if you are interested in seeing more]
Week 2 (9/22, 24) Topic: Ethical issues in anthropology.
Readings: (on Blackboard): 9/22: Larsen and Walker (The Ethics of Bioarchaeology); Walsh-Haney and
Lieberman (Ethical Concerns in Forensic Anthropology); Stinson (Ethical Issues in Human Biology
Behavioral Research and Research with Children); Turner and Nelson Darkness in El Dorado: Claims,
Counter-Claims, and the Obligations of Researchers). 9/24: Early (Profiteers and Public Archaeology:
Antiquities Trafficking in Arkansas); Friedlander (Commentary: Changing Standards of Informed Consent:
Raising the Bar); Warren (A Philosophical Perspective on the Ethics and Resolution of Cultural Properties
Issues); Behar (Vulnerable Observer, Ch 1). Go to http://www.aaanet.org/committees/ethics/bp.htm where
you will find Briefing Papers on Common Dilemmas Faced by Anthropologists Conducting Research in Field
Situations. Read Briefing Papers 2-6.
For discussion on the 24th and 29th, be prepared with questions that promote discussion or debate over these
scenarios. Consider how these guidelines might vary from one sub-discipline to the next. Think of an
anthropological study (from any subfield) about which you have read. Think of how each of these briefing papers
and the issues described therein might be applied to that situation or setting.
Friday, September 25th is a recommended university furlough day
Week 3-4 (9/29, 10/1, 6) Topic: Paradigm shifts in anthropology, and introduction to linguistic anthropology
Readings: (on Blackboard) 9/29 - Maggio, (“Writing Guidelines” in Talking About People: A Guide to Fair and
Accurate Language), Thompson (“The Sapir Whorf Hypothesis”); 10/1 – Maltz and Borker (A Cultural
Approach to Male-Female Miscommunication); Lippi (English with an Accent); Gal in Erickson and Murphy,
Ch. 25 (“Language, Gender and Power”). 10/1 --Video: “You Just Don’t Understand Me”
10/6: Discussion of overarching themes from the readings on linguistic anthropology
Paper due on ethics: October 6 (turn in hard copy in class and on turnitin.com)
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Week 4 - 5 (10/6, 8, 13) Topic: The ABC’s of Archeological Theory
Readings: 10/6 - Death By Theory, Ch. 1-4; 10/8, Ch. 5-7; 10/13, Ch 8-9.
Response paper to video on language due Oct. 8
Thursday, October 15th & Monday, October 19th are recommended university furlough days
Week 5 (10/13, 15) Topic: Nineteenth Century Evolutionism, Anthropological Forerunners and the Basis of
Biological Anthropology; Current Work in Biological Anthropology (DNA Analysis & Identity)
Readings: 10/13: Erickson and Murphy: Overview (pp. 3-20), Ch 1-3 (on Marx, Tylor, and Morgan); 10/15: On
Blackboard: Relethford (Genetics and the Search for Modern Human Origins); Kaestle and Smith (Working
with Ancient DNA: NAGPRA, Kennewick Man, and Other Ancient Peoples); Erickson & Murphy, Ch. 5
(Darwin).
Paper due on Death by Theory, Oct. 15
Week 6 (10/20, 22) Topic: Emergence of the Boasians.
Readings: 10/20 – Erickson & Murphy, Pt. II Overview, Ch. 8 and10 ([on Boas and Kroeber); 10/22 Erickson &
Murphy, Ch. 11,12 (on Mead and Benedict); Freeman on reserve
Films: Oct. 20 “The Shackles of Tradition” (on Boas); Oct. 22;“Coming of Age” (on Mead)
Response paper to Boas film due Oct. 22
Week 7: (10/27, 29) Topic: Functionalism, Structural Functionalism and Structuralism.
Readings: 10/27 - Erickson & Murphy, Ch. 15-16 (on Radcliffe-Brown and Malinowski; 10/29 – Erickson &
Murphy, Ch. 13-14 (Levi Strauss & Leach);
Film: Oct 27 “Off the Verandah” (on Malinowski)
Response paper to Mead film due Oct. 27
Week 8: (11/3, 5) Topic: Interpretive Anthropology and Symbolic Anthropology vs. Cultural Materialism and
Neo-Marxism
Readings: 11/3 – Erickson & Murphy, Pt III Overview, Ch. 23 & 24 (Turner & Geertz). 11/5: Erickson & Murphy,
Ch 20 & 21 (on White & Harris),
Wednesday, November 4th and 17th are recommended university furlough days.
Response paper to Malinowski film due Nov. 3
Week 9: (11/10, 12) Topic: Poststructuralism and Postcolonialism
Readings: 11/10 - Erickson & Murphy, Ch. 27 (Wolf); 28 (Foucault) and 29 (Bourdieu) 11/12 Erickson &
Murphy, Ch. 34 (Appadurai)
THURSDAY, NOV. 12TH IS A CSU MANDATED FURLOUGH DAY FOR THIS CLASS – NO CLASS
Week 10: (11/17, 19) Topic: Postmodernism, Feminist Anthropology, and Critical Race Theory – Bringing it up
to the present
Readings: 11/17 - Erickson & Murphy, Ch. 31 (Marcus and Fischer) 32 (Ortner); on Blackboard: Abu Ludhog
(“Writing Against Culture”); Ortner (“Is Female to Male…”), Behar (Vulnerable Observer, Ch 6) .11/19 – on
Blackboard: Delgado and Stefancic (from Critical Race Theory); Fishman (“What Do You Lose When You
Lose Your Language?”); Erickson & Murphy, Ch. 33 (Lock and Scheper-Hughes); Conclusion (pp. 525-530).
Your final paper is due on our final exam date, Tuesday, November 24th, at 5:00. It must be turned in to
turnitin.com as well as to me. The copy you turn in to me should be delivered to my box in the Sociology
and Anthropology Department Office (DDH AA 209) or to me in person in my office (DDH/CC208).
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Related Web Sites of Interest:
http://www.publicanthropology.org
A great website developed by Robert Borofsky that discusses current issues in "public
anthropology" -- ways to make anthropology more relevant to the issues of our times. Includes
the journal project which includes reviews of all the articles published in the American
Anthropologist from 1888 to 2002 (with ongoing efforts to include those up to the present as well
as articles from Current Anthropology and Human Organization.
http://www.as.ua.edu/ant/Faculty/murphy/anthros.htm
A website developed under the direction of Dr. Michael D. Murphy at the U. of Alabama on a
guide to anthropological theories prepared by students for students.
http://wings.buffalo.edu/anthropology/WEDA/
A worldwide e-mail directory of anthropologists
http://www.aaanet.org/
The American Anthropological Association website
http://www.anthrotech.com/
Anthro TECH website providing innovative Web resources and services to the anthropological community
and general public. Includes the virtual library in anthropology: http://vlib.anthrotech.com/
CSU EMPLOYEE FURLOUGHS – IMPACT ON CLASSES
This year across this campus and around the CSU system some class days will be cancelled because of
furloughs. A furlough is mandatory un-paid time off; faculty and staff on each CSU campus are being
“furloughed” two days per month.
These cancelled class days are marked on your syllabus above. It is important to recognize that these days off
are not holidays. Instead, they are concrete examples of how massive state budget cuts have consequences for
you as students and for me as a faculty member.
The CSU has suffered chronic underfunding for at least 10 years. This year the budget cuts are the worst in the
history of our university system — $584 million or 20% of our budget.
The CSU administration is attempting to deal with these cuts with huge increases in your student fees (32%),
eliminations of your classes, and lay-offs of faculty and other university employees.
In addition to paying higher fees, you will be affected by reduced services and classes. The library will have
shorter hours. Many campus support services will be decreased or eliminated. It will be more difficult to get
signatures to meet deadlines. Classes you need may have been cut from the class schedule or are full.
If you would like to take action, or simply learn more, I strongly recommend you contact the California Faculty
Association on campus.
CFA CONTACT: Bruce Hartsell, Office: DDH/A105 Phone: 661-654-2106
E-mail: bhartsell@csub.edu
CAMPUS CFA OFFICE: DDH/C105 Phone 654-3139
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