What's posted here?
Schedule of readings, notes, slides, tests, and due dates: Shows what you should read before the class on each date. Some readings are in the assigned books. Others are links to online material. The schedule also shows dates of tests, assignment due dates, and so on. Lecture notes for each class are usually posted in advance, while the Powerpoint slides are usually posted after it. Some people print the the lecture notes and bring them to class to take notes on, rather than trying to write everything down. The notes are useful for studying and preparing assignments, but they do not necessarily make sense on their own, and they do not cover everything in the readings. They are no substitute for reading the assigned material and attending class.
The schedule will be adjusted during the semester, so check it frequently for current readings and deadlines.Handouts: The syllabus, assignment details, study guides, and so on.
Links: Links to other web pages about subjects we cover. These are completely optional, but may help you study or pursue questions raised by the course. Many have good photos or maps that add a visual element to the readings. All are recommended, and many are fun.
Email: You can reach me by email at bruce.owen@sonoma.edu . I will usually reply within 24 hours, often less. If you don't hear back in 48 hours, assume that I did not get your message, and try again. If you are not using your own computer, be sure to include your email address in the message so I can reply.
Everything on this site has been scanned for viruses and is safe to the best of my knowledge.
So why come to lectures?
First, hearing me explain the notes and slides will be far clearer than trying to figure them out without help. Second, numerous studies show that you understand and remember things better if you get the information in various different ways, like reading, hearing, and seeing. Third, you can ask questions, and listen as others ask questions that you might not have thought of. Finally, I fill in details, explain arguments, and highlight the important points, which should make it easier to see the big picture rather than getting lost in the details.
Schedule of readings, notes, slides, tests, and due dates
This schedule will change, so don't rely on a printed copy. Read the assignments before the class session. Scroll down for more. Most items are PDF (Adobe Acrobat) files and should open in a new window to view, save, or print. Move it aside or close it to see this one again. If the PDF files do not open, install the free Adobe Acrobat Reader or a less standard but faster alternative, the free PDF-XChange Viewer.
The slides are the Powerpoint presentations you see in class. They do not include all the information in the notes or readings. They should open in a new window. Navigate with PageUp/Down, Arrow Left/Right, Space/Backspace, Mouse clicks and scroll wheel, and Home/End to jump to the start or end of the presentation. Esc or close the window to quit. If your browser downloads the file, just double-click the file to open it. If your computer does not have Powerpoint, install the free Powerpoint viewer for Windows or Impress, part of the free OpenOffice for Macintosh.
User ID and Password: Due to copyright restrictions, many items require the class user ID and password. These are different from your Peoplesoft ID and password. If you can't recall them, email me.
Please be patient: Some files are large and may take a while to load.
- Tuesday, Feb. 1: Introduction to the course
- Thursday, Feb. 3: What is anthropology?
- Notes (33 Kb)Slides (1.8 Mb)
- Bonvillain 2006 - Extracts from Ch. 1, "What is Anthropology?" in Cultural Anthropology (17 pgs, 1.4 Mb)
- Fernea Introduction (no page number) and Chapter 1: pp. 3-23 (22 pgs)
- Notes (33 Kb)
- Tuesday, Feb. 8: The concept of culture
- Notes (34 Kb)Slides (1.3 Mb)
- Kluckhohn 1949 - "Queer Customs" in Classic Readings in Cultural Anthropology (7 pgs, 81 Kb)
- Fernea Chapter 2-3: pp. 24-48 (25 pgs)
- Notes (34 Kb)
- Thursday, Feb. 10: Culture shock and culture as meaning
- Notes (38 Kb)Slides (2.1 Mb)
- Middleton 2003 - "Culture Shock" in The Challenge of Human Diversity (17 pgs, 105 Kb)
- Fernea Chapters 4-5: pp. 49-64 (16 pgs)
- Notes (38 Kb)
- Tuesday, Feb. 15: Race and ethnicity
- Notes (40 Kb)Slides (1.8 Mb)
- Kottak 2005, extracts on race and ethnicity, in Kottak 2005, Mirror for Humanity (13 pgs, 1.2 Mb)
- Fish 1995, "Mixed Blood", in Spradley & McCurdy 2003, Conformity and Conflict (10 pgs, 72 Kb)
- Fernea Chapter 6: pp. 65-82 (18 pgs)
- Notes (40 Kb)
- Thursday, Feb. 17: Understanding and judging others
- Notes (21 Kb)Slides (578 Kb)
- Robbins 2009 - Extract on culture, ethnocentrism, and morality, in Cultural Anthropology, a Problem-based Approach (14 pgs, 692 Kb)
- Kottak 2002 - Extract on "Emic and Etic" in Cultural Anthropology (2 pgs, 125 Kb)
- Fernea Chapters 7-8: pp. 83-102 (20 pgs)
- Notes (21 Kb)
- Sunday, Feb. 20: Concept paper due by email by 11:59 PM Sunday night
- Remember to attach your paper, with the file named according to the instructions.
- Please include your name to the subject line of the email.
- Concept paper instructions (26 Kb)
- Tuesday, Feb. 22: Anthropological methods: Ethnography
- Notes (53 Kb)Slides (2.2 Mb)
- Robbins 2009 - Extract on fieldwork, in Cultural Anthropology, a Problem-based Approach (4 pgs, 54 Kb)
- Monaghan and Just 2000 - "Chapter 1, A Dispute in Donggo: Fieldwork and Ethnography", in Social and Cultural Anthropology: A Very Short Introduction (21 pgs, 494 Kb)
- Malinowski 1922 - Extract on fieldwork from Argonauts of the Western Pacific (5 pgs, plus some photos, 3.5 Mb)
- Lee Chapter 1, Introduction to doing fieldwork among the Ju/'hoansi: pp. 1-8 (8 pgs)
- Notes (53 Kb)
- Thursday, Feb. 24: Explaining culture: adaptation, meaning, system, function
- Notes (42 Kb)Slides (2.9 Mb)
- Middleton 2003 - Extracts from "Our Lived Difference" in The Challenge of Human Diversity (15 pgs, 147 Kb)
- Ferraro and Andreatta 2010 - Extract on functionalism in Cultural Anthropology, An Applied Perspective (1 pg, 18 Kb)
- Ember and Ember 2011 - Extract on functionalism in Cultural Anthropology (2 pgs, 15 Kb)
- Lee Chapter 2, The People of the Dobe Area: pp. 9-22 (14 pgs)
- Notes (42 Kb)
- Tuesday, Mar. 1: Explaining culture: cultural materialism and culture as text
- Notes (25 Kb)Slides (3.5 Mb)
- Robbins 2009 - Extract on "reading" features of culture as a text, in Cultural Anthropology, a Problem-based Approach (8 pgs, 296 Kb)
- Salzman 2001 - Extract on materialism from Understanding Culture: An Introduction to Anthropological Theory (9 pgs, 119 Kb)
- Lee Chapter 3, Environment and Settlement in the Dobe area: pp. 23-36 (14 pgs)
- Notes (25 Kb)
- Thursday, Mar. 3: Making a living: foraging
- Notes (37 Kb)Slides (2.8 Mb)
- Lee Chapter 4, Foraging for a living: pp. 37-58 (22 pgs)
- Fernea Chapter 9: pp. 105-115 (11 pgs)
- Notes (37 Kb)
- Tuesday, Mar. 8: Making a living: agriculture and pastoralism
- Notes (41 Kb)Slides (3.5 Mb)
- Pospisil 1978 - Extract on agricultural subsistence from The Kapauku Papuans of West New Guinea (11 pgs, 77 Kb)
- Fratkin 2004 - Extracts on pastoralism from Ariaal Pastoralists of Kenya (15 pgs, 188 Kb)
- Lee Chapter 10, The herding and farming neighbors of the Ju/'hoansi: pp. 141-150 (10 pgs)
- Notes (41 Kb)
- Thursday, Mar. 10: Reciprocity and socially embedded economic relations
- Notes (39 Kb)Slides (1.9 Mb)
- Cronk 1989 - Strings Attached, in Applying Cultural Anthropology (5 pgs, 81 Kb)
- Robbins 2009 - Extract on meanings of exchange, in Cultural Anthropology, a Problem-based Approach (12 pgs, 292 Kb)
- Harris 1974 - The Potlatch, in Classic Readings in Cultural Anthropology (9 pgs, 79 Kb)
- Fernea Chapter 10: pp. 116-125 (10 pgs)
- Optional: Malinowski 1932 [1922] - Extract about kula exchange, from Argonauts of the Western Pacific (www.archive.org) This is the classic description of the kula exchange ring that Robbins refers to on page 222, with pictures. (15 pgs, 2.1 Mb)
- Notes (39 Kb)
- Tuesday, Mar. 15: Catchup, review, exam preparation
- Review the readings, notes, and slides so far, and bring questions!
- Fernea Chapters 11-13: pp. 126-160 (35 pgs)
- Thursday, Mar. 17: Midterm exam
- No additional reading
- Tuesday, Mar. 22: Social and economic hierarchies
- Notes (34 Kb)Slides (975 Kb)
- Lee Chapter 8, Conflict, Politics, and Exchange: pp. 109-123 (15 pgs)
- Fernea Chapter 14: pp. 161-170 (10 pgs)
- Notes (34 Kb)
- Thursday, Mar. 24: An "exploitative" theory of social inequality: the Marxian model
- Notes (30 Kb)Slides (390 Kb)
- Robbins 2006 - Extract on integrative theories, exploitative theories, and Marx, in Cultural Anthropology, a Problem-based Approach (4 pgs, 235 Kb)
- Fernea Chapter 15: pp. 173-193 (21 pgs)
- Notes (30 Kb)
- Tuesday, Mar. 29: Naturalizing inequality: social race, gender, and egalitarian societies
- Notes (40 Kb)Slides (1.8 Mb)
- McIntosh 1988 - White Privilege, in Applying Cultural Anthropology (4 pgs, 392 Kb)
- Friedl 1978 - Society and Sex Roles, in Classic Readings in Cultural Anthropology (7 pgs, 499 Kb)
- Robbins 2009 - Extract on an egalitarian society, in Cultural Anthropology, a Problem-based Approach (4 pgs, 148 Kb)
- Lee Appendix A, Eating Christmas in the Kalahari: pp. 207-216 (6 pgs)
- Notes (40 Kb)
- Thursday, Mar. 31: No class - Cesar Chavez day
- Please pause to reflect on the people who harvest our food by hand, and the role of unions in improving their lives.
- Tuesday, Apr. 5: Constructing identity: self, group, rites of passage
- Notes (39 Kb)Slides (994 Kb)
- Robbins 2009 - Extract on identity, in Cultural Anthropology, a Problem-based Approach (7 pgs, 149 Kb)
- Monaghan and Just 2000 - Extract illustrating sociocentric identity, in Social & Cultural Anthropology, a Very Short Introduction (2 pgs, 28 Kb)
- Monaghan and Just 2000 - Extract on the self, in Social & Cultural Anthropology, a Very Short Introduction (6 pgs, 259 Kb)
- Saitoti 1986 - The Initiation of a Maasai Warrior, in Annual Editions: Anthropology 2004/2005 (5 pgs, 390 Kb)
- Simmons 1998 - Where Fat Is a Mark of Beauty, in Annual Editions: Anthropology 2004/2005 (2 pgs, 149 Kb)
- Fernea Chapter 17: pp. 194-215 (22 pgs)
- Notes (39 Kb)
- Thursday, Apr. 7: Constructing identity: gender
- Notes (34 Kb)Slides (1.0 Mb)
- Robbins 2009 - Extract on constructing gender identities, in Cultural Anthropology, a Problem-based Approach (6 pgs, 69 Kb)
- Kottak 2005 - Extract on gender and sexual orientation from Mirror for Humanity (3 pgs, 28 Kb)
- Williams 1986 - The Berdache Tradition, in Annual Editions: Anthropology 2004/2005 (6 pgs, 567 Kb)
- Fernea and Fernea 1986 - Symbolizing Roles: Behind the Veil, in Conformity and Conflict (8 pgs, 404 Kb)
- Notes (34 Kb)
- Tuesday, Apr. 12: Family, kinship, and descent
- Notes (39 Kb)Slides (785 Kb)
- Robbins 2009 - Extract on kinship and family, in Cultural Anthropology, a Problem-based Approach (21 pgs, 700 Kb)
- Monaghan and Just 2000 - Extract on Dou Donggo marriage and family, in Social & Cultural Anthropology, a Very Short Introduction (2 pgs, 24 Kb)
- Lee Chapter 5, Kinship and social organization: pp. 59-76 (18 pgs)
- Notes (39 Kb)
- Thursday, Apr. 14: Forms of marriage, residence, and how they make sense
- Notes (30 Kb)Slides (1.4 Mb)
- Yuan & Mitchell 2000 - Land of the Walking Marriage, in Talking About People, Readings in Contemporary Cultural Anthropology (3 pgs, 297 Kb)
- Goldstein 1987 - When Brothers Share a Wife, in Through the Looking Glass, Readings in General Anthropology (7 pgs, 244 Kb)
- Lee Chapter 6, Marriage and sexuality: pp. 77-90 (14 pgs)
- Notes (30 Kb)
- Tuesday, Apr. 19: No class - Spring Break
- Apply sunscreen!
- Thursday, Apr. 21: No class - Spring Break
- Catch some rays!
- Tuesday, Apr. 26: Catch-up
- No new notes or slides... by this time we will probably need a class period to make up for falling behind
- Fernea Chapters 18-20: pp. 216-266 (49 pgs)
- Thursday, Apr. 28: Language
- Notes (34 Kb)Slides (860 Kb)
- Kottak 2002 - Extract on animal communication from Cultural Anthropology (4 pgs, 432 Kb)
- Kottak 2005 - Extract on language from Mirror for Humanity (7 pgs, 566 Kb)
- Fernea Chapters 21-23: pp. 269-293 (25 pgs)
- Notes (34 Kb)
- Tuesday, May 3: Language and thought
- Notes (30 Kb)Slides (870 Kb)
- Thomson 1975 - The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis: Worlds Shaped by Words, in Conformity and Conflict (8 pgs, 161 Kb)
- Robbins 2009 - Extract on language and metaphor, in Cultural Anthropology, a Problem-based Approach (7 pgs, 141 Kb)
- Fernea Chapters 24-25: pp. 294-314 (19 pgs)
- Notes (30 Kb)
- Wednesday, May 4: Interview with an immigrant optional DRAFT due by email by 11:59 PM
- If you choose to submit a draft of your interview with an immigrant paper, it is due by 11:59 PM, Wednesday, May 4. I will accept drafts later, but cannot promise to get them back to you soon enough to allow for rewriting.
- Thursday, May 5 Sociolinguistics
- Notes (30 Kb)Slides (554 Kb)
- Kottak 2005 - Extract on sociolinguistics from Mirror for Humanity (8 pgs, 524 Kb)
- Rickford 1997 - Suite for Ebony and Phonics, in Applying Cultural Anthropology (5 pgs, 141 Kb)
- Tannen 1994 - Conversation Style: Talking on the Job, from Conformity and Conflict (8 pgs, 165 Kb)
- Fernea Chapter 26 and Postscript: pp. 315-333 (19 pgs)
- Notes (30 Kb)
- Tuesday, May 10: Religion, witchcraft, and magic
- Notes (35 Kb)Slides (1.6 Mb)
- Kottak 2005 - Extract on religion, in Mirror for Humanity (5 pgs, 161 Kb)
- Evans-Pritchard 1937 - The Notion of Witchcraft Explains Unfortunate Events, in Classic Readings in Cultural Anthropology (9 pgs, 631 Kb)
- Gmelch 2000 - Baseball Magic, in Conformity and Conflict, Readings in Cultural Anthropology (10 pgs, 500 Kb)
- Lee Chapter 9, Religion, world view, and healing: pp. 125-140 (16 pgs)
- Notes (35 Kb)
- Thursday, May 12: Religion, ritual, and creating and maintaining belief
- Notes (28 Kb)Slides (2.1 Mb)
- Robbins 2009 - Extract on ritual, belief, and interpretive drift, in Cultural Anthropology, a Problem-based Approach (14 pgs, 434 Kb)
- Nanda and Warms 2011 - Extracts on cargo cults, revitalization, and fundamentalism (6 pgs, 394 Kb)
- Kottak 2005 - Extract on religions, revitalization movements, cargo cults, and ritual, in Mirror for Humanity (6 pgs, 388 Kb)
- Notes (28 Kb)
- Tuesday, May 17: Globalization
- Notes (32 Kb)Slides (1.1 Mb)
- Bestor 2000 - How Sushi Went Global, in Podolefsky & Brown 2003 Applying Cultural Anthropology (7 pgs, 703 Kb)
- Lee Chapter 11, Perceptions and directions of social change: pp. 151-166 (16 pgs)
- Notes (32 Kb)
- Wednesday, May 18: Interview with an immigrant paper DUE by email by 11:59 PM
- The final draft of your interview with an immigrant paper is due by email by 11:59 PM, Wednesday, May 18.
- Also bring a printed copy to class to turn in on Thursday as a backup.
- Thursday, May 19: Problems of globalization, catchup, last-minute business
Final exam week:
- Tuesday, May 24: Final Exam
- 5:00-6:50, in our regular classroom, Stevenson 1002
Handouts
Scroll down if you don't see what you need. Click on the Handout that you want. If you have been here before, press your browser's "reload" button to see the latest additions.
- Syllabus: Anthropology 203.1, Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, Spring 2011 (38 Kb)
- Map: Location of North Light Books & Cafe relative to SSU (95 Kb)
- What plagiarism is and how to avoid it (6 Kb)
- Concept paper instructions (26 Kb)
- Blank world map: The same map that you will mark places on for the midterm and final exams. A useful study tool. (106 Kb)
- Study guide for the midterm exam (13 Kb)
- Interview with an Immigant assignment details (39 Kb)
- Study guide for the final exam (17 Kb)
Links to sites related to this course
Interesting, often illustrated, from easy to challenging... check these out. Many of these make excellent study aids for preparing for tests. All are optional. If you have been here before, press your browser's "reload" button to see the latest additions.
...News, discoveries, and controversies
- Anthropology in the News. Links to the latest finds, discoveries, and controversies in cultural anthro, linguistics, biological anthro, and archaeology. Updated frequently.
- Former President "W" Bush's speech on the marriage amendment. Can you spot the example of naive realism?
- American Anthropological Association's statement on the marriage amendment. Short and to the point. Also links to more extensive disussions.
- War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning. The author's brief of a recent book on the paradoxical appeal of collective violence. The book starts with a quote from philosopher David Hume, saying the same thing back in 1740.
...Specific subjects covered in class
- Scraper bike: YouTube rap video that played a large role in constructing the concept of the "scraper bike" in American urban youth culture. What meanings are attached to these objects?
- Argonauts of the Western Pacific: Bronislaw Malinowski's classic 1922 ethnography of the Trobriand Islanders, covering his ethnographic methods, kula exchange, and many other themes.
- Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight: Clifford Geertz's classic study of culture as text, actually fun to read, although it gets harder as you go.
...Ethics in anthropology
- American Anthropological Association Code of Ethics.
- Anthro Ethics Cases 1-12 and Anthro Ethics Cases 13-25. Challenging real-life dilemmas from the AAA Handbook on Ethical Issues in Anthropology.
...University policies
- Important Policies and Procedures for Students: SSU policy details on adding and dropping classes, cheating and plagiarism, diversity, and so on.
...Annoyed by lack of classes, fee increases, etc.?
- Contact your Governor or legislators: Names, phone numbers, emails, and addresses. Let'em know how you feel.
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology by Bruce OwenAnthropology 203.1, Sonoma State University, Spring 2011Copyright (c) 2011, Bruce Owen. All rights reserved.Please send comments on content and presentation to
bruce.owen@sonoma.eduURL of this document: http://bruceowen.com/introcultural/a203-1-11s.htmRevised: 19 May 2011