1 ANTHROPOLOGY 101 Fall 2013 INTRODUCTION to CULTURAL

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ANTHROPOLOGY 101 Fall 2013 INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY Professor Marc Edelman

Office: 706 North Building Office hours: Tues. & Fri. 2-3PM or by appointment Tel.: 212 772-5659 E-mail: [email protected]

Graduate Teaching Fellows (Office: 716 North Building) Mónica Barra [email protected] Nadja Eisenberg [email protected] Daniel Schneider [email protected]

Weekly schedule:

All students in all sections, Tuesdays and Fridays 11:10AM-12:00N, lecture room 714 West Section 002 discussion (Daniel Schneider): Tuesdays 9:10-10:00AM, room 710 North Section 003 discussion (Nadja Eisenberg): Thursdays 10:10-11:00AM, room 710 North Section 004 discussion (Daniel Schneider): Tuesdays 3:10-4:00PM, room 710 North Section 005 discussion (Nadja Eisenberg): Thursdays 8:10-9:00 AM, room 710 North Section HC1 discussion (Mónica Barra): Wednesdays 12:10-1:00PM, room 710 North Section SCH1 discussion (Mónica Barra): Wednesdays 12:10-1:00PM, room 710 North

Students are expected to attend all lectures and their discussion sections, since these frequently cover material not in the readings. Examinations will include questions about videos shown during class. At the beginning of the semester (and again after several weeks), students should read and carefully consider the attached page, “How to Succeed in This Course” (If you are having difficulty, also consult “If You Are Not Succeeding in this Course”). Students should regularly read The New York Times and other media to increase their general knowledge about issues central to this course (e.g., development and underdevelopment, ethnic conflict, cultural differences, social stratification, gender issues, indigenous peoples’ rights, etc.). This syllabus may be modified during the semester.

This course has three main objectives: (1) to provide an overview of key topics in cultural anthropology; (2) to encourage critical thinking about key anthropological and social scientific debates, past and present; and (3) to analyze explanations for, and causes of cross-cultural similarities and differences. We will attempt to understand both the universal process through which human beings constitute themselves through culture, and the great diversity of cultural forms that result. In the past, anthropologists usually studied distant and “foreign” peoples, the more different from “us” the better. We will look at this “we/they” dichotomy in the context of today’s increasingly interconnected world and explore what happens when anthropological tools are used not only to look at the “other,” but in the analysis of our own complex, diverse society.

Requirements include: active participation in lecture class and section, six reading response papers 10% two in-class examinations 40% one final examination 25% a brief writing assignment (which will be described on a separate sheet) 15% Public Anthropology Website activities and writing assignment 10%

Class participation will be judged by level of preparation, engagement in class, the quality and quantity of reading response papers, and generosity to other students. During the semester you will write a total of six reading responses (one-paragraph papers) on one or more of the articles assigned for a particular week. Students are encouraged to critically engage with the articles’ ideas and main points. Your section instructor will go over the requirements in more detail. Students should complete all assigned reading on a particular topic before the first meeting of the week in which that topic is discussed.

TEXTBOOK AND REQUIRED READINGS

The Public Anthropology Community Action Website has the following book available for download ($10.00) (https://www.publicanthropology.net/index.php ): IMPORTANT: YOU MUST REGISTER WITH THE WEBSITE TO DOWNLOAD THE BOOK (more information below).

Borofsky, Rob. Why a Public Anthropology? Honolulu: Center for a Public Anthropology, Hawaii Pacific University, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-615-50860-3

Additional required readings are available through the Hunter Library’s electronic reserve (ERES) web page (more information below) and links in this syllabus.

ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN THE CLASSROOM (LAPTOPS, TABLETS, CELL PHONES)

Cell phones and other electronic devices must be turned off before entering class. You may not send or receive texts or calls while in class. You may not take out or consult your phone during class. If you do so, you may be asked to leave the class and will be marked absent for that day. Repeat offenders may be asked to withdraw from the course or may receive a failing grade.

If you intend to use a laptop or other electronic device in class for taking notes, please see one of the instructors and obtain and submit the required agreement form. Laptops and other electronic devices may only be used for taking notes (or for accessing brief information needed to participate in class discussions). “Accessing brief information” does not include any form of IM-ing or chatting. Any student who uses a laptop for activities unrelated to the course (social media, surfing, email, shopping, chatting) or without the required signed agreement may be asked to leave and will be marked absent for that day. Repeat offenders may be asked to withdraw from the course or may receive a failing grade.

A NOTE ABOUT WEB-BASED LEARNING RESOURCES AND E-MAIL:

In addition to the links to web-based required readings listed on this syllabus, the course makes use of three web-based resources: (1) a Blackboard web site (BB), (2) a Hunter Library Electronic Reserves (ERES) site, and (3) the Public Anthropology Communication Action Website based at the University of Hawaii. Students registered in this course may access all sites from any computer with an Internet connection.

You may log-in to Blackboard via the CUNY Portal: https://cunyportal.cuny.edu/cpr/authenticate/portal_login.jsp

Information about ERES is at: http://hunter.docutek.com/ERES/

Required readings listed on the syllabus (other than those in the textbook) are available through ERES or are directly accessible from links in the syllabus.

The Public Anthropology Community Action Website (PACAW) is at: https://www.publicanthropology.net/index.php We will use this site to download the book Why a Public Anthropology? Why Now?, to write brief op-ed opinion articles, and for peer evaluation of other students’ articles.

MORE DETAIL ON WEB-BASED RESOURCES IN THIS COURSE

The syllabus is available on the BB site under “Course Information.” This section will also contain FAQs about the examinations, as well some brief multiple choice testing tips. The “Assignments” section contains information about the writing requirement for the course. The two-page essay will be submitted via the “Safe Assign” feature. The “Online Gradebook” will be used to report grades for each examination and assignment.

Blackboard allows the instructor to email individual students or the entire group, but it only uses Hunter email addresses that students receive automatically when enrolling at the College. It is important that you activate your Hunter email address and check it frequently or that you set it to forward messages to an account that you check frequently.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE INSTRUCTOR CANNOT RESOLVE TECHNICAL PROBLEMS WITH ERES OR BB. FOR PROBLEMS WITH ERES, CALL THE LIBRARY AT 212 772-4176 OR 212 772-4160 OR EMAIL [email protected] OR [email protected]. FOR PROBLEMS WITH BB, CONTACT INSTRUCTIONAL COMPUTING AT 212-650-3624 OR EMAIL [email protected]

The Public Anthropology Community Action Website encourages students to consider ethical and political issues that make anthropology relevant in today’s world. We will spend two and a half weeks of the semester working on PACAW activities, including reading, writing short professional-style opinion (op-ed) articles, and anonymously evaluating articles written by other students from other institutions. According to PACAW, “The goal is to give students the experience of writing for a larger audience, beyond the classroom, beyond their school, in a way that attracts attention and serious consideration. It allows them to not only understand how democracy works through discussions in the public sphere but effectively participate in the process.”

A NOTE ABOUT THE USE OF PowerPoint IN THIS COURSE:

Microsoft’s PowerPoint® program has some wonderful features. A university lecturer can write unfamiliar terms on a slide and not subject students to his rusty handwriting. He can present a graph, an illustration, or an outline of key concepts. PowerPoint also has some awful effects, however. Its users tend to simplify complex ideas into easily digested bullet points. Its sophisticated graphics often mask unsophisticated content. Audiences sometimes absorb less information from a PowerPoint slide than from a roadside billboard. As a student, you will need to LISTEN to what is being said in addition to looking at or copying down what appears on the screen. And since it is impossible to anticipate students’ questions and prepare appropriate slides with responses, the instructor is likely to handwrite some words

3 and phrases on an old-fashioned overhead projector or an even more old-fashioned chalkboard (not a blackboard, which in this age of technological marvels now means something else– see above). So we will use PowerPoint, but we will do so in a deliberately low-tech way.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Students are expected to practice academic honesty. This means no plagiarism or cheating. You are expected to understand what this means. If you do not understand or are uncertain about what constitutes cheating or plagiarism, you must ask. Penalties for plagiarism or cheating are severe; they can range from an “F” in the course to expulsion from the College. The Hunter Anthropology Department has a zero tolerance policy regarding plagiarism and cheating.

The Hunter College Senate requires that the following statement be included on all syllabi:

“Hunter College regards acts of academic dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism, cheating on examinations, obtaining unfair advantage, and falsification of records and official documents) as serious offenses against the values of intellectual honesty. The College is committed to enforcing the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity and will pursue cases of academic dishonesty according to the Hunter College Academic Integrity Procedures.”

COURSE LECTURE SCHEDULE AND REQUIRED READINGS

NOTE: THIS SCHEDULE LISTS LECTURES, NOT DISCUSSION SECTION MEETINGS (For weekly discussion section schedule, see page 1 of this syllabus).

Week I (Tues. Jan. 29 & Fri. Feb. 1): Course Introduction-- The scope of anthropology and how we learn—or don’t learn 1. Borofsky, Why a Public Anthropology?, pp. 1-17. 2. Dove, Michael R. 2009. “Dreams from his Mother.” New York Times, 10 Aug. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/11/opinion/11dove.html 3. Herbert, Bob. 2011. “College the Easy Way.” The New York Times, 4 March http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/05/opinion/05herbert.html 4. Read pp. 1-4 and 10-12 of this syllabus.

(Recommended readings and video viewing): 1. Tufte, Edward R. 2003. The Cognitive Style of Powerpoint. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press (ERES). 2. Thompson, Clive. 2003. “PowerPoint Makes You Dumb.” The New York Times, 14 Dec. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/14/magazine/2003-the-3rd-annual-year-in-ideas-powerpoint-makes- you-dumb.html 3. Foster, Andrea L. 2007. “Kansas State U. Students Read Half of Class Material.” Chronicle of Higher Education, 17 Oct. http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/?id=2462

Week II (Tues. Feb. 5 & Fri. Feb. 8): Ethnography, Ethics, Interpretation and Objectivity 1. Bourgois, Philippe. “Crack in Spanish Harlem: Culture and Economy in the Inner City,” Anthropology Today Vol. 5, No. 4 (Aug., 1989), pp. 6-11(ERES) 2. Kim, Seung Kyung. “Fieldwork with a ‘Disguised’ Worker: In a South Korean Export Processing Zone,” Anthropology Today, Vol. 11, No. 3. (Jun., 1995), pp. 6-9 (ERES) 3. Petryna, Adriana. “Nuclear Payouts: Knowledge and Compensation in the Chernobyl Aftermath.” Anthropology Now Vol. 1, No. 2 (Sept. 2009), pp. 30-39.

Week III (NO CUNY CLASSES on Tues. Feb. 12. CLASS ON Thurs. Feb. 14 & Fri. Feb. 15): Debates about Culture and Cultural Relativism TWO -PAGE PAPER ASSIGNMENT DISTRIBUTED. 1. Williams, Raymond, “Culture.” In Keywords. New York: Oxford University Press, 1983, pp. 87-93. http://pubpages.unh.edu/~dml3/880williams.htm#N_1_ 2. Kratz, Corinne A. “Circumcision, Pluralism, and Dilemmas of Cultural Relativism.” In Applying Cultural Anthropology, sixth edition, Aaron Podolefsky and Peter J. Brown, eds., pp.269-280. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2003.(ERES) 3. Okin, Susan Moller. 1999. “Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women?” In Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women?, Susan Moller Okin, ed., pp. 7-24. Princeton: Princeton University Press (ERES). 4. Carvajal, Doreen. 2009. “Sarkozy Backs Drive to Eliminate the Burqa.” The New York Times 22 June http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/world/europe/23france.html?_r=1&ref=world 5. Costa-Kostritsky, Valeria. 2012. “France and the veil – the dark side of the law.” OpenDemocracy.Net, 28 Nov. http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/valeria-costa-kostritsky/france-and- veil-%E2%80%93-dark-side-of-law

Week IV (Tues. Feb. 19 & Fri. Feb. 22) Human Variation, Race, and Ethnicity (I): Biologizing Difference, Naturalizing “Race” TWO-PAGE PAPER DRAFTS DUE IN DISCUSSION SECTION MEETING. 1.McIntosh, Peggy. “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” In Applying Cultural Anthropology, sixth edition, Aaron Podolefsky and Peter J. Brown, eds., pp.125-128. Boston: McGraw- Hill, 2003.(ERES). Also at http://www.case.edu/president/aaction/UnpackingTheKnapsack.pdf 2. Cole, Juan. 2012. “Top Ten Differences between White Terrorists and Others.” Informed Comment, 9 August http://www.juancole.com/2012/08/top-ten-differences-between-white-terrorists-and-others.html 3. Smedley, Audrey. 2004. “The History of the Idea of Race... and Why it Matters.” pp. 1-8 http://www.understandingrace.org/resources/pdf/disease/smedley.pdf 4. Understanding Race Project. 2007. “Race and Human Variation.” http://www.understandingrace.org/humvar/race_humvar.html 5. Understanding Race Project. 2007. “Sports Quiz: White Men Can’t Jump & Other Assumptions about Sports & Race.” http://www.understandingrace.org/lived/sports/index.html 6. Goodman, Alan. 2005. “Two Questions About Race.” http://raceandgenomics.ssrc.org/Goodman/ 7. Kristof, Nicholas D. 2009. “Rising Above I.Q.” The New York Times 6 June http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/opinion/07kristof.html?_r=1

Week V (Tues. Feb. 26, Fri. Mar. 1) Human Variation, Race, and Ethnicity (II): Health, Medicine, Forensics, Racism 1. Kaufman, Jay S. 2005. “The Anatomy of a Medical Myth.” http://raceandgenomics.ssrc.org/Kaufman/ 2. Goodman, Alan. 2000. “Why Genes Don’t Count (for Racial Differences in Health).” American Journal of Public Health Vol. 90, No. 11, pp.1699-1702. http://carbon.hampshire.edu/~agoodman/pdf/goodman%20ajph%20genes%20and%20race.pdf 3. Understanding Race Project. 2007. “Health Connections: Do Our Genes Determine Our Health?” http://www.understandingrace.org/humvar/biotech.html 4. Reed, Adolph, Jr. 2001. “Skin Deep.” In Class Notes: Posing as Politics and Other Thoughts on the American Scene, pp. 139-143. New York: New Press (ERES). 5. King, Jamilah. 2013. “Series of Brooklyn Billboards Put Racial Inequity on Display.” Colorlines News for Action (ERES). NOTE: The SSRC website contains a link to a Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms See also the glossary at http://www.understandingrace.org/resources/glossary.html

Week VI (Tues. Mar. 5, Fri. Mar. 8) Migration and Criminality, Social Inequalities FINAL DRAFT OF TWO-PAGE PAPER DUE MARCH 8 (SUBMIT THROUGH BLACKBOARD “SAFE ASSIGN” FEATURE). 1. Zilberg, Elana. 2011. “Latino Looter: Law of Place.” In Space of Detention: The Making of a Transnational Gang Crisis Between Los Angeles and San Salvador. Durham, NC: Duke University Press pp. 53-74 (ERES). 2. NYU School of Law Immigrant Rights Clinic. 2012. “Insecure Communities, Devastated Families: New Data on Immigrant Detention and Deportation Practices in New York City,” pp. 1-26. http://familiesforfreedom.org/sites/default/files/resources/NYC%20F OIA%20Report%202012%20FINAL_1.pdf 3. O’Leary, Amy. 2013. “What is Middle Class in Manhattan?” The New York Times (Jan. 18) https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/20/realestate/what-is-middle- class-in-manhattan.html?pagewanted=1&hp 4. Stiglitz, Joseph E. 2011. “Inequality: Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1%.” Vanity Fair (May) http://www.vanityfair.com/society/features/2011/05/top-one-percent-201105 . 5. Goodman, Amy. 2012. “Exhaustive Study Finds Global Elite Hiding up to $32 Trillion in Offshore Accounts.” NationofChange.Org (Aug 1) http://www.nationofchange.org/exhaustive-study-finds-global- elite-hiding-32-trillion-offshore-accounts-1343831788 6. Oxfam. 2013. “The Cost of Inequality: How Wealth and Income Extremes Hurt Us All.” Oxfam Media Briefing (January 18) http://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/cost-of-inequality-oxfam-mb180113.pdf 7. Ituassu, Arthur. 2010. “Brazil: Democracy vs Poverty.” OpenDemocracy.Net (July 29) http://www.opendemocracy.net/arthur-ituassu/brazil-democracy-vs-poverty

8. “U.S. Income Inequality Worse Than Many Latin American Countries.” Huffington Post (Jan. 27, 2013) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/27/us-income-inequality- wors_n_2561123.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

Week VII (Tues. Mar. 12, Fri. Mar. 15) Urban Anthropology, Urban Environments 1. Klinenberg, Eric. 2013. “Adaptation: How Can Cities Be ‘Climate-Proofed’?” The New Yorker (Jan. 7), pp. 32-37 (ERES). 2. Isoke, Zensele. “The Politics of Homemaking: Black Feminist Transformations of a Cityscape.” Transforming Anthropology – Journal of the Association of Black Anthropologists Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 117-130 (ERES). 3. Sauder, Robert R. 2011. “Whose Place is this Anyway? The Israeli Separation Barrier, International Activists and Graffiti.” Anthropology News, p. 16 (March) (ERES) NOTE: THIS AND ALL ANTHROPOLOGY NEWS READINGS LISTED BELOW ARE IN THE SAME PDF TITLED “ANTHROPOLOGY NEWS 2011 IN FOCUS-PLACE” 4. Radice, Martha. 2011. “Ethnography of the Street. When is a Place not a Place?” Anthropology News, p. 13 (March) (ERES). 5. Sokolovsky, Jay. 2011. “Civic Ecology and the Anthropology of Place: Urban Community Gardens and the Creation of Inclusionary Landscapes.” Anthropology News, p. 6 (March) (ERES) 6. Andrews-Swann, Jenna. 2011. “Cafecitos y nostalgia: Building Transnational Landscapes in the Cuban Diaspora.” Anthropology News, p. 12 (March) (ERES) 7. Lora-Wainwright, Anna. 2012. “Rural China in Ruins: The Rush to Urbanize China’s Countryside is Opening a Moral Battleground.” Anthropology Today Vol. 28, No. 4 (Aug.), pp. 8-13 (ERES).

Week VIII Tues. Mar. 19 & Fri. Mar. 22. REVIEW ON TUESDAY MARCH 19. EXAMINATION #1 ON FRI. MARCH 22.

VACATION MARCH 25-APRIL 2

Week IX (Fri. Apr. 5) Gender Relations: Key Concepts and Debates 1. Jordan-Young, Rebecca. 2012. “Olympics: Some of Their Parts.” Anthropology News, June http://www.anthropology-news.org/index.php/2012/06/15/some-of-their-parts/ 2. Kurkiala, Mikael. “Interpreting Honour Killings: The Story of Fadime Sahindal (1975–2002) in the Swedish Press.” Anthropology Today, Feb 2003, Vol. 19, Issue 1, pp. 6-7. (ERES) 3. Boylan, Jennifer Finney. 2009. “Is My Marriage Gay?” The New York Times (11 May) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/12/opinion/12boylan.html 4. LaFraniere, Sharon. 2009. “Chinese Bias for Baby Boys Creates a Gap of 32 Million.” The New York Times (Apr. 10) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/11/world/asia/11china.html 5. Roberts, Sam. 2009. “U.S. Births Hint at Bias for Boys in Some Asians.” The New York Times, 14 June http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/15/nyregion/15babies.html?_r=1&emc=eta1 6. Banyan. 2011. “The Daughter’s Return : A Glimmer of Hope in the Sad Tale of Sex-selective Abortion in India.” The Economist (Dec. 31) http://www.economist.com/node/21542208 6. Bilefsky, Dan. 2008. “Albanian Custom Fades: Woman as Family Man.” The New York Times, 25 June. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/25/world/europe/25virgins.html 7. Kulick, Don. 2009. “Sex and Scandal in Brazil.” Anthropology Now, Vol. 1, No. 3 (December 2009), pp. 32-42 (ERES) 8. Richburg, Keith. 2010. “Knowing Cultural View Of Virginity, Chinese Women Try Surgical Restoration.” The Washington Post (Aug. 2010) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- dyn/content/article/2010/08/16/AR2010081602839.html?hpid=topnews

Week X (Tues. Apr. 9, Fri. Apr. 12) Public Anthropology website activities BEGIN DRAFTING SHORT ARTICLES FOR PUBLIC ANTHROPOLOGY WEBSITE 1. Borofsky, Rob. 2009. Why a Public Anthropology? Why Now?, chapters 1-2. 2. Background information on the Public Anthropology website 3. Ferguson, R. Brian. 2008. “Ten Points on War.” Social Analysis Vol. 52, Issue 2, pp. 32-49. (ERES)

Week XII (Tues. Apr. 16, Fri. Apr. 19) Ritual, Religion and the Supernatural

1. Kristof, Nicholas D. 2010. “Test Your Savvy on Religion.” The New York Times, 9 Oct. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/opinion/10kristof.ht ml?_r=1&src=me&ref=homepage 2. Sosis, Richard. “The Adaptive Values of Religious Ritual.” American Scientist, March-April 2004, Vol. 92, No. 2, pp. 166-172. (ERES) 3. Hitchens, Christopher. “Religion Poisons Everything.” Slate, April 25, 2007 http://www.slate.com/id/2165033/entry/2165035/ 4. Crone, Patricia. “‘Jihad’: Idea and History.” OpenDemocracy, Jan. 5, 2007 http://www.opendemocracy.net/faith- europe_islam/jihad_4579.jsp 5. Turner, Edith B. 1997. “The Reality of Spirits.” Shamanism, Vol. 10, No. 1. http://www.shamanism.org/articles/article02.html

Week XIII (Tues. Apr. 23 & Fri. Apr. 26) FINISH PUBLIC ANTHROPOLOGY WEBSITE ACTIVITIES BY WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24 Families, Birth, Marriage, Death, Ancestors, Demographic Transitions 1. Colwell-Chanthaphonh, Chip. 2011. “The Disappeared: Power over the Dead in the Aftermath of 9/11.” Anthropology Today Vol. 27, No. 3 (June), pp. 5-11 (ERES). 2. Melvyn C. Goldstein, “When Brothers Share a Wife.” In Applying Cultural Anthropology, sixth edition, Aaron Podolefsky and Peter J. Brown, eds., pp. 201-205. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2003 (ERES). 3. Madhavan, Sangeetha. “Best of Friends and Worst of Enemies: Competition and Collaboration in Polygyny.” Ethnology Winter 2002, Vol. 41 Issue 1, pp. 69-85. (ERES). 4. O’Connor, Richard, and Penny Van Esterik. “Breastfeeding as custom not culture: Cutting Meaning Down to Size.” Anthropology Today Vol. 28, No. 5 (Oct.), pp. 13-16. (ERES). 5. Levin, Elise C. 2000. “Women’s Childbearing Decisions in Guinea: Life Course Perspectives and Historical Change.” Africa Today Vol. 47, No. 3&4, pp. 63-81 (ERES).

Week XIV (Tues. Apr. 30, Fri. May 3) EXAMINATION # 2 ON FRIDAY, MAY 3 Labor under Capitalism 1. Collins, Jane L. and Victoria Mayer. 2010. Both Hands Tied: Welfare Reform and the Race to the Bottom in the Low-Wage Labor Market. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, pp. 147-164 (ERES). 2. Pappas, Gregory. 1989. The Magic City: Unemployment in a Working-Class Community. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, pp. 1-12, 75-89, 154-180 (ERES). 3. Striffler, Steve. 2005. Chicken: The Dangerous Transformation of America’s Favorite Food. New Haven: Yale University Press, pp. 111-134 (ERES).

Week XV (Tues. May 7, Fri. May 10) Language, Communication, and Culture 1. “Speaking in Tongues: Language Diversity around the World.” The Economist, 12 February 2012 http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2012/02/daily-chart-9?fb_ref=activity 2. Bhattacharjee, Yudhijit. 2012. “Why Bilinguals are Smarter.” The New York Times, 17 March https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-benefits-of- bilingualism.html?src=me&ref=general 3. Duranti, Alessandro. “Relativity.” Journal of Linguistic Anthropology Jun 1999, Vol. 9, Nos. 1-2: 220-222. (ERES) 4. Deutscher, Guy. 2010. “Does Your Language Shape How You Think?” The New York Times Magazine, 26 Aug. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/magazine/29language-t.html?_r=1 5. Kagarlitsky, Boris. 2010. “Controlling People through Language.” Transnational Institute [original in The Moscow Times], 16 September http://www.tni.org/article/controlling-people-through-language 6. Bhalla, Caroline. “Untranslatable Words: ‘Dude’”, from OpenDemocracy.net (ERES) 7. Elfyn, Menna. ““Untranslatable Words: ‘Glas,’” from OpenDemocracy.net (ERES) 8. Thompson, David S. “The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis: Worlds Shaped by Words.” In Conformity and Conflict: Readings in Cultural Anthropology, 12th edition, pp. 63-75. James Spradley and David W. McCurdy, eds. Boston: Pearson, 2006. (ERES) 9. Barry, Ellen. 2008. “Barriers That Are Steep and Linguistic.” The New York Times, 24 August http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/weekinreview/24barry.html?ref=weekinreview 10. Harrison, K. David, and Gregory Anderson. 2007 “Language Hotspots Map” and “Enduring Voices: Documenting the Planet's Endangered Languages” http://www.nationalgeographic.com/mission/enduringvoices/ http://www.languagehotspots.org/ 11. Lovgren, Stefan. 2007. “Languages Racing to Extinction in 5 Global ‘Hotspots.’” National Geographic News, September 18 http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/09/070918-languages- extinct.html

Week XIV (Tues. May 14, NO CLASS on Fri. May 17) TUESDAY WILL BE A REVIEW SESSION FOR THE FINAL EXAMINATION. BRING QUESTIONS.

FINAL EXAM DATE AND TIME: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 from 9:00am to 11am.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN THIS COURSE

Much recent research indicates that students who tend to learn and to succeed in college:

1. study by themselves for more hours each week, 2. take classes that are rigorous and reflect high expectations, 3. come to every class having completed all assigned reading, 4. ask questions and contribute observations in class, 5. are required to write frequently and extensively, 6. arrive on time and do not drift anonymously in and out of the classroom, 7. take extensive notes on assigned readings, classroom discussions and lectures.

Since you are in college because you want to get an education and earn a degree, I imagine that you want to succeed. Get to know other students in the class to study, to prepare for exams and, if you miss a class, to borrow notes. Get their phone numbers and emails. If you have any difficulty with written or spoken English—and especially if English is not the language you speak and write best—get to know (and get the phone number of) at least one fellow student who is a proficient, native speaker of English.

In order to do well in this course, you must take notes in class and on your reading. This also keeps you engaged while in class. Whether in class, at home or in the library, always try to write down the major points of what you just heard or read. Outline the argument or key ideas. Think about why the instructor or author thought it worth making those points and about how they may relate to other issues discussed in class or in the reading. When you encounter unfamiliar words, look them up and/or consult the instructor. Finally, write down your own thoughts or criticisms. When you do this, you will notice that making sense of, and remembering, what you read and hear will be much easier. You will also sharpen your own capacity for critical thinking. To avoid anonymity and to make learning an effective, active process of dialogue, you must participate actively in class. This means that you must ask when you have a question, even if you are not accustomed to speaking in front of others.

8. Raise questions. 9. Clarify points. 10. Overcome shyness. 11. Share your knowledge, insights, and experiences.

Feel free to challenge the views of the instructor or other students. In order to do so effectively, please follow three basic rules:

12. Be courteous. Do not interrupt, but wait until the speaker has finished making his/her point. Make a note of what you want to say, so that you don’t forget it. 13. Be logical when you argue. Base what you have to say on evidence from the readings, lectures or your own knowledge. 14. Be tolerant of how others express themselves. Your fellow students may speak English differently than you or have opinions that you don’t share. You may still learn a lot from them. By creating a comfortable space for them to share their ideas, you also make it easier for you to express yourself.

I strongly urge you to see me during office hours or at another mutually convenient time to discuss any questions or problems. Students who don't seek help when they need it have only themselves to blame if they don't do well.

Finally, even if you are taking this course to fulfill a distribution requirement rather than for your major, try to enjoy it and do well. The only way to do so is to engage enthusiastically in learning for learning’s sake.

An Ibo (an ethnic group in Nigeria) proverb reads:

Not to know is bad, not to wish to know is worse, not to hope is unthinkable, not to care is unforgivable.

IF YOU ARE NOT SUCCEEDING IN THIS COURSE

In every large course, some students get into serious difficulty. The reasons may range from taking on too many courses (or courses that are more demanding than anticipated), too many work or family responsibilities, learning or physical disabilities, major illness, emotional crises, language problems, emergencies, poor study habits, or lack of interest.

If, for any reason, you think that you might be in academic trouble in this course, it is extremely important that you take the following steps:

1. Consult the instructor immediately about how you are doing and what your options might be. Do not wait to do this. Do not be shy about doing this. Sometimes it is possible to catch up and do well.

2. If necessary, withdraw from the course before Friday, March 12, 2013. Otherwise you may receive a WU (withdrawal unauthorized) or an F grade on your transcript. This may cause you problems later in life (for example, when applying for a job or to a graduate or professional school).

3. If the deadline to withdraw has passed and you are not doing well in the course, you may be able to exercise the C/NC (credit/no credit option), if you complete all of the course work. This will give you a grade of either “credit” (passing) or “no credit” on your transcript. “No credit” is better than “F” or “WU.” To exercise the C/NC option you must sign the form and have the instructor sign the form before the date of the final exam.

Hunter College has the following resources available for students who are experiencing academic or other difficulties:

Advising Services: East Building, room 1119, tel. 212 772-4882, [email protected]

Reading/Writing Center: Thomas Hunter Hall, Room 416, tel. 212 772-4212, http://rwc.hunter.cuny.edu/

Counseling Services: East Building, room 1123, tel. 212 772-4931, [email protected]

Center for Student Achievement (workshops on test-taking, time management, effective study practices), West Building, room 417 [email protected]

Office of Accessibility (for students with learning or physical disabilities): East Building, room 1124, tel. 212 772-4857, [email protected]

These offices are staffed by highly trained professionals who are there to help you. If you are in trouble of any kind, it is imperative that you contact the appropriate office and receive assistance.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ANTHROPOLOGY

An introductory course in cultural anthropology can only begin to scratch the surface of this vast and very exciting field. The Anthropology Department at Hunter College also offers introductory courses in biological (physical), linguistic and archaeological anthropology. It offers a wide range of upper-level courses in all four subfields of anthropology. Many of these courses fulfill requirements for the undergraduate degree, even for students specializing in other fields.

Anthropology majors take courses in all four subfields. The Department also offers minors in general anthropology, cultural anthropology, physical anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and archaeology. If you decide to major in anthropology, fill in this form and bring it to the Department’s undergraduate adviser. If you would like to minor in one of the anthropology minors, fill in this form.

Some people wonder what kinds of careers are possible for a student who majors in anthropology. The Careers in Anthropology section of the Hunter Anthropology website is a good place to start to explore this question. It contains a large number of links to information on non-academic and academic careers for students at all levels.

Careers in Anthropology from the American Anthropological Association Careers in Applied Anthropology from the National Association for the Practice of Anthropology (NAPA) Anthropologists at Work Q&A (NAPA) Careers in Historical Archaeology from the Society for Historical Archaeology Careers in U.S. Archaeology from Texas A&M University Jobs, Internships, Grants from the New School for Social Research Jobs in Higher Education, Chronicle of Higher Education US Government jobs Careers in International Development from Harvard University Careers in International Development and Policy from SIPA, Columbia Career listings from the Idealist.org International Development Careers from Devex UNDP Leadership Development Programme Presidential Management Fellowship UNICEF's New and Emerging Talent Initiative "Anthropology without Doctorates" by Dan Berrett, Inside Higher Ed Masters' Career Pathways, AAA Committee on Practicing, Applied and Public IntERESt Anthropology "What I Tell My Graduate Students" by Lennard Davis, Chronicle of Higher Education "Tips for PhD Students of Color" [and others] by Christine Folch SSRC video discussion on publishing your first scholarly book