Ritsumeikan University Syllabus

Course Name	Year	Term	Period	Faculty / Graduate School	All Instructors	Credits
15918:IR18‐AE103 Introduction to Anthropology (RB) § 15919:IR-AS106 Introduction to Anthropology (RB) § 15920:Introduction to Anthropology (RB) § 15921:RUIR-1104 Introduction to Anthropology(RB)	2024	Fall	Mon2	College　Of　Law,College　Of　Economics,College　Of　Business　Administration,College　Of　Social　Sciences,College　Of　International　Relations,College　Of　Policy　Science,College　Of　Letters,College　of　Image　Arts　and　Sciences,College　of　Information　Science　and　Engineering,College　of　Sport　and　Health　Science　(tentative　name)	SMITH NATHANIEL MICHAEL	2

Campus

KIC

Class Venue

MEIGAKUKAN　MG001

Language

English. However, some Japanese language supplementary readings will be available.

Course Outline and Method

Anthropology is a field of study devoted to human culture and society. Centered around in-person ethnographic fieldwork, anthropology also is a collection of methodological approaches and interpretive frameworks. This course is an introduction to anthropological ways of understanding our world. We will cover 1) the history of the discipline, 2) major themes, theoretical approaches, and debates, 3) issues in methods, ethics, and representation, and 4) case studies from around the world.

As we are based in Kyoto, this course will also feature material on Japan and students will each pursue a fieldwork-based research project on life in contemporary Japanese society.

Student Attainment Objectives

Students will develop:

1) understanding of the history of anthropology and core theoretical approaches, concepts, and debates,

2) understanding of anthropological methods and interpretation,

3) skill in the application of anthropological methods and interpretation to contemporary society.

Recommended Preparatory Course

Prior study in the social sciences or Japan studies is useful but not required.

Course Schedule

Lecture/Instructor（When there are multiple instructors)	Theme
Lecture/Instructor（When there are multiple instructors)	Keyword, References and Supplementary Information
1	Introduction and overview of course
1	What is "culture" and how has anthropology grappled with it? Basic introduction to anthropological research, fields within anthropology, and approaches. What can anthropology offer?
2	Topics in the history of anthropology, Part 1: Formation
2	Early formations of the field of anthropology. "Founding fathers" and the institutionalization of an interpretive social science. Where anthropology fits in the academic world and where it has entered into or been shaped by debates of the day.
3	Topics in the history of anthropology, Part 2: Concepts
3	Key concepts and orientations in anthropological ways of understanding the world. How do we define a person? A family? Society? Culture? Introduction of individual research projects, timelines, and objectives.
4	Topics in the "local" history of anthropology, Part 3: Japan
4	Japan as an object of study and contributor to the field of anthropology, plus an introduction to contemporary Japan anthropology.
5	Methodology, Part 1: Fieldwork
5	Ethnography and qualitative methods. What is at stake in studying "the other"? How have anthropologists navigated ethical and practical issues in fieldwork methods and writing? Methods and approaches workshop for individual research projects.
6	Methodology, Part 2: Writing and representation
6	Ethnography and qualitative methods. What is at stake in studying "the other"? How have anthropologists navigated ethical and practical issues in fieldwork methods and writing? Methods and approaches workshop for individual research projects.
7	Anthropological Theory
7	Anthropological theory from the twentieth century to the more recent past. What motivated the creation of mainstream anthropological theory? How does anthropology engage the contemporary world?
8	Anthropological approaches, Part 1: Reciprocity and economic anthropology
8	Week 8-14 will take up five fields of research in anthropology, with readings drawn from Eriksen coupled with contemporary examples. Each week we will also cover topics related to individual projects.
9	Anthropological approaches, Part 2: Kinship and understanding family
9	Week 8-14 will take up five fields of research in anthropology, with readings drawn from Eriksen coupled with contemporary examples. Each week we will also cover topics related to individual projects.
10	Anthropological approaches, Part 3: Nature and ecology
10	Week 8-12 will take up five fields of research in anthropology, with readings drawn from Eriksen coupled with contemporary examples. Each week we will also cover topics related to individual projects. Mid-term project presentations (online).
11	Anthropological approaches, Part 4: Thought and rationality
11	Week 8-12 will take up five fields of research in anthropology, with readings drawn from Eriksen coupled with contemporary examples. Each week we will also cover topics related to individual projects.
12	Anthropological approaches, Part 5: Social identity and technology
12	Week 8-12 will take up five fields of research in anthropology, with readings drawn from Eriksen coupled with contemporary examples. Each week we will also cover topics related to individual projects.
13	Topics in contemporary anthropology, Part I
13	Topics for Week 13-14 will be drawn from student interest. Potential topics include: nationalism, social media, gender, sexuality, race and racism, religion, migration, urban studies, and topics in methods. Depending on enrollment, these two weeks may additionally be used to workshop research projects.
14	Topics in contemporary anthropology, Part II
14	Topics for Week 13-14 will be drawn from student interest. Potential topics include: nationalism, social media, gender, sexuality, race and racism, religion, migration, urban studies, and topics in methods. Depending on enrollment, these two weeks may additionally be used to workshop research projects.
15	Student presentations of/reflections on individual research projects
15	After the final presentation (posted online), during our last class, students will update us on their individual research and give a brief reflection on their fieldwork.

Class Format

This is an in-person class with online components. We will meet in-person beginning from the first week.

In-person lecture attendance and participation is required.

Online components include weekly reading responses and commentary and the submission of two recorded presentations about your individual research project, one at mid-term (Week 10) and one at the end of class (just prior to Week 15). Depending on need (semester scheduling, etc) we may need to employ an on demand or Zoom-based class meeting. This will be announced well in advance.

Recommendations for Private Study

Students are required to complete the assigned readings and weekly writing/response and come to class prepared to discuss the material. Class participation is part of your evaluation, both written/online in advance of class and in-person discussion during class.

In addition to assigned readings, we will often have supplemental and suggested readings and viewings that will be introduced in class and/or on Manaba. Students will also pursue sources related to their individual research projects and share them with other class members at several points in the term.

Grade Evaluation Method

Kind	Percentage	Grading Criteria etc.
Final Examination (Written)
Report Examination (A report to be submitted by the unified deadline)
Exams and/or Reports other than those stated above, and Continuous Assessment　 (Evaluation of Everyday Performance in Class)	100	20% attendance and active participation in discussion 40% short weekly writing based on our assigned readings and responding to two other students, submitted to Manaba prior to our class session each week 20% research project presentations (preliminary presentation at mid-term and final at the conclusion of the course, 10% each) 20% final research project write-up (essay of a minimum of 2,000 words)

Grade Evaluation Method （Note）

Based on the number of enrolled students, we will make adjustments at the beginning of the term. Depending on enrollment, your mid-term and final presentations will either be recorded and uploaded to Manaba for commentary or given in person during class followed by discussion. Usually enrollment is high enough that our presentations and commentary are entirely online.

The primary requirements for this class are weekly attendance and participation in class discussion, completing weekly reading and writing a short reading response before responding to two other class members' writing, identifying and completing your own fieldwork-based project, and finally, giving two presentations and submitting a final written essay on your chosen project.

Advice to Students on Study and Research Methods

For written work submitted to this class, the use of ChatGPT and other AI tools is prohibited.

本授業の提出物には、ChatGPTやその他のAIツールは使用禁止です。

Textbooks

Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN Code	Comment
What is Anthropology?	Thomas Hylland Eriksen	Pluto Press	0745399657

Textbooks （Frequency of Use, Note）

Our primary textbook is listed above. Please purchase at the book store, order it online, or gain access via the library. We will supplement the text with articles in PDF supplied by the professor.

Reference Books

Reference Books （Frequency of Use, Note）

Web Pages for Reference

This brief (<20min) video from the American Anthropological Association introduces a variety of contemporary anthropologists and how anthropology can be used in various careers:

https://americananthro.org/learn-teach/what-is-anthropology/

How to Communicate with the Instructor In and Out of Class(Including Instructor Contact Information)

Talk with Students,Other (Separate instructions will be provided)

Other Comments

The instructor for this course, Nathaniel M. Smith, holds a PhD in anthropology from Yale University and has pursued ethnographic research on political activism, urban studies, and music subcultures in Japan since 2001. He can be reached at the following address:

smith (@) fc.ritsumei.ac.jp

For more information, please see the following link:
http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/gsir/eng/faculty/article.html/?id=91

【科目ナンバリング・カリキュラムマップはこちらから/Click here to see the Curriculum-Map and Course-Numbering】
URL:http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp//students/pathways-future/course/curriculum.html