Anthropology 302 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Fall 2016 (Unique Numbers: 30960, 30965, 30970, 30975, 30980, & 30985) Lecture Class Time: Monday, Wednesday 12:00PM-1:00PM, GEA 105 Section Meetings: As Scheduled, SAC 4.118 Instructor: Giovanni Batz Office Hours Location: Fine Arts Library Lobby Office Hours: M 2pm-3pm; W 2pm-3pm; or by appointment. Email: batzgio@utexas.edu NOTE: Please address your instructor as Professor Batz in correspondence via email or in person. Please include your last name and your section number in the subject line on your email to the instructor or your Teaching Assistant (TA). Teaching Assistants, and Discussion Sections and Times: Unique # Classroom Day/Times TA E-mail Office Hours/Location 30960 SAC 4.118 T 8am-9am Alejandro Flores alexflo76@utexas.edu TH 9:30am - 10:30am Java City Coffee (in front of PCL) 30965 SAC 4.118 M 3pm-4pm Morgan Siewert lsiewert@utexas.edu M 2pm 3pm SAC 5.114 30970 SAC 4.118 M 4pm-5pm Morgan Siewert lsiewert@utexas.edu M 2pm 3pm SAC 5.114 30975 SAC 4.118 TH 4pm-5pm Julie Conquest questable@gmail.com T 4pm - 5pm SAC 5.118 30980 SAC 4.118 T 5pm-6pm Julie Conquest questable@gmail.com T 4pm - 5pm SAC 4.114 30985 SAC 4.118 W 5pm-6pm Alejandro Flores alexflo76@utexas.edu TH 9:30am - 10:30am Java City Coffee (in front of PCL) Course Description: This course focuses on classic themes in anthropology such as ethnicity, language, adaptation, marriage, kinship, gender, religion, and social stratification. We will consider anthropological theory from its 19th-century origins to the present. The course also explores the nature of ethnographic fieldwork, especially the relationship between the anthropologist and the field community. 1
The lectures, readings, and films for this course have been selected with the objective of exploring the social meanings with which diverse groups invest their life. By comparing and analyzing the similarities and differences between us and others, both within the borders of the U.S. and abroad, the anthropological perspective can expose some of our own cultural assumptions and enable us to better understand diverse cultures. Course Requirements and Grading Participation and Attendance Six Pop Quizzes Midterm Final 15% (15 points) 30% (30 points, 5 points each) 25% (25 points) 30% (25 points) Grading Scale Letter Grade Points A 93-100 A- 90-92 B+ 87-89 B 83-86 B- 80-82 C+ 77-79 C 73-76 C- 70-72 D+ 67-69 D 63-66 D- 60-62 F 0-59 Withdrawals: Students are responsible for finding out the appropriate dates for dropping the course and/or withdrawing without penalties. Participation and Attendance: Students are expected to attend class regularly. You must attend the section for which you are officially registered. Attendance is crucial for student s success in the course and final grade. Students will be allowed a total of two unexcused absences in either lecture and/or discussion sections. Thereafter, students will be deducted 0.5 points for each class missed. The professor will only accept excused absences with official documentation such as a doctor s note in the case of an illness, and will be done so on a case-by-case basis. Note: Arriving 10 minutes late will count as an absence and you will not be allowed to sign the attendance sheet. If you are caught signing in anyone else that is not you, you will be penalized one letter grade of your final grade. If you attended class, but did not sign the attendance sheet, you will be counted as absent. 2
Students are allowed to miss classes due to religious holy days and military service. A student who misses classes or other required activities, including examinations, for the observance of a religious holy day should inform the instructor as far in advance of the absence as possible, so that arrangements can be made to complete an assignment within a reasonable time after the absence. A student is also excused from attending classes or engaging in other required activities, including exams, if he or she is called to active military service of a reasonably brief duration. Students are expected to have completed the readings by the start of the week and be ready to participate in lectures and discussion sections. Participation includes discussing subject matter in a respectful and diplomatic manner, as well as listening respectfully to others. The purpose of meaningful participation is to create an intellectually stimulating environment free of intimidation wherein everyone can share her or his perspectives. Computers and other electronics will not be allowed in the classroom. In a large class, these can prove to be distracting to other students. The only exception will be made to students who have approval for accommodations with Services for Students with Disabilities (see below for more details). Pop Quizzes: There will be a total of 8 Pop Quizzes, but only the top 6 scores will be counted for students final grade, hence, the two lowest scores will be dropped. There are no make-ups for Pop Quizzes. These will be given out either during lecture or discussion sections and will include material and questions from readings and lectures. Midterm and Final: The Midterm exam will be given during a regular lecture class day (Oct. 12), and the final exam will be given during the final exam date and time (Dec. 9). The final exam will only cover the material studied after the midterm. Both tests will include multiple-choice questions, short answers, and one essay. Questions will include material covered in the assigned readings, lectures, and films. Make-up exams will only be given in the event of a serious illness or emergency, for which official documentation is required. Students will need to bring their own blue book to class on exam dates. Academic Integrity and University Policies Cheating and Academic Dishonesty will not be tolerated. If you are caught cheating in the course, you will receive an automatic F. For more on Academic Integrity and University Policies, please visit: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/acint_student.php Documented Disability Statement: Students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities at (512) 471-6259 (voice) or (512) 410-6644 (video phone) or http://diversity.utexas.edu/disability. If you have any questions, concerns or need further information or assistance, please talk to the Professor during office hours. 3
Required Course Readings De León, Jason. 2015. The Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Migrant Trail. University of California Press Hurston, Zora Neale. 2008. Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics. Robbins, Richard H. 2016. Cultural Anthropology: A Problem-Based Approach. 7th edition. Wadsworth Publishing. (If you have an earlier edition, you are responsible for making sure the reading is the same) All other readings will be posted on Canvas (http://canvas.utexas.edu). Readings and weekly topics are subject to change. Course Outline PART I: The Origins of Anthropology, Methods and Guiding Concepts Week 1: Introduction to the Course (Aug. 24) No Readings Sections will not meet this week Week 2: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (Aug. 29 / 31) Robbins Chapter 1: Culture and Meaning Monaghan J. and P.J.: A Very Short Introduction (pgs. 1-12), Chapter 1 (Pgs. 13-33) Week 3: Anthropological Methods and Positionality Ethnography and Participant Observation (Sept. 7) Lassiter The Chicago Guide to Collaborative Ethnography, Part I (pgs. 1-75) PART II: Anthropological Concepts, Theories and Issues Week 4: Culture and Identity, Part 1 (Sept. 12 / 14) Robbins Chapter 2: The Meaning of Progress and Development Monaghan J. and P.J.: Chapter 2 (34-52) & Chapter 3 (pgs. 53-73) 4
Week 5: Culture and Identity, Part 2 (Sept. 19 / 21) Robbins Chapter 5: Patterns of Family Relations Hurston Part I Film: Cannibal Tours Week 6: Cultural Construction of Social Hierarchies (Sept. 26 / 28) Robbins Chapter 4: Social and Cultural Construction of Reality Hurston Part II Week7: Race and Ethnicity, Part 1 (Oct. 3 / 5) Robbins Chapter 6: The Cultural Construction of Identity Urrieta, Luis. 2003. Las Identidades También Lloran, Identities Also Cry: Exploring the Human Side of Indigenous Latina/o Identities. Week 8: Mid-term (Oct. 10 / 12) Hurston, Zora Neale. Part III: Chapters 10-14 Optional: Hurston: Part III: Chapters 15-18 Week 9: Race and Ethnicity, Part 2 (Oct. 17 / 19) Robbins Chapter 7: The Cultural Construction of Social Hierarchy Dulitzky, Ariel. A Region in Denial: Racial Discrimination and Racism in Latin America. Week 10: Feminism, Gender and Sexuality (Oct. 24 / 26) Robbins Chapter 8: The Cultural Construction of Violent Conflict Visweswaran, Kamala. 1997. Histories of Feminist Ethnography. Annual Review of Anthropology 26: pgs. 591-621. 5
Week 11: Globalization and Neoliberalism (Oct. 31 / Nov. 2) Robbins Chapter 3: Debt, Globalization, and the Nation-State (pgs. 85-128) Harvey, David. A Brief History of Neoliberalism. Introduction (pgs. 1-4) and Chapter 1 (pgs. 5-38) PART III: Crossing and Intersecting Cultural Borders and Worldviews Week 12: Globalization and Neoliberalism, Part 2 (Nov. 7 / 9) De León - Introduction, Chapters 1, 2 & 3 (pgs. 1-85) Week 13: Migration and Displacement Case Study Guatemala (Nov. 14 / 16) De León - Chapters 4, 5 & 6 (pgs.89-166) Film: Abrazos Week 14: The Golden Dream (Nov. 21) De León - Chapters 7, 8, & 9 (pgs. 167-237) Film: The Golden Dream (La Jaula de Oro) Part 1 Week 15: Critiques against Anthropology and New Directions (Nov. 28 / 30) De León - Chapters 10, 11 & 12 (pgs. 238-287) Film: The Golden Dream (La Jaula de Oro) Part 2 Week 16: Review for Final Exam (Dec. 5) FINAL EXAM: Friday, December 9, 2:00-5:00 pm 6