Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2020 - SA 301 D100

Contemporary Ethnography (A) (4)

Class Number: 2556

Delivery Method: Remote

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 9 – Dec 8, 2020: Thu, 11:30 a.m.–2:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    SA 201W.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

A consideration of key themes in contemporary anthropology. Addresses theoretical and methodological questions by examining the work of contemporary anthropologists conducting research in diverse locations around the world.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course introduces key ideas in anthropology through a close study of the discipline's most distinctive contribution to the social sciences—ethnography.  Ethnography is a craft by which anthropologists bring the experiences of others into focus. Defined by one introductory anthropology textbook as a dull method of "gathering information on contemporary cultures through fieldwork and firsthand study," the word ethnography actually stands for a way of paying attention. It’s a way of knowing that is experiential, embodied, and empathetic. In this course we will closely examine how ethnographic texts intertwine description and argumentation. We approach ethnography as a creative practice built that can reveal unknown dimensions of the realities people confront in the world.

This course is organized around close reading of ethnographic writing. Active student participation through written commentary, discussion posts, sketching/mind-mapping is required in this reading-intensive course.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

This course creates opportunities for students to:

  • Consider what constitutes an ethnographic mode of attention, and distinguish among different approaches;
  • Evaluate the effects and ethics of different forms of description, translation, interpretation, quotation, and analysis sued in ethnographic writing;
  • Develop skills in close reading and alternative interpretations of ethnographic texts;
  • Analyze how the European colonial context shaped the discipline and consider alternatives to this tradition;
  • Use visualization to understand abstract concepts and the structure of written texts;
  • Use writing as a means to develop understanding of complexity and to express interpretations based on textual evidence.

Grading

NOTES:

Grading: The graded assignment structure for this course will be described in the first week of class. You will have weekly note-taking and response assignments (worth at least half your final grade) to support your learning path; group discussion assignments (asynchronous and in scheduled class time), and 2-3 graded essays. The remote learning format in Fall 2020 means that the course will set up so that we can do much of the work for the course asynchronously (on our own time schedules) so you should plan to structure regular blocks of time throughout the week to read, watch/listen, develop notes and responses, and discuss with others. Some flexibility and options in assignments and due dates will be built into course requirements so that you can best manage a path to learning success in this course.

Where a final exam is scheduled and the student does not write the exam or withdraw from the course before the deadline date, an N grade will be assigned. Unless otherwise specified on the course syllabus, all graded assignments for this course must be completed for a final grade other than N to be assigned. An N is considered as an F for the purposes of scholastic standing.

Grading System: The Undergraduate Course Grading System is as follows:

A+ (95-100) | A (90-94) | A- (85-89) | B+ (80-84) | B (75-79) | B- (70-74) | C+ (65-69) | C (60-64) | C- (55-59) | D (50-54) | F (0-49) | N*
*N standing to indicate the student did not complete course requirements

Academic Dishonesty and Misconduct Policy: The Department of Sociology & 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.

Centre for Accessible Learning: Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need classroom or exam accommodations are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (1250 Maggie Benston Centre) as soon as possible to ensure that they are eligible and that approved accommodations and services are implemented in a timely fashion.

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

Required:

  • 1 notebook 7" x 9" or larger
  • A scanner app for your smartphone (or alternative to be arranged with instructor)

Recommended:

  • Coloured pencils
  • Post-it notes

REQUIRED READING:

Blanchette, A. (2020). Porkopolis: American animality, standardized life, and the factory farm. Durham: Duke University Press.

This title is available online for free through the SFU Library here.


ISBN: 978-1-478008408

y Blasco, P. G., & Wardle, H. (2019). How to read ethnography, 2nd Ed. Routledge.

This title is available online for free through the SFU Library here.


ISBN: 978-1-138126251

Both these REQUIRED books are available in digital (online) form through the SFU Library, but since we will be annotating them closely you should consider purchasing hardcopies via the publisher or an online bookseller.


Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/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

TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2020

Teaching at SFU in fall 2020 will be conducted primarily through remote methods. There will be in-person course components in a few exceptional cases where this is fundamental to the educational goals of the course. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).