PDF of the 2012-2013 Academic Catalog - Scripps College

26 Courses of Study Anthropology Scripps College Catalog
underlie them. M. Berenfeld.
23. China and Japan Through Film and Ethnography. This course will use feature films
as ethnographic sources for exploring the cultures of China and Japan. It will juxtapose the
examination of historical and anthropological material with films and recent film criticism. Includes
weekly film screenings. Enrollment is limited. E. Chao.
25. Anthropology of the Middle East. Drawing on a variety of ethnographies, films, and
theoretical perspectives, this course simultaneously provides an overview of the Middle East
(broadly defined) from an anthropological perspective and a critical exploration of the ways
anthropology has contributed to the construction of the Middle East as a region in the first place.
L. Deeb.
28. Colonial Encounters. This course will examine anthropological studies of colonialism. It is
an introductory course that will focus on how the process of colonization altered both colonized
subjects and colonizers. Particular attention will be paid to issues of gender, sexuality, race, national
identity, religion, and the interconnections between colonial (and imperial) practices and the
formation of a broader world system. E. Chao.
41. Social Movements and Other Forms of Political Struggles. The last decades have been
marked by a proliferation of social and political movements all over the world. Indians, peasants,
mothers, students, among others, have organized collective actions to fight discrimination, poverty,
violence, environment degradation, etc. This course will examine the historical context and
different forms of the so-called New Social Movements in the context of globalization and latecapitalism.
We will read ethnographic accounts of these movements, watch movies made by and
about them and analyze the theories that attempt to explain these struggles. L. Martins.
47. Other People’s Beliefs: The Anthropology of Religion. How do we know when we are
encountering the religious? And how can it be studied? This course will address these questions
and others by examining the major themes in the anthropology of religion: magic, belief, symbols,
ritual, morality, spirit possession, conversion, and secularization. Students will learn about a variety
of religious practices while critically probing the question of studying other people’s beliefs. Staff.
50. Sex, Body, Reproduction. Is there a line between nature and culture? Drawing on historical,
ethnographic, and popular sources, this course will examine the cultural roots of forms of
knowledge about sex, the body, and reproduction and the circulation of cultural metaphors in
medical, historical, and colonial discourse. Letter grades only. E. Chao.
52. Indigenous Societies: Histories of Encounters. The course gives an overview of the current
lives of indigenous societies in different parts of the world [North America, South America, Africa,
and Asia]. We will examine major topics that mark their encounters with nation-states: political
power, economic development, gender relations, collective rights, health, formal education, and
religion. The course compares a variety of ethnographic cases (through movies and texts) to expose
the difference and similarities between ‘indigenous peoples.” L. Martins.
58. Doing Research Abroad. Designed to prepare students to conduct independent research
projects in the Pitzer study abroad programs. This course will assist students in conducting research
in unfamiliar or less familiar cultures than their own. We will focus on issues related to the scope
of the research, methodology, and ethics. The course will also provide a general basis for the
encounter and understanding of other societies. Open and relevant to students in all areas. Offered
annually. L. Martins.
62. Embodying the Voice of History. This course will examine various testimonials such as the
education of Little Tree, the life of Rigoberta Menchu, Burundian refugee accounts, descriptions of
satanic ritual possession, and post-revolutionary Chinese narratives known as “speaking bitterness.”
Do these testimonials unproblematically inform us about the historical contexts they describe?
Issues of veracity and authenticity will be examined as well as processes of politicization. E. Chao.
Music 66. Music Cultures of the World. For description, see Music 66. C. Jáquez.
70. Culture and the Self. This course examines the way emotions, cognition, and motivations
are shaped by culture. Topics will include ideas of personhood in different societies, cultural
differences in child rearing, whether there are any universal emotions or categories of thought, and
mental illness cross-culturally. C. Strauss.