Spring 2017 - SA 323 D100
Symbol, Myth and Meaning (A) (4)
Class Number: 4858
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Jan 4 – Apr 7, 2017: Mon, 9:30 a.m.–1:20 p.m.
Burnaby -
Exam Times + Location:
Apr 13, 2017
Thu, 8:30–11:30 a.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Sessional
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Instructor:
Mark Antone Minard
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Prerequisites:
SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
An examination of myth, symbolism, ritual and cosmological systems. Anthropological theories of magic, possession, witchcraft, healing and religious movements analyzed in ethnographic context.
COURSE DETAILS:
Symbolic communication lies at the foundation of every human culture, and the expression of a shared network of symbolic relations is what makes each culture unique. Belief and ritual were some of the first cultural behaviors to draw anthropological attention. Myths express a culture’s symbolism through narrative, and are simultaneously some of the most important ways of accessing the divine and, collectively, a barometer of a culture’s views on itself. This course is an introduction to the academic study of myth and symbol from an anthropological perspective, moving through the most important theoretical tools and with a particular emphasis on the intersection with ritual behaviour. Upon successful completion of this course, you will have gained the tools and techniques necessary to understand and interpret the rich language of symbol, myth, and ritual within a cultural context.
Grading
- Belief Project 10%
- Myth in Context Analysis 15%
- Ritual Analysis 15%
- Group Presentation 15%
- Presentation Handout and Annotated Bibliography 10%
- Final Exam 25%
- Course Participation 10%
NOTES:
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.
REQUIREMENTS:
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, i.e. either Chicago, MLA, or APA. 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:
Douglas, Mary. Purity and Danger: An Analysis of Concepts of Pollution and Taboo (New York: Routledge, 2002); ISBN 978-0415289955. Turner, Victor. The Forest of Symbols: Aspects of Ndembu Ritual (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1970); ISBN 978-0801491016. Additional required readings will be available through Canvas and / or through the SFU library.
RECOMMENDED READING:
Basso, Keith. 1996. Wisdom Sits in Places: Language and Landscape among the Western Apache. University of New Mexico Press. Burke, Timothy. Lifebuoy Men, Lux Women: Commodification, Consumption, and Cleanliness in Modern Zimbabwe. (Durham: Duke University Press, 1996). Csapo, Eric. Theories of Mythology (Malden MA: Blackwell Publishing 2005) Debernardi, Jean. The Way That Lives in the Heart: Chinese Popular Religion and Spirit Mediums in Penang, Malaysia. (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2006). Evans-Pritchard, E. E. Witchcraft, Oracles and Magic among the Azande. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1976). Geertz, Clifford. The Interpretation of Cultures (New York: Basic Books, 2000) Klima, Alan. The Funeral Casino: Meditation, Massacre and Exchange with the Dead in Thailand. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2002). Schneiderman, Sara. Rituals of Ethnicity: Thangmi Identities Between Nepal and India (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2015). Sebeok, Thomas A. (ed.). Myth: A Symposium (Bloomington: U. Indiana Press 1955)
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