DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY Course Descriptions Autumn 2006

20405/30405. Anthropology of Dis/ability (=MAPS 36900, SOSC 36900, HUDV 30405). This seminar undertakes to explore "dis/ability" from an anthropological perspective that recognizes it as a socially constructed concept with implications for our understanding of fundamental issues about culture, society, and individual differences. The course will explore a wide range of theoretical, legal, ethical and policy issues as they relate to the experiences of persons with disabilities, their families, and advocates. At the conclusion of the course, participants will make presentation on fieldwork projects conducted during the quarter. M. Fred. Thurs 3:00-5:50

20701-20702. Introduction to African Civilization I, II. (=AFAM 20701-20702, HIST 10101-10102, HUDV 21401 [II], SOSC 22500-22600, SOCI 30305 [I]) General education social science sequence recommended. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. The first portion of this two-quarter sequence utilizes a variety of perspectives and methodologies to throw light on the historically complex and culturally rich experience of the peoples of Ethiopia. In addition to readings listed in the syllabus and related discussions, students will have an opportunity to explore on their own - - to Ethiopian sites in the Chicago area as well as through expeditions to the library. The second quarter of the African Civilization sequence takes up the classic question of continuity and change in African societies by examining the impact of colonialism and daily life in post-colonial societies. The course is structured in terms of critical themes in the study of modern African societies. The themes that we address are: the colonial experience, with particular emphasis on the symbolic and intimate dimensions of the colonial experience, anti-colonial movements and the construction of political imaginaries, and finally the experience of everyday life in the context of neoliberal economic reform. We will focus on the countries of South and South Eastern Africa: Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa and Madagascar. D. Levine, Autumn; J. Cole, Winter. MWF 1:30-2:20.

21105: Classical Readings in Anthropology: Foundational Concepts in the Anthropology of Religion: Animism, Totemism, Shamanism. Raymond Fogelson, . TuTh 3:00-4:20.

21245. Intensive Study of a Culture: Multilingualism in the Brazilian Amazon (=LACS 21245, LING 21245). This course examines the phenomenon of multilingualism as an anthropological object through the comparison and contrast of two Amazonian social systems where many languages coexist in networks of alliance and shared cultural patterns; the Upper Rio Negro and the Upper Xingu. The general theme of multilingualism will be explored through a relatively detailed look at the ethnographic literature of these indigenous Amazonian societies, with special attention to social organization and language use. As an introduction to linguistic anthropology, this course will provide students with a critical perspective on the politics of language and argue for the basic condition of heterogeneity in ALL linguistic communities. Throughout the course students will be presented with the methods of linguistic anthropological research, specifically the collection and analysis of texts-in-context, and analysis of language ideologies; native reflections on the constitution and function of language. As an introduction to the anthropology of indigenous Amazonia this course will provide students with a base for understanding the social and cultural organization of Amerindian societies in terms of traditional anthropological categories such as kinship, myth and ritual organization. In addition to this the course seeks to develop in students a critical approach to some of the dilemmas involved in the anthropology of contemporary indigenous politics through discussion and analysis of the relationship between language and identity. Christopher Ball. MonWed 12:00-1:20.

21250. Intensive Study of a Culture: Ancient Eurasian Steppe Societies. This course is an intensive study of Eurasian steppe societies from the earliest development of steppe pastoralism (ca. 5000 BC) to present-day pastoralists in Kazakhstan and western China. We consider the roots and transformations of notions of "Eurasia" as a periphery impinging on neighboring polities in Europe and the Middle East; divergent and recurrent themes that have arisen from different national projects and research perspectives (e.g., Russian Imperial and Soviet archaeologies, post-Soviet international collaborations); the perennial interest in nomadism; and the development of pastoralism and metallurgy as so-called "productive economies" that offered points of articulation with the "outside world" of cities, agriculturalists, and forest dwellers. While disentangling the knowledge of these societies from the models that have been imposed on them, we will seek a new understanding of how early steppe societies first brought together a variety of activities in a pastoral way of life, and the ensuing changes that accompanied shifts in internal and external social relations under colonialism, state, and empire. David Peterson. TuTh 12:00-1:20

21416. Practice of Anthropology: Corruption in Critical Perspective. What is corruption? Is it-as we are prone to suspect-detrimental to social equality, political participation, and economic growth? This class will develop a critical perspective on corruption that both problematizes and takes these intuitive claims seriously. Through readings on social exchange, alliances, moral economies, and witchcraft, we will identify a set of classic anthropological tools relevant to the study of corruption and then bring these analytics to bear on ethnographic materials. In this way, we will reexamine what constitutes corruption, how it operates in day-to-day contexts, and how denunciations of corruption operate as political tools. Sarah Muir. TuTh 1:30-2:50

21510/35110 Cultural Psychology (=HUDV 21000/31000, PSYC 2300/33000, HDCP 41050). There is a substantial portion of the psychological nature of human beings that is neither homogeneous nor fixed across time and space. At the heart of the discipline of cultural psychology is the tenet of psychological pluralism, which states that the study of "normal" psychology is the study of multiple psychologies and not just the study of a single or uniform fundamental psychology for all peoples of the world. Research findings in cultural psychology thus raise provocative questions about the integrity and value of alternative forms of subjectivity across cultural groups. In this course we analyze the concept of "culture" and examine ethnic and cross-cultural variations in mental functioning with special attention to the cultural psychology of emotions, self, moral judgment, categorization and reasoning. Richard Shweder. TuTh 3:00-4:20

25200/43800. Approaches to Gender in Anthropology (=GNDR 25201/43800). This course examines gender as a cultural category in anthropological theory, as well as in everyday life. After reviewing the historical sources of the current concern with women, gender, and sexuality in anthropology , we critically explore some key controversies. These include: (1) the relationship between production and reproduction in different sociocultural orders; (2) "public" and "private" in current politics; (3) the body and sexualities; (4) work and emotional experience in a globalizing world; (5) consumption and desire; (7) language, communication and the construction of masculinity and femininity; (8) gender in postcolonial discourse. Susan Gal, TuTh 9:00-10:20

25710/35710. Global Society and Global Culture: Paradigms of Social and Cultural Analysis (=SOCI 20169/30169). This course will introduce students to major theories of globalization and to core approaches to global society and global culture. We will discuss micro- and macroglobalization, cultural approaches to globalization, systems theory, discourse approaches and the strong program in globalization studies. Topics include a section on the ethnography of the global, empirical studies that illustrate the
interest and feasibility of globalization studies and critical studies of dimensions of globalization. Karin Knorr Cetina. Mon 12:30-3:20

26710/36710. Ancient Landscapes-1: GIS and Landscapes (=NEAA 20061/30061; GEOG 25400/35400; ANST 22600). This course, along with Ancient Landscapes II in the Winter Quarter, will expose students to numerous spatial theories underlying studies of ancient and historical landscapes. It will also provide students with practical experience in the methodologies and GIS tools that can be used to collect and analyze spatial data within these landscapes. As such it is relevant to anyone who wishes to analyze data about and within the landscape in their spatial and temporal contexts. The course has both a classroom and a laboratory component. The classroom component consists of lectures and discussions while the laboratory component will allow students to get involved applying the concepts discussed in class through the hands on use of GIS software. That said, the course is not a simple introduction to GIS, but rather enables students to use GIS software for advanced analysis of landscapes. Scott Branting. TuTh 10:30-11:50.

27001-27002-27003//37001-37002-37003. Introduction to Linguistics I, II, III (= LING 20100-20200-20300/30100-30200-30300, SOSC 21700-21800-21900). PQ: Must be taken in sequence. This course is an introductory survey of methods, findings, and problems in areas of major interest within lin¬guistics and of the relationship of linguistics to other disciplines. Topics include the biological basis of language, basic notions of syntax, semantics, pragmatics, basic syntactic typology of language, phonetics, phonology, morphology, language acquisition, linguistic variation, and linguistic change. Amy Dahlstrom. TuTh 1:30-2:50.

27605/37605. Language, Culture and Thought (=HUDV 21901/31900, PSYC 21950/31900). This is a survey course exploring the role of natural language in shaping human thought. The topic will be taken up at three levels: semiotic-evolutionary (the role of natural language in enabling distinctively human forms of thinking - the rise of true concepts and self-consciousness), structural-comparative (the role of specific language codes in shaping habitual thought - the "linguistic relativity" of experience), and functional-discursive (the role of specialized discursive practices and linguistic ideologies in cultivating specialized forms of thought - the pragmatics, politics, and aesthetics of reason and expression). Readings will be drawn from many disciplines but will emphasize developmental, cultural and critical approaches. Stephanie Pourcel. TuTh 1:30-2:50.

28100/38100. Evolution of the Hominoidea (=HIPS 2400, EVOL 38100). This course carries 200 units of credit. A detailed consideration of the fossil record and the phylogeny of Ho¬minidae and collateral taxa of the Hominoidea is based upon studies of casts and comparative primate osteology. Russell Tuttle. Mon 9:30-11:20; WedFri 9:20-12:20

29700. Readings in Anthropology. PQ: Consent of instructor and program chairman. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. At the discretion of the instructor, this course is available for either Pass or letter grading. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

29900. Preparation of Bachelor's Essay. PQ: Consent of instructor and program chairman. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. At the discretion of the instructor, this course is available for either Pass or letter grading. For honors requirements, consult the honors section under Program Requirements. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

32305. Introduction to Science Studies (=CHSS 3200, SOCI 40137, HIST xxxxx). This course provides an introduction to the interdisciplinary study of the scientific enterprise. During the twentieth century, sociologists, historians, philosophers, and anthropologists raised original, interesting, and consequential questions about the sciences. Often their work drew on and responded to each other, and, taken together, their various approaches came to constitute a field, "science studies." The course furnishes an initial guide to this field. Students will not only encounter some of its principal concepts, approaches, and findings, but will also get a chance to apply science-studies perspectives themselves by performing a fieldwork project. Among the topics we may examine are: the sociology of scientific knowledge and its applications; actor-network theories of science; constructivism and the history of science; notions of normal and revolutionary science; and debates concerning the fate of research in the commercial university. Adrian Johns, James Evans. Wed 1:30-4:20. SS 107.

32700. Conditions of Indigeneity. This course examines the politics, conditions, and dilemmas of indigenous peoples, especially in relation to settler states. Comparing the native peoples of Australia, Canada, and the United States, with additional materials from Latin America and the Pacific Islands, we will attend to how indigeneity intersects with citizenship, (post)coloniality, race, and economy. Topics include a genealogical exploration of analytical categories such as indigenous and Fourth World; indigenous citizenship and sovereignty; place, land claims, and indigeneity; the role of native peoples in the imaginations and political theories of settler states; the politics of representation in indigenous arts; and new indigenous political movements. Jessica Cattelino. Tues 3:00-5:50

34000. Introduction to Chicago Anthropology. PQ: Open only to first-year Anthropology graduate students. An introduction to the current faculty of the Department of Anthropology, their intellectual genealogies, and their current work. Staff. WedFri+some Mondays 12-1:20. Haskell 315.

34101-02. Development of Social/Cultural Theory-I (200 units) PQ: Open only to first-year Anthropology graduate students. The task of an anthropologist is arguably quite straightforward: (1) be interested in what the people one is studying are interested in, (2) contextualize, and (3) take nothing for granted, including context. But when one realizes that what one must contextualize, and not take for granted, are the very lenses through which one perceives and analyzes the world, this task becomes considerably more daunting. In this course, we will take some first steps towards an exploration of some of the equipment anthropologists have used, more or less self-consciously, in their efforts to understand socio-cultural universes of varying scales and sorts. We will be taking as our focus a central problem in the prehistory of contemporary anthropology, as well as our current global predicament: the relationship between theology and social theory, and religious and secular perspectives, more generally. Calling into question conventional accounts of the Enlightenment as a sheer break from a bad old religious past, we will track social theory's debts and deviations from theological accounts of central themes in our discipline. Our goal is not simply to gain an awareness of the genealogy of some of anthropology's key presumptions, as they came into being in opposition to and in dialogue with religious standpoints, but also to develop new tools and ethical standpoints for anthropological analysis at a time when both religion and secularism have become problematic terms. Danilyn Rutherford. TuTh 1:30-4:20. Haskell 315.

34804. Anthro/Lit: Thoreau's Walden/Bhagavad Gita (=SCTH 42200). Thoreau's Walden is the most distinguished and influential work of American letters (e.g., its impact of Mahatma Gandhi and M.L. King, Jr.). The Gita is "The New Testament of Hinduism" and, often linked with Buddhism, has percolated through much of the world. Thoreau took the Gita to Lake Walden, studied it avidly, and drew on its organization, figures, and values. The rich and complex Thoreau/East Indian connection has been elaborated in many essays and books, and this course will push the frontiers farther through a "heroic reading" of all of Walden and much of the Gita. How do these masterpieces speak to fundamental problems: good/evil, self/cosmos, duty/passion, reality/illusion, political engagement and philosophical meditation, sensuous "wildness" and ascetic devotion? To adapt Stanley Cavell, moreover, Walden, like the Gita begins with its hero in despair and defiance and ends with his coming to some understanding of the ways of action and of knowledge, of devotion and nature, of self and the cosmos. Main texts: W. Rossi's (Norton) edition of Walden (and Civil Disobedience) and Stolla's Gita; some secondary literature. P. Friedrich.Fri 9:30-12:20. Haskell 101. Open to undergraduates

37201. Language in Culture I (LING 3110, Psych 47001). Must be taken in sequence. This is a two-quarter sequence to introduce some of the central theoretical issues involved in the semiotic, cognitive and sociopolitical study of language in its contexts of communicative "use." By developing and using semiotic concepts, the first quarter concentrates on two major problems that organize a vast literature and diverse theoretical approaches. The first problem is to understand interpersonal communication is carried on in-and-by the medium of language. Such communication manifests itself both in an orderly, or at least ‘(non-in)coherent' unfolding of information and in the structured and culturally consequential social action that is accomplished in-and-by that unfolding. The second problem is to understand how language is a medium of and factor in so-called ‘conceptual' representations or mental "knowledge." There are various sources of such knowledge ‘coded' in the forms of language, and this diversity reveals the modes of semiosis of which language is composed at its various planes. We concentrate in particular on the semiotic characterization of dialectially emergent "cultural knowledge" or "cultural conceptualization," the nature of which is a current research frontier between social and cognitive sciences, between modernist and post-modernist humanities. Robin Shoaps. TuTh 10:30-11:50.

37701. Phonetics (= LING 20600/30600). PQ: Ling 201, 202, or 203; or consent of instructor. This is an introduction to the study of speech sounds. Speech sounds are described with respect to their articulatory, acoustic, and perceptual structures. There are lab exercises both in phonetic transcription and in the acoustic analysis of speech sounds. Jason Riggle. MW 1:30-2:50.

37801. Syntax I (=LING 20400/30400). PQ: Ling 201, 202, or 203; or equivalent. This course is devoted to detailed study of the major syntactic phenomena of English, combined with exposition and critical evaluation of the principal accounts of phenomena proposed by transformational gram¬marians and the theoretical frameworks within which those accounts are developed. Class discussion focuses on ideas advanced in or arising out of transformational grammar with regard to the relation between syntax and semantics and the psychological status of linguistic analyses. Jason Merchant. TuTh 10:30-11:50

42500. Anthropology of the Afro-Atlantic World. Although originally pioneered, more than three generations ago, by scholars and critics such as C.L.R. James, Eric Williams, W.E.B. DuBois, or Walter Rodney, conceptions of an "Atlantic World" have only recently come to prominence in Anthropology. In the past decade, however, students of Africa and the Americas have increasingly begun to phrase their inquiries in terms transcending entrenched geographical divisions of labor within the social sciences, aiming to include Africa, the Americas, and, to a certain extent, Europe into a single analytic field. Parts of this course will be devoted to a concise introduction to some of the major theoretical positions within, and controversies surrounding the new "Atlantic" anthropology of Africa and its New World diasporas. After this, we will examine a number of recent monographs and/or major articles exemplifying the promises and pitfalls of theoretical conceptions and methodological procedures that attempt to go beyond mere transregional comparison or linear historical narratives about "African influences", and aim at analytically situating specific ethnographic or historical scenarios within integrated perspectives on an "Afro-Atlantic World". Stephan Palmié. Tues 12:00-2:50

46910/26910. Archaeometry: New Non-destructive Approaches at Argonne National Laboratory. (Undergraduates need consent of instructor) This seminar scrutinizes the methods and objectives of a new integrated interdisciplinary program of non-destructive analysis of ancient ceramics and metalwork, which began in 2005 as collaboration between the Department of Anthropology, University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory. We will examine the results to date, and the exciting potential offered for the development of archaeological applications for new laboratory techniques through intensive interactions with ANL scientists, and in direct engagement with a variety of anthropological questions concerning craft techniques, organization, and the social and technical goals of production. The methods available include X-ray computed tomography (XRT) and digital radiography in ANL's Energy Technology Division, and synchrotron X-ray-based fluorescence and diffraction (XRF and XRD) at the Advanced Photon Source. The seminar will stress the formulation of questions of archaeological and anthropological significance, comparison of the possibilities of these methods and those with a longer history in archaeological science, and the advantages of new non-destructive procedures. Visits to Argonne are planned in order to observe research firsthand, together with discussions with scientists and other investigators currently involved in this research. It will prepare interested students for initiating analyses of their own materials at the Argonne facility. David Peterson. Wed 1:30-4:20

47400. The Development of Creole Vernaculars and Culture (=LING 45400). The central hypothesis to be verified in this course is that competition and selection (which account for the evolution of some languages -- by some sort of hybridization -- into creole vernaculars) can also be observed in other, non-linguistic cultural domains, such as cuisine, dance, music, religion, and folk medicine. We hope to articulate ways in which findings in one domain can enrich research in another. The course is based primarily on my book The Ecology of Language Evolution (2001, Cambridge University Press) and on Robert Chaudenson's Creolization of Language and Culture (2001, Routledge). These books are complemented by recent literature in anthropology and cultural studies that is relevant to specific issues discussed in the course. Salikoko Mufwene.

48100. Advanced Problems in Paleoanthropology (=EVOL 48100). This course includes tutorial museum, laboratory, and field studies on the hom¬inoid fossil record and contextual information relevant to its interpretation. R. Tuttle. Autumn, Winter, Spring. Annually.

48500. Advanced Problems in Primate Locomotion and Comparative Morphology (=EVOL 48500). This course is a seminar and/or laboratory study of the morphological and behavioral adaptations of selected primates and implications for primate phylogeny. R. Tuttle. Autumn, Winter, Spring. Annually.

52200. Proposal Preparation. (PQ: Open only to anthropology graduate students preparing for field work) This is a required course for (primarily third-year) graduate students who are preparing field work grant applications and dissertation proposal during the current academic year. The course is taken pass/fail and provides each student the opportunity to present a pre-circulated draft research proposal for discussion and critique. The course focuses on preparation and discussion of students' draft proposals. Susan Gal. Thurs. 1:00-3:50

51015. Seminar: Making Things Public (=CHSS 50100). How to make things public? A one month seminar based on the catalog of Making Things Public, (Latour & Weibel, MIT Press, 2005). We will use the oversized book as a quarry to work on the various domains of representations assembled under its cover : political, scientific, and artistic representation (the introduction is accessible in pdf at http://www.ensmp.fr/~latour/articles/article/96-MTP-DING.pdf). (Since the book is pretty cheap in spite of its size, I think we can use it instead of having a package of photocopies : also because the visuals are crucial to the argument). In parallel, we will read carefully Walter Lippmann (1927 [1993]) The Phantom Public (New Brunswick: Transactions Publishers) since the show has been largely based on this work and the response of John Dewey (1927 1954) The Public and Its Problems (Athens: Ohio University Press). (It will be useful to read also my paper on the political enunciation accessible in "What if We Talked Politics a Little?" Contemporary Political Theory Vol. 2, number 2, pp.143-164). Since a large part of the catalog is also built on the work of Peter Sloterdijk, and that is very little is accessible in English, it will be useful to read also Melik Ohanian & Jean Christophe Royoux (Eds.) (2005) Cosmograms (New York: Lukas and Sternberg) [not easy to get, this book should be ordered long in advance but it is a gem and includes a remarkable piece by Sloterdijk]. From the catalog, we will branch out depending on the students various interests and fields of expertise, in effect redoing on a small scale part of the experiment that went into the making of the show and of the book. This will be our collective way to renew what can be meant today by the public. Bruno Latour. TuTh 6:00-9:00 Oct 3-26.

Anth 55923. AdvRdgs: Locating the Anthropology of the US. (PQ: Consent of Instructor) This seminar, designed for anthropology graduate students with research interests in the United States, covers both classic and recent texts that query or complicate anthropological analysis of "America" in relation to the epistemological and cultural geographical foundations of the discipline. Jessica Cattelino. Wed 3:30-6:20

57711. LingAnthSem: Linguistic Anthropology in the Macro-Social and Political Realm. Language is at once both a thematic focus of macro-social and political process and the principal mediating semiotic realm through which such processes develop in social formations. I therefore convene this Autumn's seminar to investigate both explicit and implicit theorizations of the macrosocial and political as these can and do contextualize ethnographically pursued projects about language and its semiotic affiliates. We will explore how people have been developing a linguistic and sociocultural anthropology in sites of contemporary socioeconomic and political transition, contestation, and controversy. We will look at the relationship between linguistic anthropological approaches to such sites in comparison with a franker sociological and political functionalist framing derived from the macro-social scientific assumptions about and construals/constructions of them. The goal is to get a sense of the presumptions we bring to such research about the workings of societies in all their institutional complexity. We are concerned with how best to formulate semiotically informed linguistic anthropological interventions that are as well theoretically sophisticated about communication beyond face-to-face and micro-contextual considerations. As well, we are concerned with how to render concerns evident in the macro-sociological and political literature tractable to linguistic anthropological analysis. Michael Silverstein.