| 授業の目標・概要等 |
[Course Description]
This coursework introduces the fundamental concepts, theories, and methodologies of cultural anthropology. Its primary goal is to comprehend the influential ideas and concerns within the field.
The course draws on classical anthropological theories along with historical and sociological theories of contemporary times. Students are expected to demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the diversity present in cultural phenomena. Additionally, they should be able to articulate the interconnectedness of the contemporary world and recognize how it undergoes transformation due to factors such as globalization, climate crises, and power dynamics.
The structure of class sessions combines both lectures and student-led discussions. Each week focuses on a significant theme in cultural anthropology, exploring it through various readings and/or online resources. Each class begins with a lecture where I provide context and elucidate the significance of the relevant theory, concept, person, or other pertinent content. Given the duration of our meetings and the small class size, student-led discussions heavily reliant on active participation will be pivotal in our sessions. |
| 授業計画 |
Lesson 1
June 9 Introduction to the Course
What is cultural anthropology? What constitute the fundamental philosophical orientations in cultural anthropology? What are the main strands of intellectual thought in the history of anthropology?
Lesson 2
June 16 Kinship
Kinship is a foundational concept in anthropology, shaping how societies define relationships, inheritance, and social obligations. While traditionally understood through biological ties and descent, anthropologists have expanded the concept to include social, legal, and even multispecies connections. This week, we will explore key theories and ethnographic cases, from classic lineage studies to contemporary discussions on chosen families, queer kinships, and assisted reproductive technologies.
Eriksen, Thomas Hylland. 2004. “Kinship.” In What is Anthropology?, 98-116. London: Pluto Press.
Sahlins, Marshall. 2013. “What Kinship Is – Culture” In What Kinship Is – And Is Not, 1-61. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Whyte, Kyle. 2021. “Time as Kinship.” In The Cambridge Companion to Environmental Humanities, edited
by Cohen Jeffrey, Foote Stephanie, 39–55. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Lesson 3
June 23 Reciprocity
Reciprocity is a fundamental principle in socioeconomic life, shaping relationships through the exchange of gifts and obligations. We will examine classic and contemporary perspectives on reciprocity. Through these readings, we will discuss how reciprocity extends beyond material transactions, shaping power, and social cohesion across different cultural contexts.
Eriksen, Thomas Hylland. 2004. “Reciprocity.” In What is Anthropology?, 84-97. London: Pluto Press.
Mauss, Marcel. 2001 [1925]. “Introduction” and “The Exchange of Gifts and the Obligation to Reciprocate (Polynesia)” In The Gift: The form and Reason for Exchange in Archaic Societies (2nd ed.), 1-24. London and New York: Routledge.
Graeber, David. 2012. Chapter 5: “A Brief Treatise on the Moral Grounds of Economic Relations,”In Debt: The First 5000 Years, 89-126. Brooklyn: Melville House.
Lesson 4
June 30 Rituals and Symbols
Geertz, Clifford. 1972. “Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight.” Daedalus 134 (4): 56–86.
Turner, Victor. 1967. Symbols in Ndembu ritual. In The Forest of Symbols: Aspects of Ndembu Ritual, 19-47. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
Lesson 5
July 7 Writing ‘Others’
How we write about others shapes not only our understanding of the world but also the power dynamics embedded in knowledge production. This week, we will critically examine the politics of representation in anthropology and beyond. Through these readings, we will discuss how scholars navigate the ethics of representing others and consider alternative approaches to writing about difference.
Said, Edward. 1978. “Chapter 1: The scope of orientalism (section I).” In Orientalism, 31-49. New
York: Vintage Books.
Trouillot, Michel-Rolph. 2003. Anthropology and the Savage Slot: The Poetics and Politics of
Otherness. In Global Transformations, 7-28. Palgrave Macmillan, New York.
Abu-Lughod, Lila. 2008. “Writing against culture.” The Cultural Geography Reader. Routledge, 62-71.
Lesson 6
July 14 Commodity Pathways
Commodities are more than just objects of exchange—they have social lives, shifting in meaning and value as they move through different contexts. This week, we will explore how commodities travel along complex pathways, shaped by cultural, economic, and political forces. Through these readings, we will consider how commodities are transformed as they circulate and the broader implications of these processes.
Appadurai, Arjun. 1986. “Introduction: Commodities and the Politics of Value” In The Social Life of Things, 3-63. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Tsing, Anna. 2013. “Sorting out commodities: How capitalist value is made through gifts.” HAU: Journal of Ethnographic Theory 3 (1): 21-43.
Lesson 7
July 18 Multispecies Ethnography
Kirksey, S. Eben & Stefan Helmreich. 2010. “The Emergence of Multispecies Ethnography,” Cultural Anthropology 25 (4): 545-576.
Collard, Rosemary-Claire. 2018. “Disaster Capitalism and the Quick, Quick, Slow Unravelling of Animal Life.” Antipode 50: 910-928.
Nading, Alex M. 2013. Humans, animals, and health: From ecology to entanglement. Environment and Society: Advances in Research 4.1: 60–78.
Lesson 8
This week, we will explore “an anthropology of life” to extend ethnography beyond the human. Challenging the constraints of conventional frameworks that separate the uniquely human from the commonly animal, the readings advocate for an embodied approach to semiosis—one that recognizes sign processes as fundamental to all forms of life.
Eriksen, Thomas Hylland. 2004. “Nature.” In What is Anthropology?, 117-135. London: Pluto Press.
Descola, Philippe. 1996. “Constructing Nature.” In Nature and Society: Anthropological Perspectives,
edited by Philippe Descola and Gísli Pálsson, 82-102. London: Routledge.
Kohn, Eduardo. 2007. How dogs dream: Amazonian natures and the politics of transspecies engagement. American Ethnologist 34.1: 3–24.
[Names and Pronouns]
Students are expected to refer to their classmates by their stated names and pronouns. If you go by a different name or gender pronoun than the one that appears on the official course roster, please let me know.
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