ANTHRO R5B-LEC002 TuTh 5:00pm-6:30pm2224 Piedmont
Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Rachel Carmen Ceasar, [email protected] Piedmont, Room 34OH: TuTh 4:30-5:00, 6:30-7:00pm
Course Description:In the aftermath of war, illness, and tragedy, individuals andcommunities must decide what to do about their dead. Heritage andmemory matter in these discussions of the dead. Both past andpresent, material and representational, human and object, thedead body provokes a reflexive examination of the structured,professional, and personal ethics at stake in defining heritageand memory. Heritage and historical memory engage a network ofstewards who influence how the recent past will be remembered:archaeologists uncover bodies, local and descendant communitiesnegotiate burial, and nations instruct legacies. But thistrajectory of the dead body is hardly the case: the fate of HeLacells, Israeli Ashkenazi soldiers, Scandinavian bog bodies,cryopreserved indigenous tissue, Hanford nuclear bodies, and theHIV/AIDS corpse come to mind.
What role do states and institutions play in determiningwhich bodies are allowed to be remembered? How are historical and contemporary conflicts articulatedthrough human remains? What new forms of heritage and memory do the dead offer theliving?
This body-centered undergraduate writing seminar draws uponcurrent events, literature, and social theory to examine how thedead body shapes heritage and memory, and how the past stakes aclaim on the dead. We will be examining feminist, postcolonial,subaltern, and indigenous developments in archaeology, medicalanthropology, and science studies. Using an interdisciplinary andcomparative approach, our objective is to approach the dead asnever really dead, but reconstituted into multiple (and oftenconflicting) representations and spatiotemporal forms.
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ANTHRO R5B-LEC002 TuTh 5:00pm-6:30pm2224 Piedmont
Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Required Books:Verdery, Katherine. 1999. The Political Lives of DeadBodies: Reburial and Postsocialist Change. New York:Columbia University Press. GT3242 .V47 1999 Anthro
Cohen, David William and E.S. Atieno Odhiambo. 1992. BuryingSM: The Politics of Knowledge and the Sociology of Power inAfrica. K60.K42 N35 1992 Main
Skloot, Rebecca. 2010. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.New York: Crown Publishers. RC265.6.L24 S55 2010 Main
Key Deadlines:Précises: Every Monday by 5pm 1st Writing Assignment 5pmThursday, October 23Comments: Every Tuesday by 12pm 2nd Writing Assignment:5pm Friday, December 12
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ANTHRO R5B-LEC002 TuTh 5:00pm-6:30pm2224 Piedmont
Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Thursday, August 28Week 1: IntroductionFocus: We will explore anthropology as a critical tool we will beusing to think and write with for the purposes of this course, aswell as for any setting or job that requires critical thinkingand writing.
Perspectives: What is anthropology?1. Miner, Horace. 1956. Body Ritual among the Nacirema.
American Anthropologist 58(3):503-507.2. Wee, Heesun. 2013. Korean Culture May Offer Clues in
Asiana Crash. NBC Business News. July 9. 3. Marx, Karl. 1993[1867]. Section 4: The Fetishism of
Commodities and the Secret Thereof. In Capital, Volume 1,Part I: Commodities and Money transcribed by BertSchultz.
Workshop: How to Write an Email4. Blattman, Chris. 2010. Students: How to Email to your
Professor, Employer, and Professional Peers. Blog post.November 8.
Assignment: Get Organized 5. Send me an email—about anything, related to the class or
not—following common sense and the guidelines outlined inBlattman’s blog. I will respond and provide you feedbackon your email etiquette. You will be expected to writeemails like this from now on in this course. (DUE: 5pm onFriday, August 29)
6. Get the readings: everyone will need to have read andcompleted next week’s assignment by 5pm on Monday,September 1.
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Week 2: Introducing…The Dead BodyTuesday, September 2 Focus: While at once medical and scientific beings, the dead arealso things/objects/beings/spirits that raise emotional,cultural, and political concerns long after there are dead.Keeping in mind our own personal ideologies, we will thinkreflexively on what our biases and perspectives bring to a studyof the dead.
Perspectives: What is the dead body?1. Rosaldo, Renato. 1988. Grief and a Headhunter’s Rage: On
the Cultural Force of Emotions. In Text, Play, and Story:The Construction and Reconstruction of Self and Societyby Edward Bruner, ed. Prospect Heights, IL: WavelandPress. 178-195.
2. Zimmerman, Larry. 1989. Made Radical by my Own: AnArchaeologist Learns to Accept Reburial. In Conflict inthe Archaeology of Living Traditions, R. Layton, ed.Unwin Hyman, London. 60-67.
3. Smith, Zadie. Man vs. Corpse. 2013. The New York Reviewof Books. December 5.
Assignment: (DUE: 5pm Monday, September 1)4. Write a précis on all the readings.
Thursday, September 4Workshop: How to Read Critically
1. Lurie, Shira. 2014. How to Read a Book in Two Hours orLess. 2014. Inside Higher Education, gradhacker blog.January 14.
Extra: http://amst522.wordpress.com/2010/09/13/how-to-gut-a-book-or-the-best-advise-my-grad-school-advisor-ever-gave-me/http://savageminds.org/2007/10/01/how-to-read-a-good-book-in-one-hour/2. Miller, Jamie. 2014. A Foreigner Teaching in America. The
Chronicle of Higher Education, Advice. June 30.
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Extra:https://www.msu.edu/~pennock5/courses/484%20materials/harding-standpoint-strong-objectivity.pdf
Assignment: How to Read Critically—Techniques & Technologies (DUE: 5pmWednesday, September 3)
3. Post three comments.4. Drawing on the Lurie article, write a paragraph (5-10
sentences) on your own reading techniques that you willuse for this class. Post your paragraph on bCourses.
5. Drawing on the Miller article, write a paragraph (5-10sentences) on how you approach your readings: what biasesdo you bring? what is unique about your perspective andanalysis? Post your paragraph on bCourses.
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Week 3. Biopolitics: The Dead Body and theStateTuesday, September 9 Focus: We will discuss texts and events in which the dead animatepolitics.
Perspectives: Who controls the past for the future? 1. Foucault, Michel. 2003[1976]. 17 March 1976. In Society
Must be Defended. New York: Picador. 239-263.2. Verdery, Katherine. 1999. Introduction: Corpses on the
Move. In The Political Lives of Dead Bodies: Reburial andPostsocialist Change. New York: Columbia UniversityPress. 1-22.
3. Verdery, Katherine. 1999. Dead Bodies Animate the Studyof Politics. In The Political Lives of Dead Bodies:Reburial and Postsocialist Change. New York: ColumbiaUniversity Press. 23-53.
4. World Council of Indigenous Peoples. 1990. The Sacred andthe Profane: The Reburial Issue as an Issue. DeathStudies 14(6):503-517.
5. Bin Laden, dead bodyhttp://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/08/08/getting-bin-ladenhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/blog/2011/may/05/osama-bin-laden-death-aftermathhttp://politicstheoryphotography.blogspot.com/2011/05/political-lives-of-dead-bodies-2-osama.html
Assignment: (DUE: 5pm Monday, September 8)6. Write a précis on all the “Perspective” readings.
Thursday, September 11 Workshop: Writing with an Audience and Reader in Mind
7. Jenkins, Rob. 2014. The Case for Conversational Writing.Chronicle Vitae. August 14.
Extra: http://savageminds.org/2006/05/05/target-audience/
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Assignment: (DUE: 5pm Wednesday,September 10)
8. Write three substantive comments on bCourses.
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Week 4. Transformations of the Dead:Transitional, Uncanny, and AbjectThingsTuesday, September 16 Focus: We will examine the materiality of the dead, and theirability to transform.
Perspectives: What stories of the past do the dead create for a historical memory of thefuture?
1. Meskell, Lynn. 2005. Objects in the Mirror Appear Closerthan They Are. In Materiality by Daniel Miller, ed.Durham, NC: Duke University Press. 51-71.
2. Sanders, Karin. 2012. The Archaeological Uncanny. InBodies in the Bog and the Archaeological Imagination.Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 47-60.
3. Kwon, Heonik. 2008. Ghosts of War in Vietnam. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.
Assignment: (DUE: 5pm Monday, September 15)4. Write précis.
Thursday, September 18Workshop: Critique & Meet the Author
5. In groups during class on Thursday, we will prepare forour meeting with Professor Karin Sanders. Some skills wewill workshop are: how to critique graciously and how toengage with authors. Post the best questions/commentsfrom your group to bCourses by 5pm on Wednesday,September 17. You are welcome to add more questionsbefore our class on Thursday.
6. Post three substantive comments. (DUE: 5pm Wednesday,September 17)
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Week 5. Knowledge Production: The Dead Bodyas Witness, ITuesday, September 23 Focus: This week we will look at the dead body as a controversialobject of evidence. In addition, we will learn how to analyzenews sources and other media outlets as we begin to develop ourown authoritative voice in preparation for our first writingassignment.
Perspectives: How do the dead produce knowledge about the past and past violence?1. Crossland, Zoe. 2009. Of Clues and Signs: The Dead Body
and its Evidential Traces. American Anthropologist111(1):69-80.
2. Robben, Antonius. 2000. State Terror in the Netherworld:Disappearance and Reburial in Argentina. In Death Squad:The Anthropology of State Terror. Jeffrey A. Sluka, ed.Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. 91-113.
Extra: http://ias.umn.edu/2013/11/25/collab-mass-violence-robben/3. Weiss, Meira. 2002. Choosing the Body: Pregnancy, Birth,
Military, War, and Death. In The Chosen Body: The Politicsof the Body. Stanford: Stanford University Press. 27-64.
4. Scheper-Hughes. 2010. Body Parts and Bio-Piracy: Tissue,Skin, Bone, and Organ Harvesting at Israel’s NationalForensic Institute. Counterpunch. October 25.
5. Watzman, Haim. 2005. Furor at Hebrew University LeavesNoted Anthropologist in Limbo. The Chronicle for HigherEducation. February 11.
Assignment: (DUE: Monday, September 22) 7. Write précis.
Thursday, September 25Workshop: Analyzing News Sources
8. Meira Weiss:
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ANTHRO R5B-LEC002 TuTh 5:00pm-6:30pm2224 Piedmont
Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
http://972mag.com/i-witnessed-a-whole-system-of-deception-regarding-the-death-of-a-palestinian/88799/http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=9834
Assignment: Writing Assignment #1—Outline DUE: Wednesday, September 24) 9. You will be creating an outline of what you plan to write
for your first writing assignment. Sign up for officehours this week so that we can meet one-on-one before youproceed with the first draft of your paper. Your paperwill be an expansion of your weekly précises, with a moresustained argument with the course readings.
Here are some software tools you might find useful fororganizing your thoughts:http://savageminds.org/2013/02/15/living-in-a-plain-text-world-tools-we-use/10. Post three substantive comments.
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Tuesday, September 30Week 6. Knowledge Production: The Dead Bodyas Witness, II
Focus: We will read Cohen’s book to explore how the dead produceknowledge beyond either/or binary perspectives (e.g., eithertraditional or modern, local or national).
Perspectives: How do the dead produce knowledge about the past and past violence?1. Cohen, David William and E.S. Atieno Odhiambo. 1992.
Burying SM: The Politics of Knowledge and the Sociologyof Power in Africa. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann and London:James Currey.
Assignment: Writing Assignment #1—First Draft2. Once your outline has been approved, you can begin
writing a first draft of your essay. Begin preparingyour first draft for peer review next week.
3. Write précis.
Thursday, October 2Workshop: How to Cite
4. We will look at the Chicago style guide on how to cite.We will use this format for all writing assignments.
5. Post three substantive comments.
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Tuesday, October 7 Week 7. Now What? Reparation, HumanRights, and RememberingFocus: We will examine the ethical stakes involved in reburyingand remembering the dead.
Perspectives: How is heritage negotiated in the aftermath of conflict via the dead body?1. Fforde, Cressida and Jane Hubert, and Paul Turnbull,
eds. 2002. The Dead and Their Possessions: Repatriationin Principle, Policy and Practice. London: Routledge.1-16.
2. Tuller, Hugh. Forthcoming. Identification vs.Prosecution: Is it That Simple, and Where Should theArchaeologist Stand? In Disturbing Bodies: A RelationalExploration of Forensic Archaeological Practice byRosemary Joyce and Zoe Crossland, eds. Santa Fe: Schoolfor Advanced Research Press.
3. Joyce, Rosemary. 2002. Academic Freedom, Stewardshipand Cultural Heritage: Weighing the Interests ofStakeholders in Crafting Repatriation Approaches. InThe Dead and Their Possessions: Repatriation inPrinciple, Policy and Practice by Cressida Fforde, JaneHubert, and Paul Turnbull, eds. London: Routledge. 99-107.
4. Steele, Caroline. 2008. Archaeology and the ForensicInvestigation of Recent Mass Graves: Ethical Issues fora New Practice of Archaeology. Archaeologies 4:414-428.
Assignment: 5. Write précis.
Thursday, October 9Workshop: Peer Review—How to Provide Feedback during the Writing Process
6. We will use class time to swap papers, and providefeedback on each other’s first drafts. You will post
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
your draft to bCourses by 5pmon Wednesday. Please bring a hardcopy of your draft to class on Thursday for peerreview.
Assignment: Writing Assignment #1—First Draft Due + Peer Review 7. Post three substantive comments. You may write comments
on each other’s précises or first drafts.
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Tuesday, October 14 Week 8. Hierarchies of Bodies,Identities, and National HeritagesFocus: This week, we will zero in on how the dead come torepresent the nation, a people, a culture, and religion.
Perspectives: Which bodies are allowed to become heritage, and who gets to decidethis?
1. Wagner, Sarah. 2013. The Making and Unmaking of anUnknown Solider. Social Studies of Science 43(5):631-656.
2. Walker, Alexa. 2013. Appropriation of the Month: WhoShould Benefit from Ancient Human Remains?: Legal,Ethical, and Economic Challenges. IPinch Blog. March 18.
3. Verdery, Katherine. 1999. The Restless Bones of BishopInochentie Micu. In The Political Lives of Dead Bodies:Reburial and Postsocialist Change. New York: ColumbiaUniversity Press. 55-93.
4. Luzzatto, Sergio. 2005. The Ox of the Nation. In The Bodyof II Duce: Mussolini’s Corpse and the Fortunes of Italy.New York: Metropolitan Books. 53-80.
Extra: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4954647
Assignment:5. Write précis. No comments are necessary for this week.
Thursday, October 16Workshop: Peer Review---How to Evaluate your Learning and Provide ConstructiveCriticism
6. Write a letter to a future student about what youlike/dislike about the class.
Assignment: Writing Assignment #1—Second Draft Due7. Continue editing writing assignment #1: second draft.
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Tuesday, October 21Week 9. Subjectivity: The Work of the Deadand Technologies of CareFocus: Drawing on feminist approaches to science and technology,we will examine how technology functions as a form of caring forthe dead.
Perspectives: How does technology transform/care for the dead body?1. Puig de la Bellacasa, María. 2009. Touching Technologies,
Touching Visions: The Reclaiming of Sensorial Experienceand the Politics of Speculative Thinking. Subjectivity28:297-315.
2. Wagner, Sarah. 2008. Technology of Repair. In To KnowWhere He Lies: DNA Technology and the Search forSrebrenica’s Missing. Berkeley: University CaliforniaPress. 245-265.
3. Faust, Drew Gilpin. 2008. Burying: New Lessons Caring forthe Dead. In This Republic of Suffering: Death and theAmerican Civil War. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 61-101.
Extra: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=179577124. Bauman, Zygmunt. 1993 The Sweet Scent of Decomposition. In
C. Rojek and B. Turner, eds, Forget Baudrillard? London:Routledge. 22-46.
Assignment: 5. Write précis.
Thursday, October 23Workshop: Writing Technologies
6. Take a look at these different writing tools:http://savageminds.org/2013/02/15/living-in-a-plain-text-world-tools-we-use/. Do you use any of these tools? Writeone paragraph (5-10 sentences) on your writing process,answering the following questions: what tools do you use?
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
what is your process? did youstruggle or triumphant? whatwould you like to do differently for writing assignment#2?
Assignment: Writing Assignment #1—DUE6. Turn in the final version of writing assignment #1 (DUE:
5pm Thursday, October 23).7. Post three substantive comments.
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ANTHRO R5B-LEC002 TuTh 5:00pm-6:30pm2224 Piedmont
Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Tuesday, October 28 Week 10. Medical Techniques andEthics: Dead Bodies on Display and on the Move, IFocus: In honor of All Saint’s Day on November 1st, we will focusthis week and next on how the dead are displayed, shared, andtaken apart in celebration, for devotion, as art, and in the lab.
Perspectives: What are the ethics on displaying/ritualizing the dead and their bodyparts?
1. Bynum Walker, Carolina. 2011. Christian Materiality: AnEssay on Religion in Late Medieval Europe. Cambridge, MA:MIT Press.
2. Walter, Tony. 2004. Plastination for Display: A New Wayto Dispose the Dead. Journal of the Royal AnthropologicalInstitute 10: 603–627.
3. Brandes, Stanley. 2006. Skulls to the Living, Bread tothe Dead. Malden, MA: Blackwell.
4. Swazey, Kelli. 2013. Life that Doesn’t End with Death.TED Talk.
Assignment: 5. Write précis.
Thursday, October 30—(Halloween/All Saint’s Day)Workshop: Happy Halloween & All Saint’s Day!
6. Post three substantive comments.
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Tuesday, November 4Week 11. Medical Techniques andEthics: Dead Bodies on Display and on the Move, IIFocus: In honor of All Saint’s Day on November 1st, we will focusthis week and next on how the dead are displayed, shared, andtaken apart in celebration, for devotion, as art, and in the lab.
Perspectives: What are the ethics on displaying/ritualizing the dead and their bodyparts?
1. TallBear, Kimberly. 2012. An Indigenous OntologicalReading of Cryopreservation Practices and Ethics (and WhyI'd Rather Think about Pipestone). Paper presented at theAnnual Meeting of the American AnthropologicalAssociation, San Francisco, November 20.
2. Tarlow, Sarah and Liv Nilsson Stutz, ed. 2013. The OxfordHandbook of the Archaeology of Death and Burial. Oxford:Oxford University Press.
3. Scheper-Hughes, Nancy. 2001. Ishi’s Brain, Ishi’s Ashes.Anthropology Today 17:12-18.
4. Harrison, Simon. 2010. Bones in the Rebel Lady’s Boudoir:Ethnology, Race, and Trophy-Hunting in the American CivilWar. Journal of Material Culture 15(4):385-401.
Assignment: 5. Write précis.
Thursday, November 6Workshop: Searching for Academic Articles
6. For the second writing assignment, you will be expectedto bring in two additional readings not covered in classto support your argument. As we have examined earlier inthe semester, not all sources or authors can be valued inthe same way. We will spend class time learning how tosearch for articles on academic databases, and how tosave your searches into a citation manager for futurereference.
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Assignment: Writing Assignment #2—How toSearch for Academic Articles
7. Post on bCourses: (1) a short, clear paragraph (3-5sentences) on what your second paper will be about; (2)list five academic resources that you might incorporateinto your final essay.
8. Post three substantive comments.
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Thursday, November 13—No Class Tuesday(Veteran’s Day) Week 12. Focus: Let’s talk about race and science—what happened to thebody of Henrietta Lacks after her death?
Perspectives:1. Skloot, Rebecca. The Storm; The HeLa Factory. In The
Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. New York: CrownPublishers. 87-104.
Extra: Interview with Authorhttp://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=139948707&m=139948700
Workshop: Writing Assignment #2—Outline2. You will be creating an outline of what you plan to write
for your second essay assignment. Sign up for officehours this week so that we can meet one-on-one before youproceed with the first draft of your paper. Your paperwill be an expansion of your weekly précises, with a moresustained argument with the course readings.
Assignment: Writing Assignment #23. Begin developing your paper. Feel free to schedule
additional office hours with me in the weeks to comeshould you have questions about the progression of yourpaper.
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Tuesday, November 18Week 13. Human Technologies of theCorpse: Disposable Bodies?Focus: We have talked quite a bit about the importance ofprotecting and remembering the dead. This week, we will focus oninstances when the dead are forced to be forgotten.
Perspectives: Which corpses are let to die, and which become disposable?1. Troyer, John. 2010. Technologies of the HIV Corpse.
Medical Anthropology 29(2): 129-149.2. Glueck, Grace. 1984. Untouched Mayan Tomb is Discovered.
New York Times. May 23.3. Manz, Beatriz. 1984. Mayas Celebrated and Mayas
Persecuted. Letter to the Editor, in response to GraceGlueck Untouched Mayan Tomb is Discovered. New YorkTimes. June 1.
4. Schoeman, Maria and Innocent Pikirayi. 2011. Repatriatingmore than Mapungubwe Human Remains: ArchaeologicalMaterial Culture, A Shared Future and an ArtificiallyDivided Past. Journal of Contemporary African Studies29(4):389-403.
5. Kammen, Michael. 2010. Digging up the Dead: A History ofNotable American Reburials. Chicago: University ofChicago Press.
Assignment: 6. Write précis.
Thursday, November 20Assignment: Writing Assignment #2—First Draft
7. Once your outline has been approved, you can beginwriting a first draft of your essay. Begin preparingyour first draft for peer review next week.
8. Post three substantive comments.
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Tuesday, November 25—No Class Thursday(Thanksgiving Holiday)Week 14. Racism Beyond the GraveFocus: Reflecting on Thanksgiving, we will examine how bodies ofthe dead are racialized in the United States.
Perspectives: How do the dead retell everyday racism?1. La Roche, Cheryl and Michael Blakey. 1997. Seizing
Intellectual Power: The Dialogue at the New York AfricanBurial Ground. Historical Archaeology 31(3):84-106.
Extra: http://archive.archaeology.org/online/interviews/blakey/index.html (interview with physical anthropologist)http://faculty.usfsp.edu/jsokolov/burialgr.htm (otheracademic reflection)http://www.nps.gov/afbg/index.htm (official burial website)http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/26/arts/design/26burial.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1329056575-ZRpq7d2RFuarLBz1Bs1hhw&_r=02. Thomas, D.H. 2000. Skull Wars: Kennewick Man,
Archaeology, and the Battle for Native American Identity.New York: Basic Books.
Extra: http://nativenewsonline.net/currents/indigenous-peoples-thanksgiving-sunrise-ceremony-alcatraz-island/
Assignment: Writing Assignment #2—First Draft Due + Peer Review 3. We will use class time to swap papers, and provide
feedback on each other’s first draft. You will post yourdraft to bCourses by 5pm on Tuesday. Please bring a hardcopy of your draft to class on Tuesday for peer review.
4. Write précis.5. Post three substantive comments. You may write comments
on each other’s précises or first drafts. (by 5pm onWednesday)
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Tuesday, December 2—Last week of classWeek 15. The Ecological Dead Body:Chemicals and Green BurialsFocus: For our last class, we will examine environmental concernssurrounding the dead body.
Perspectives: How has returning to the earth become a political endeavor?1. Olson, Philip. 2014. Flush and Bone: Funeralizing
Alkaline Hydrolysis in the United States. Science,Technology, and Human Values 39(5): 666-693.
2. Cram, Shannon. Forthcoming. Becoming Jane: The Making andUnmaking of Hanford’s Nuclear Body. Environment andPlanning D: Society and Space.
3. Lee, Jae Rhim. 2011. My Mushroom Burial Suit. TED Talk.
Assignment:4. Write précis. No comments are necessary for this week.
Thursday, December 4Assignment: Writing Assignment #2—Second Draft Due
5. Continue editing writing assignment #2.6. Complete final instructor evaluation.
December 9 / 11—Last week of instructionWeek 16.
Assignment: Writing Assignment #2—DUE1. Turn in the final version of writing assignment #2 (DUE:
5pm Friday, December 12).
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Purpose of Course & Format:My role here is to guide ourdiscussions and structure activities on the course materials andhelp you develop your analytical writing skills. The course willconsist of presentations, discussions, activities, writingworkshops, and videos. Engaging with the material throughparticipation is vital to your success in this course.
Course Design:This course is an anthropology seminar focusing on theanthropology of heritage, memory, and the dead body. The writingseminar emphasizes intersections between archaeological researchand science studies theory, particularly feminist theory. Weeklyactivities are divided into three parts, perspectives, workshops, andassignments:
Perspectives: These readings will focus on understanding (1)the author’s argument, (2) the question/problem/assumptionsthe author is trying to address, (3) the key concepts of thetext, and (4) your critique of the text. Keeping these fourelements in mind as we read and analyze, we will look to howeach text corresponds to the week’s theme and discuss therelevance of these works to anthropology of the dead body.
Workshop: These materials break down the writing process andfocus on specific skills in becoming a better writer:reading, brainstorming, citation, peer reviewing, etc. Eachweek, we will focus on developing reading and comprehensionskills.
Assignment: Each week, you will write about what we’ve read.This will include writing a one-page, single-spaced précisthat covers everything we’ve read for that particular week.You will post your précis on bCourses by 5pm on Monday priorto our Tuesday discussion. You will also post three commentsby 12pm on Tuesday.
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Course requirements:1. Seminar Participation (5%): Participation: You are required to participate. Participation cantake on many forms: coming to office hours, engaging in groupdiscussion, or asking questions in class.
Attendance: Attendance is mandatory and will be taken at thebeginning of each class. You will be allowed one “freebie” dayfor which you will not be penalized for being absent. Beyondthat, you will lose 1% point for every section missed. The courseis a richer experience for all when all students are present; asa result, your grades are highly dependent on your presence.
Absence is defined as (1) an excused absence (e.g., beingsick with a note from a doctor, religious observance),and (2) an unexcused absence (e.g., not showing up tosection).
Lateness is defined as arriving more than 10 minutes aftersection starts. At Berkeley, courses usually start at 10past the hour. If you plan to be later than this, needto leave early, or will have a scheduling conflict on aregular basis, please let me know ahead of time. Likewith absences, you are allowed to be late twice andbeyond that you will lose 0.5% point every time you arelate to section. If you do come late, it is yourresponsibility to make sure that I do not mark youabsent on the roster. Please do not disrupt the class--inform me that you were late at the end of class.
2. Weekly Précises & Comments (25%): DUE: 5pm on Monday prior to our Tuesday discussion.Précis: Each week, you will be required to post on bCourses aone-page, single-spaced review of the course readings.
This assignment is meant to help you think through thereadings and jump start class discussion. Think of theseshort written commentaries as intelligible but informal
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
study guides that you will besharing with your classmatesevery week before discussion. These guides are mini-essays and will help prepare you for the larger writingassignments. That said, I will be reading your précisesand providing you feedback on them.
Your weekly précis should include a summary anddiscussion of each reading focusing on (1) the author’sprimary argument, (2) the question/problem/assumptionsthe author is trying to address and the evidentiary basisof his/her analysis, (3) the key concepts of the text,and (4) your critique of the text. You must write abouteach reading, each week. You are required to submit 13out of 14 précises; you can skip one week ofprécis/comments. (see template and example on bCourses)
A late assignment is defined as turning in your précis 24hours after the deadline. You will lose 0.5% point forturning in your précis late, and an additional 0.5% pointfor not turning in a précis at all.
bCourse Comments: DUE: 12pm on Tuesday prior to our Tuesday discussion.You will also be required to post three substantive comments eachweek on bCourses.
By substantive comments, I mean I am looking for commentsthat create dialogue and exchange; think of comments ascontinuing the conversation outside the classroom. Forexample, you could respond to your peers’ précis posts byraising concerns about the author’s argument or makingconnections to topics and current issues related to thereadings.
Keep the conversation intellectual and respectful—remember, even though you’re writing online, the commentsare a reflection of your professional self in class.
3. Two Papers (30% and 40%):
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
You will be required to turn in twopapers based on the course readings andtopics. You will be graded based on the following: a first draftof your paper, peer-review of another student’s paper, a seconddraft, and your final submission.
First Writing Assignment (6-8 pages, single-spaced): 5pmThursday, October 23Second Writing Assignment (8-10 pages, single-spaced): 5pmFriday, December 12
•••
Course Policies:
Grade Disputes:If you have a dispute about your attendance, participation,paper, or précis grade, you will be required to clearly write outeach item you wish to dispute. Submit your dispute prior tomeeting with me in person so that I can review the dispute andconsider its merits.
Scheduling Conflicts: Please notify me by the end of Week 1 if you have any known ofpotential scheduling conflicts (e.g., religious observances,graduate/medical school interviews, team activities). I will trymy best to help you make accommodations.
Office Hours:Office hours is a time when you can talk to me outside of classabout concerns or questions you may have about assigned readings,your writing development, or anything else related to the course.
I am highly responsive to students who come to my officehours and will certainly take the time to assist you inwhatever way I can. If something unforeseen happens duringthe semester—academically or personally—let me know
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
immediately. I can be much morehelpful if you don’t wait until theend of the semester to talk to me.
Email Policy:It is in your best interest to ask me questions after class orduring my office hours (or other scheduled appointment time). Ifyou have a pressing question, email your “email buddy” first.
Save email for emergencies only (e.g., emailing me that youwon’t be coming to class due to a sudden illness, you haveto cancel office hours). You will receive a more thoroughexplanation by asking me questions in person rather thanthrough email as I cannot respond to emails with lengthyquestions or requests to read and respond to chunks of yourpaper/précis.
My responses will be limited to no more than a shortparagraph (4-6 sentences max) and will be answered within 24hours on weekdays and 48 hours on weekends. If you havelarger conceptual questions that will take time to review,please make use of office hours or bring these questions toclass.
Laptops, Phones, and other Hand-Held Devices:We will set up our own technology policy together the first weekof class to address the use of technology in class.
Plagiarism & Academic Integrity:Any work submitted by you that bears your name is presumed to beyour own original work that has not been previously submitted forcredit in another course unless you obtain prior written approvalto do so from your instructor. You may use words or ideas writtenby other individuals in publications, websites, or other sources,but only with proper citation. Please see me if you are unclearproper citation and the expectations for completing anassignment.
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
Course Materials Note-Taking Policy:I encourage you to take notes fromsection and to share them among yourselves. However, you may notpost notes or the materials I provide on any website, ordisseminate them in any way without my prior, written permission.The same holds true for all course materials.
Campus Resources:Disabled Students Program (DSP):If you have an accommodation letter from DSP, please have it sentto me no later than TWO weeks prior to the first writingassignment deadline so that we can make proper arrangements.
Students with Disabilities:If you need disability-related accommodations in this class, ifyou have emergency medical information you wish to share with me,or if you need special arrangements in case the building needs tobe evacuated, please inform me immediately in private, afterclass, or during my office hours. For more information onservices available to student with disabilities please visit thewebsite or office of the Disabled Students’ Program:http://dsp.berkeley.edu/.
Student Learning Center:The Student Learning Center provides a variety of services forstudents to assist them with their coursework and assignments.Study groups, writing consultations and a variety of workshopsare all available. Cesar Chavez Student Center, Lower SproulPlaza http://slc.berkeley.edu/general/index.htm
Counseling and Psychological Services:The Tang Center provides counseling and psychological servicesfor students struggling with any number of concerns: adjusting toschool, deciding on a career or major, dealing with family orrelationship issues, coping with personal crises. If you’re
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Anthropology of the Dead Body: The Corpse in Theory, Action, and Literature
struggling, they’re here to help. TangCenter, 2222 Bancroft Wayhttp://uhs.berkeley.edu/students/counseling/cps.shtml
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