Anthropology I

Gergely Mohacsi (Graduate School of Human Sciences)

Course Objective
   This course introduces students to the key aspects of anthropology. Participants will learn the genealogy of anthropology and its emergence as a discipline. The course is organized around three thematic clusters. The INTRODUCTION aims to give students an overview of the multiple histories and methods of anthropology as a discipline. The second line of inquiry, CONCEPTS: NOW AND THEN, provides an overview of the key concepts that have fostered the anthropological' exploration of diverse human and nonhuman worlds. In the third part, TOPICS: HERE AND THERE, we will discuss how such a body of knowledge can continuously provide us with critical insights into contemporary issues. Topics covered will include health and disease, food, environment and migratation; one class will be dedicated to the understanding of Japan as a heterogeneous cultural phenomenon. The course aims to provide students with a diverse foundation of anthropological knowledge, and study skills that are required for further levels of study in anthropology.
   By the end of this course students should:

1. familiar with anthropology as a distinctive discipline at the crossroads of the social, human and natural sciences
2. build up a solid knowledge of the broad nature, concepts and theories of anthropology
3. able to apply key theoretical approaches to explain everyday social life, particularly the differences between cultural universalities, generalities, and particularities
4. able to identify the key aspects of fieldwork including research techniques and the awareness of responsibilities anthropologists have when conducting fieldwork and research
5. develop an interest in further comprehension of human and nonhuman multiplicities
6. be able to form new ideas and to discuss compelling questions
7. be able to critically read research literature and present persuasive and reflective analyses
8. be able to participate in collaborative work such as class discussion and and group presentation assignments

Requirement / Prerequisite
   No

Course Content
   INTRODUCTION
     Week 1 Orientation: thinking anthropologically (1)
     Week 2 Genealogies: the birth of anthropology (4)
     Week 3 Methods I (3)
     Week 4 Methods II (Film 1)
    
   CONCEPTS: NOW AND THEN
     Week 5 Magic: symbols, rituals, cosmologies (6,7)
     Week 6 Kinship: difference and relation (10,11)
     Week 7 Gift: giving and receiving (9)
     Week 8 Culture: interpretation and writing (2,8)
     Week 9 Midterm test
    
   TOPICS: HERE AND THERE
     Week 10 Disease and health: bodies (13)
     Week 11 Natureculture: globalization (14)
     Week 12 Food and nutrition: inequalities (12)
     Week 13 Anthropology of Japan (5)
     Week 14 Migration (Film 2)
     Week 15 Final Exam

Class Plan
   First and foremost, (A) an engaged and thoughtful participation in class discussion is central, so students should come to class having read and understood the assigned chapter(s) in the textbook when required. Each participant will be asked to provide (B) an analytical synopsis (1-3 pages) of one extra reading and submit it by the assigned class. It will be presented as part of a class discussion drawing on the ethnographic material and linking its principle arguments to the questions addressed in the class lecture. Cross-cultural case studies are used throughout the whole course. Students are also strongly encouraged to relate each topic to their own ethnic and cultural context and to their personal experiences.
  
   Further important points to keep in mind:

1. It is recommended that you purchase textbooks (listed in the "Textbooks" section), which will help you in following the reading requirements and preparing for the final exam.
2. Plagiarism: plagiarism of any sort, including the use of online content, is not allowed. If you are not sure about what is or is not considered plagiarism, consult the instructor.
3. Completion of writing assignments: all writing assignments must be personally handed to the instructor on or before the due date.
4. Class notes and audio-visual materials: instruction in this class is augmented with a variety of complementary materials, such as video excerpts, slideshows or direct quotes from primary sources. Students are responsible for taking notes on these materials and incorporating them into their assignments.

Textbooks
   (Required)
   Emily Schultz A. and Robert H. Lavenda. 2013. Cultural Anthropology: A Perspective on the Human Condition., Ninth Edition. New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  
   (Optional)
   Henrietta L. Moore and Todd Sanders. 2006. Anthropology in Theory : Issues in Epistemology. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.

Grading Policy

• Mid term test (25%)
• Class Exercises & Participation (25%)
• Final exam (50%)