Anthropology 104

History of Anthropology
Fall 2005

Dr. Liam D. Murphy

Class times: M, 6:00-8:45pm
Location: MND 4008
E-mail: lmurphy@csus.edu
Phone: 278-6022

Office: MND4022
Office Hours: M, 3pm-6pm
Webpage: www.csus.edu/indiv/m/murphyl

Course Description and Objectives:

In this course, we will examine the development of anthropological thought, both prior and
subsequent to the emergence of a distinctive anthropological discipline. This journey will thus
take us from the philosophers of the classical world, through the European Renaissance and
Scientific Revolution, to contemporary postmodern and poststructural approaches. While the
course will focus primarily on ideas regarding human social and cultural life have, we will also
have occasion to investigate the influence of biological evolutionary theory, the study of
language, and the impact of archaeological discoveries on the formation of new social and
cultural knowledge. The course is designed to provide students with: 1) Knowledge of
antecedent traditions in the humanities and social sciences; 2) An overview of the historical and
political contexts in which anthropology arose as a distinct discipline; 3) An understanding of the
institutional settings and processes that gave rise to the discipline's professionalization; 4)
Intellectual and biographical portraits of founding figures and their disciplinary descendents as
well as the theories and schools of thought with which they are associated; 5) A critical
perspective on the processes of methodological innovation and theory-building within
anthropology.
Required Texts:
1. Erickson, Paul A., and Liam D. Murphy (2003). A History of
Anthropological Theory, Second Edition. Peterborough, Ontario: Broadview Press.
2. Erickson, Paul A., and Liam D. Murphy, Eds. (2001). Readings for a History of
Anthropological Theory. Peterborough, Ontario: Broadview Press.
3. Kuper, Adam. (1983). Anthropology and Anthropologists: The Modern
British School. London: Routledge.
All three texts are available at the Bookstore (278-6446)

Course Requirements:
Class Attendance: 15%
In-Class Presentation of course readings (15-20 minutes each): 20%
Take-Home Midterm exam: 20%
Take-Home Final exam: 25%
Term-Paper (8-10 pages) research and course readings: 20%
Final course grades will be based on the following scale:
A=90-100%; B=80-89%; C=70-79%; D=60-69%; F=59 or below
I am available for consultation with students, either during my Office Hours, or by appointment.
If you need to contact be and are unable to do so before or after class, please just drop me an email (preferable), or, if necessary, voice mail.
Class Attendance:
Attendance will be taken at the midway point in class every week. Please remember
that regular attendance is required, and will count for 15% of a students grade.
In-Class Presentation
Each student will be required to make one, (approximately) 15-20 minute class
presentation in which s/he discusses the content of one of the readings assigned that
week. These presentations (approx. 4 per class session, where indicated on schedule
below) will afford each student the opportunity to show their close reading of the course
materials, as well as provide a focus for class discussion of important themes, topics, and
events in the history of anthropological knowledge. Students will choose the essay that
they want to present during the second class meeting.
Examinations:
Both the Midterm and Final Examinations in Anth 104 will be take-home exams. Each
will consist of two or three essay questions (2 pages each, typed), which will be made
available on the WebCT site for this course one week before they are due. Completed
examinations may be e-mailed to the instructor at the e-mail address listed at the head of
this syllabus.
Term-Paper:
Each student will be required to write a term-paper, based on library research, that will be
due in the last week of class meetings. Details of this assignment will be provided in the
first two weeks of classes.

Class Participation
Students should come to class prepared to discuss the assigned readings for that day/week (i.e,
make sure that readings assigned for next week are being read this week). Participation in class
discussions is required, and students are encouraged to bear this in mind and the course
develops.
All students are expected to adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity in the
completion of assignments and exams. Failure to do so will result in permanent dismissal from
the class. Please consult the CSUS manual for further details on academic and grading policy, or
go to http://www.csus.edu/admbus/umanual/ump14150.htm.

Make-Up Policy
Writing assignments must be submitted on the due date, or before. Extensions will only be given
in the event of strong, mitigating circumstances, backed up by written evidence to that effect.
Late assignments will be docked 5% per day.

Course Schedule:
The following is a detailed outline of the lectures and required readings for the course, based on
fifteen weeks of classes. Lectures will be supplemented by a number of ethnographic films. The
readings are essential to understanding the lecture materials, and, as noted above, must be
completed by the date scheduled. Note: These articles are intended to be read with a critical eye.
During the course of the semester, we will sometimes disagree with the opinions expressed by a
particular author. Please feel free to ask questions, and email me as needed. This schedule is
subject to change at my discretion.

Week

Date

Aug. 29th

Sept 5th
NO CLASS (Labor Day)

Topic

Readings & Assignments

Course Introduction

No Readings
HAT pp.17-42
RAT, pp.xi-xxi

Sept. 12th

Anthropology from Antiquity

to the Enlightenment

RAT, chp. 2

7:30-8:45: Film TBA

Sept. 19th

Evolutionism in
Biological and Cultural
Perspective

HAT pp 42-72
RAT chps, 1, 3, 5

7:30-8:45: Student Presentations

(Tylor, Marx/Engels, Morgan,
Darwin)

Sept. 26th

Early Ethnography to
Franz Boas

HAT pp 73-76
RAT , pp. 109-120, chp. 8

7:30-8:30: Film
Franz Boas: The Shackles of
Tradition. (Library Media Center
Ref. #: Video 002104)

Oct. 3rd

The Boasians I:
Lowie, Kroeber, and Sapir

HAT pp 76-78; 115-117

RAT chps. 9, 10, 13

7:30-8:45: Student Presentations

(Boas, Lowie, Kroeber, Sapir)

Oct. 10th

The Boasians II:

Benedict and Mead

HAT pp 78-89
RAT chps 7, 11, 12

7:30-8:30: Film
Margaret Mead: Coming of
Age. (Library Media Center
Ref. #: Video 002109)

Oct. 17th

Emile Durkheim
7:30-8:45: Student Presentations
(Freud, Mead, Benedict,
Durkheim)

Oct. 24th

British Social Anthropology:

Malinowski and
Radcliffe-Brown
7:30-8:30: Film
Bronislaw Malinowski: Off
the Verandah. (Library Media
Center Ref. #: Video 002112)

**Oct. 10th: Midterm Exam questions

available on WebCT**

HAT pp 89-92; 100-101

RAT chp. 6
** Oct 17th: Midterm Exam due**

HAT pp.101-105
Kuper, chps. 1, 2
RAT chps 14, 15

10

Oct. 31st

British Social Anthropology:

from structure to meaning

HAT pp 105-111
RAT chp 16

7:30-8:30: Film
Sir E.E. Evans-Pritchard:
Strange Beliefs. (Library Media
Center Ref. #: Video 002111)

11

Nov. 7th

British Social Anthropology:

political studies
7:30-8:45: Student Presentations
(Radcliffe-Brown, Malinowski,
Fortes/Evans-Pritchard,
Gluckman)

12

Nov. 14th

French Structuralism

Kuper, chps. 3, 4

Kuper, chps.5, 6
RAT chp. 18

HAT pp 93-100; 115-117

RAT chps. 19, 20

7:30-8:45: Student Presentations

(Levi-Strauss, Leach,
Kuper, chp 8)

13

Nov. 21st

Neo-Evolutionism:
Harris, Steward, and White

Kuper, chps. 7
HAT pp 117-131
RAT chps. 23, 24, 25

7:30-8:45: Student Presentations

(White, Harris, Sahlins)

14

Nov. 28th

Symbols and Meaning I:

The Legacy of Max Weber

HAT pp 131-145
RAT chps. 17, 21, 22, 26

7:30-8:45: Student Presentations

(Weber, Geertz, Turner, Freeman)

15

Dec. 5th

Symbols and Meaning II:

Postmodernity &
Poststructuralism
7:30-8:45: Student Presentations
(Wolf, Taussig/Mintz & Wolf,
Clifford, Marcus/Fischer)

HAT pp 145-180
RAT chps 27, 28, 29, 34, 35
Kuper, chp. 8
Recommended: RAT, chp. 36
**Dec. 5th: Final Exam questions
available on WebCT**
**Dec. 7th: Term Paper due**

16

Dec. 12th

EXAM WEEK
No Classes

**Dec. 12th: Final Exam due**