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ANTH 45
Cultural Anthropology
Spring 2008
Lecture: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:20-1:10 121 Sparks
Instructor: E. Paul Durrenberger
Office: 318 Carpenter Building
Office hours: TT 1:15-2:15; by chance or appointment—if I’m in my office I’ll be glad to talk with you, or set up an appointment by e-mail.
Emails:
Website: http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/e/p/epd2/
Questions this course addresses:
What are the basic concepts and findings of sociocultural anthropology? How does sociocultural anthropology fit in the wider discipline of anthropology. What is culture? What is it’s role in human evolution? How can we explain the similarities and differences of the many cultures of the world? How do cultures and societies change and evolve? What is the process? How do political, economic, social, religious and other sociocultural systems affect each other? What is the role of ecology? How does the global system work? How did it get that way?
Objectives of this course:
To learn the main concepts of sociocultural anthropology and to learn about ethnography, holism, and the comparative method.
Means of this course: Lectures, a text-book, a book of readings, discussion sections.
Course requirements: Attendance at lectures and discussion sections is mandatory. It is not optional. If you are sick or have a family or other emergency, contact your teaching assistant before the meeting you will miss to explain your absence.
Course Evaluation:
Your grade will be in two parts: 75% from exams based on lectures and the texts, and 25% from participation in discussion sections.
Books:
E. Paul Durrenberger and Suzan Erem. Anthropology Unbound: A Field Guide to the 21st Century.
Aaron Podolefsky and Peter J. Brown. Applying Cultural Anthropology: An Introductory
Reader. 7th edition. [note, 7th edition, 2006—the readings are different in other editions and won’t match the syllabus.]
Comportment during class meetings
You will turn off all cell phones before entering the classroom. You will behave with dignity and respect for your instructors and all of your fellow students. This means you will not talk during class unless you are recognized. It means you will not arrive late or leave early. It means that you will not read anything except your notes during class meetings. It means you will not use electronic devices of any kind without permission. This includes computers and anything with a headset. It means you will not create any distraction for your fellow students during any class meeting. The point of all this is to respect your fellow students and their right as well as your own right to an optimal atmosphere for learning.
Allocation of effort:
The rule of thumb for undergraduate classes is that you should allocate about 2 hours of time outside of class for each hour of class time. This is a 3 hour class. You should allocate 3 hours a week for being in class and an additional 6 hours outside of class for class related work. That means that you should plan on spending about 9 hours per week on this course.
More on Sociocultural Anthropology
Objectives of sociocultural anthropology:
1. to describe how sociocultural systems work
2. and how they got that way
Means of sociocultural anthropology--sociocultural anthropology is:
1. comparative
2. holsitic
3. ethnographic
Sociocultural has two parts:
1. social
2. cultural
Social structure -- the groups people form and the relations among them.
Social organization -- the way people use their social structures and through using them, change them.
Culture -- patterns of thought that people learn by growing up in a particular time and place.
System -- a set of elements related in such a way that if one changes the others change.
Persons with disabilities:
The Pennsylvania State University encourages qualified persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation in this course or have questions about physical access, please tell the instructor as soon as possible.
Academic Integrity
All students should act with personal integrity, respect other student’s dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts. Dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarizing, fabricating information or citations, facilitating academic dishonesty by others, submitting work of another person, and tampering with the work of other students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and anyone found to be dishonest will receive academic sanctions and be reported to the University’s Judicial Affairs office for possible further disciplinary sanction.
Schedule
Date Topic Reading Assignment
Anthro Unbound Applying Anthro
Jan15 orientation/origin stories intro, prologue
17 evolution 1,2
22 human variation 3 14,15,16
24 language 4 7,21,22
29 Ethnography 5,6,29,37
31 Kinship/lineages 5 23,25
Feb 5 Foraging in human history 8
7 Origins of Agriculture 11
12 Adaptation/Cultural Ecology 30
14 Film: Dead Birds 27
19 Film: Dead Birds, continued
21 Exam
26 Problems with pigs (Tsembaga) 6
28 Natural Selection & Ecology 10
Mar 4 Economics & Households 7 17
6 Kinds of Political relations 8
18 Cows, hay & history (Iceland) 9
20 How States Work 10
25 Religion 11 31
27 Exam
Apr 1 film
3 film 33,34
8 Markets and history (Iceland) 12 24
10 Industrial production 13 18,20
15 The Dynamics of Development 14 13,38
17 Industrial Agriculture
22 Local systems respond 15 35
24 Global Processes I 16 36
29 Global Processes II 17 28
May 1 Summary
*Ch=Chapter
Chs=Chapters