ANTHROPOLOGY 4



ANTHROPOLOGY 437/637Prof. Michael Brian SchifferMODERN MATERIAL CULTUREOffice Hrs. W: 1-2 and by appointment Email: Schifferma@IntroductionAnthropology 437/637 is about the material world that people create and inhabit. More specifically, the course presents the students with tools—concepts, theories, models, and heuristics from behavioral archaeology—for thinking about and studying material culture and technological change.“Material culture” is anything created or modified by human activities: technology, artifact, object, product, thing, gizmo, etc. “Modern” means material culture of the modern era, ca. 1750 to the present. Examples in (brief) lectures are drawn from historical cases as well as the 21st century. The history of electrical technology is the instructor’s main area of expertise, and furnishes many examples. Lectures, readings, and student presentations all contribute to the goal of enabling each student to carry out an original research project of his or her own choosing.This course presumes no prior knowledge of anthropology or archaeology (or electrical technology!). In previous years, non-anthropology majors have done exceedingly well. However, regular attendance and participation in discussions, good note taking, and mastery of the textbook are essential for success.This course emphasizes the skills needed for doing original research, delivering well-organized and succinct oral presentations, and preparing a professional report. Learning OutcomesBy the end of the semester, the student will:1. Command the use of behavioral research tools for studying material culture and technological change. This outcome is facilitated through readings, formulation of reading-related questions, class discussions, and feedback from class members and instructor on oral presentations and written assignments. Through these activities the student is able to critically evaluate the appropriateness of specific behavioral tools for answering particular research questions.2. Formulate and revise research questions in relation to particular behavioral tools. This outcome is achieved through a multistage research/revision/integration process that begins with a research design, is followed by a progress report, and is concluded with a final project, as is standard practice in archaeology. In the earliest stages, the student refines the research question and homes in on the most relevant, accessible evidence. Learning how to judge what research is feasible is an important outcome. 3. Prepare a research design that specifies techniques of data gathering and analysis needed to answer a research question along with appropriate behavioral tools. Crafting the research design gives the student experience in matching research tools, research question, relevant evidence, and analytical techniques. Preparation of a research design and obtaining feedback on it is essential in archaeological practice. Students made use of constructive comments from class members and the instructor. 4. Obtain feedback on a progress report and revise project accordingly. In archaeology, most research projects are presented first orally at meetings and as then, after peer review, as written reports in journals and other literature. Students will craft a progress report in both oral and written forms and this provides ample opportunities for incorporating feedback into the last stage of researching and completing the project. 5. Deliver an oral report equivalent to presenting a paper at a professional meeting. The oral report will elicit feedback from class members and the instructor.6. Prepare the written final report. This will be an original contribution to knowledge about modern material culture and be done in the format of a professional journal. See below for the elements of a research design, progress report, and final report. RequirementsThe student may select any research topic so long as it is in the spirit of the course. Examples of projects done in previous semesters (no repeats allowed!): What social processes helped to make the microwave oven a successful consumer product?What factors led to changes in the design of NBA uniforms, 1960-2000?Why was the Concorde supersonic airliner a commercial flop?Why did the VHS format conquer the Beta format in the VCR battles of the 1980s?How did the vast variety of athletic shoes come about? Why did early electric cars, ca. 1895-1920, die out in favor of gasoline cars? What factors explain variation in the size of faculty offices?Do salespersons behave differently toward customers wearing different kinds of clothing?Are wornout or obsolete religious objects disposed of differently than ordinary objects?Every research project begins with a question, and so finding the most fruitful question is very important. Because it takes a while to arrive at a researchable question, get started early and bounce your ideas off the instructor using email.In doing the project, the student will display his or her abilities to make use of the behavioral tools presented in lectures and readings. Projects must exhibit familiarity with these tools and the ability to apply them in an appropriate manner. The research may use traditional library resources (book, magazines, journals, etc.), online resources, oral history, interviews, questionnaires, participant observation, and any other techniques of data-gathering that seem appropriate, are properly described and credited, and that do not pose risks to the student researcher or to any human subject. Specific assignments and requirements are as follows (note: graduate students are responsible for longer written assignments):First Midterm Exam: Research Design (5 minute oral presentation and a 500-word essay; 637, 750 words, DUE: 30 September).Second Midterm Exam: Written Progress Report (5 minute oral presentation and a 500-word essay; 637, 750 words, DUE: 28 October).Final Exam: Final Project Report (5-10 minute oral presentation and a 2000-word paper; 637, 3,000 words; DUE: 2, 9 December).Questions. Prior to each class, students read and study the assigned chapter(s) and prepare and bring to class 5 questions that pertain to those readings. These questions will serve as the basis for in-class discussions. Students will be called on to ask a question and another student may be called on to attempt an answer. Many questions will not have one “right” answer. Your questions should stimulate thought and deal with implications of what you read. Do not ask questions that merely require reading material to be regurgitated. Your questions will be turned in at the end of class, and so they also serve to document your attendance. So, be sure your name is at the top of the page! Oral presentations provide practice in expressing ideas in well-organized, concise, and articulate prose, and eliciting comments, suggestions, and constructive criticism from the class and the instructor. Oral presentations will be graded. You may use notes but do not read them. Word limits on written assignments exclude foot- or end-notes, tables, figures, references, and appendices. Written work will be accepted in HARD COPY only. I will neither read nor print out e-mailed assignments.A research design is a tentative plan for a project. A good research design is based on solid background research; this means delving into what has already been learned, using library and Internet resources. Given this background, the student proposes a researchable question that can lead to an original project. In the well-organized research design, you will:1. Set forth a specific research question.2. Identify relevant data needed to answer the question.3. Propose techniques for acquiring original data (observations of people-artifact interactions, analysis of advertisements, oral history, questionnaires, surveys, federal statistics, etc.).4. Mention how the behavioral tools (from lectures and readings) might be employed. In the well-organized progress report, you will:1. Very briefly summarize the essential elements of the project. 2. Discuss what you have done and what you have learned so far.3. Mention which behavioral tools are being employed.4. Furnish a bibliography of sources used so far.* The well-organized final project report should conform broadly to the following outline:Introduction. Set forth the research question. Background research. Summarize what was known prior to your project, citing relevant sources. Identify the gaps in knowledge that your research fills.Project design. Discuss your use of one or more behavioral tools; describe the data-gathering techniques.Data analysis. Present and analyze your original data, making use of tables, graphs, performance matrices, etc., where appropriate. Findings. How have the new data contributed to answering your research question?Conclusion. This may include suggestions for further research.References Cited. Use American Anthropologist or American Antiquity style or the style of the textbook. Incomplete, inconsistent, and sloppy references are unacceptable. Use of Internet SourcesThe Internet furnishes information on many subjects, but it has two major flaws. First, sources vary greatly in accuracy, and so the inexperienced user may be unable to identify the errors and bogus claims. Anyone can create a web site and can claim to be an expert on any subject! Second, web sites come and go, and the information in them can change often. Thus, a web site or factoid cited today may not exist tomorrow. Find the most authoritative sources by seeking web sites maintained by scholarly societies, museums, government agencies, and reputable scholars. These sources tend to be more reliable and stable. For each web source, provide a complete URL and the date it was accessed. The exception to this is when you access a journal article through the web. In that case, the reference should be to the article in the original journal—a permanent provenance. The web is a fabulous resource for identifying potentially relevant printed materials. For example, you can often find course bibliographies at other universities, topical bibliographies, book reviews, a list of a given author’s publications (especially on university websites) and, importantly, you can make use of various scholarly indexes. Google scholar, Google books, Google n-gram, Proquest, and JSTOR are also useful for finding relevant sources. But these kinds of information are merely a starting point for serious research. In addition, many scholarly journals are now online and can be accessed through the UMD library; indeed, some journals are available only in this form. And don’t forget, you may email professors virtually anywhere and ask questions related to your project. Some professors are jerks and won’t respond, but others will blow you away with their helpfulness. I receive requests all the time from undergrads at universities around the world!Required TextbookThere is one required textbook, available in paperback: (1) Studying Technological Change: A Behavioral Approach by Michael Brian Schiffer (University of Utah Press, 2011). Additional readings will be supplied as pdfs. ScheduleSeptember2 Discuss syllabus. 9 Read Studying Technological Change, chs. 1-2. Discuss chapters. 16 Read Studying Technological Change, ch. 3. Discuss chapter.23 Read Studying Technological Change, ch. 4. Discuss chapter.30 Research Design, Oral Presentations.October7 Read Studying Technological Change, chs. 5-6. Discuss chapters.14 Read Studying Technological Change, chs. 7-8. Discuss chapters.21 Read Studying Technological change, ch. 9. Discuss chapter.28 Progress Report, Oral PresentationsNovember4 Read Studying Technological Change, ch. 10. Discuss chapter.11 Read Studying Technological Change, ch. 11. Discuss chapter.18 Read Studying Technological Change, ch. 12. Discuss chapter.25 Read Behavioral Archaeology: First Principles, ch. 19. Discuss chapter.December2 Final Project Report, Oral Presentations9 Final Project Report, Oral PresentationsGradingCriteria: Grading of written assignments is based on several factors, taken in their totality: (1) level of sophistication; that is, the ability to understand, integrate, and properly employ the behavioral research tools from readings and lectures, (2) writing, organization, and the proper use of scholarly apparatus (citations, references, etc.), (3) creative problem solving and analytical skill, and (4) level of effort. Factor (1) is the most important. Graduate students will, of course, be expected to meet a high level of professionalism. Oral reports are graded according to these factors: (1) organization, (2) poise, (3) delivery, (4) enthusiasm, (5) command of subject, (6) handling of questions. These factors are of equal importance.Questions on readings:100Oral reports:Research Design100Progress Report100Final Report100Written assignments:Research Design100Progress Report100Final Report400Total Possible Points 1000Scale: 900-1000 = A; 800-899 = B; 700-799 = C. I do hope no one scores less than 700 points! IncompletesIncompletes will not be granted to students who merely fail to use their time wisely--please don't ask!Late WorkLate written work will be penalized (the later the work, the greater the penalty—maximum loss is 40% of possible points), but late is much better than never because a zero added to your point total would be disastrous! Ethical ConsiderationsPlagiarism will not be tolerated. According to my dictionary, plagiarism is “the appropriation or imitation of the language, ideas, and thoughts of another author, and representation of them as one’s original work” (Stein 1971:1100). To avoid plagiarism, give credit to other authors for the information used in your reports. This rule applies to both traditional publications (books, magazines, journals, newspapers) and to Internet sources (see below). When using someone else’s phrases or sentences, place the borrowed material in quotation marks, provide a page-number citation in the text immediately after the end of the quote (as above), and include the complete reference, as follows: Stein, Jess (editor)1971 Random House Dictionary of the English Language. Random House, New York.Classroom EtiquetteText-messaging, reading newspapers, surfing the Net, watching movies, checking Facebook, and other non-notetaking activities during class distract your peers and piss off the instructor. Students who violate this policy will be asked to leave—or worse. Be certain that all cellphones, smartphones, dumbphones, etc., are in silent mode.The instructor will publicly humiliate anyone caught texting in class.“Accommodations for Students with DisabilitiesThe University of Maryland, College Park provides accommodations for students with documented disabilities. If you are a student who has special needs, please consult with the Disability Support Service Office, and discuss options with your professor during the first two (2) weeks of class so that your learning needs may be appropriately met. Students who need accommodations will need to provide documentation of a disability. “Religious ObservancesIt is the policy of the University of Maryland, College Park that students not be penalized in any way for participation in religious observances. However, it is the student’s responsibility to inform the instructor of any intended absences for religious observances in advance and make arrangements to make-up examinations and/or missed assignments. “University Absence and Make-Up PolicyCampus Senate policy requires students who are absent due to illness/injury to furnish documentary support to the instructor. You must provide written documentation verifying your illness/injury immediately upon your return to class. Failure to present your excuse in the manner described above will result in you not being allowed to make up quizzes or tests.“Required Honor PledgeAs a student at the University of Maryland, College Park, each of you has signed a student-administered Honor Code and an Honor Pledge. The Code prohibits students from cheating on examinations, plagiarizing papers, submitting the same paper for credit in two courses without authorization, buying papers, submitting fraudulent documents, and forging signatures. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and reported directly to the Honor Council. The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course. It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, and plagiarism. For more information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit ” (From Prof. S.F. Woehlke’s Anth 345 Syllabus, Spring 2015) ................
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