Spring 2009 of Course—Anth 269: the Anthropology of Rock and Roll

AnthropoSpring 2009 Log News from the University of Washington’s Department of Anthropology In this issue: Front Cover Of Course—Anth 269: The Anthropology of Rock and Roll Of Course: Anth 269: The Anthropology of Rock and Roll New Faculty: Assistant Professor When people hear the phrase “rock and roll anthropology. Most students enter the class ethnographic research in Mexico, Panama, and Ben Marwick music,” artists such as Elvis, Chuck Berry, Bruce expecting a lighthearted review of the history the United States. In his newest project, he Inside Springsteen, and Neil Young might come to of rock and roll. Instead, through discussions of examines the artifacts left by undocumented mind. Most people do not immediately think of rock music, they get an in-depth exposure to migrants along the Mexico-Arizona border to Note from the Chair anthropological theories of ethnic identity some of the most serious issues studied by provide evidence for the economics of human New Faculty: Assistant Professor formation or of 19th Century German political socio-cultural anthropologists, including racism, smuggling and the life histories of Mexican and Sareeta Bipin Amrute economists. But that’s not the case for the 230 class struggles, homophobia, sexual violence, Central American migrant women and children. Drs. Peter and Amy Eby Establish the Gerald G. Eck Student Support Fund students who were recently enrolled in ANTH and drug abuse. In addition to learning about He hopes to include undergraduates in this 269: The Anthropology of Rock and Roll. They’re the connection between popular music and research. A former punk rocker turned aca- New teaching initiatives in Medical Anthropology and Global Health accustomed to hearing Karl Marx and Karl anthropology, the students also learn how to demic, Professor De León is excited to fi nally Polanyi referenced in the same breath as critically evaluate music production, including have the opportunity to bridge his love of loud Back Cover musical artists N.W.A., Santigold, and Bad techniques such as overdubbing and studio amplifi ers with political economy theory. His Professor Patricia Kramer Refl ects Brains. Or in seeing their professor put a photo mixing, to understand how music is recorded favorite aspect of the rock and roll class is on Lucy in Seattle of Bronislaw Malinowski on the same Power- and how “culture” infl uences our interpretation convincing students that anthropology is 2008 Donors to Anthropology point slide as the shock-rocker G.G. Allin. of sound. something they can fi nd everywhere, including on their iPods. “The Anthropology of Rock and Roll” is a new The mastermind behind this new course is our introductory course that uses examples of new hire, Full-Time Lecturer Jason De León. popular music as case studies to expose Professor De León is an economic anthropolo- undergraduate students to some of the major gist who has conducted archaeological and concepts and themes in socio-cultural The Notorious B.I.G. would have a lot to say about Polanyi’s theory of embedded economics! STUDENT COMMENTS ABOUT THE COURSE: “This was my all time favorite class. ANTH 269 “I went into the course looking for an easy ‘cultural “I thought it was a spectacular class that wove allows students to enjoy coming to class while study of music’ class, and came out with a high the culture of rock seamlessly into discussions of learning important concepts that defi ne our appreciation and understanding of politically anthropology, addressed meaningful topics of culture and other sub-cultures. Instead of ‘having’ and culturally charged music and everything human social organizations and crises with a mix of to learn, the class makes us ‘want’ to learn. This is that surrounds it. I will not be able to watch respect and humor. And yeah, it totally rocked.” one of the most ‘real’ classes I have taken during another sexually violent music video or listen to —name withheld my three years at the University of Washington.” a Marxist-economics-based hip hop song again, —Thomas Shin, Junior, Pre-major without analyzing and critiquing its background “This class shows you a new way to observe your own and cultural constructs. Professor De León culture and the world around you. Even more so, you “The Anthropology of Rock and Roll is hands does an excellent job at engaging students and show up excited to come to class every day to see the down one of the best classes I’ve ever taken. demystifying society through his fervid openness different ways that music refl ects culture.” This is the fi rst time I’ve had a professor who and passion. It was a class I was sad to see end.” —Rebecca Wada, Sophomore, Architecture managed to convey several important, serious —Kelly Thoma, Sophomore, Anthropology issues while holding everyone’s attention and “This course gave me a real sense of purpose in making us laugh at least once each day. While the “The most diverse and meaningful anthropology Anthropology in the modern world, the discourses content was important and I learned something course I’ve ever taken, which was a result of impacting our lives that take place in recreational meaningful in each lecture, it was really the way Jason’s passion and personal knowledge of the realms, and the important choices we make as the concepts were presented that made them so topics of the course.” music consumers.” interesting. Our professor was enthusiastic about —Steven Ritchey, Junior, Pre-major —Michael Galtney, Junior, Anthropology his work and hilarious in teaching it. I would defi nitely take one of his classes again.” —Christina Snailum, Senior, Anthropology Karl Marx would have loved hip-hop music! New Faculty: Assistant Professor Ben Marwick Ben Marwick joined the Department of involves exploring the archaeological record for analyzing patterns in stone artifact scatters, Anthropology as an assistant professor in evidence of climate variability. Using a set of surface geology and geomorphology in arid March 2008, coming to us from The Australian marine bivalves collected in northern Australia, South Australia. The archaeology of this region National University in Canberra. Ben began his Ben is looking at the changes in the distribution is unique because of the very high density of career studying human behavioral ecology and of oxygen and carbon isotopes throughout the artifacts and sites. Ben and his colleagues environmental archaeology during the period mid- to late Holocene as a marker for changes in have developed a number of new mobile 40,000-50,000 years ago in northwest Thailand. climate through time. geographic information systems to collect and manage this richness of data. Since coming to UW, he’s been extending that Other new research has taken him both further Ben Marwick (white hat) training Thai archaeology students in fi eld work in a number of directions. One very back and more forward in time. Further back in Since arriving, Ben has taught courses in survey, northwest Thailand exciting direction with great relevance for today time, he is continuing his work in Thailand to anthropology and archaeology, including the examine hominin ecology and technology during undergraduate honors class, ‘Archaeology in the Middle Pleistocene. Later in time, he is Film’, ‘Geoarchaeology’ and ‘Archaeology and working in the neighboring country of Laos as Explanation’. The fi lm class is one of Ben’s part of the Middle Mekong Archaeological Project. most popular classes. In the summer of Ben has been involved in three fi eld seasons of 2008—while he was teaching the class for the survey and excavation there to investigate the fi rst time at UW—he actually played the part of transition from hunter-gatherer to agricultural a professor of archaeology in a full-length modes of subsistence. He is also reaching into feature fi lm to be released later in 2009. In later periods with recent fi eldwork in the Lao 2009 he will also teach a new course called National Museum in Luang Prabang, examining ‘Mainland Southeast Asian Archaeology’. He is the craft traditions of bronze Buddha statues. currently the Honors Program Coordinator for the Anthropology Department and affi liated The fi nal new direction for Ben is into Australian with the UW Center for Statistics in the Social arid zone archaeology and geomorphology. In Sciences and the UW Quaternary Research collaboration with one of his PhD advisers, he Center. Welcome, Ben! has been involved in three fi eld seasons of Note from the chair Hello everyone! I am thrilled to be the new environmental and health rights. Professor dissertation, “Producing Mobility: Indian IT person offering greetings from the chair’s offi ce Steve Harrell talked about his recent work in Workers in Germany,” explores how Indian in the Department of Anthropology. Last year southwest China, which involves collaborations information technology workers create acting chair Alison Wylie stated that it had been on social and environmental interactions circulating economies and sustain new forms of a year of transitions, with more in store. And I’m around Yangjuan Primary School. As founder of kinship and connectivity at home. We also pleased to say that I am the fi nal step in our the Cool Mountain Education Fund, he supports welcome our new lecturer, Jason De León. chair transition process–what some have called education as an effective means of promoting Although his dissertation research at “musical chairs.” I had the wonderful experience environmental stewardship and socioeconomic Pennsylvania State University focused on of working with former chair Miriam Kahn and development in this rural community. And Mesoamerican archaeology, his current acting chair Charles Keyes by way of serving on fi nally, I was our third presenter, describing research and much of his teaching integrate their executive committees, and last year with how my work on female genital cutting in Africa archaeology and sociocultural anthropology in acting chair Alison Wylie by serving as her has moved beyond its original focus on health creative ways.

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