Anthropology 300

8/8/2019 Anthropology 300

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Anthropology 300

Study of Contemporary Problems through HBOs The Wire(Online)

Department of Anthr o pology, University of Hawaiµi at Mnoa

Instructors: Eric Cunningham, Ph.D. candidate (ABD)

Paul Christensen, Ph.D.

Contact Information:

"Don't matter how many times you get burnt, you just

keep doin' the same." - Bodie

Course introduction:This online course uses HBO¶s television series T he Wire to explore a range of social and

cultural issues in contemporar y America thr ough an anthr o pological lens. The course, which covers season 3 of T he Wire, look s at the politics of governance and its expressions at

various levels of society. The course is designed to compliment ANTH 308: American Culture thr ough HBO¶s T he Wire. Together the courses off er students a look at how

anthr o pologists can think about contemporar y culture and society in America.

ONLINEThis course is off ered entirely online, so students should f amiliarize themselves with the

³Laulima´ system here at the University of Hawaiµi. Online courses require that each student tak e PERSONAL RESPONSIBLITY and stay informed about assigned readings, assignment

due dates, and online discussions. Tak ing a course online does not relieve you f r om investing

an adequate amount of time to your learning. If you are unf amiliar with the ³Laulima´ system and need hel p learning how to use it please contact the instr uctor right away at [email protected] or [email protected]

Learning outcomes:Af ter completing this course successful students should have the following:

Paul Christensen Email: [email protected]

Phone: 808-956-7828Off ice: Saunders 318

Off ice hours: TBA, or by appointment

Eric Cunningham Email: [email protected]

Phone: 808-956-7828Off ice: Saunders 319

Off ice hours: TBA, or by appointment



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1. Understand anthr o pological perspectives on domestic issues.

2. Gain a sense of the o peration of power between institutions and individuals.

3. Develo p ability to think critically about urban American culture and envir onments.

Student responsibilities and assignments:

PRESENCE AND PARTICIPATIONStudents are expected to read and be prepared to participate fully in discussions online.

This means that each student is responsible for being u p to date on readings and prepared to contribute thoughtfully thr oughout the course. Students are expected to

maintain a presence online and to contribute to online discussions.

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTSWriting is an integral part of this course and is a way for me to evaluate each students¶

ability to think critically about to pics discussed in class. In this course students will be ask ed to write three 5- page, dou ble-spaced papers focused on to pics presented

thr oughout the course. Papers must be submitted via Laulima by 11:59 pm on

Friday of the week they are due.Late su bmissions will be deducted a full letter grade

for each day they are late (e.g. two days late, two letter grades deducted).

The format for the papers is as follows:ty ped

1" mar gins, all ar ound 10- or 12- point font

dou ble-spaced pages numbered

name included in header on each page

Papers must include citations f r om book s, discussions (eg. class notes 07/03/09), and f ilms. Citations must conform to the American Anthr o pology Association¶s style guide

(see www.aaanet.or g).

In written assignments students should convey to the instr uctor their ability to digest,

comprehend, and weave together material f r om f ilms, class discussions, and readings. Students will also be expected to draw out and elaborate on anthr o pologically relevant concepts and ideas. Papers should not simply be ³ book reports´ that summarize

materials; rather , they should reflect critical think ing on the part of the student.

STUDENT CONDUCT



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It is the responsibility of all students to k now and follow the UH Mnoa student code of conduct(http://studentaff airs.manoa.hawaii.edu/ policies/conduct_code/). In

particular , PLAGIARISM will not be tolerated and incidents will be dealt followingthe r ules laid out in the student code of conduct.

Breakdown of grades:

Assignment Points Overall %

Presence andparticipation:

100 points X 6 (600) 30%

Papers: 700 points X 2 (1400) 70%

Total 2000 points 100%

Grade % Grade %

A+ 100-97 C+ 79.9-77

A 96.9-93 C 76.9-73

A- 92.9-90 C- 72.9-70

B+ 89.9-87 D+ 69.9-67

B 86.9-83 D 66.9-67

B- 82.9-80 D- 66.9-63

F 60>

Required texts/DVDs:The Wire: The Complete Third Season (DVD 2004)

* Readings will be available on Laulima



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Course schedule and topics covered:Students will ty pically watch two episodes per week ; the numbering system ref ers f irst to the season and then the episode number. Thus 1.1 is Season 1, E pisode 1.

Week one: Ain¶t no love in the heart of the city (urban political economy) TOPICS:

Discussion to pic one: Political spaces and places

Discussion to pic two: Where is power located?

WATCH:E pisodes 3.1 and 3.2

READ:1. J. Franklin¶sCommon Gr ound: T he Political Economy of T he Wire

2. D. Harvey¶sT he Political Economy of Public Space

Week two: H amsterdam (communities and governance) TOPICS:Discussion to pic one:sovereignty

Discussion to pic two: su bjects

WATCH:

E pisodes 3.3 and 3.4

READ:

1. T.B. Hansen¶s Sovereignty Revisited 2. A. Agrawal¶sCommunity, Intimate Government, and the Making of Environmental Subjects in

Kumaon, India3. J. Fer guson and A. Gu pta¶sSpatializing States: T oward an Ethnography of Neoliberal

Governmentality

Week three:C ookin¶ the stats (surveillance by and of the state)

TOPICS:Discussion to pic one: seeing lik e a state²surveillance by the state

Discussion to pic two: bureaucracy

WATCH:

E pisodes 3.5 and 3.6

READ: 1. J.C. Scott¶sCities, People, and Language (f r om Seeing Lik e a State)

2. M Weber ¶s Bureaucracy 3. M. Herzf eld¶s Political Optics and the Occlusion of Intimate Knowledge

Paper #1 due on Friday by 11:59 pm.

Week four: We ain¶tgotta dream no more. . .(capitalism and crime)

TOPICS

Anthropology 300

Documents

Transcript of Anthropology 300