syllabus

Transcription

syllabus

ANTH 3021W / 5021W - Anthropology of the Middle East - Fall 2011
Lecturer:
E-mail:
Office Hour:
Dr. Ellery Frahm
frah0010@umn.edu
Tuesdays, 1:00 - 2:00 pm, Blegen Hall, Room 320
By appointment: Fridays, 11:00 - 12:00 or 1:30 - 2:30
Teaching Assistant:
E-mail:
Office Hour:
Murat Altun
altun@umn.edu
Tuesdays, 11:00 - 1:00 pm, Blegen Hall, Room 320
Lecture:
Tuesdays, 2:30 - 4:25 pm, Anderson Hall, Room 370
This course will focus on anthropological methods of analyzing and interpreting Middle Eastern
cultures and societies. The study of kinship, social organization, ethnic group relations, identity,
and other cultural phenomena are fundamental to the anthropological analysis of Middle Eastern
societies, but these subjects are rarely covered in many conventional Middle East studies classes.
We will explore varied dimensions of Middle East cultures in this course, from the basis of tribal
and ethnic identities to food and sex. By considering anthropological case studies and fieldwork,
you will see how empirical observational research can allow us to better understand people from
different cultures. An aim of this course is to help you understand Middle Eastern societies as an
“insider” with cultural understandings that a person raised in the region would have. This course
meets Social Science, Global Perspectives, and Writing Intensive requirements.
Required Books:
Bates, Daniel and Rassam, Amal. 2000. Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East, 2nd edition.
Prentice Hall. ISBN-13: 978-0136564898.
Beeman, William O. 2008. The Great Satan vs. the Mad Mullahs: How the United States and
Iran Demonize Each Other. University of Chicago Press. ISBN-13: 978-0226041476.
Borneman, John. 2007. Syrian Episodes: Sons, Fathers, and an Anthropologist in Aleppo.
Princeton University Press. ISBN-13: 978-0691128870.
Eickelman, Dale F. 2002. The Middle East and Central Asia: An Anthropological Approach,
4th edition. Prentice Hall. ISBN-13: 978-0130336781.
Fernea, Elizabeth Warnock. 1995. Guests of the Sheik: An Ethnography of an Iraqi Village.
Anchor Press. ISBN-13: 978-0385014854.
Holmes-Eber, Paula. 2002. Daughters of Tunis: Women, Family, and Networks in a Muslim
City. Westview Press. ISBN-13: 978-0813339443.
Rabinow, Paul. 2007. Reflections on Fieldwork in Morocco, 2nd (30th Anniversary) edition.
University of California Press. ISBN-13: 978-0520251779.
All books are on two-hour reserve at Wilson Library, but Bates and Rassam is the 1983 edition.
Recommended Resources:
Harvard Guide to Reading and Writing Social Anthropology:
http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic235750.files/anthropology_writing_guide_2010.pdf
MIT Guide to Reading Social Science: How to Work Through Long Reading Assignments:
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/anthropology/21a-245j-power-interpersonal-organizational-andglobal-dimensions-fall-2005/study-materials/guidereading.pdf
Article Readings: The article readings can be downloaded from the eReserve website from the
U Libraries: http://eres.lib.umn.edu/eres/coursepage.aspx?cid=2207 The password is 5g99kh8.
Discussion: A portion of lecture periods will be devoted to discussions of the assigned readings
in “base groups” periodically joined by the lecturer or TA. The base groups will then come back
together and discuss with the whole class. Groups may be asked to turn in their discussion notes.
Papers: Students enrolled in 3021 will write two short papers, each 3-5 pages, and a final paper
of 10-12 pages. They can restrict their short papers to the course readings. Students in 5021 will
write two short papers 5-8 pages in length and a final paper of 14-20 pages, and they will expand
their research to include materials not on the course reading list. For both short papers, students
will first submit a draft, which will be evaluated and returned, before turning in the final version.
Final Paper Topic: For the final paper, students will choose an issue in the Middle East which
may be considered in anthropological terms. In this paper, topics that have not been covered in
depth during the course will be explored. The paper must deal with a cultural theme and use an
anthropological approach. A history, political science, economics, or religious studies paper will
not be acceptable. Narrower topics likely will be more successful than big themes like “women
in the Middle East.” Select a specific custom, event, or institution and try to place it in a broader
cultural context. Some examples are below, but you are encouraged to formulate your own topic.
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Coptic influences on Islamic religious practices in North Africa
Family planning today in Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Israel, etc.
The meaning of the Nowruz Holiday for Iranian Jews in Israel
Amulets and religious talismans in contemporary Saudi Arabia
The use of social media among youths in the United Arab Emirates
The image of Fatima, Khadija, Aisha, etc. in the contemporary Middle East
Traditional musician Zein Al-Jundi, Abed Azrie, etc. and his/her views of religion
The Yazidis (Mandaens, Sabeans, Druze, etc.) and their current situation in Iraq
Mid-Semester Exam: There will be a one-hour exam in the middle of the semester but no final.
Make-Up Policy: The valid reasons for make-up exams include serious illness, jury duty, and
religious observances. Students must provide advance notice and documentation to verify the
reason. Please see http://policy.umn.edu/Policies/Education/Education/MAKEUPWORK.html.
Final Grade Computation:
Evaluation will be based on short papers, a short mid-term exam, and a final paper:
First short paper:
Mid-term exam:
Second short paper:
Final term paper:
Discussion & Attendance:
15%
25%
15%
30%
15%
To compute your final grades, we will convert the letter grade for each assignment, exam, quiz,
etc. to its numerical equivalent (A = 4.0, A- = 3.67, B+ = 3.33, etc.). These numbers are then
averaged in accordance with the above scheme, and we will convert the result to a letter grade.
If, for example, you earn the following grades...
First short paper:
Mid-term exam:
Second short paper:
Final term paper:
Discussion & Attendance:
B+ (3.33)
B (3.00)
A (4.00)
B+ (3.33)
A- (3.67)
… your grade would be computed as follows:
15% • 3.33 + 25% • 3.00 + 15% • 4.00 + 30% • 3.33 + 15% • 3.67 = 3.4 = B+
We use this grading scheme to minimize concerns about a few lost points on an exam or paper.
For example, any “A” is treated equally under this scheme, regardless of the actual point score.
U Grade Definitions: http://www.policy.umn.edu/Policies/Education/Education/Gradingtranscripts.html
Late Assignments: No grade will be awarded for a late paper, including drafts, (without special
arrangements); however, a late paper must still be turned in to pass this writing-intensive course.
Senate Student Workload Policy: One semester credit represents 3 hours of academic work per
week (lectures, studying, etc.) to complete the work of the course. This is a 3-credit course, and
this course meets for 2 hours each week, which leaves 7 hours per week for reading and writing.
Classroom Expectations and Academic Dishonesty: All students are required to follow the
conduct code (http://www1.umn.edu/regents/policies/academic/Student_Conduct_Code.html)
and related U policies on integrity in the classroom (http://www1.umn.edu/oscai/index.html).
Disability Accommodations: Any student with a documented disability (e.g., physical, learning,
psychiatric, systemic, vision, hearing) who needs to arrange accommodations should contact the
lecturer and Disability Services (http://ds.umn.edu/home.html) at the start of the semester.
Course Schedule
1. Sept. 6 - Introduction: The Five Ws of the Middle East
Book readings for 3021 & 5021
Bates and Rassam, 2000, Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East, 2nd ed, Chapter 1: The
Setting: Human Geography and Historical Background, pp. 1-29.
Eickelman, 2002, The Middle East and Central Asia: An Anthropological Approach, 4th ed,
Chapter 1: Anthropology, the Middle East, and Central Asia, pp. 1-21.
2. Sept. 13 - Anthropological Perspectives
Rabinow, 1978, Reflections on Fieldwork in Morocco.
OR
Borneman, 2007, Syrian Episodes: Sons, Fathers, and an Anthropologist in Aleppo.
Note: Both books eventually must be read to complete the first short paper, but only one of
them must be read by class this week for discussion.
3. Sept. 20 - Ancient Foundations of the Middle East
Article readings for 3021 & 5021
Moore, Andrew M.T. 1988. The Prehistory of Syria. Bulletin of the American Schools of
Oriental Research, number 270, pp. 3-12.
Stone, Elizabeth C. 1995. The Development of Cities in Ancient Mesopotamia. In Civilizations
of the Ancient Near East, Volume 1, edited by J.M. Sasson, pp. 235-248.
Wright, Gary A. 1992. Origins of Food Production in Southwestern Asia: A Survey of Ideas
[with comments and reply]. Current Anthropology, volume 33, number 1, Supplement:
Inquiry and Debate in the Human Sciences, pp. 109-139.
Wright, H.E., Jr. 1993. Environmental Determinism in Near Eastern Prehistory. Current
Anthropology, volume 34, issue 3, pp. 458-469.
4. Sept. 27 - Islam: Religion, Culture, and Practice
Bates and Rassam, 2000, Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East, 2nd ed, Chapter 2: Islam: The
Prophet and the Religion, pp. 30-57.
Bates and Rassam, 2000, Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East, 2nd ed, Chapter 3: Islam as a
Culture, Islam as Politics, pp. 58-89.
Eickelman, 2002, The Middle East and Central Asia: An Anthropological Approach, Chapter 10:
Religion and Experience: Islam and the “Religions of the Book,” pp. 241-314.
Recommended for 3021 & 5021
The Quran - English interpretations as well as Arabic text and audio recitation at quran.com.
First Short Paper - assigned. The first paper will ask you to consider a specific issue that
shapes Middle Eastern life as you compare and contrast the anthropological
perspectives in Reflections on Fieldwork in Morocco and Syrian Episodes.
5. Oct. 4 - Ethnicities, Communities, and Identities
Bates and Rassam, 2000, Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East, 2nd ed, Chapter 4:
Communal Identities and Ethnic Groups, pp. 90-119.
Chapter 6: What is a Tribe?, pp. 115-139.
Article readings -- choose two for 3021 -- all three for 5021
Adra, Najwa. 1985. The Concept of Tribe in Rural Yemen. In Arab Society: Social Science
Perspectives, Saad Eddin Ibrahim and Nicholas S. Hopkins, editors, pp. 275-285.
Sato, Noriko. 1997. “We Are No More in Bondage, We Are Peasants”: Memory and the
Construction of Identity in the Syrian Jazirah. Journal of Mediterranean Studies,
volume 7, number 2, pp. 195-217.
Sharkey, Heather J. 2008. Arab Identity and Ideology in Sudan: The Politics of Language,
Ethnicity, and Race. African Affairs, volume 107, number 426, pp. 21-43.
First Short Paper - draft due.
6. Oct. 11 - Pastoralism and Nomadic Life
Pastoralism and Nomadic Society, pp. 120-142.
Chapter 4: Pastoral Nomadism, pp. 64-83.
Irons, William. 1974. Nomadism as a Political Adaptation: The Case of the Yomut Turkmen.
American Ethnologist, volume 1, number 4, pp. 635-658.
Marx, Emanuel. 1977. The Tribe as a Unit of Subsistence: Nomadic Pastoralism in the Middle
East. American Anthropologist, New Series, volume 79, number 2, pp. 343-363.
Salzman, Philip Carl. 2002. Pastoral Nomads: Some General Observations Based on Research
in Iran. Journal of Anthropological Research, volume 58, number 2, pp. 245-264.
First Short Paper - draft returned.
7. Oct. 18 - Agriculture and Village Life
Agriculture and the Changing Village, pp. 143-170.
Chapter 3: Village and Community, pp. 45-63.
Antoun, Richard T. 1967. Social Organization and the Life Cycle in an Arab Village.
Ethnology, volume 6, number 3, pp. 294-308.
Beeley, Brian W. 1970. The Turkish Village Coffeehouse as a Social Institution. Geographical
Review, volume 60, number 4, pp. 475-493.
Reynolds, Dwight F. 1994. Feathered Brides and Bridled Fertility: Architecture, Ritual, and
Change in a Northern Egyptian Village. Muqarnas, volume 11, pp. 166-178.
First Short Paper - final version due.
8. Oct. 25 - Cities and Urban Life
Bates and Rassam, 2000, Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East, 2nd ed, Chapter 7: Cities and
Urban Life, pp. 171-200.
Chapter 5: Cities in their Place, pp. 84-114.
Al-Naim, Mashary A. 2004. The Dynamics of a Traditional Arab Town: The Case of Hofūf,
Saudi Arabia. Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, volume 34, pp. 193-207.
Miller, Susan Gilson. 2001. Apportioning Sacred Space in a Moroccan City: The Case of
Tangier, 1860–1912. City & Society, volume 13, pp. 57-83.
Singerman, Diane. 2002. Networks, Jobs, and Everyday Life in Cairo. In Everyday Life in the
Muslim Middle East, Donna Lee Bowen and Evelyn A. Early, pp. 199-208.
9. Nov. 2 - Kinship, Family, and Marriage
Bates and Rassam, 2000, Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East, 2nd ed, Chapter 8: Sources of
Social Organization: Kinship, Marriage, and the Family, pp. 201-225.
Chapter 7: Personal and Family Relationships, pp. 140-167.
Barth, Fredrik. 1986. Father’s Brother’s Daughter Marriage in Kurdistan. Journal of
Anthropological Research, volume 42, number 3, pp. 389-396.
Bradburd, Daniel. 1994. The Rules and the Game: The Practice of Marriage among the
Komachi. American Ethnologist, volume 11, number 4, pp. 738-753.
Hoodfar, Homa. 2009. Marriage, Family, and Household in Cairo. In Arab Society and
Culture: An Essential Reader, Samir and Roseanne Saad Khalaf (eds.), pp, 262-277.
Mid-Term Exam (1 hour)
10. Nov. 8 - Sex and Gender
Bates and Rassam, 2000, Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East, 2nd ed, Chapter 9: Women
and the Social Order, pp. 226-250.
Holmes-Eber, 2002, Daughters of Tunis.
OR
Fernea, 1965, Guests of the Sheik: An Ethnography of an Iraqi Village.
Note: Both books eventually must be read to complete the second short paper, but only one of
them must be read by class this week for discussion.
Article readings -- choose one for 3021 or 5021
Abu-Lughod, Lila. 1986. Modesty, Gender, and Sexuality. In Veiled Sentiments: Honor and
Poetry in a Bedouin Society, pp. 118-167.
McCormick, Jared. 2006. Transition Beirut: Gay Identities, Live Realities: The Balancing Act
in the Middle East. In Sexuality in the Arab World, Samir Khalaf and John Gagnon
(editors), pp. 243-260.
Salamandra, Christa. 2009. Consumption, Display, and Gender. In Arab Society and Culture:
An Essential Reader, Samir Khalaf and Roseanne Saad Khalaf (editors),, pp. 240-251.
Second Short Paper - assigned. The second paper will ask you to consider a specific issue
from the last few weeks of class as you compare and contrast the ethnographic
perspectives in Daughters of Tunis and Guests of the Sheik.
11. Nov. 15 - Food and Culture
Article readings for 3021 & 5021
Heine, Peter. 2004. Geographical, Historical, and Cultural Overview. In Food Culture in the
Near East, Middle East, and North Africa, pp. 1-18.
Bromberger, Christian. 1994. Eating Habits and Cultural Boundaries in Northern Iran. In
Culinary Cultures of the Middle East, S. Zubaida and R. Tapper (editors), pp. 185-201.
Maclagan, Ianthe. 1994. Food and Gender in a Yemeni Community. In Culinary Cultures of the
Middle East, Sami Zubaida and Richard Tapper (editors), pp. 159-172.
Tapper, Richard. 1994. Blood, Wine, and Water: Social and Symbolic Aspects of Drinks and
Drinking in the Islamic Middle East. In Culinary Cultures of the Middle East, Sami
Zubaida and Richard Tapper (editors), pp. 215-231.
Second Short Paper - draft due.
12. Nov. 22 - Power and Authority
Bates and Rassam, 2000, Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East, 2nd ed, Chapter 10: Local
Organization of Power: Leadership, Patronage, and Tribalism, pp. 251-277.
Chapter 9: The Cultural Order of Complex Societies, pp. 215-240.
Antoun, Richard T. 2000. Civil Society, Tribal Process, and Change in Jordan: An
Anthropological View. International Journal of Middle East Studies, volume 32,
issue 4, pp. 441-463.
Chatty, Dawn. 1977. Leaders, Land, and Limousines: Emir Versus Sheikh. Ethnology, volume
16, number 4, pp. 385-397.
Lancaster, William. 1981. Political Power and Authority. In The Rwala Bedouin Today, Second
Edition, pp. 73-96.
Second Short Paper - draft returned.
13. Nov. 29 - Ethnicity, Gender, and Identities - Guest Lecture by S. Lavie
Book reading for 3021 & 5021
Chapter 8: Change in Practical Ideologies: Self, Gender, and Ethnicity, pp. 168-214.
Second Short Paper - final version due.
14. Dec. 6 - Politics and the Future - Guest Lecture by W. Beeman
Beeman, 2008, The “Great Satan” vs. the “Mad Mullahs”: How the United States and Iran
Demonize Each Other (3021: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 8, and 9; 5021: whole book).
Chapter 11: The Shape of Change: State Authority and Society, pp. 313-360.
15. Dec. 13 - 5021 Student Presentations
Students enrolled in 5021 will give short in-class presentations (about 5 to 10 minutes)
based on their final term paper research.
The final term paper will be due during Finals Week -- deadline to be announced.

syllabus

Transcription

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