Introduction to cultural anthropology 1.

Saba Tesfay
Objectives:
The class is basically an introduction to cultural anthropology, and as such we are here
dealing with issues of special interest to anthropologists. Following an overview of the history
of cultural and social anthropology, the course will highlight the basic concepts of
anthropology, such as culture, cultural relativism and fieldwork methods. Students will learn
about various fields of special importance, including kinship studies, gender, economic
anthropology, language and communication.
Sources
All articles from the book Conformity and Conflict are to be found either under my name in
the library or in the book at the same location (two different editions! But you will find many
of the articles in both versions!)
Thomas Hylland Eriksens Small Places, Large Issues: An Introduction to Social and
Cultural Anthropology is a highly recommended reading. You will find chapters related to
our topics.
A substantial amount of material needed for the course is uploaded on coospace.
In many cases, the assigned reading will not be discussed in class, and much of the material
covered in class will not be found in the books.
The seminar is designed for non-specialised students.
Required work:
1, Regular class attendance is a course requirement.
2, Each student is encouraged to contribute to the in-class discussions: each lesson we are
going to discuss a relevant topic in anthropology through the assigned readings. Everyone is
required to read one article for each lesson. The essence of the readings are going to be
discussed in groups during the class. Questions and answers will follow.
3, You are expected to formulate questions about the articles.
4, Every student is required to hand in an essay at the end of the course about an optional
topic within the field of anthropology.
5, There will be another assignment for groups of 4-6. You will be expected to prepare a
thinglink presentation and a quiz for our last session.
Assessment
Final marks will be based on attendance (10%), in-class participation (10%), weekly
responses (20%), group assignment (30%) and the essay (30%).
Course outline
Readings after the sign A will be compulsory reading for moiety A. Readings after sign
B will be compulsory reading for moiety B. The other titles are recommended readings.
There are two compulsory texts for each lesson, but only one article for everyone depending
on your membership in moieties A or B. It is on the first lesson that everyone can ask
membership to moiety A or B.
1, The discipline of anthropology

Discussing the requirements, assessment methods and assignments for the course.
What is a moiety?
Introduction to cultural anthropology: fields of interest, approaches, history of the discipline.
2, The subject of study: Culture
Articles for discussion:
A: Miner, Horace: Body Ritual Among the Nacirema (electronic)
B: Bohannan, Laura: Shakespeare in the Bush. In Conformity and Conflict. Ed. Spradley,
James. 1997 (copy)
Recommended reading
Kratz, Corinne: Circumcision, Pluralism, and Dilemmas of Cultural Relativism (electronic)
3, Fieldwork methods
A: Malinowski, Bronislaw: Introduction: The Subject, method and Scope of this Enquiry
In Argonauts of the Western Pacific. 1960 (copy)
B: Chagnon, Napoleon: Doing fieldwork among the Yanomam (electronic)
Recommended reading
Sterk, Claire: Tricking and Tripping: Fieldwork on Prostitution in the Era of Aids. In Applied
Anthropology (electronic)
4, Linguistic anthropology
Article for discussion:
A: Thomson, David The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis: Worlds Shaped by Words In Conformity
and Conflict
B: Whorf, Benjamin Lee. The Relation of Habitual Thought and Behaviour to Language In
High Points in Anthropology. 2nd edition. Paul Bohannan, Mark Glazer (eds.) (copy)
Recommended readings
Deutscher, Guy: Whorf Revisited: You are what you Speak. Conformity and Conflict
Hall, Edward T. and Hall, Mildred Reed: The Sounds of Silence. In Conformity and
Conflict.
Basso, Keith H.: To Give Up on Words: Silence in Western Apache Culture. In Applying
Cultural Anthropology (electronic)
Stewart Michael: True Speech: song and the moral order of a Hungarian Vlach Gypsy
community MAN, vol. 24. no.1. March 1989 (copy)
5, FILM
Discussion about ethnographic films
Assigned reading for both moieties:
A B: Caplan, Pat : In Search of the Exotic (electronic)
6, Kinship studies

Article for discussion:

A: Goldstein, Melvyn: Polyandry: When brothers take a wife. In Conformity and Conflict.
B: Willigen, John and Channa V.C.: Law, Custom, and Crimes Against Women: The Problem
of Dowry Death in India (electronic)
7, Roles and inequality
Article for discussion:
A: Walter, Williams: The Berdache Tradition (electronic)
B: Friedl, Ernestine: Society and Sex Roles In: Conformity and Conflict
Recommended readings
Slocum, Sally: Woman the Gatherer: Male bias in anthropology (copy)
8, Economic anthropology
Article for discussion:
A: Lee, Richard Borshay: Eating Christmas in the Kalahari. In Conformity and Conflict.
B: Cronk, Lee: Reciprocity and the power of giving. In Conformity and Conflict.
Recommended reading
Harris, Marvin: Indias sacred cow. In Conformity and Conflict.
9, Political anthropology
Article for discussion:
A: Harris, Marvin: Life Without Chiefs. In: Conformity and Conflict.
B: Turton, David: Lip-Plates and 'The People Who Take Photographs': Uneasy Encounters
between Mursi and Tourists in Southern Ethiopia (electronic)
Recommended reading
Gibbs, James L.: The Kpelle Moot. In: Applying Cultural Anthropology (electronic)
Williams, Patrick: The Invisibility of the Kalderash of Paris. Urban Gypsies 11. 1982
(copy)
10, The Anthropology of Religion
Article for discussion:
A: Gmelch, George J.: Baseball magic (electronic)
B: Peters-Golden : The Azande . Witchcraft and Oracles in Africa (copy)
Recommended reading
Leavitt, Stephen: Cargo beliefs and religious experience. In Conformity and Conflict.
Nelson, Richard: Eskimo Science. Conformity and Conflict.
11, FILM
12, Group assignments

Additional readings:
Sinad, ni Shuinear. Why do Gajos hate Gypsies so much, anyway ? In Gypsy Politics and
Traveller Identity. 1997 (copy)
Abu-Lughod, Lila : Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving ? Conformity and Conflict.-