Texas A&M ANTH 5310 Anthropology of Religion Spring 2018
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
American Cultural Anthropology and British Social Anthropology
Anthropology News • January 2006 IN FOCUS ANTHROPOLOGY ON A GLOBAL SCALE In light of the AAA's objective to develop its international relations and collaborations, AN invited international anthropologists to engage with questions about the practice of anthropology today, particularly issues of anthropology and its relationships to globaliza- IN FOCUS tion and postcolonialism, and what this might mean for the future of anthropology and future collaborations between anthropologists and others around the world. Please send your responses in 400 words or less to Stacy Lathrop at [email protected]. One former US colleague pointed out American Cultural Anthropology that Boas’s four-field approach is today presented at the undergradu- ate level in some departments in the and British Social Anthropology US as the feature that distinguishes Connections and Four-Field Approach that the all-embracing nature of the social anthropology from sociology, Most of our colleagues’ comments AAA, as opposed to the separate cre- highlighting the fact that, as a Differences German colleague noted, British began by highlighting the strength ation of the Royal Anthropological anthropologists seem more secure of the “four-field” approach in the Institute (in 1907) and the Associa- ROBERT LAYTON AND ADAM R KAUL about an affinity with sociology. US. One argued that this approach is tion of Social Anthropologists (in U DURHAM Clearly British anthropology traces in fact on the decline following the 1946) in Britain, contributes to a its lineage to the sociological found- deeper impact that postmodernism higher national profile of anthropol- ing fathers—Durkheim, Weber and consistent self-critique has had in the US relative to the UK. -
Dealing with Uncertainty: Shamans, Marginal Capitalism, and the Remaking of History in Postsocialist Mongolia
MANDUHAI BUYANDELGERIYN Harvard University Dealing with uncertainty: Shamans, marginal capitalism, and the remaking of history in postsocialist Mongolia ABSTRACT ore than 15 years have passed since the collapse of social- In this article, I explore the proliferation of ism in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, and Mongolia.1 Most previously suppressed shamanic practices among people in these regions have been subjected to unexpected, ethnic Buryats in Mongolia after the collapse of contradictory, and often confusing transformations because socialism in 1990. Contrary to the Buryats’ of the “unmaking” (Humphrey 2002) of socialism and the si- expectation that shamanism would solve the Mmultaneous arrival of a market economy and implementation of neoliberal uncertainties brought about by the market economy, economic reforms. Because the economic transformations have been the it has created additional spiritual uncertainties. As most visible and pertinent aspects of the transitions to postsocialism, a rich skeptical Buryats repeatedly propitiate their angry body of work has discussed the restructuring of property and privatization, origin spirits to alleviate the causes of their state institutions, and the rethinking of political categories (Berdahl 1999; misfortunes, they reconstruct their history, which Borneman1992,1998;BurawoyandVerdery1999;Caldwell2004;Humphrey was suppressed by state socialism. The Buryats make 2002; Verdery 1996). Scholars elsewhere have also noted that the feelings of their current calamities meaningful by placing them uncertainty, insecurity, and anxiety that result from the dangerous volatil- within the shifting history of their tragic past. The ity, disorder, and opaqueness of the market are being articulated through sense of uncertainty, fear, and disillusionment the medium of popular religion, shamanism, witchcraft, and spirit posses- experienced by the Buryats also characterizes daily sion (Comaroff and Comaroff 2000; Kendall 2003; Moore and Sanders 2001; life in places other than Mongolia. -
ANT 333 Anthropology of Religion 1
ANT 333 Anthropology of Religion Tuesday/Thursday 12:30 – 1:45 Candelaria 0065 Section 001 Spring 2013 Instructor: Dr. Sally McBeth Office Hours: Mon 2:00 – 5:00 Candelaria 2200 Tues 11-12 – 2-3 (970) 351-1746 Thurs 11-12 – 2-3 [email protected] or by appointment Blair Mueller (TA) [email protected] Texts (Required): God Is Not One (2010) by Stephen Prothero (2 copies on reserve at Michener) Holy Ghost Girl (2011) by Donna Johnson E-Reserve Readings Required: listed in order of due date (see syllabus) Scanned in Weekly BB Folders “On the Origin of Religion” (Elizabeth Culotta) “On the Origin of Art and Symbolism” (Michael Balter) “Genesis “ “P’An Ku” “Bumba” “Emergence” “World on Turtle’s Back” “Amma and Nummu Prepare the World” “The Letter” (Shadi Eskandani) “Aztec Sacrifice” (Bernardino de Sahagún) “Mother Cow” (Marvin Harris) “A Buddhist Perspective on Nonviolence” (Sulak Sivaraksa) DSS Statement: Students with disabilities: Any student requesting disability accommodation for this class must inform the instructor by giving appropriate notice. Students are encouraged to contact Disability Support Services at UNC: 970-351-2289 to certify documentation of disability and to ensure that appropriate accommodations are implemented in a timely manner. Catalogue Description: Topics in Cultural Anthropology: Study of a global theme (art, religion, etc.) as represented in a variety of subsistence technologies and/or world cultures. Repeatable under different sub-titles. Course Description: Anthropology of Religion. This class is designed to challenge your assumptions about what religion is. I hope that you will encounter the ‘Other’ and interrogate the familiar. -
Mathematical Modeling and Anthropology: Its Rationale, Past Successes and Future Directions
Mathematical Modeling and Anthropology: Its Rationale, Past Successes and Future Directions Dwight Read, Organizer European Meeting on Cybernetics and System Research 2002 (EMCSR 2002) April 2 - 5, 2002, University of Vienna http://www.ai.univie.ac.at/emcsr/ Abstract When anthropologists talk about their discipline as a holistic study of human societies, particularly non-western societies, mathematics and mathematical modeling does not immediately come to mind, either to persons outside of anthropology and even to most anthropologists. What does mathematics have to do with the study of religious beliefs, ideologies, rituals, kinship and the like? Or more generally, What does mathematical modeling have to do with culture? The application of statistical methods usually makes sense to the questioner when it is explained that these methods relate to the study of human societies through examining patterns in empirical data on how people behave. What is less evident, though, is how mathematical thinking can be part of the way anthropologists reason about human societies and attempt to make sense of not just behavioral patterns, but the underlying cultural framework within which these behaviors are embedded. What is not widely recognized is the way theory in cultural anthropology and mathematical theory have been brought together, thereby constructing a dynamic interplay that helps elucidate what is meant by culture, its relationship to behavior and how the notion of culture relates to concepts and theories developed not only in anthropology but in related disciplines. The interplay is complex and its justification stems from the kind of logical inquiry that is the basis of mathematical reasoning. -
What Is Anthropology?
Chapter 1 What Is Anthropology? nthropology is the scientific study of the origin, the behaviour, and the A physical, social, and cultural development of humans. Anthropologists seek to understand what makes us human by studying human ancestors through archaeological excavation and by observing living cultures throughout the world. In this chapter, you will learn about different fields of anthropology and the major schools of thought, important theories, perspectives, and research within anthropology, as well as the work of influential anthropologists. You’ll also learn methods for conducting anthropological research and learn how to formulate your own research questions and record information. Chapter Expectations By the end of this chapter, you will: • summarize and compare major theories, perspectives, and research methods in anthropology • identify the significant contributions of influential anthropologists • outline the key ideas of the major anthropological schools of thought, and explain how they can be used to analyze features of cultural systems Fields of Anthropology • explain significant issues in different areas of anthropology Primatology Dian Fossey (1932–1985) • explain the main research methods for conducting anthropological Physical Anthropology Archaeology Cultural Anthropology research Biruté Galdikas (1946–) Jane Goodall (1934–) Sue Savage-Rumbaugh (1946–) Archaeology Forensic Human Variation Ethnology Linguistic Anthropology Key Terms Prehistoric Anthropology Charles Darwin Ruth Benedict (1887–1948) Noam Chomsky -
The Self: a Transpersonal Neuroanthropological Account
International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Volume 32 | Issue 1 Article 10 1-1-2013 The elS f: A Transpersonal Neuroanthropological Account Charles D. Laughlin Carleton University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.ciis.edu/ijts-transpersonalstudies Part of the Anthropology Commons, Philosophy Commons, Psychology Commons, and the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Laughlin, C. D. (2013). Laughlin, C. D. (2013). The es lf: A transpersonal neuroanthropological account. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 32(1), 100–116.. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 32 (1). http://dx.doi.org/10.24972/ ijts.2013.32.1.100 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License. This Special Topic Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals and Newsletters at Digital Commons @ CIIS. It has been accepted for inclusion in International Journal of Transpersonal Studies by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ CIIS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Self: A Transpersonal Neuroanthropological Account Charles D. Laughlin Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario, Canada The anthropology of the self has gained momentum recently and has produced a significant body of research relevant to interdisciplinary transpersonal studies. The notion of self has broadened from the narrow focus on cultural and linguistic labels for self-related terms, such as person, ego, identity, soul, and so forth, to a realization that the self is a vast system that mediates all the aspects of personality. This shift in emphasis has brought anthropological notions of the self into closer accord with what is known about how the brain mediates self-as-psyche. -
Introduction Godless People, Doubt, and Atheism
IntroductIon Godless People, Doubt, and Atheism Ruy Llera Blanes and Galina Oustinova-Stjepanovic Abstract: In the introduction to this special issue, we set the agenda for researching the aspirations and practices of godless people who seek to thin out religion in their daily lives. We reflect on why processes of disengagement from religion have not been adequately researched in anthropology. Locating this issue’s articles in the anthropological literature on doubt and atheism, we argue for the importance of a com- parative investigation to analyze people’s reluctance to pursue religion. Keywords: atheism, disbelief, disengagement from religion, doubt, god- less people, non-religion, unbelief Being Godless In the current climate of false prophecies of secularism and numerous theories of the resurgence of religions, it is rather unusual to study a way of disengag- ing from religion. A bulk of recent ethnographies tell stories about technologies of self and the adept cultivation of religious dispositions (Mahmood 2005), learning to discern God (Luhrmann 2007), and enacting divine presences in physical rituals, speech acts, dream visions, or materials (Engelke 2007). Ritu- als of presencing the transcendent, the divine, or the immaterial (e.g., Orsi 2005) and well-rehearsed arguments about the resilience of religious spiritu- alities in politics (Bubandt and van Beek 2012) seem to be the order of the day. Building on the growing interest in researching how people demarcate the boundaries of religion and what falls outside (Engelke 2012b, 2014), this special issue suggests that ‘being godless’ is an important empirical reality that encompasses processes, aspirations, and practices that purposefully or inad- vertently lead to the attenuation of one’s religious life. -
Studies in Religious Fundamentalism
STUDIES IN RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM Also by Lionel Caplan LAND AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN EAST NEPAL ADMINISTRATION AND POLITICS IN A NEPALESE TOWN CLASS AND CULTURE IN URBAN INDIA Studies in Religious Fundamentalism Edited by Lionel Caplan Reader in Anthropology School of Oriental and African Studies University of London M MACMILLAN PRESS © Lionel Caplan 1987 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1987 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1956 (as amended) or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 7 Ridgmount Street, London WC1E 7AE. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. First published 1987 Published by THE MACMILLAN PRESS LTD Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 2XS and London Companies and representatives throughout the world British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Studies in religious fundamentalism. 1. Religion I. Caplan, Lionel 306' .6 GN470 ISBN 978-1-349-08832-4 ISBN 978-1-349-08830-0 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-08830-0 Contents Preface vii Notes on the Contributors IX 1 Introduction Lionel Caplan 1 2 The Quest for the Islamic State: Islamic Fundamentalism in Egypt and Iran Sami Zubaida 25 3 'Thank God we're Secular!' -
Why Neuroanthropology
Why Neuroanthropology? Why Now? By Greg Downey and Daniel Lende Neuroanthropology places the brain and nervous system at the center of discussions about human nature, recognizing that much of what makes us distinctive inheres in the size, specialization, and dynamic openness of the human nervous system. By starting with neural physiology and its variability, neuroanthropology situates itself from the beginning in the interaction of nature and culture, the inextricable interweaving of developmental unfolding and evolutionary endowment. Our brain and nervous system are our cultural organs. While virtually all parts of the human body—skeleton, muscles, joints, guts—bear the stamp of our behavioral variety, our nervous system is especially immature at birth, our brain disproportionately small in relation to its adult size and disproportionately susceptible to cultural sculpting. Compared to other mammals, our first year of life finds our brain developing as if in utero, immersed in language, social interaction, and the material world when other species are still shielded by their mother’s body from this outside world. This immersion means that our ideas about ourselves and how we want to raise our children affect the environmental niche in which our nervous system unfolds, influencing gene expression and developmental processes to the cellular level. Increasingly, neuroscientists are finding evidence of functional differences in brain activity and architecture between cultural groups, occupations, and individuals with different skill sets. The implication for neuroanthropology is obvious: forms of enculturation, social norms, training regimens, ritual, and patterns of experience shape how our brains work and are structured. But the predominant reason that culture becomes embodied, even though many anthropologists overlook it, is that neuroanatomy inherently makes experience material. -
Anthropology of Art 070:153 (1.5 Credits) Spring 2017 – **Starts 3/9** Thursday 2:15Pm – 5:15Pm RAB 104
Anthropology of Art 070:153 (1.5 credits) Spring 2017 – **Starts 3/9** Thursday 2:15pm – 5:15pm RAB 104 Pilar K. Rau – [email protected] Office: RAB 3rd Floor Office hours: Mon, Thurs 2:00-3:00pm or by appointment COURSE DESCRIPTION Do all societies have “art”? Why is the visual and expressive culture of some groups characterized as artifact, craft, primitive art, ethnic art, kitsch, or commodity? What is at stake in applying the word “art” to a people for whom such a concept is foreign? Or in excluding an object from the category of “art”? This introduction to the Anthropology of Art looks at anthropological issues of cultural relativism, emic/etic description, ethnocentrism, symbolism, ritual, and the politics of representing “Other” people, through the lens of “art” and it considers the visual and material culture of diverse societies (including Western fine art) through anthropological frameworks. It tackles the historical legacies of Primitivism and teleological thinking as well as how the categories of “art” and “culture” are currently deployed to objectify group identity in service of nationalisms, local culturalisms, and social movements. http://anthro.rutgers.edu/undergrad-program/department-learning-goals DEPARTMENT LEARNING GOALS CA1) Students gain knowledge that will allow them to identify, explain, and historically contextualize the primary objectives, fundamental concepts, modes of analysis, and central questions in their major field and demonstrate proficiency in their use of this knowledge CA2) Students are -
Curriculum Vitae
CURRICULUM VITAE LAMONT LINDSTROM Department of Anthropology University of Tulsa Tulsa, OK 74104 (918) 631-2888; 631-2540 (Fax) [email protected] EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Ph.D 1981 - University of California, Berkeley M.A. 1976 - University of California, Berkeley A.B. 1975 - University of California, Berkeley University of California, Santa Cruz PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: 2/17- Associate Dean, Henry Kendall College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tulsa 8/13 – 6/17 Co-Director, Women’s and Gender Studies Program, U. Tulsa 7/09 - Kendall Professor of Anthropology, University of Tulsa 6/08 – 5/09 President, University of Tulsa Faculty Senate 6/06 – 8/10 Chair, Dept. of Anthropology, University of Tulsa 1/99 - Research Partner, Q2 Consulting Group, LLC 1/99 - 5/99 Visiting Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley 1/92 – 1/09 Professor of Anthropology, University of Tulsa 6/91 - 6/95 Chair, Department of Anthropology 6/91 - 10/92 Acting Chair, Department of Sociology 8/88 - 1/92 Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Tulsa 8/82 - 7/88 Asst. Professor of Anthropology, University of Tulsa 9/81 - 6/82 Visiting Asst. Professor, Southwestern at Memphis 7/77 - 8/79 Visiting Research Scholar, Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University FIELD RESEARCH: 7/16 Port Vila; Tanna (Vanuatu) 7/15 Port Vila; Tanna (Vanuatu) 7/14 Port Vila (Vanuatu) 7/13 Port Vila; Tanna (Vanuatu) 7/12 Port Vila; Tanna (Vanuatu) 7/11 - 8/11 Port Vila; Tanna (Vanuatu) 7/10 - 10/10 Port Vila; Tanna (Vanuatu) -
Kinship and Social Groups:A Modular Approach
DOCUMENT RESUME . EU 260 783 JC 850 505 AUTHOR Kassebaum; Peter TITLE Kinship and Social Groups:A Modular Approach. Cultural Anthropology. INSTITUTION College of Marin, Kentfield, Calif. PUB DATE [85) NOTE 18p. PUB TYPE Guides - Classroom Use Materials (For Learner) (051) EDRS PRICE mr01/PC011usPostage. / DESCRIPTORS *'Anthropology;y; Community Colleges; *Family (Sociological Unit); FamilyStructure; Group Membership; *Group Structure; Kinship;*Kinship Terminology; Learning Act.vities;-LearningModules; *Social Structure; *Socioctural Patterns; Two Year Colleges IDENTIMRS *Cultural Anthropology ABSTRACT Designed for use as supplementaryinstructional Material in a ltural anthropology qourse, this learningmodule introduces ly employed terms used in the studyof kinship and AP soci 1 grou nceptual categories used Urdescribethe social stru tures of society are,defined first, includingculture, material culture, nonmaterial culture, society, primarygroups, secondary groups, aggregation, and social categorids. Kinshipanalysis is de-scribed next, with focus,on the followingconcepts: (1) the nuclear and extended family; (2) marriage, includingmonogamy, polygamy, polygyny, polyandry, sorral and fraternal polyandry; (3) residence, including exogamy, endogamy,matrilocal, patrilocal, and neolocal patterns; (4) bride price, dowry,and suitor service; (5) descent, including.kihdred, and bi1ateral,unilineal,'patrilineal, and- matrilineal descent; (6) clans, phratriesand moieties; and (7) leadership, including matriarchal, patriarchal,egalitarian, matricentric,