| Course title | |||||
| 科学特論Ⅳ [Science: Special Lecture Ⅳ] | |||||
| Course category | common courses | Requirement | Credit | 2 | |
| Department | Year | ～ | Semester | 1st | |
| Course type | 1st | Course code | 1060012 | ||
| Instructor(s) | |||||
| 浅井 優一 [ASAI Yuichi] | |||||
| Facility affiliation | Faculty of Engineering | Office | afjgxte/L1151 | Email address | |
| Course description |
| Cultural Anthropology is a comparative study of culture, society, and human difference. The field challenges us to consider the many ways in which people’s lives are shaped by social relations, cultural images, and historical forces. The course will familiarize students with ethnographic fieldwork methods and will question the universality of cultural categories and the breadth of differences amongst human societies, by introducing students to the primary domains of cultural anthropology: kinship and social organization; religion, belief and rituals; gender and sexuality; language in culture; economic and social exchanges. The course will also introduce students to key historical figures in 20th century anthropology and to the development of key concepts and theories, as it seeks to understand, interpret, and represent the lived world of people abroad and at home. |
| Expected Learning |
|
By the end of the course, students should be able to do the following: 1. To understand the differences and relationship between socio-cultural science and natural science. 2. To recognize the problems of social Darwinism and ethnocentrism. 3. To better understand the social aspect of economy based on the concept of “exchange”. 4. To understand the social functions of ritual. 5. To be more familiar with basic analytical concepts of structurism in social science. 6. To understand how languages shape and are shaped in/by cultures through “praxis”. 7. To better understand the diversity of human bodies in cultures. 8. To be more familiar with the concept of cultural relativism. (See the Curriculum maps.) |
| Course schedule |
|
１【Introduction to Cultural anthropologyⅠ】 What is society? What is culture?： How should society and culture be defined (which may not be something that can be physically touched or smelt)? 【Preparation】Read the introduction of the textbook and decide on your own image of cultural anthropology. 【Review】Review how society exists or what “social fact” stands for. ２【Introduction to Cultural anthropologyⅡ】 Culture and Civilization： Are human beings really evolving? 【Preparation】Consider the difference between culture and civilization 【Review】Review how evolutionism is connected with ethnocentrism. 3【FunctionalismⅠ】 Exchange and Economy： There's no such thing as a free lunch? 【Preparation】Consider the difference between purchasing products and exchanging gifts. 【Review】Review the significance of exchanging gifts between groups (sociality of economic value) for society to exist. 4【FunctionalismⅡ】 Kinship and Family： What is “blood tie”? 【Preparation】Think about the construction of family; the idea od a parent and a child. 【Review】Review the diversity of kinship and marriage in the world and their function to maintain social relationships. 5【Meaning and CultureⅠ】 Ritual and Categories： Why is “death” scary? 【Preparation】Think about why people are scared by death. 【Review】Review the significance of ritual to maintain cultural categories. 6【Meaning and CultureⅡ】 Myth and History： Why was Captain Cook killed? 【Preparation】Research about James Cook’s death in Hawaii, in the 18th century. 【Review】Review how Hawaiians understood the historical contact between Hawaii and the West. ７【Meaning and CultureⅢ】 Human and Environment： Is nature natural? 【Preparation】Consider how natural water becomes “natural”. 【Review】Review the idea of “wild” nature as a type of ideology. ８【CommunicationⅠ】 Spirit of Language and Performativity： How does language create the world? 【Preparation】Find some expressions which are often used in formal speeches. 【Review】Review performativity of language. ９【CommunicationⅡ】 Structure and Function of Conversation： Why start with a greeting, and end with a greeting? 【Preparation】Consider the difference between daily conversation and ritual speech in terms of form. 【Review】 Review how the structure of discourse functions as a sign. １０【Communication Ⅲ】 Poetics of Sports： Semiotics of professional wrestling 【Preparation】Research about the relationship between the character, style of wrestling, and its costume. 【Review】Review what semiotics is. １１【Fieldwork in the South PacificⅠ】 Fiji as Multi Linguistic/Cultural Society： Fijian, Hindustani, English 【Preparation】Research about language in Oceania. 【Review】Review the relationship between language, ethnicity and identity. １２【Fieldwork in the South PacificⅡ】 The Journey of Finding Identity for Fijian College Students 【Preparation】Think about what “myself” is, in the journey of “finding myself”. 【Review】Review the concept of “self” in a diverse society. １３【Fieldwork in the South PacificⅢ】 Magic in Fiji 【Preparation】Consider your own idea of magic. 【Review】Review the ubiquity of magic in everyday communication. 1４【Reflexive TurnⅠ】 Interpretation of Cultures： Culture needs Interpretation 【Preparation】Consider your own idea on the “interpretation of culture”. 【Review】Review the idea that culture exists in the practice of interpretation. 1５【Reflexive TurnⅡ】 Anthropology of Anthropology： Who can talk about Culture? 【Preparation】 Summarize the concept of culture in cultural anthropology. 【Review】 Review the idea that culture is partially created through interpretation by people who research about culture. |
| Prerequisites |
| In addition to 30 hours that students spend in the class, they are recommended to prepare for, and review, the classes using the textbook and the reference books, spending the standard amount of time as specified by the University for each class. Students must attend at least 2/3 of a course in order to receive credit for that course. |
| Required Text(s) and Materials |
|
Hamamoto, M. & Hamamoto, M (Eds.) (1994). Common senses in anthropology: Introduction to cultural anthropology. Tokyo: Gakujututosho Publishing. (Handouts will be distributed in class.) |
| References |
|
Leach, E. (1976). Culture and communication: The logic by which symbols are connected. An introduction to the use of structuralist analysis in social anthropology. London: Cambridge University Press. Asai, Y (2017)．Semiotics of Ritual: Linguistic Anthropological Study on Myths and Poetic Texts in Melanesia, Fiji. Tokyo: Sangensha. (Handouts will be distributed in class.) |
| Assessment/Grading |
|
Class Activities: 30% Midterm Exam: 30% Final Essay: 40% ＊Online classes will be evaluated by taking quizzes, submitting assignments and the final essay according to the same standards as normal classes. Participation in online classes will be evaluated by how actively you participate during class time. This plan is subject to amendment because of the schedule change due to COVID-19. |
| Message from instructor(s) |
|
Students who are more than 15 minutes late will be marked absent. Students should actively participate in discussion classes as it contributes to the overall grade. Students who use smart phones in class will be market absent. |
| Course keywords |
| Society, Culture, Structure, Kinship, Myth, Ritual, Witchcraft, Nature, Poetry, Language, Communication |
| Office hours |
| Please contact the instructor via email. |
| Remarks 1 |
| Remarks 2 |
| Related URL |
| https://www.yuichiasai.com/ |
| Lecture Language |
| Japanese |
| Language Subject |
| Last update |
| 5/7/2020 2:01:13 PM |