ANTHROPOLOGY 212:
ETHNOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVES ON
SMALL-SCALE SOCIETIES
Fall 2008
MWF 1:30-2:20, King 341
$
Amy Margaris
Office: King 302
Office Hours: MWF 2:30-3:30 or by appointment
Email:
Course Description:
In this course we will examine land use systems, gender roles, nutritional patterns, and many other facets of small-scale societies, or groups who live primarily by hunting, gathering, and fishing. Such societies have been a frequent subject of study and inspiration for archaeologists interested in our evolutionary origins. We will explore this intellectual tradition and consider its validity, but spend equal time examining the lives of contemporary small-scale societies in their own right, and the strategies they employ as they are drawn into the world economic market.
The class is divided into a series of roughly week-long topical modules. As the course progresses, however, you will get a feel for how truly integrated the modules are: the connections that exist between subsistence and social networks; between technology and economy; and that link mobility, nutrition, and female fertility, for instance.
The backbone of the class is the Kelly text, which will serve as a rigorous, textbook-like reference. (Please read each assigned chapter as essential background, but do not become mired in the occasional formulae and other technicalia.) We will also learn about particular cultural traditions through two book-length ethnographies plus an additional, individual research project, and will read influential articles in the discipline to delve more deeply into particular theoretical topics. Finally, you will carry out ongoing, independent research on a particular society of your choice, and your expertise will enliven and enrich our frequent classroom discussions.
Note: You will be asked to consume a good deal of written material in this class. I have found that the actual digestion process is aided by a combination of quiet reflection, discussion, and both formal and informal writing. Each of these will play an important role in this course.
Required Texts:
Kelly, Robert L. 1995. The Foraging Spectrum. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington. (Also posted on Blackboard.)
Tonkinson, Robert. 1991. The Mardu Aborigines: Living the Dream in Australia’s Desert, 2nd edition. Case Studies in Cultural Anthropology. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., Fort Worth.
Brody, Hugh. 1981. Maps & Dreams: Indians and the British Columbia Frontier. Waveland Press, Inc., Prospect Heights, Illinois.
Additional Required Readings are posted on Blackboard (see end of syllabus).
Course Requirements:
Throughout the semester you will pursue independent library research on one small-scale group of your choice. There must be sufficient published ethnographic data to allow you complete two mid-term papers and a final course paper on your group.
Mid-Term Essay 1: Mobility and Work (1250-1500 words; ~ 5-6 pp.)
Mid-Term Essay 2: Health and Demography (1250-1500 words; ~ 5-6 pp.)
Final Course Paper: A final paper (2000-2500 words; ~ 8-10 pp.) is due on Thursday, December 18 by 9 p.m. Pick a topic relevant to the course that you would be excited to write about, and be sure to check in with me about your topic ideas, as I can help you narrow to an appropriate scope.
Your essays and paper must show good scholarship, clear argumentation, and thoughtful incorporation of the ethnographic and theoretical knowledge that you have accumulated throughout the semester.
Essays and papers must include proper in-text citations and end references. The contexts in which citations and references are required may occasionally seem ambiguous, but the consequences of plagiarism (intentional or otherwise) are grave, so please feel free to contact me with even a small question. The reference style guide I frequently work from, issued by the Society for American Archaeology, can be found at: http://www.saa.org/publications/Styleguide/styframe.html
Weekly Memos: Most Fridays (or Wednesday if there is no Friday class) you will be asked to hand in a brief (125-250 word; ~1/2 -1 page) memo reflecting critically on the week’s readings. You must complete 8 end-of-week memos during the semester; the choice of which weeks is yours.
These communiqués must be typed and will be assessed according to a checkmark system (see below). You can use your ideas as launching points for Friday discussions, and to help think through particular ideas that interest you, and which you may like to include in your final paper. I try to give ample feedback on both technical writing and the concepts you tackle in these assignments. A more complete description of the memo system is posted on our course Blackboard site.
Memos will be graded according to the following scale (rubric adapted from W. Haugh)
Check Plus: Insightful and draws connections; excellent grasp of subject matter; explains concepts clearly; provides relevant details and examples
Check: Mostly descriptive; good grasp of subject matter; provides relevant details and examples
Check Minus: Limited grasp of subject matter or evidence of having completed readings
Attendance & Participation: Discussions will form an essential component of classroom learning. Their value to you will depend wholly on your presence, preparedness, and participation. Most weeks one of you will be in charge of leading our group discussion, and this too will count toward your participation score. Be sure to see me several days before your discussion date with some draft questions already in hand; I will give you feedback and help guide you through my expectations.
Grade Breakdown:
Mid-term Essay 1 20%
Mid-term Essay 2 20%
Final Course Paper 30%
Weekly Memos (8 @ 2.5% ea.) 20%
Attendance & Participation 10%
Important Due Dates:
Weekly Memos (8 total) generally due the last day of each week
W 10/15 Essay 1: Mobility & Work
W 12/3 Essay 2: Health and Demography
Th 12/18 9 p.m. Final Paper (drop off at my office)
The Honor Code:
At the end of each graded assignment, including weekly memos, you are required to write and sign the Oberlin honor pledge: “I have adhered to the Honor Code in this assignment”. For more information about the Honor System please see:
www.oberlin.edu/students.links-life/rules-regs.html.
Students with Disabilities should see me at the start of the semester so that I can provide any necessary accommodations. Please bring documentation from Student Academic Services that will help explain your needs. If you suspect you have a disability but have not been diagnosed, please contact:
Jane Boomer
Coordinator of Services/ Students with Disabilities
Student Academic Services
Peters Hall G27, x55588
Rules for Written Assignments:
All assignments, unless otherwise noted, should be typed and double-spaced with regular 1 inch margins and must adhere to the stated length requirements. Attempts to artificially lengthen (or shorten) written assignments by manipulating document spacing or font size are lame and will be instantly detected.
Extensions will be granted only under extraordinary circumstances. Late essays will be graded down 1/3 of 1 letter grade every 24 hours after the due date. No essays will be accepted more than 1 week late. Because memos are designed to spur conversation on the day on which they are due, late memos will not be accepted.
Schedule of Lectures, Discussions, and Assignments
DATE / TOPIC / ASSIGNMENT DUE DATESW 9/3 / Introduction / Read over syllabus and bring questions; Murdoch (1968); Service (1979); Kelly Ch. 1 (skim)
F 9/5
M 9/8 / The Food Quest / Lee (1968); Nadasdy (2007); Kelly Chpts. 2 & 3 (read for major points)
W 9/10 / Week 1 memo due (WED.)
F 9/12 / MUDD ORIENTATION with Reference Librarian Megan Mitchell (meet in Mudd, back of first floor) / begin Tonkinson
M 9/15 / Moving for a Living
Film: “Baka: People of the Forest” VCR-2525 (Con library) / continue Tonkinson (though Ch. 5); Kelly Ch. 4
W 9/17
F 9/19 / Discussion: Silberbauer / Tonkinson (through Ch. 5)______/ Silberbauer (1994); Week 2 memo due
M 9/22 / Sharing, Ownership, and Social Networks / finish Tonkinson; Lee (2007); Kelly Ch. 5
W 9/24
F 9/26 / Discussion: Tonkinson (esp. Chpts. 6 & 7) ______/ Week 3 memo due
M 9/29 / Being Small-Scale and Sedentary
Film & Discussion: “A Matter of Respect” / Kelly Ch. 8; continue ethnographic research
W 10/1
F 10/3 / Discussion: The Evolution of Social Inequality
______/ Hayden (1994); optional: Colson (1979); Nussbaum (1999) Week 4 memo due
M 10/6 / Men and Women at Work / Kelly Ch. 7; Estioko-Griffin and Griffin (1981); optional: Bodenhorn (1990)
W10/8
F 10/10 / Discussion: Gender Roles ______/ Hurtado et al. (1985); Week 5 memo due
M 10/13 / Fertility and Demography / Kelly Ch. 6 (skim); read Blurton Jones (1987) for major points only; Angier (1997); Small 2007; ESSAY 1 DUE (Wed.)
W 10/15
F 10/17 / Discussion ______/ Week 6 memo due
ENJOY YOUR FALL BREAK
M 10/27 / Nutrition and Health / Speth (1990); Stini (1981); Begin Brody
W 10/29 / Film (portions): “Nanook of the North” (1922) (VCR-6411/ DVD-88)
F 10/31 / Discussion: Food and Culture ______/ Week 7 memo due
Schedule of Lectures, Discussions, and Assignments Cont.
M 11/3 / Foragers and Their Neighbors / Bailey et al. (1989); Spielman (1986); Layton (2001)
W 11/5 / Discussion: Interdependence/ Brody (through Ch. 4)______/ Week 8 memo due (WED.)
F 11/7 / No Class: Margaris at History of Science Society Conference
M 11/10 / Foragers, evolution, and prehistory / Continue Brody (Chpts. 5-8); Kelly Ch. 9; Schrire (1980) OR Parkington (1984)
W11/12 / Film & Discussion: “Stories from Stone: The Archaeology of Horseshoe Cove”
F 11/14 / Discussion: Foragers and Archaeological Inquiry ______/ Week 9 memo due
M 11/17 / Revisionist Perspectives / Continue Brody (Chpts. 9-12); Headland (1997); Lee (1992);
W 11/19 / Film (portions): "N!ai, the Story of a !Kung Woman" DVD-1865 (60 min.)
F 11/21 / Discussion: The Myth of Pristine Foragers/ Brody (Chpts. 9-12)
______/ Draper and Cashdan (1988); Week 10 memo due
M 11/24 / Special Focus on Technological Adaptations in the Arctic: Old and New Meanings / Yost and Kelley (1983)
W11/26 / HAPPY THANKSGIVING
F 11/28
M 12/1 / Living in Both Worlds / Finish Brody (Chpts. 13-16); Condon et al. (1995); Fogel-Chance (1993); optional: Freeman (1988); ESSAY 2 DUE (Wed.)
W 12/3
F 12/5 / Discussion: Brody (Chpts. 13-16)______/ Week 11 memo due
M 12/8 / Indigenous Rights and Anthropologists / McCrummen 2007; Watt-Cloutier Bio & Speech; current news article(s) TBA
W12/10
F 12/12 / Final Wrap-Up / Special Topic memo 12 due
Final Paper Due in my office on Thursday, Dec. 18, by 9 pm
Readings Posted on Blackboard (http://bb.oberlin.edu):
Bailey, R., G. Head, M. Jenike, B. Owen, R. Rechtman, and E. Zechenter. 1989. Hunting and Gathering in the Tropical Rainforest: Is it Possible? American Anthropologist 91:59-82.
Blurton Jones, N. 1987. Bushman Birth Spacing: Direct Tests of Some Simple Predictions. Ethology and Sociobiology 8:183-203.
Bodenhorn, B. 1990. “I’m Not the Great Hunter, My Wife Is”: Iñupiat and Anthropological Models of Gender. Études/ Inuit Studies 14(1-2):55-74.
Colson, E. 1979. In Good Years and Bad: Food Strategies of Self-Reliant Societies. Journal of Anthropological Research 35(1):18-29.
Condon, R., P. Collings and G. Wenzel. 1995. The Best Part of Life: Subsistence Hunting, Ethnicity, and Economic Adaptation Among Young Adult Inuit Males. Arctic 48(1):31-46.
Draper, P. and E. Cashdan. 1988. Technological Change and Child Behavior Among the !Kung. Ethnology 27(4):339-365.
Estioko-Griffin, A. and P. B. Griffin. 1981. Woman the Hunter: The Agta. In Woman the Gatherer, edited by F. Dahlberg, pp. 121-151. Yale University Press, New Haven.
Fogel-Chance, N. 1993. Living in Both Worlds: “Modernity” and “Tradition” Among North Slope Iñupiaq Women in Anchorage. Arctic Anthropology 30(1):94-108.
Freeman, M. M. R. 1988. Tradition and Change: Problems and Persistence in the Inuit Diet. In Coping with Uncertainty in Food Supply, edited by I. de Garine and G. A. Harrison, pp. 150-169. Clarendon Press, Oxford.
Hawkes, K., J. O’Connell and N. Blurton Jones. 1997. Hadza Women’s Time Allocation, Offspring Provisioning, and the Evolution of Long Post-Menopausal Lifespans. Current Anthropology 38(4):551-578.
Hayden, B. 1994. Competition, Labor and Complex Hunter-Gatherers. In Key Issues in Hunter-Gatherer Research, edited by E. Burch and L. Ellanna, pp. 223-239. Berg, Oxford.
Headland, T. 1997. Revisionism in Ecological Anthropology. Current Anthropology 38(4):605-630. (w/ comments)
Hurtado, M. K., K. Hawkes, and H. Kaplan. 1985. Female Subsistence Strategies Among Ache Hunter-Gatherers of Eastern Paraguay. Human Ecology 13(1):1-28.
Kelly, Robert L. 1995. The Foraging Spectrum. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington.
Kinloch, D., H. Kuhnlein and D. C. G. Muir. 1992. Inuit Foods and Diet: A Preliminary Assessment of Benefits and Risks. The Science of the Total Environment 122:247-278.
Layton, R. 2001. Hunter-Gatherers, Their Neighbors and the Nation State. In Hunter-Gatherers: An Interdisciplinary Perspective, edited by C. Panter-Brick, R. Layton and P. Rowly-Conwy, pp. 292-321. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Lee, R. 2007. Eating Christmas in the Kalahari. In Annual Editions, Anthropology 07/08, edited by Elvio Angeloni, pp. 19-22. McGraw Hill, Dubuque, IA.
Lee, R. 1992. Art, Science, or Politics? The Current Crisis in Hunter-Gatherer Studies. American Anthropologist 94:31-55.
Lee, R. 1968. What Hunters do for a Living, or, How to Make Out on Scarce Resources. In Man the Hunter, edited by R. Lee and I. DeVore, pp. 30-48. Aldine Press, New York.
McCrummen, Stephanie. 2007. 50,000 Years of Resilience May Not Save Tribe: Tanzania Safari Deal Lets Arab Royalty Use Lands. Electronic document. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/09/AR2007060901465.html
Accessed 6/25/07
Murdoch, G. P. 1968. The Current Status of the World’s Hunting and Gathering Peoples. In Man the Hunter, edited by R. Lee and I. DeVore, pp. 3-12. Aldine, New York.
Nadasdy, Paul. 2007. The Gift in the Animal: The Ontology of Hunting and Human-Animal Sociality. American Ethnologist 43(1):25-43.
Parkington, J. 1984. Soaqua and Bushman: Hunters and Robbers. In Past and Present in Hunter-Gatherer Studies, edited by C. Schrire, pp. 151-174. Academic Press, New York.
Roscoe, P. 1990. The Bow and the Spreadnet: On the Ecological Origins of Hunting Technology. American Anthropologist 92:691-701.
Schrire, C. 1980. An Inquiry into the Evolutionary Status and Apparent Identity of San Hunter-Gatherers. Evolutionary Ecology 8:9-32.
Service, E. 1979. The Hunters, 2nd edition. Prentiss-Hall, New York. Introduction (pp. 1-6) and Appendix (pp. 76-98).