ANTH 303 Anthropological Theory Fall 2017
Oct.
12: Intersections. READ: Mullings, Leith (2005) “Resistance and
resilience: The Sojourner Syndrome and the social context of
reproduction in central Harlem.” Transforming Anthropology 13(2): 79-91.
Additional: Behar, Ruth (1993) “Introduction : Women
writing culture: another telling of the story of American
anthropology.” Critique of Anthropology 13(3): 307-325.
Moore, H.,
(1994) “Divide we stand: sex, gender and sexual difference.”
Feminist Review, Vol. 47: 78-95.
Trin T. Minh-ha
(1987) “Difference: 'A Special Third World Women Issue'.” Feminist
Review 25(5):22. doi:10.1057/fr.1987.1
The following
questions will help guide our discussion as we try to make sense of
this, and other, theories. In addition, we will apply the theory to the
video shown in the first day of class:
How can this theory be
seen as a product of the historical period in which it was created?
(First, second and third waves of feminism; other emancipatory
movements)
What questions does this theory ask?
What information does this theory see as important?
What are other relevant assumptions made by the theory?
How does the theory analyse this information to answer the questions it sees as important?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of this approach?
Some concepts from Mullings/intersectionality:
- difference: intersections (of class, race, gender, ....)
- thus, often a primary emphasis on structure
- Sojourner Syndrome
- Other/othering
- feminism: first, second and third waves
- post modern versions, structural versions, political economy versions
- emphasis on politics (in cultures, of research, writing, etc.)
- writing against culture (Abu-Lughod)
-
subaltern (Spivak): questions of representativeness and of knowledge
systems (thus, sometimes an emphasis on ideological orientations)
- strategic essentialism
- questions of voice
- question distinction between theory and ethnography
- the canon/an alternative canon
- alternative forms of presenting anthropological material
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