Selected Readings of Classic Ethnography HD211

Fall 2006 Monday 10:10-12:00

Room D602 Dr. Thomas Abel n Tin M Lo-sh

tabel@mail.tcu.edu.twD718

856-5301 Ex. 7665

Objectives: The main objective of this course is to learn about ethnography. Ethnography is research about some people somewhere in the world, conducted by an anthropologist (sometimes called ethnographic fieldwork). Ethnography is also the book that is written by an anthropologist about their research. Anthropologists do ethnography and they write an ethnography. Each week I will lecture about a classic ethnography written by a famous anthropologist. You will learn the typical format and content of ethnography, and how that has changed since anthropologists began doing fieldwork. In addition, as you learn the history of ethnographic writing, you will become familiar with the history of theory in anthropology. The second objective of this course is to improve your English. You will improve your anthropological English vocabulary, and you will have the experience of taking a class in English.

Readings: Students will buy a copy of the class PowerPoint presentations. Please bring these to class each week. My lectures will follow the presentations and you can use them to help you listen and understand the lectures.

Assignments and Grades:

There are no exams.

Weekly Vocabulary Quizzes 40% The purpose of the vocabulary quiz is:

1. Improve your anthropological vocabulary in English 2. Prepare you to listen to my lecture and understand English

Vocabulary Quiz procedure: 1. I will give you a new vocabulary list each week. 2. You must learn the vocabulary list before the next week. 3. I will give you a short vocabulary quiz each week (starting on the

second week)

Translations and Reading 10% The purpose of this assignment is:

1. To let you hear a little of the original ethnography 2. To improve your English reading and listening

Procedure: 1. Each week I will give one or two students a short section of text from

the ethnography (1-2 paragraphs) 2. You will read and understand the paragraph in English 3. You will translate the paragraph into Chinese 4. The next week one student will read the text to the class in English(!) 5. Another student will read the text in Chinese

Final Project 50% Perform ethnographic fieldwork in the Hualien county area Make a PowerPoint presentation for the class

You can use video, photographs, voice recordings I will discuss some possible subjects before Week 9 You can propose other projects You will give me a title of your project in writing on Week 9

Part 1 Group project 30% PowerPoint presentation, in English(!)

Part 2 Individual project 10% Short written report about your contribution to the project, in English(!) Part 3 Grade from partners 10%

You will give each member of your team a grade, which shows that they contributed to the project. Your average score from your partners will count 10% of your grade.

Attendance Students should always attend all their classes. This is especially true for this class. One of the objectives of the class is to improve your knowledge of English vocabulary, but also your English listening ability. If you come to class every week, bring your notes, and make a real effort to follow the lectures, your listening ability will improve. If you do not come to class you will miss this opportunity and the chance to learn about the classics of anthropology, which will help you in all your future anthropology courses. You will also miss the quizzes, and your grade will suffer.

Schedule: Week 1: Introduction

Week 2: Functionalism The Essentials of the Kula by Bronislaw Malinowski (1922)

Week 3: Culture and Personality Psychological Types in the Cultures of the Southwest by Ruth Benedict (1930)

Week 4 (Class on Saturday): Cultural Ecology and Neoevolutionary Thought The Patrilineal Band by Julian Steward (1936)

Week 5: Neomaterialism: Evolutionary, Functionalist, Ecological, and Marxist The Cultural Ecology of Indias Sacred Cattle by Marvin Harris (1966)

Week 6: Symbolic and Interpretive Anthropology Symbols in Ndembu Ritual by Victor Turner (1967)

Week 7: Neomaterialism: Evolutionary, Functionalist, Ecological, and Marxist Ritual Regulation of Environmental Relations among a New Guinea People by Roy A. Rappaport (1967)

Week 8: Symbolic and Interpretive Anthropology Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight by Clifford Geertz (1973)

Week 9: Submit project descriptions

Week 10: Postmodernism Grief and a Headhunters Rage by Renato Rosaldo (1989)

Week 11: Neomaterialism: Evolutionary, Functionalist, Ecological, and Marxist From Jibaro to Crack Dealer: Confronting the Restructuring of Capitalism in El Barrio by Philippe Bourgois (1995)

Week 12: First Group Project The Dobe Ju/hoansi (Pp. 1-60)

Week 13: Second Group Project The Dobe Ju/hoansi (Pp. 61-92)

Week 14: Third Group Project The Dobe Ju/hoansi (Pp. 93-124)

Week 15: Fourth Group Project The Dobe Ju/hoansi (Pp. 125-167)

Week 16: No Class New Years Day

Week 17: Fifth Group Project The Dobe Ju/hoansi (Pp. 167-end)

Week 18: Turn in Individual Project Reports