CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY Prof. Abigail E. Adams, 832-2616

Fall 1996 VAXUsername: Adamsa

Anthropology 440: THE SUPERNATURAL: RITUAL AND SYMBOL
Class Meetings: Wednesday, 4 to 6:40 p.m. Place: FD 108
Office Hours: M 1-4, T 1-4, 110E DiLoreto Hall

DESCRIPTION: In this course, we examine the ethnography of religious behavior in both non-Western and Western societies, as well as the anthropological theories seeking to understand such behavior. Emphasis is on the relationship between social and symbolic systems, the religious specialists whose work bridges the social and the symbolic, the sacred and the profane, the problem of "meaning," impact of religion on gender and gender on religion, and ritual's role in social change.
At first, the number of pages is less, but the difficulty is higher. Do not get discouraged; confusion is a good sign. Anthropology's gift is making the exotic seem familiar and the familiar seem exotic, as you will discover in the class's readings, films and research. As you engage in other peoples' ways of being and knowing, you may become conscious of your assumptions and unasked, un-thought-of questions. By the end of the semester, you will be able to identify the rituals and world views that make every day extraordinary in all societies.

REQUIREMENTS: 1) Attendance and participation, 15% This includes keeping up with reading! Beware of pop quizzes...

2) Student Presentations, 15%

3) Two Midterm Tests, 40%

3) Research and Essay, 10-12 pages, 30%

TEXTS IN BOOKSTORE AND ON RESERVE:

1) Magic, Witchcraft and Religion 4th Ed., A.C. Lehmann and J.E. Myers

2) Living Life's Circle, Claire R. Farrer

3) Various readings on reserve

CLASS SCHEDULE:

Origins and Definitions

September 4: Introduction: In-classwork: Definition of Religion

September 11: What is Religion? Anthropologists Study Religion

On Reserve, Lessa and Vogt, Tylor, "Animism" p.9

" Durkheim, "Elementary Forms of the Religious Life," p.27

" Geertz, "Religion as a Cultural System," p.78

September 18: Magic, Science and Religion

In Reader: Malinowski, "Rational Mastery By Man...", p. 270

Gmelch, "Baseball Magic," p.276

In Reader: Lewis, "The Anthropologist's Encounter...," p. 17

Metcalf, "Death Be Not Strange," p. 328

Farrer, Introduction

Assignment: Journal on which theorist most closely matches your definition;

Name a site to do research

Varieties of Religious Practices and Practitioners

September 25: Humans the Symbol-Makers: Worldview

On Reserve: Lessa and Vogt, Ortner, "On Key Symbols"

Douglas, "Pollution"

In Reader: Douglas, "Taboo," p. 57

Lee, "Religious Perspectives on Anthropology," p.10

October 2: Worldview in Myth

In Reader: Eliade, "Myth," p. 35

Farrer, Chapters 2-4

October 9: Worldview in Body, House, Daily Schedule

In Reader: Dubisch, "You Are What You Eat," p. 62

Miner, "Body Ritual Among the Nacirema," p.71

On Reserve, Lessa and Vogt, Leach, "Animal Categories..." p.153

" Hallpike, "Social Hair"

Assignment: Attend ritual at site and introduce yourself: Write up research notes

Students Present "Social Hair"

October 16: Ritual, Sacrifice and Process

In Reader: Gluckman, "Ritual," p. 40

On Reserve: Lessa and Vogt: Turner, "Betwixt and Between," p.234

First Midterm

October 23: Ritual, Sacrifice and Process, Part II

Farrer, Chapter 6, "Singing for Life"

On Reserve: Moore, "The Secret of the Men,"

Students Present "The Secret of the Men"

Film: Virginia Military Institute

October 30: Healing and Seeing: Shamans and Diviners and Doctors

In Reader: Turner, "Religious Specialists," p.78

Howells, "The Shaman," p. 91

Fobes Brown, "Dark Side of the Shaman," p. 99

Bass, "Traditional African Psychotherapy," p. 165

Huxley, "Drugs," p. 112

Harner, "The Sound of Rushing Water," p. 122

de Ropp, "Psychedelic Drugs and Religious..." p. 128

Mair, "Divination," p. 262

Students Present

November 6: The Problem of Evil

In Reader: Nash, "Devils, Witches, and Sudden Death," p. 242

Moody, "Urban Witches," p. 231

Brain, "An Anthropological Perspective on the Witchcraze," p. 192

Del Guercio, "The Secrets of Haiti's Living Dead," p.318

Booth, "Voodoo Science," p. 323

On Reserve: Lessa and Vogt, Evans-Pritchard, "Witchcraft..." p.362

Russell, "Witchcraft," p. 190

Students Present

Assignment: First and second fieldwork experience due in first draft

Religion and Change, Power and Conflict

November 13: Spirit Possession: Women as Subjects and Subjected

In Reader: Freed and Freed, "Taraka's Ghost," p. 287

McCarthy Brown, "Voodoo," p. 312

On Reserve: Ong, "Spirit Possession in a Malaysian Factory"

Boddy, "Spirits and Selves..."

McCarthy Brown, "Mama Lola and the Ezilis"

Second Midterm

November 20: Revival, Resistance, Revolution

In Reader: Wallace, "Revitalization Movements," p. 336

Worsley, "Cargo Cults," p. 342

Hall, "Apocalypse at Jonestown" p. 353

Barkun, "Reflections after Waco," p. 103

Students Present

November 26 THANKSGIVING BREAK

December 4: Pilgrimage and the Liminoid

On Reserve: Hertz, "The Cult of St. Bresse"

Turner, "Pilgrimages"

Adams, "In this World, But Not of This World"

December 11: Conclusion

Student Presentations of Research Projects

Assignment: Closing Ritual or Ceremony

Rough Drafts of Paper Due

December 18: Final Paper Due During Last Class Meeting, 4-6:40

Grading Policies:

1) Class participation is an important part of this course and consists of:

A) Attendance: One absence will not hurt a student's grade. As we are meeting only day per week, attendance and participation are critical. Students are responsible for documenting their attendance by signing the attendance sheet. I am taking attendance to encourage your exposure to the material available only in class and to encourage your participation and support in class discussions. Perfect attendance will help the final grade. Whether or not you attend the session, you will be responsible for the material presented in class, and I will not reteach class during office hours.

B) Participation: As part of this class, you are responsible for active listening, discussion participation, supporting each other in sharing, risk-taking and feedback.

2) Student Presentations: Leading Class Discussion: You with one or two other people will lead class discussion. Meet with your co-facilitators at least once before class and with the professor as well. During the class period, write at least two discussion questions on the board before class so people can think about these. Open the discussion by briefly summarizing the material's key points, arguments and evidence. You are free to promote discussion as you wish: methods that have worked include offering your thoughts and feelings about the material, creating a class exercise or role play, designing a visual or graph for the class to elaborate upon, presenting the different readings or positions that you facilitators have reached. Your goal is to ask open-ended questions and find creative ways to elicit peoples' ideas and understanding of the material.

2) Research Project: You will conduct a research project in a U.S.-American religious setting that is strange to you or that you are curious about. As is noted on the class schedule, there are several steps to this project: choosing a site, contacting the people in charge and introducing yourself, visiting a minimum of three times over the course of the semester, keeping a field journal, writing up descriptions of your experiences (ethnography) and then composing the final paper. MORE LATER! The final paper is due during the last class session during exam week.

3) Midterm Tests: One week before the test, you will receive a study sheet with thought questions and key terms. The midterms will take the first hour of class on the day noted. The test will consist of short answers, mini-essays and key words you will identify, illustrate and otherwise discuss. During the test, you may use one 3x5 card per question with notes you have prepared to help you write your answer.

4) Late Work and Missed Exams: I will deduct one grade level per day for assignments received after the due date. For example, if your paper due Tuesday was handed in on Thursday and earned a B+, it would earn a B-.

5) Rough Drafts: I am happy to read rough drafts of assignments before their due date.

6) Incomplete Grades: I allow incomplete grades for students who have passed the first half of the course, who have a legitimate reason for not completing the semester's work and who speak with me before the final class.