Class Meeting: Monday & Wednesday 2:20-3:45
LH-004

Description:
The course will examine a series of anthropological studies of European society, economy, and culture. This semester we will read ethnographic case studies of France, Germany, Greece, and Italy. We will also screen four classic films that provide distinctive perspectives on experiences of European during the second half of the 20th century.

Required Texts:
Berdahl, Daphne 1999 Where the World Ended: Re-Unification and Identity in the German Borderland. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Campbell, J. K. 1974 Honour, Family and Patronage: A Study of Institutions and Moral Values in a Greek Mountain Community. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Hélias, Pierre-Jakez 1980 The Horse of Pride: Life in a Breton Village. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Holmes, Douglas R. 1990 Cultural Disenchantments: Worker Peasantries in Northeast Italy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Required Films:
You are required to screen the following films (videos) during the semester. They will all be on reserve.

The Bicycle Thief (Vittorio De Sica)
The 400 Blows (Francois Truffaut)
The Time of the Gypsies (Emir Kusturica)
Tree of the Wooden Clogs (Ermanno Olmi)

Written Assignment:
For the written assignment you are required to keep a "notebook" that succinctly summarizes the assigned materials. The notebook is intended to serve as a tool for disciplined reading of texts and screening of films as well as the basis of critical analysis. You will also be allowed to bring your notebook to the final exam.

The actual requirements for the notebook are very simple, but must be followed rigorously. For each reading assignment and film you must write a concise summary. In your entries you must keep strictly to the assigned materials and not introduce any extraneous materials. We will discuss how to write these entries in more detail in class. If you have any questions about the notebook I will be glad to review your entries and give you feedback.

Take-Home Mid-Term
The take-home mid-term will be given during week of seven.

Final Exam
There is a three-hour final exam for the course and you can bring your notebook for the test

Discussion
Active participation means coming to class prepared to discuss the assigned readings for that week. This includes occasional participation in group work as well as actively contributing your questions ideas and opinions to class discussion.

Extra-Credit Texts:

Herzfeld, Michael 1988 The Poetics of Manhood. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Luhrmann. Tanya 1989 Persuasion of Witch's Craft: Ritual Magic in Contemporary England. Cambridge: Cambridge Univeristy Press.

Pitt-Rivers, Julian 1972 People of the Sierra. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Rogers, Susan Carol 1991 Shaping Modern Times in Rural France: The Transformation and Reproduction of an Aveyronnais Community. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Assignments and Grading:
Your grade will be based on four elements:
Informed Participation (20%)
Take-home Mid-Term (20%)
Notebook (30%)
Final Exam (30%)
Extra-Credit (up to 10%)

Plagiarism and Cheating:
Students are expected to abide by the rules of academic honesty. Under no circumstances will plagiarism and/or cheating be tolerated in this course. These offenses carry a severe penalty, ranging from a possible "F" in the course to suspension or expulsion from this university. If you are unsure of what constitutes plagiarism, consult a copy of the University Rules and Expectations or your teaching assistant.

Course Schedule

Week 1
September 3rd Introduction.

Week 2:
September 8th and 10th
Reading: Hélias Forward-Chapter 2.

Week 3
September 15th and 17th
Reading: Hélias Chapters 3-5.

Screen: The Bicycle Thief (Vittorio De Sica)

Week 4
September 22nd and 24th
Reading: Hélias Chapters 6-8.

Week 5
September 29th and October 1st
Reading Campbell Chapters 1-3.

Week 6
October 6th (no class) October 8th
Reading. Chapters 4-5.

Week 7
October 13th and 15th
Reading: Campbell Chapters 6-8

Screen: The 400 Blows (Francois Truffaut)

Week 8
October 20th and 22nd
Reading: Campbell Chapters 9-11.

Take-Home Midterm due October 27th

Week 9
October 27th and 29th
Reading: Holmes Chapters 1-2.

Week 10
November 3rd and 5th
Reading: Holmes Chapter 3.

Screen: Tree of the Wooden Clogs (Ermanno Olmi)

Week 11
November 10th and 12th
Reading: Holmes Chapter 6-8.

Week 12
November 17th and19th
Reading Berdal Introduction-Chapter 1.

Week 13
November 24th and 26th (no class)
Reading: Berdal Chapter 2-3).

Week 14
December 1st and 3rd
Reading: Berdal Chapter 4-5.

Screen: The Time of the Gypsies (Emir Kusturica)

Week 15
December 8th and 10th
Reading: Berdal Chapter 6-Epilogue.

Notebooks due December 12th.

Final Exam (to be announced)

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