Fall 2018 - SA 301 D100
Contemporary Ethnography (A) (4)
Class Number: 2083
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 4 – Dec 3, 2018: Tue, 8:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Jelena Golubovic
jga22@sfu.ca
Office: AQ 5069
Office Hours: TH 12:00-13:00
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Prerequisites:
SA 201W.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
A consideration of key themes in contemporary anthropology. This course addresses theoretical and methodological questions by examining the work of contemporary anthropologists conducting research in diverse locations around the world. Students with credit for SA 370 may not take SA 301 for further credit.
COURSE DETAILS:
Ethnography is one of the most defining features of anthropological research. It is at once a method of research, a form of analysis, and a genre of representation – all premised on an ethnographer “being there.” This course explores key debates and developments that have shaped contemporary ethnographic research. Students will learn to critically assess ethnographic texts, asking such questions as: How do ethnographers establish credibility, and how can we make sense of conflicting ethnographic accounts? How are the “imponderabilia of everyday life” translated into anthropological arguments and theory? What constitutes evidence, and what constitutes description? Whose voices are foregrounded in ethnographic texts, and what are the possibilities for collaboration between researchers and participants?
The first half of the course involves an overview of issues and debates in contemporary ethnography, exploring themes such as reflexivity, empiricism, and ethical dilemmas. The second half of the course involves a close reading of several ethnographic texts that speak to the above themes. In addition to short writing assignments, students will conduct an independent research project in the form of an academic paper or podcast.
Grading
- Short reflections (2) 15%
- Take-home midterm exam 25%
- Research project 25%
- WIP presentation 10%
- Book review 15%
- 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.
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:
All of the required texts for this course will be made available online either through the course blog or through the SFU library website. However, if you prefer to read paper books, you may like to purchase the following texts:
Buch Segal, L. (2016). No Place for Grief: Martyrs, Prisoners, and Mourning in Contemporary Palestine. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Ghodsee, K. (2011). Lost in Transition: Ethnographies of Everyday Life after Communism. Durham and London: Duke University Press.
Scheper-Hughes, N. (1992). Death Without Weeping: The Violence of Everyday Life in Brazil. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
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