Spring 2018 - SA 386 D100
The Ethnography of Politics (SA) (4)
Class Number: 9134
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Jan 3 – Apr 10, 2018: Mon, Wed, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Pamela Stern
pstern@sfu.ca
1 778 782-4677
Office: AQ 5066
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Prerequisites:
SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
An examination of the ways in which ethnographers seek to understand a world experiencing profound changes in the relationships between governments and the societies they govern. Topics to be considered may include: relations between indigenous peoples and governments; the social and cultural dynamics of public policy making; the articulation of human rights issues. The focus of the course will vary from semester to semester.
COURSE DETAILS:
“They’re so political!” This is a frequently invoked claim used to deny someone else’s efforts to fully participate – to act as a citizen – in society. In this class, we take on questions of how membership is constructed in different societies. We will ask how people understand and enact their rights and obligations as members of a community or a nation. Does the establishment of modern citizenship provide for rights to citizens, create equality among citizens and erase other social hierarchies in society? Or, to borrow from George Orwell, are some citizens more equal than others? In what ways does the attainment of citizenship erase or create “Otherness”?
This course introduces students to ethnographic approaches to the study of citizenship in Western and non-Western contexts. Through ethnographic case studies, we will examine the concept of “the citizen” as integral to the naturalization of the nation-state. We will also explore how citizenship, membership and belonging take place at scales beyond the juridical-legal or formal definition of nationality to consider substantive forms of belonging. Over the course of the term we will explore the multiple ways of being a citizen and belonging to a place, especially in the context of contemporary neoliberal, globalization and related processes of transnational migration, diaspora identity formation, and other forms of governance such as human rights frameworks.
Grading
- Personal citizenship narrative (written or photo essay) 30%
- Six short (one-page) papers discussing the assigned readings (5% ea) 30%
- Book review essay 30%
- Attendance and constructive participation 10%
NOTES:
Grading
Where a final exam is scheduled and you do not write the exam or withdraw from the course before the deadline date, you will be assigned an N grade. Unless otherwise specified on the course outline, all other graded assignments in this course must be completed for a final grade other than N to be assigned. In class quizzes are not included in the graded assignments required to receive a final grade.
Academic Dishonesty and Misconduct Policy
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology follows SFU policy in relation to grading practices, grade appeals (Policy T 20.01) and academic dishonesty and misconduct procedures (S10.01‐ S10.04). Unless otherwise informed by your instructor in writing, in graded written assignments you must cite the sources you rely on and include a bibliography/list of references, following an instructor-approved citation style. It is the responsibility of students to inform themselves of the content of SFU policies available on the SFU website: http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student.html.
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
Lalaie Ameeriar. 2017. Downwardly Global: Women, Work, and Citizenship in the Pakistani Diaspora. Durham: Duke University Press.
ISBN: 978-0822363163
Nikhil Anand. 2017. Hydraulic City: Water and the Infrastructures of Citizenship in Mumbai. Durham: Duke University Press.
ISBN: 978-0822362692
Additional journal articles available through CANVAS.
Registrar Notes:
SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS