Anth 310 - Classical Anthropological
Theory
Fall 2012
SUNY College at Geneseo
Instructor:
Dr. Paul J. Pacheco
Office: 13 D Sturges Hall Phone: #245-5275
Office
Hours: M 1:30-3:30 P.M.; T
9:00-11:00 A.M.; or by appointment
e-mail
address: pacheco@geneseo.edu
webpage:
mycourses.geneseo.edu (Anth 310)
Description and Objectives:
This course is an intensive investigation of the classical development of anthropological theory, beginning with the disciplines nineteenth century roots, and tracking changes in theoretical perspectives through the mid-twentieth century. The course is one of two required senior level theory courses for anthropology majors and is designed to provide a strong theoretical background that is well-grounded in the history of the discipline and to promote critical thinking skills relative to the historical issues of anthropological significance.
Learning Outcomes:
1) Students will become familiar with the major theoretical orientations of classical anthropology and the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. This skill will be assessed through the writing/discussing of daily questions designed to allow students to explore critically the arguments of anthropology's classical thinkers in the context of their original writings.
2) Students will develop critical thinking skills relative to the development and history of anthropological ideas (which will, furthermore, help to define the place of anthropology within the social sciences). These thinking skills will be developed and tested each class day through intensive discussion sessions in which the students are prompted to participate utilizing the Socratic Method.
3) Students will learn to identify and critique theoretical arguments in anthropology
from a variety of different perspectives. This skill will allow them to evaluate and
deconstruct the approaches and arguments that they encounter as students of
anthropology. This skill will be assessed through the writing of the midterm and
comprehensive final essay exams.
Accommodations:
"SUNY Geneseo will make reasonable accommodations for persons with documented physical, emotional or learning disabilities. Students should consult with the Director in the Office of Disability Services (Tabitha Buggie-Hunt, 105D Erwin, tbuggieh@geneseo.edu) and their individual faculty regarding any needed accommodations as early as possible in the semester."
Required reading*:
Barret, Stanley
2010 Anthropology: A Student's Guide to Theory and Method (Second Edition). University of
Toronto Press ISBN# 978-08-020-96128
McGee, R. Jon and Richard L. Warms
2011 Anthropological Theory: An Introductory History (Fifth Edition). Mayfield Publishing Company ISBN # 978-0-07-803488-6
* Any assigned articles that are not in your textbook will be made available on the mycourses.geneseo.edu webpage under the Course Materials tab. These will be pdf files and they will be located in a folder marked Anth 310 Readings
Class Requirements:
There will be two exams in this course; an in-class essay midterm, and an in-class essay final. Exams explore your understanding of the course content and your ability to synthesize, critically examine, and express clearly your understanding in writing.
The remainder of the course grade will come from your class participation, which is to be measured by your contributions to daily class discussions and your responses to the questions assigned for each day of class. These questions will guide our class discussions and help to maintain the intellectual rigor of the course. On five unannounced days during the semester, your responses will be collected and graded directly. You are expected to come to each class with typed and edited responses for the day's assignment (creating a compiled study guide of 25 sets of answers for the Final). On all other days, answers will not be collected and your class participation in the discussion, exhibiting your preparation for class, will be used to determine points for that day.
Reading questions will be placed in a folder marked Anth 310 Reading Questions located under the Course Materials tab on the mycourses webpage. Your answers should be concise but thoughtful. A goal of about a full paragraph apiece works well. Emphasize quality over quantity and take to heart that discussing theory is a process of inquiry in which the positions you take must be supported by solid, clear arguments. Effort, participation, and critical thinking are the keys to class success. If you will miss a class day for any reason (the reason for which need not be disclosed), your answers are due to me no later than 9:30 A.M. the day you will miss class. Besides hard copies placed in my hands or my department mailbox, you may e-mail Word file attachments, or use the InBox to send your answers to me as Word files (requires a .doc or .docx file extension). No late responses will be accepted, but answers that are received on time will be graded directly. Punctuality is essential. You will have 2 points minimum deducted from your daily class participation score if you arrive late for class because of the disruption that it causes. Other possible causes for deductions in your daily participation grade include phone texting during class, using laptops for non-class activities, falling asleep or daydreaming, working on other classes, clear signals that you are unprepared for class that day, and refusing or failing to try to answer questions asked of you.
Course Grades:
Daily Class Participation/Responses 140 points (20 x 7)
Collected Responses 100 points (5 x 20)
Midterm (10/15) 100 points
Final (12/14 8:00-11:00 A.M.) 160 points
Grades will be assigned on a percentage basis out of 500 possible as follows.
A = 93% + C+ = 79.99 - 77%
A- = 90 - 92.99% C = 76.99 - 73%
B+ = 89.99 - 87% C - = 72.99 - 70%
B = 86.99 - 83 % D = 69.99 - 60%
B- = 82.99 - 80 % E = 59.99 -0%
Class Schedule Reading:
8/27 Introduction & Welcome -
8/29 Historical Overview of Anthropology Barret Ch. 1
9/3 Labor Day - No Class -
9/5 Building the Discipline: Theory & Method Barret Ch. 2 & 3
9/10 Patching the Foundation: Theory & Method Barret Ch. 4 & 5
9/12 Progressive Evolution: H. Spencer M&W Ch. 1
9/17 Tylor M&W Ch. 2
9/19 Morgan M&W Ch. 3
9/24 Marx and Engels M&W Ch. 4
9/26 Natural Selection: Darwin & Wallace, Gopnick pdf articles
10/1 Rindos "Darwinism and Culture" pdf article
10/3 Braun "... Cross Cultural Regularities ..." pdf article
10/8 Fall Break - No Class -
10/10 Midterm Review
10/15 MIDTERM EXAM -
10/17 Historical Particularism: Boas M&W Ch. 8
10/22 Lewis "Boas, Darwinism, ..." pdf article
10/24 Kroeber "... Changes of Fashion ..." and Radin pdf articles
10/29 Whorf M&W Ch. 10
10/31 Structural Functionalism: Durkheim pdf article & M&W Ch. 5
11/5 Mauss M&W Ch. 6
11/7 Malinowski and Radcliffe-Brown M&W Ch. 11 & 12
11/12 Pritchard "The Nuer ..." and Gluckman pdf article; M&W Ch. 13
11/14 Benedict and Mead M&W Ch. 14 & 15
11/19 Neoevolutionism: White M&W Ch. 16
11/21 No Class - Thanksgiving Break -
11/26 Steward "Multilinear Evolution ..." pdf article
11/28 C. Spencer "...Tempo and Mode ..." pdf article
12/3 Harris M&W Ch. 19
12/5 Rappaport & Wolf M&W Ch. 20 & 21
12/10 Overview of Class -
12/14 FINAL 8:00-11:00 A.M.