Courses

Courses

Fall 2006 Courses

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Anthropology

101. Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Sara Dickey M 11:30 - 12:55, W 11:30 - 12:55
Cultural anthropology explores the diversities and commonalities of cultures and societies in an increasingly interconnected world. This course introduces students to the significant issues, concepts, theories, and methods in cultural anthropology. Topics may include: cultural relativism and ethnocentrism, fieldwork and ethics, symbolism, language, religion and ritual, political and economic systems, family and kinship, gender, class, ethnicity and race, nationalism and transnationalism, and ethnographic representation and validity.
102. Introduction to World Prehistory
Leslie Shaw M 1:00 - 2:25, W 1:00 - 2:25
An introduction to the discipline of archaeology and the studies of human biological and cultural evolution. Among the subjects covered are conflicting theories of human biological evolution, debates over the genetic and cultural bases of human behavior, the expansion of human populations into various ecosystems throughout the world, the domestication of plants and animals, the shift from nomadic to settled village life, and the rise of complex societies and the state.
201. Anthropological Research
Krista Van Vleet M 2:30 - 3:55, W 2:30 - 3:55
Anthropological research methods and perspectives are examined through classic and recent ethnography, statistics and computer literacy, and the student�s own fieldwork experience. Topics include ethics, analytical and methodological techniques, the interpretation of data, and the use and misuse of anthropology.
203. History of Anthropological Theory
Pamela Ballinger T 1:00 - 2:25, TH 1:00 - 2:25
An examination of the development of various theoretical approaches to the study of culture and society. Anthropology in the United States, Britain, and France is covered from the nineteenth century to the present. Among those considered are Morgan, Tylor, Durkheim, Boas, Malinowski, Mead, Geertz, and L�vi-Strauss.
207. Anthropology of Religion
Sunil Goonasekera T 10:00 - 11:25, TH 10:00 - 11:25
Every society in the world has one or more religions indicating that religion is a human universal. In our contemporary world, religions encounter various challenges from science as the debates on Creationism and Evolutionism indicate. Religions are also intricately entangled with politics and some religions advocate and justify the use of violence in order to achieve political goals while others abhor all forms of violence. Some religions appear to encourage vigorous economic activity and some others reject the world altogether and prescribe complete withdrawal from it. This course explores the anthropological perspectives on religious ideas and practices in a wide variety of cultures: the way various cultures define the nature of the world, the place of human beings, the senses of time and space, and how life must be lived. The context for this study includes �salvation religions� such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism as well as �micro-religions� like magic, sorcery, witchcraft, and spirit possession that address the everyday concerns of the believers. Students will become familiar with the classical and contemporary anthropological theories about the origins of religiosity and the relationships between religion, politics, economics, psychology and other areas of culture, and with anthropological methods for studying religious phenomena.
229. Maya Archaeology and Ethnohistory
Leslie C. Shaw T 11:30 - 12:55, TH 11:30 - 12:55
Focuses on the Maya civilization of Central America using archaeological data and Spanish accounts of traditional maya life at the time of the conquest. Topics include Maya adaptations to diverse tropical environments, the decipherment of Maya writing, political instability and warfare, and Maya cosmology and the continuation of these beliefs into modern times. Semester projects are used for intensive research into selected issues of Maya archaeology.
230. Language, Identity, and Power
Krista Van Vleet M 11:30 - 12:55, W 11:30 - 12:55
What place does language have in everyday life? How are identities produced and perceived in personal and social interactions? How is language used to reinforce, challenge, or reconfigure relationships of power? Approaches the study of language as a social and historical reality that emerges in the interactions of individuals. Using examples from a variety of social and cultural contexts, discusses: the relationship between language, culture, and thought; structure and agency; language and social inequality; language acquisition and socialization; multilingualism and multiculturalism; verbal art and performance. Throughout, considers how aspects of an individual�s identity such as gender, race, ethnicity, class, age, and sexual orientation articulate in social and linguistic interactions.
232. Indian Cinema and Society: Industries, Politics, and Audiences
Sara Dickey M 2:30 - 3:55, W 2:30 - 3:55
Explores Indian films, film consumption, and film industries since 1947. Focus is on mainstream cinema in different regions of India, with some attention to the impact of popular film conventions on art cinema and documentary. Topics include the narrative and aesthetic conventions of Indian films, film magazines, fan clubs, cinema and electoral politics, stigmas on acting, film-makers and film-making, rituals of film-watching, and audience interpretations of movies. The production, consumption, and content of Indian cinema will be examined in social, cultural, and political contexts, particularly with an eye to their relationships to class, gender, and nationalism. Attendance at weekly evening screenings is required.
LAB
Sara Dickey M 6:30 - 9:30
Explores Indian films, film consumption, and film industries since 1947. Focus is on mainstream cinema in different regions of India, with some attention to the impact of popular film conventions on art cinema and documentary. Topics include the narrative and aesthetic conventions of Indian films, film magazines, fan clubs, cinema and electoral politics, stigmas on acting, film-makers and film-making, rituals of film-watching, and audience interpretations of movies. The production, consumption, and content of Indian cinema will be examined in social, cultural, and political contexts, particularly with an eye to their relationships to class, gender, and nationalism. Attendance at weekly evening screenings is required.
LAB
Sara Dickey T 6:30 - 9:30
Explores Indian films, film consumption, and film industries since 1947. Focus is on mainstream cinema in different regions of India, with some attention to the impact of popular film conventions on art cinema and documentary. Topics include the narrative and aesthetic conventions of Indian films, film magazines, fan clubs, cinema and electoral politics, stigmas on acting, film-makers and film-making, rituals of film-watching, and audience interpretations of movies. The production, consumption, and content of Indian cinema will be examined in social, cultural, and political contexts, particularly with an eye to their relationships to class, gender, and nationalism. Attendance at weekly evening screenings is required.
250. The World of Venice
Pamela Ballinger T 10:00 - 11:25, TH 10:00 - 11:25
This course examines Venice, past and present, with an anthropological focus on Venice as both symbol and lived reality. Topics covered include the politics of water control and the reshaping of land and sea-scapes (then and now), the Venetian empire, piracy, maritime culture, and tourism. Particular attention will be paid to a Venetian cultural sphere extending beyond the city and lagoon, with a focus on the coastal territories of the eastern Adriatic. What traces of the Venetian world remain embodied in things like food, architecture, language, and identity?
311. Cultures on Display
Susan Kaplan M 1:00 - 2:25, W 1:00 - 2:25
The American public, fascinated by other people�s traditions, flock to anthropology, art, and natural history museums, �exotic� geographic and cultural locations, films, and ethnic art and craft galleries to experience non-Western cultural traditions and purchase objects produced by non-Western groups. Studies the public�s fascination with these cultural experiences. Issues of who has rights to interpret and represent another�s culture, the ethics of collecting objects and photographing people, and questions of repatriation facing anthropologists are among the topics examined. Includes visits to museums and ethnic arts galleries, considers photographic displays, and reflects on travel experiences to better understand issues of cultural representation.

Sociology

010. Racism
H. Roy Partridge W 1:00 - 3:55
Examines issues of racism in the United States, with attention to the social psychology of racism, its history, its relationship to social structure, and its ethical and moral implications.
011. Girlhood and Adolescence
Krista McQueeney M 2:30 - 3:55, W 2:30 - 3:55
Explores how young girls construct a sense of self amidst considerable social inequalities. Many scholars identify adolescence as a critical turning point for girls in multiple social realms (e.g. school, sports, body image, self-esteem). What accounts for the often detrimental impact of this transition from girlhood to adolescence? How do social institutions; cultural messages; and interactions with peers, teachers, coaches, and parents influence the transition differently for girls than for boys? How might popular images of adolescent girls as violent, prematurely sexual, mean, and materialistic be disentangled from the lived realities of everyday �girl cultures�? How do race, class, sexuality, and other social differences and inequalities shape the path to developing an adolescent self? Examines the sociological realities of girls� lives, taking young people seriously as actors who are shaped by � but sometimes subvert � entrenched inequalities in educational, sexual, and consumer cultures in the contemporary United States.
016. Deviance and Conformity
Janet Lohmann T 20:00 - 11:25, TH 10:00 - 11:25
Introduces students to the sociological understanding of what gets defined as rules for behavior and what it means to violate those expectations. While studies of deviance have generally only thought of it in relation to negatively amplified reactions, there are also examples in which violating expectations facilitates �positive� social change. This course will examine the sociological, personal and political events that compel people to engage in deviant acts and the ramifications of such actions. Similarly, exploration of what it means to conform and the power that influences individuals not to challenge the status quo will also be examined.
101. Introduction to Sociology (Section A)
Joe Bandy M 2:30 - 3:55, W 2:30 - 3:55
The major perspectives of sociology. Application of the scientific method to sociological theory and to current social issues. Theories ranging from social determinism to free will are considered, including the work of Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Merton, and others. Attention is given to such concepts as role, status, society, culture, institution, personality, social organization, the dynamics of change, the social roots of behavior and attitudes, social control, deviance, socialization, and the dialectical relationship between individual and society.
101. Introduction to Sociology (Section B)
Janet Lohmann M 1:00 - 2:25, W 1:00 - 2:25
The major perspectives of sociology. Application of the scientific method to sociological theory and to current social issues. Theories ranging from social determinism to free will are considered, including the work of Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Merton, and others. Attention is given to such concepts as role, status, society, culture, institution, personality, social organization, the dynamics of change, the social roots of behavior and attitudes, social control, deviance, socialization, and the dialectical relationship between individual and society.
205. Urban Sociology
Seth Ovadia T 11:30 - 12:55, TH 11:30 - 12:55
An introduction to the sociological analysis of cities. Topics include the development and evolution of cities, the major paradigms in urban sociology, and an extended overview of contemporary urban issues. Cities in the United States will be the primary focus, but some international comparisons will be made. Students will complete a semester-long case study of an American city of their choice, using a variety of research materials.
208. Race and Ethnicity
Seth Ovadia T 2:30 - 3:55, TH 2:30 - 3:55
The social and cultural meaning of race and ethnicity, with emphasis on the politics of events and processes in contemporary America. Analysis of the causes and consequences of prejudice and discrimination. Examination of the relationships between race and class. Comparisons among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States.
211. Classics of Sociological Theory
Susan Bell T 10:00 - 11:25, TH 10:00 - 11:25
An analysis of selected works by the founders of modern sociology. Particular emphasis is given to understanding differing approaches to sociological analysis through detailed textual interpretation. Works by Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and selected others are read.
275. Cultural Encounters with/in Hawai`I
Nancy Riley T 8:30 - 9:55, TH 8:30 - 9:55
In this course, we will examine Hawai`i as a site of cultural encounter. Topics will include: the ways that Hawai`i�s tourism industry is connected to constructions of and consumption of ethnic identities by those within and outside Hawai`i; the ways historical and contemporary encounters between different ethnic groups (Hawaiian, haole, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Pacific Islanders) have created the contemporary Hawaiian social landscape; and the relations between mainland US and Hawaiian culture and politics, particularly the rising Hawaiian sovereignty movement. In our examination of these issues, we will draw from theories of ethnic tourism, race/ethnicity, and colonialism.
320. Poverty and Social Policy
Joe Bandy T 2:30 - 3:55, TH 2:30 - 3:55
An advanced study of poverty in the U.S., its social causes, its effects on social life, and the social policies designed to address it. Examines poverty primarily in the U.S., but also discusses some comparative analyses of poverty and social policy internationally. Topics include: economic inequalities, class relations, deindustrialization, gender and racial dimensions of poverty, the working poor, homelessness, the history and politics of assistance programs, and various non-governmental social services. As part of the class, students will complete public service projects in which they will have the opportunity to assist and to learn from social service agencies in the mid-coast area.

Previous Semesters Courses