Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving : Anthropological Reflections of Cultural Relativism and Its Others, Lila Abu-Lughod

Homework:  Guests, chapter 4
While you read, answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper or within your class notebook:

1.  What's the trouble with the bridge?  What impact does it have on the women of El Nahra?
2.  What's the relationship(s) between the women of the town and the women of the tribal fellahin?
3.  What power did B.J. realize the women had - all of them?

Lia Lee's unofficial obituary in the NY Times

For extra credit, read the new forward to the 15th edition of The Sprit Catches You.  Applying what you have learned about the Hmong generally, or the Lee's or Yang's specifically, write a one-page response to the piece.

Between Two Worlds  this is part 1 of 3 total, the rest should play accordingly
The Split Horn in its entirety

Dr. Tamara Kaiser Caught Between Cultures: Hmong Parents in America's Sibling Society
Dr. Yer Thao American Education and the Transformation of the Mong Community

News

Shortly after meeting with many of you and your parents Wednesday afternoon, I planned to join the social studies department for some dinner at our local Thai restaurant - unfortunately - I never made it.  Instead, I took what should have been a minor stumble on the second to last step on the concrete stairs leading down from the patio towards the bleachers, and turned it into a distal fibular fracture. That's right, I broke my leg.  Fortunately Leah and her mother Leeza witnessed the event and Leeza graciously offered to take me to the Good Samaritan Emergency Room.  I'll be headed back to Good Samaritan on Tuesday for surgery to align the bones which means I'll be missing class.  Matt Plies will be your substitute while I am out and is quite familiar with the Hmong.  Please check the blog for assignments or clarification.

To prepare for the socratic seminar:  religion, shamanism, medicine, placebos - please read and annotate the source packet found HERE

Think about possibilities for your initial fieldwork observation, the official write-up of this report is due September 21.

From the Eriksen article excerpt on "culture" and from our investigation of "race" what are some rules or guidelines you would suggest as students of anthropology in the use of those terms?

To prepare for our Friday seminar on race: please do the following

1.  Complete your passage/response journal from Race, the Power of Illusion, part I

2.  Complete the additional readings, adding to your passage/response journal
     answers to the following questions

a.  What in the McIntosh article, do you find the most shocking, maddening, thought provoking, and why?

b.  How does Tatum define racism; what does she arguing, in your own words? In this definition, what is the difference between racism and prejudice?

c.   What are three questions this article raises for you (issues of clarification, expansion, application)?

China film critique assignment and links to film resources:  final film 5/26, 5/28 work day in lab, paper/project due 6/1

China Blue  information and links    Micha X. Peled.  Teddy Bear Films, 2005. http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/chinablue/film.html
http://teddybearfilms.com/2011/09/01/china-blue/

If you missed class for the ACT, our first film can be seen here

Paper specifics here

Learning Capitalist Culture introductory fieldwork lesson and calendar

After the "making out" presentations, read pages 133-34.  In code, using your notes, relate the various making out games to situations you have experienced in your educational journey.  Justify your answers.  Due Monday.

1. How do most kids in North Town justify going to school? How are classes at North Town High School organized?  What is the content, who are the students?  To what extent are the answers to these questions structural?  Controlled by agency?

2. What are some examples of race relations and racism within the classroom? What was the academic content of many of the classes?  What was the driving force in the classrooms?

3. “The Negotiation of Academic Work:  Making Out Games” is probably the best example in this text of applied marxist / workplace theory.  What are “making out games” how are they related to production and the perceived (not actual) satisfaction in that production?

pp. 101-114

Pre-write:  what makes a great teacher? (atmosphere of the class, interactions between teacher and students, students and students, content, seating, format, lessons, etc.  What values and /or beliefs are transferred in (a) great class(es)?

start High School Frederick Wiseman, 1968 - to be completed Monday, March 30.  As you watch, keep two column notes TEACHER / VALUES

Reading for Monday, March 16, Learning Capitalist Culture pp. 79-100

Starpower debrief:  What is the connection between Northtown High School and this simulation; ideas of social stratification (wealth, power and prestige), impression management, resistance, the beliefs underlying these ideas and actions, etc.?  Due next class.

Please have LCC pages 60-79 read for Thursday, as well.

Reading for the week of February 23-26:  Learning Capitalist Culture pp. 47 to the end of chapter 2. Continue your three column chapter notes:  unique to NTHS, similarities, unique to LHS.  These notes are due at the end of the class on Thursday 2/26.