ANTHR 503
Contemporary Anthropological Theory
Graduate Seminar
Fall 2021: Tues / Thurs 2:00pm-3:15pm
893 KMBL
This is a graduate-level survey of contemporary anthropological theory (also open to advanced undergraduates). As a survey course, we will 'sample' distinct theoretical traditions and stances that makeup both the historical focus of anthropological theorizing and pushes the boundaries of what we might consider anthropology. This question itself—what makes a theory anthropological, and are there genuinely anthropological alternatives to the taken-for-granted 'canon' of theories rooted in Western philosophy?–will be taken up in this seminar as we consider both some of the major contemporary debates and frontiers of these debates in the discipline and beyond the discipline.
Anthropologists develop theory in order to better understand the human condition. This course will focus on more recent theoretical understandings of human (and even non-human) experience. We will discuss how different theoretical perspectives in the contemporary landscape compete with one another, and cover some of the significant debates that contemporary scholars engage in as they seek to develop a deeper understanding of what it means to be human.
This course will follow a seminar style. What this means is that students are expected to participate as we collectively work to make sense of the daily readings. I may wax in and out of lecture mode as I share ethnographic examples from my own research or try to situate or explicate particular theoretical points, but student participation and rich discussion is critical. As a result, your participation in the seminar is paramount, and will thus constitute an important part of the final grade. The syllabus will include an array of reading and multi-media materials, and it is critical that you come prepared each session to discuss your take on the materials for each seminar discussion.
Books to Purchase
(other readings will be provided as PDFs)
Das, Veena. (2006). Life and Words: Violence and the Descent into the Ordinary. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Schein, Louisa. (2000). Minority Rules: The Miao and the Feminine in China's Cultural Politics. Durham & London: Duke University Press.
Takeuchi, Y. C. R. (2005). What is modernity? : writings of Takeuchi Yoshimi. New York: Columbia University Press.
Asad, Talal. (2003). Formations of the secular : christianity, islam, modernity. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Laidlaw, James. (2014). The Subject of Virtue: An Anthropology of Ethics and Freedom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Strathern, Marilyn. (2020). Relations: an anthropological account. Durham: Duke University Press.
Robbins, Joel. (2020). Theology and the Anthropology of Christian Life. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Foucault, Michel. (1995). Discipline and punish : the birth of the prison. New York: Vintage Books.
Reading Schedule
The following reading schedule is subject to change.
University and Course Policies
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Respectful Environment
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The first injunction of the Honor Code is the call to "be honest." Students come to the university not only to improve their minds, gain knowledge, and develop skills that will assist them in their life's work, but also to build character. "President David O. McKay taught that character is the highest aim of education" (The Aims of a BYU Education, p.6). It is the purpose of the BYU Academic Honesty Policy to assist in fulfilling that aim. BYU students should seek to be totally honest in their dealings with others. They should complete their own work and be evaluated based upon that work. They should avoid academic dishonesty and misconduct in all its forms, including but not limited to plagiarism, fabrication or falsification, cheating, and other academic misconduct.
Inappropriate Use of Course Materials
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Plagiarism
Intentional plagiarism is a form of intellectual theft that violates widely recognized principles of academic integrity as well as the Honor Code. Such plagiarism may subject the student to appropriate disciplinary action administered through the university Honor Code Office, in addition to academic sanctions that may be applied by an instructor. Inadvertent plagiarism, which may not be a violation of the Honor Code, is nevertheless a form of intellectual carelessness that is unacceptable in the academic community. Plagiarism of any kind is completely contrary to the established practices of higher education where all members of the university are expected to acknowledge the original intellectual work of others that is included in their own work. In some cases, plagiarism may also involve violations of copyright law. Intentional Plagiarism-Intentional plagiarism is the deliberate act of representing the words, ideas, or data of another as one's own without providing proper attribution to the author through quotation, reference, or footnote. Inadvertent Plagiarism-Inadvertent plagiarism involves the inappropriate, but non-deliberate, use of another's words, ideas, or data without proper attribution. Inadvertent plagiarism usually results from an ignorant failure to follow established rules for documenting sources or from simply not being sufficiently careful in research and writing. Although not a violation of the Honor Code, inadvertent plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct for which an instructor can impose appropriate academic sanctions. Students who are in doubt as to whether they are providing proper attribution have the responsibility to consult with their instructor and obtain guidance. Examples of plagiarism include: Direct Plagiarism-The verbatim copying of an original source without acknowledging the source. Paraphrased Plagiarism-The paraphrasing, without acknowledgement, of ideas from another that the reader might mistake for the author's own. Plagiarism Mosaic-The borrowing of words, ideas, or data from an original source and blending this original material with one's own without acknowledging the source. Insufficient Acknowledgement-The partial or incomplete attribution of words, ideas, or data from an original source. Plagiarism may occur with respect to unpublished as well as published material. Copying another student's work and submitting it as one's own individual work without proper attribution is a serious form of plagiarism.