ANTH 2000: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
description • syllabus
ANTH 2000-FY: First Year Seminar Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
description • syllabus
ANTH 2800: Introduction to Archaeology
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ANTH 3250: Anthropology of "First Contact" and Colonialism
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ANTH 3302: Chinese Society and Culture
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ANTH 3400: Anthropology of Food and Eating
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ANTH 3403: Rhythm and Culture
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ANTH 3820: Making a Difference
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ANTH 3860: Ancient Civilizations of the Americas
description • syllabus currently unavailable
ANTH 4900: Reflections on Anthropology
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INTR 3850: Contemporary Nations: Sub-Saharan Africa
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INTR 4110: Diaspora Cultures
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PSCI 4200: Politics and Culture of Race
description • syllabus
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 2000 syllabus
ANTH 2000-FY syllabus
This course is an introduction to cultural anthropology, which is a sub-discipline within anthropology. Briefly put, we will be examining the concept of culture -- what it is, the way it works and how anthropologists study it. We look at the way in which culture operates in different parts of the world and use this knowledge to better understand our own cultures and those of people around us. In addition, we look briefly at other branches of anthropology such as ethnohistory, archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural ecology, and ethnomusicology.
back to listIntroduction to Archaeology
ANTH 2800 syllabus
This course introduces students to the basics of archaeological method and theory through a series of case studies examining current issues and debates in anthropological archaeology. The topics we examine include dating methods, stratigraphy, artifact typology and analysis, reconstruction of diet and paleoenvironments, historical archaeology, ancient social systems, ideology in the past and present, and issues of cultural patrimony. Theory is treated as a separate issue but is integrated into each problem thus demonstrating the link between research questions, field methods, theoretical perspectives, and interpretive narratives.
This semester we are focusing particularly on the role of sites in creating sacred landscapes for both ancient communities and modern ones.
Case studies are drawn from a variety of different archaeological cultures and time periods. We look at stone tool use in the Middle Paleolithic of the Levant (Syria-Palestine); settlement structure in Neolithic China, and pre-European Aotearoa/New Zealand; the relationship between archaeology and history in Hawai`i; art, religion and power among the Classic Period Maya of Central America; and issues of cultural heritage management in the Pacific and North America. Some of these issues are examined in light of ongoing research by faculty members.
There are field trips to sites, museums, and laboratory facilities.
back to listAnthropology of "First Contact" and Colonialism
ANTH 3250 syllabus
This course focuses on a critical understanding of the processes involved in the political, social, and economic expansion of centralized Asian and European states into other parts of the world, and the cultural consequences of this expansion. Major themes of the course may include cultural encounter, the causes and effects of colonialism, interpretations of the other (by both colonizers and colonized), the formation and development of creole or colonial cultures, slavery, native resistance and accommodation, gender, demography, the environmental impact of colonialism, and the usefulness (or otherwise) of economic, social and political models of the process of colonialism.
The course explores the notion that colonizers and colonized were engaged in complex, ongoing processes involving power relations that varied on both temporal and geographical axes. By comparing and contrasting case studies drawn from several different parts of the globe, we hope to provide a cross-cultural framework that will provide students with a dynamic, yet in-depth mode of analysis of the major issues. Each of the themes of the course is approached through a study that combines the perspectives of archaeology, ethnohistory, and social anthropology. We examine the processes of cultural contact and colonialism, paying attention to questions of environment, material culture, time-scale, language, social context (the political, cultural, economic and ideological frameworks involved and how these changed over time) and population.
We draw our case studies from Asia, the Pacific, Central America, Eastern North America, and Southern Africa.
back to listChinese Society and Culture
ANTH 3302 syllabus
This course describes and analyzes China and Chinese society through the perspective of culture. By looking at the ways in which Chinese people lead their lives, the beliefs and ideas they place importance upon, and the ways in which these ideas are manifested in people's actions, we hope to gain a more thorough understanding of China as a social, political and economic entity, and a more human, and at the same time, analytical understanding of Chinese people.
The primary geographic focus of the course is the People's Republic of China. However, we also examine materials from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the wider Chinese diaspora as these become appropriate.
Some of the themes we address include the following: unity and diversity in Chinese society, the role of the family, the place of the state, food and eating, gender relations, ritual and religion, popular culture (particularly movies and opera), modernization, nationalism, and international relations. Some of the themes addressed here are also discussed from a different perspective in Professor Cheng's class INTR 3930 "Contemporary Nations: China". Students who take both classes will find useful comparisons here, however you should not feel that you need to take both classes in order to benefit from taking this class.
Movies we will view excerpts of in class include the following: Yellow Earth; Farewell My Concubine; King of Masks; Not One Less; The Shower; Eat, Drink, Man, Woman; Hard Boiled; and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
back to listAnthropology of Food and Eating
ANTH 3400 syllabus
Food is one of the most fundamental yet heavily cultural factors in human existence. It is a source of nutrition, enjoyment, and sociality and nurturing. Yet it can also be a weapon, a way to divide and define the social group, and a justification for slavery, conquest and exploitation.
Following the saying "You are what you eat," this course examines what the foodways of a particular culture can tell us about that group of people, and also the ways in which food is used as a cultural symbol, an economic asset, an ethnic marker, and a way of relating families, classes, nations, and global communities. We also look at the relationships between cooking and cuisine, food and religion, gender and food, the art of food, and food and the human body. We actively partake in cuisines through visits to nearby restaurants.
back to listRhythm and Culture
ANTH 3403 syllabus
This course examines the connection between human culture and rhythm in music. By examining the different roles played by percussion music in different modern cultures, we explore the ways in which rhythm functions in spiritual, social, historical, and popular contexts. We also examine the connection between spoken and sung words, dance, and percussion. Topics covered include: Korean shamanism and percussion, taiko and Japanese culture, Santeria and Afro-Cuban religion, kapa haka and New Zealand Maori culture, Manding drumming and African nationalism (the story of Les Ballets Africains), Guinean balafon music and Dagomba drumming as historical narratives, hula and Hawaiian culture, Samulnori and the renaissance of Korean traditional culture, and the effects of Afro-Latin music, Reggae, and Hip-hop on African popular musics.
Our emphasis is on the cultural and social importance of these musical systems rather than on detailed musicological analyses, although basic ideas such as pulse, off-beats, syncopation, and clave are addressed.
Classes include live presentations by master musicians and experienced students of various folkloric traditions. Students are encouraged to gain some hands-on experience with some of the different musical instruments and rhythmic figures. Students are asked to present projects on rhythm and culture based in a particular culture or country.
This course is aimed at the non-musician; but musicians, dancers, and singers are encouraged to attend.
back to listMaking a Difference
(co-taught with Lynette
Cruz)
ANTH 3820 syllabus
This course is an ethnographic approach to social activism.We examine the ways in which activists (broadly defined) conceive of and carry out their understandings of social change. By introducing students to concrete case studies, we examine the practical ways in which people mobilize to carry out transformative agendas, and also interrogate the philosophical, emotional, and pragmatic bases for these movements. As a class, we investigate activism from a number of different perspectives including the radical left, indigenous, ecological, social justice, and radical right movements.
We also include perspectives from local community activists on their own efforts to carry out social change. Students are encouraged to seek collaborative research projects with community groups as both parties feel appropriate.
back to listAncient Civilizations of the Americas
ANTH 3860 syllabus currently unavailable
In this course, students learn about some of the great complex societies of the New World. We examine ancient artifacts, ruins and artworks. We also look at the ways in which archaeologists use techniques drawn from anthropology, the natural sciences, history. and traditional knowledge systems to gain a new understanding of what these ancient cultures were like and how they functioned within complex political, economic, and environmental systems.
We also examine the modern social and political contexts in which ancient monuments and cultures are utilized by the nation-states and indigenous peoples of the Americas.
back to listReflections on Anthropology
ANTH 4900 syllabus
This course is a capstone course in anthropology. It seeks to give students an understanding of the history of anthropology as a discipline, current issues in the discipline, and encourages students to reflect on the ability of anthropology to help us address important issues of our time. We particularly look at the intersection of theory and practice with an emphasis on the importance of theoretical and philosophical frames of reference.
The course is run as a seminar. This means that each of you is responsible for one of the readings each week, and each of you prepares a short summary, and if possible, a critique of the reading for use by your classmates.
back to listContemporary Nations: Sub-Saharan Africa
INTR 3850 syllabus
This course is an introduction to some of the contemporary issues facing the nations of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is very difficult to generalize about an entire sub-continent, so we concentrate instead on a number of case studies. These case studies deal with family and gender relations, the role of colonialism, environmental issues in the Sahel, Islam in Africa, diamond mining in West Africa, health issues in Mali, emerging democracy in South Africa, genocide and its aftermath in Rwanda, conservation and development in East Africa, and the role of music in African politics and culture.
Despite its specific focus, each of these cases also resonates with concerns in many parts of the region. It is hoped that students gain a better understanding of the dynamic, diverse and vibrant cultures that make up this part of the world and the way in which people are responding to the challenges and opportunities that face them.
back to listDiaspora Cultures
INTR 4110 syllabus
This course examines several different examples of peoples in diaspora, whether forcibly removed or displaced through voluntary migration. By using the twin concepts of 'home' and 'place of origin,' we address the ways in which people have thought about themselves or have been categorized by others in relation to trans-national, national, and ethnic or racial identities. The course explicitly discusses some of the tensions between indigenousness and citizenship, and between different identities and levels of identity as crucial factors in the development of so-called 'identity politics' within nation-states. Classic diaspora cultures covered include the Jewish diaspora, the African diaspora, and the Chinese diaspora. More recent diasporas across the Pacific are also examined in some detail.
back to listPolitics and Culture of Race
PSCI 4200 syllabus
This course examines race as a powerful social phenomenon in the lives of people in different parts of the world. Case studies from Asia, the United States, Latin America, the South Pacific and the Caribbean enable us to examine the ways in which race has functioned as a way to define and understand cultural and political action.
Using insights from anthropology, political studies, history, and cultural studies, we pay particular attention to the ways in which power and conflict within and between nations and nation-states are mediated by notions of biology and inherent physical, moral, and intellectual abilities. Related issues such as gender, sexuality, and the body politic are addressed.
The class format combines seminar-style discussions and short presentations with longer lecture-style sessions. Students are expected to lead discussion groups on specific topics (assigned by the lecturer) for part of certain sessions. In sessions where several readings are required, the instructor may assign readings to groups of students who then take responsibility for preparing short (oral) summaries for their classmates.
A number of films are used in this course to illustrate particular points and to generate discussion. A partial list of titles includes D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation; Do the Right Thing; Thunder Heart; Europa, Europa; Vincent Chin is Dead; and Ku Klux Klan: The Invisible Empire.
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