Dallas L. Browne, Ph.D.                                                                                      Office:PH 0227

Anthropology 452                                                                                               Office Tel.: Extension 2138

Political Anthropology                                                                                       Office Hours: By appointment

Section 001 / Spring 2004                                                                                    Classroom: PH 0405

Office Hours: 10-11 A.M., M,W,F                                     http:/www.siue.edu/ANTHROPOLOGY/~dbrowne

 

COURSE SYLLABUS/ POLITICAL ANTHROPOLOGY: SPRING 2004

 

Introduction:  This course seeks to examine the evolution and cross-cultural development of

                          political institutions.   It begins by discussing popular political theories on the

                          origin of government and the state.  This is followed by a look at the evolution

                          of political institutions globally.  The role of religion in politics is analyzed.

                          Finally, types and styles of leadership are surveyed and a close look is taken at

                          major current political culture and problems on a global basis.

 

Course Requirements:

                                A. Class Participation/Journal :  Students are expected to READ ALL ASSIGNED 

                                material and to take notes on each before coming to class.  Vigorous class participation

                                discussions is also expected.  Each student should REFLECT CAREFULLY on

                                their reading assignments and share insights with the class through formal

                                presentations and on-going class discussion.  Submit a one to two paragraph journal  

summary of each reading. The first paragraph should be a direct quotation from the reading that best illustrates the main point of that reading assignment. Enclose the chosen quotation within quotation marks.  Next, summarize the reading assignment in your own words in one or two paragraphs.  If possible, I prefer that you type your journal entries, although clearly printed entries will be accepted.  If you would like to also include personal observations or commentary on the course or current affairs or life in general, please feel free to do this after completing the assigned work and I will be happy to read and comment upon these items.  Journals are due approximately every two weeks.

                                Due dates: 1/18,  2/01,  2/15,  3/01, 3/22, 4/05, and 4/19.

 

B. Presentation of Book:  Each student is expected to participate in at least one book                                                                            presentation.  Choose one of the following books which interest you.  Read Colin Turnbull’s  Forest People or his Mountain People, J. McIver Weatherford’s Tribes on the Hill: The US Congress, Rituals and Realities, or William Bascom’s Nine Parts of Desire. Take good notes and reflect carefully upon what you have read. Verbally present the thesis of the chapter (s) assigned to you.  Then present five to seven major points or concepts presented by the author and use quotations to illustrate each point.  Try to anticipate your fellow students interests and

prepare a presentation that will inform and fascinate.  Finally, develop a powerful conclusion that it will clinch your argument and win the class over to your author’s point of view by persuading them to accept their thesis.

                                Dates      TOPICS

                                1/18        Forest People/ The Pygmy

                                2/01        Mountain People/ The Ik

                                2/15        Nine Parts of Desire

                                4/24        Tribes on the Hill: The U.S. Congress-Rituals and Realities

 

                            C. Examinations:  There will be a mid-term examination, February 20th and a final

examination, April 30, 2002.

                                First exam                              2/20        

                                Final Exam                             4/30

 

                            D. Grading: 

                                                Class participation                                               10%

                                                Journal                                                                   20%

                                                Book Presentation                                               20%

                                                First examination                                  25%

                                                FINAL examination                                              25%

                                                TOTAL                                                                100%

                                  In general, a satisfactory grade will earn a  "C", excellent work will earn

                                  a "B", and outstanding, original or creative work will earn an "A".

                            E. Required Readings:

                                 Ted C. Lewellen.  Political Anthropology: An Introduction

                                   Colin M. Turnbull.  The Forest People. 

                                   Colin M. Turnbull.  The Mountain People. 

                                   Geraldine Brooks.  Nine Parts of Desire. 

                                    J. McIver Weatherford.  The U.S. Congress: Rituals And Realities. 

                                 Recommended Reading:

                                  Adam Smith.  The Political Landscape: Constellations of Authority in Early Complex Polities.

                                  Marc Swartz, ed. Political Anthropology

                                   Morton Fried.  The Evolution of Political Society 

 

 

SYLLABUS

 

DATE                     ASSIGNMENT                                     TOPIC

M  1/12                   Lewellen. Political Anthropology.                     Plato, Aristotle & Culture.

 

W  1/14                  Lewellen, Chapter One: Pages 7-20.  How Political Anthropology Developed

                                Recommended: Frederick Engels. 

                                The Origin of the Family, Private Property & State

 

F  1/16                    Turnbull. Forest People.Pages 1-51. Bands/The Politics of Kinship

Reading: On Reserve Library                             Noble Savage or Are we naturally good ?

                                Rousseau.  Social Contract &  

                                Discourse On the Origin of Inequality

                                pp.1-26 and 69-92

                                IDENTIFY A BOOK FOR PRESENTATION/develop a thesis

 

M  1/19                  MARTIN LUTHER KING, Jr. DAY       PUBLIC HOLIDAY/NO CLASS

                                Use this time to READ, REFLECT, and catch up on journal writing.

 

 

W  1/ 21                 Turnbull. Forest People. 52-108         Crime and Punishment in Bands

Recommended: Morton Fried.           The Pygmy; Equal & Happy? Rousseau

                                The Evolution Of Political Society. 

                                pp. 27-56

FILM: Children of the Forest 

 

F  1/23                    Turnbull. Forest People. 109-165.      Egalitarian Cultures/ Characteristic features.

                                                                                                Law & the Molimo/ CONSENSUS POLITICS

 

M   1/26                  Turnbull. Forest People. 166-279.      The Elima, Initiation, Magic, & the BaNgwana

SUBMIT JOURNAL FIRST SUMMARY OF YOUR READINGS

 

W  1/28                  Turnbull. Mountain People. 1-57.      Uganda’s IK

Hobbes. Leviathan pp.101-132          Selfish Savage/ Are humans naturally mean? Hobbs

                                See Library Reserve SIUE.

                                John Calhoun. "Plight of the Ik". pp. 208-213.

Recommended: Collin Turnbull  Mountain People: The Ik   Et. passim.

                               

F  1/30                    Turnbull. Mountain People. 58-108. Trouble in Paradise?

 

M  2/02                   Turnbull. Mountain People. 109-154. Starvation, Survival and Changing Politics

 

W  2/04                  Turnbull. Mountain People. 155-208  Humans Without Law & God’s Retreat.

 

F  2/06                    Turnbull. Mountain People. 209-295. Humans Without Love/ Society’s Political Death?     

SUBMIT JOURNAL SECOND SUMMARY OF YOUR READINGS

 

M  2/09                   Lewellen.  21-30                                    Cultural Continuity and Change

FILM:  N!AI; The Story of a Kung Woman 

 

W  2/11                  Roger Kessing.                                     Solomon Islands Big Men                 

 

F  2/13                    Lewellen. pp. 30-35.                             Tribes & Segmentary Lineage Politics

                                Recommended:

                                Meggitt. Blood Is Their Argument. 

 

M  2/16                   James Gibbs. "The Kpelle Moot"      Law in a Chiefdom/Punishment vs.

                                pp. 277-289                                            Reconciliation

                                Tewksbury. "The Ordeal"                  Ordeals as Negative Legal Sanctions

                                pp. 267-270

                                Warner. "Liberian Ordeal"

                                pp. 271-275,  all are in Paul

                                Bohannan. Law and Warfare (library)

FILM:  Cows of Dolo Ken Paye and Little Injustices

 

W  2/18                  Lewellen. 36-40.                                    Chiefdoms/Hawaii and the Kwakiutl

                               

F  2/20                    Lewellen. 40-45.                                    The State/Zulu, Inca & Yoruba Nations

Recommended Reading: Bascom. The Yoruba.

SUBMIT JOURNAL THIRD SUMMARY OF YOUR READINGS

 

M  2/23                   Mid-term Review                                  Bring notes on readings and lectures to class.

 

W  2/25                  First MID-TERM EXAMINATION; bring an ink pen, pencil and eraser

 

F  2/27   First MID-TERM EXAMINATION RETURNED and reviewed

 

M  3/01                   Lewellen. 47-57                                     State Development: Conflict Theory

 

W  3/03                  Lewellen. 57-67.                                    Population, Leadership, Systems Theory & States

 

F  3/05                    Lewellen. 68-76.                                    Religion, Legitimacy and Revitalization  Movement

Recommended Reading:                     Religion: Narcotic or Revolutionary Force?  

                              Vittorio Lanternari.  The Religion of the Oppressed

                                Swanson. Birth of the Gods

                                Peter Worsley. "Cargo Cults"

SUBMIT JOURNAL FOURTH SUMMARY OF YOUR READINGS

M 3/08 – S 3/14   SPRING BREAK: NO CLASSES/ read, take notes, review, & reflect

 

M  3/15                   Lewellen. 76-81.                                    Women in Islamic States

                                 Geraldine Brooks.  1-54                      Understanding the position of Women in the Muslim World.

 

W  3/17                  Lewellen.   83-88                                   Political Succession/Leadership & Hereditary

                                Geraldine Brooks. 91-250                    Islamic Inheritance and Women.

 

F  3/19                  Lewellen.   88-92                     Latin American Succession Models

 

M  3/22                   Lewellen. 995-102.                                Functionalism, Process Theory and Field Politics

 

W  3/24                  Lewellen. 102-108.                                Power, Legitimacy, and Support

 

F   3/26                   Lewellen. 111-118.                                Social Drama, Game Theory, Political Encapsulation

SUBMIT JOURNAL FIFTH SUMMARY OF YOUR READINGS

 

M  3/29                   Lewellen. 119-125                 Political Factions & Symbolic Culture

 

W  3/31                  Lewellen. 126-135                 Women & Power/Iroquois and Chippewa

 

F  4/02                    Lewellen. 135-148                 Women’s Power Resources & Violence/ The Bari.

 

M  4/05                   Lewellen. 152-161.                                Modernization, Dependency Theory

 

W  4/07                  Lewellen. 161-167                 People Without History/Plains Indians & Mundurucu

 

F   4/09                   Lewellen. 169-180.                                Weapons of the Weak/Malaysia & Nicaragua

SUBMIT JOURNAL SIXTH SUMMARY OF YOUR READINGS

 

M  4/12                   Lewellen. 182-186                 Political Culture and Retribalization/The Hausa

 

W  4/14                  Lewellen. 186-188.                                Mapuche and Reservation Politics

 

F  4/16                    Lewellen. 188-191.                                Max Weber and Modern Politics.

 

M  4/19                   Weatherford. 1-62.                               Coming of Age in the US Congress

 

W  4/21                  Weatherford. 63-111.                           Shaman, Warlords, Godfathers & Bureaucracy

 

F  4/23                    Weatherford. 112-159.                         Domesticating Lobbies & Recycling Congress.

SUBMIT JOURNAL SEVENTH SUMMARY OF YOUR READINGS

M 4/26                    Weatherford. 160-212.                         Rituals of Legislation & Tower of Babel.

 

W  4/28                  Weatherford. 213-270.                         Battling Guerillas,/Clan, Culture & National Politics

 

F  4/30                    FINAL EXAMINATION REVIEW: in class.

 

R  5/06                   FINAL EXAMINATION:  10:00 A.M. – 11:40 A.M./  GOOD LUCK!!!

 

*** Students who need final grade results before they are officially posted must provide the professor with a stamped self-addressed post card with a written request for the grade in question on the LAST DAY OF CLASS.  All grades are available on Web CT for this course.