Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Instructors: Shaw-wu Jung, Hui-yu Mei, Yu-tsuen Hsu

Description

It has commonly claimed that cultural anthropology can contribute to people’s understanding of the contemporary world. Specifically, the globalization of capitalism, the increasing mobilization of the world’s people and goods, the recent financial meltdowns, and the rise of the Chinese economy have in past decades reshaped the world. What does it mean to think in terms of culture? How is culture formed? What is the relationship of culture to the contemporary world? How does culture matter to the contemporary questions such as above? As a study of culture, anthropology helps us to examine such questions in the light of its cross-cultural and participatory nature. The goal of this course is hence to understand the concept of culture and its role in contemporary society.

To achieve this goal, the course will divide into three parts. The first part of the course provides an introduction to the development of anthropology with special emphasis on cross-cultural understanding. With basic idea of what anthropology is, the second part is going to explore what anthropologists do, and how anthropology can be practiced. It introduces the fieldwork methods that anthropologists use to gain this perspective, and attempt to evaluate how these methods can be used more broadly. The third part then introduces three cases related to the contemporary world: world capitalism, globalization and transnationalism, and Chinese business culture and how anthropology may contribute to understanding them.

The course emphasizes students’ participation for we focus on the strategies and skills that students’ can use the anthropological knowledge and methods to take on the challenges presented by intercultural societies and the increasingly globalizing world.



Assignments

There are homework and assignments for individual students and also for groups. You are expected to present your reports in terms of relevant topics selected by instructors. Each class will then be divided into lecture by instructor, short ethnographic film, a group discussion of assignment. Midterm-examination will be expected. We’ll provide class notes and readings to the students in class.

A useful text is William A. Haviland, et al, Cultural Anthropology: The Human Challenge, the 11th Edition. Wadsworth, 2005.



Grading

*Participation/ Presentations: 30%

*Midterm-examination: 20%

*Homework and Assignments: 50%



Course outline



Part I: Anthropology and Its Relevance

Class 1: Introduction

Class 2: The Challenge of Knowing Humanity

Class 3: Concept of Culture

Class 4: Cultural Identity and Cultural Change

Class 5: Cross-Cultural Communication

Class 6: Multiculturalism

Part II: Applying Anthropology through Participation

Class 7: The Anthropological Fieldwork

Class 8: Fieldwork and participant-observation

Class 9: Doing anthropology and fieldwork ethics

Class 10: Anthropology applied

Class 11: Thinking visually- Culture through the films

Class 12: Group presentation/ performance

Part III: World Capitalism, Transnationalism, and Chinese Business Network

Class 13: Economic Anthropology and World Capitalism

Class 14: Globalization

Class 15: Transnationalism, Localization and Anti-Globalization

Class 16: Chinese Ethnic Business

Class 17: Culture in Business Management

Class 18: Conclusion