ANS 390/ANT 391: ANTHROPOLOGY OF EAST ASIA Uniques #32025/31650 Fall 2014

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1 ANS 390/ANT 391: ANTHROPOLOGY OF EAST ASIA Uniques #32025/31650 Fall 2014 Meets: W 5:00-8:00, PAR 210 Instructor: Robert Oppenheim Office: WCH Tel.: rmo@austin.utexas.edu Office Hours: W 2:00-5:00, or by appointment Course Description: This course aims to offer an overview of some contemporary anthropological research on East Asia, with a focus on a set of broad topics (money, mobilities, developments, media). In designing this course, I had two guiding assumptions: 1) That you are not, for the most part, aiming to become professional academic anthropologists. Rather, many of you aim to be academic professionals in other fields, policy wonks/practitioners of one sort or another, etc. Although I believe this course will still be of interest to future professional anthropologists, certain design choices reflect this assumption. I do not, for example, assume that you have all done ethnography, or are about to. 2) That some knowledge of anthropological perspectives is nonetheless useful to those in other fields. There are anthropologies of many topics, only some of which are explored in this course. Of media consumption and production, of circulation, of watching films and reading books. Of policy, of the inside of bureaucratic organizations, of political movements. Of citizenship, of consumption, of modernity, of middle (and lower, and upper) classes in Asia and elsewhere. Of history and memory (there is also historical anthropology), of the nonhuman, of death, of the self. I could go on. In other words, no matter what you do, there is likely to be an anthropology of something relevant. What characterizes the anthropological approach to these varied topics? Some would say ethnography as a method, but what ethnography means is, itself, subject to different interpretations. There is, perhaps, a loose set of anthropological gambits or commitments that you will see repeatedly. There is a commitment to sociality, certainly texts, policies, etc. that other disciplines read are produced and exist in social spaces. More recently, certain other concerns have come into focus: materiality, affect, and transnationality, to name a few. At a broader level, most anthropologists tend to believe that theory exists to be made and remade; it is not simply a toolkit, timeless and there for the taking. 1

2 Incidentally, I could have included some contemporary (Agamben, Rose, Latour, Berlant, to name a few) or classical (Durkheim, Weber, Marx, Foucault, Bourdieu, to name a few) theoretical touchstone readings. I didn t, preferring rather to focus on the midrange theory of anthropologies of various topics. But you should feel free to address such theoretical touchstones, should you wish, in your assignments. Assignments and Grading: There are five assignments for this course, basically divided into two groups or clusters, plus a (significant) overall participation grade. The first cluster relates to one of the book readings for the course. The second cluster is modeled after the weeks in which we do article readings. Note that the character and scope of assignments may be modified, depending on how many students ultimately are in the course. I will make use of plus/minus grading. (First cluster): A) Presentation/lead class discussion (10%): For one of the weeks in which class focuses on a book-length reading (there are eight, see below), begin the class with a fifteenminute overview of the book, and then take charge of leading class discussion (posing new topics or questions when discussion flags, highlighting issues or questions, etc.) You should expect to be in charge for at least half of a given class session. B) Evaluation of book (5-7 pages; 15%): One week after your book presentation you should hand in a 5-7 page evaluation of that same book. Please avoid the sort of book review in which you summarize the contents of each chapter in order (although I should note that many professional reviews are of this sort). Nor is the question of whether the book succeeds or fails in some up or down fashion (let alone whether you like it) ultimately the most important; successful books are those that fail interestingly. Rather, consider questions of the following sort: how does the book situate itself theoretically with respect to a given topic? are there alternatives that the author considers and dismisses, or fails to consider? how would you place it? how does the author, as a researcher, situate him or herself, and what angle on a given topic (e.g., film reception) or theoretical concern (e.g., neoliberalism) results? what sort of projects does the book open or authorize? how, as a graduate student, would you use it? Note that in some cases, it might not be a bad idea to glance briefly beyond the book, in order to set it in context. (Second cluster): 2

3 C) Choose a selection of anthropological readings (at least partially so) on some topic of choice, a k a, design your own syllabus unit (10%): In the last three weeks of the course, students will lead classes on topics of their choice, with each student teaching a minute session. The first step is to pick a selection of article or book chapterlength readings, perhaps two to three overall, and supply pdfs (which I will put online). You should select your readings by October 22. You can choose a topic that does not appear on the syllabus (advertising, aging, the nonhuman, etc.) or one that does, though in the latter case you should pick different articles than those already assigned. In any case, the topic you choose should be a theoretical concern, not simply a place (e.g., Korea or China) or a thing. For this reason, you may or may not find readings about East Asia to be the most relevant! Your readings can be drawn from anthropology or can place some anthropological perspective(s) into interdisciplinary dialogue. Overall, your goal should be to provide readings that, individually or in concert, show different angles on a topic. Note that review of literature articles, such as those in the Annual Review of Anthropology (of which I have made great use) can be really useful. Talk to me if you are having trouble. D) Lead a half (or third) of a class session on your topic of choice (10%): This will happen in the last three weeks of the course. You should expect other students to have done the readings you have selected. E) Final written assignment (15-20 pp. or so; 35%): Building on your topic in C and D, present a larger, structured, review article on some particular topic in anthropology. I expect that you will consider sources overall. Note that the articles from the Annual Review are good models; note also that they are not neutral, but have points of view. As you might. The goal of this assignment is to allow you to develop your knowledge of the anthropology of X toward comprehensive exam reading lists, the review of literature module in your M.A. thesis or Ph.D. dissertation, etc. Alternatively, you may present a research paper, but consult me if you wish to do this. I would hope for some engagement with anthropology. (Clusterless): F) General class participation (20%). Attendance included, obviously. Let me know if you ll be gone for some reason. Academic dishonesty (plagiarism) will, of course, not be tolerated. This should go without saying. 3

4 Books: The following books are on order for this course at the Coop and are otherwise widely available. I will put them on reserve at PCL as well. Other readings (articles) will be on Canvas (under the Files tab). Miyazaki, Hirokazu, Arbitraging Japan Osburg, John, Anxious Wealth Freeman, Caren, Making and Faking Kinship Chu, Julie, Cosmologies of Credit Choy, Tim, Ecologies of Comparison Sterling, Marvin, Babylon East Joo, Rachel Miyung, Transnational Sport Condry, Ian, The Soul of Anime University Boilerplate: University Notices and Policies University of Texas Honor Code The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community. Use of for Official Correspondence to Students is recognized as an official mode of university correspondence; therefore, you are responsible for reading your for university and course-related information and announcements. You are responsible to keep the university informed about changes to your address. You should check your regularly and frequently to stay current with university-related communications, some of which may be time-critical. You can find UT Austin?s policies and instructions for updating your address at Documented Disability Statement The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. If you require special accommodations, you will need to obtain a letter that documents your disability from Services for Studies with Disabilities. Present the letter to me at the beginning of the semester so we can discuss the accommodations you need. No later than five business days before an exam, you should remind me of any testing accommodations you will need. For more information, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at (voice) or (video phone) or Religious Holidays By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, I will give you an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence. Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL) If you are worried about someone who is acting differently, you may use the Behavior Concerns Advice Line to discuss by phone your concerns about another individual s behavior. This service is provided through a partnership among the Office of the Dean of Students, the Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC), the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and The University of Texas Police Department (UTPD). Call or visit Emergency Evacuation Policy Occupants of buildings on the UT Austin campus are required to evacuate and assemble outside when a fire 4

5 alarm is activated or an announcement is made. Please be aware of the following policies regarding evacuation: Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of the classroom and the building. Remember that the nearest exit door may not be the one you used when you entered the building. If you require assistance to evacuate, inform me in writing during the first week of class. In the event of an evacuation, follow my instructions or those of class instructors. Do not re-enter a building unless you re given instructions by the Austin Fire Department, the UT Austin Police Department, or the Fire Prevention Services office. Schedule: Situating the Anthropology of East Asia (in Anthropology and in Area Studies) 27 August (No presentations this class) Guyer, Jane I., Anthropology in Area Studies, Annual Review of Anthropology 33: (2004). Yamashita, Shinji, Joseph Bosco, and J.S. Eades, Asian Anthropologies: Foreign, Native, and Indigenous. In The Making of Anthropology in East and Southeast Asia, Shinji Yamashita, Joseph Bosco, and J.S. Eades, eds., pp (New York: Berghahn, 2004). Robertson, Jennifer, Introduction: Putting and Keeping Japan in Anthropology. In A Companion to the Anthropology of Japan, Jennifer Robertson ed., pp (Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2005). Hong, Keelung and Stephen O. Murray, Looking Through Taiwan, ch. 7. (Lincoln: U. Nebraska Press, 2005). Oppenheim, Robert, Asia, Sociocultural Overviews: Korea, International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2nd edition (Amsterdam: Elsevier, Forthcoming 2015). {Not for citation} Money 3 September Miyazaki, Hirokazu, Arbitraging Japan: Dreams of Capitalism at the End of Finance (Berkeley: U. California Pr, 2013). 10 September Osburg, John, Anxious Wealth: Money and Morality Among China s New Rich (Stanford: Stanford UP, 2013). Mobilities 17 September Freeman, Caren, Making and Faking Kinship: Labor Migration between China and South Korea (Ithaca: Cornell, 2011). 5

6 24 September Chu, Julie Y., Cosmologies of Credit: Transnational Mobility and the Politics of Destination in China (Durham: Duke, 2010) Developments 1 October Ferguson, James, The Anti-Politics Machine: Development and Bureaucratic Power in Lesotho, The Ecologist 24(5): (1990). U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), The Agency for International Development During the Administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson November 1963-January 1969, January 1969, excerpt from Vol. 1, Part II, Ch. XII: East Asia, pp Administrative History, Agency for International Development, Box 1, LBJ Presidential Archives, Austin, TX. (Not for citation) Mosse, David, The Anthropology of International Development, Annual Review of Anthropology 42: (2013). Han, Ju Hui Judy, If You Don t Work, You Don t Eat : Evangelizing Development in Africa, in Jesook Song ed., New Millennium South Korea (London: Routledge, 2011), pp DeHart, Monica, Remodelling the Global Development Landscape: The China Model and South-South Cooperation in Latin America, Third World Quarterly 33(7): (2012). Mawdsley, Emma, The Changing Geographies of Foreign Aid and Development Cooperation: Contributions from Gift Theory, Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 37: (2012). Tonami, Aki and Anders Riel Müller, Japanese and South Korean Environmental Aid: What are Their Life Stories? DIIS Working Paper 2013:08. 8 October Choy, Tim, Ecologies of Comparison: An Ethnography of Endangerment in Hong Kong (Durham: Duke, 2011). Media:...Music 15 October Sterling, Marvin D., Babylon East: Performing Dancehall, Roots Reggae, and Rastafari in Japan (Durham: Duke, 2010)....Sports 6

7 22 October Joo, Rachel Miyung, Transnational Sport: Gender, Media, and Global Korea (Durham: Duke UP, 2012) ***Teaching modules due***...photography 29 October (*We will likely need to reschedule this class I ll be away*) Poole, Deborah, Vision, Race, and Modernity: A Visual Economy of the Andean Image World (Princeton: Princeton UP, 1997), Chs. 1, 8 Edwards, Elizabeth, Objects of Affect: Photography beyond the Image, Annual Review of Anthropology 41: (2012). Hevia, James L., The Photography Complex: Exposing Boxer-Era China ( ), Making Civilization, in Photographies East: The Camera and Its Histories in East and Southeast Asia, Rosalind C. Morris ed., pp (Durham: Duke UP, 2009)....Gaming 5 November Coleman, E. Gabriella, Ethnographic Approaches to Digital Media, Annual Review of Anthropology 39: (2010). Golub, Alex, Being in the World (of Warcraft): Raiding, Realism, and Knowledge Production in a Massively Multiplayer Online Game, Anthropological Quarterly 83(1):17-45 (2010). Golub, Alex and Kate Lingley, Just Like the Qing Empire Internet Addiction, MMOGs, and Moral Crisis in Contemporary China, Games and Culture 3(1):59-75 (2008). Golub, Alex, The Anthropology of Virtual Worlds: World of Warcraft. Reviews in Anthropology 43: (2014). Miller, Daniel, and Heather A. Horst, The Digital and the Human: A Prospectus for Digital Anthropology, in Digital Anthropology, Horst and Miller eds., pp London: Bloomsbury, Boellstorff, Tom, Rethinking Digital Anthropology, in Horst and Miller, pp Malaby, Thomas M., Digital Gaming, Game Design, and Its Precursors, in Horst and Miller, pp Anime 12 November 7

8 Condry, Ian, The Soul of Anime: Collaborative Creativity and Japan s Media Success Story (Durham: Duke, 2013). 19 November Student-led class(es) 1 or TBD 26 November (*The night before Thanksgiving. Should we reschedule, or no?*) Student-led class(es) 2 or TBD 3 December Student-led class(es) 3 or TBD 8