SYLLABUS

SOC 302 Myth, Magic and Symbol Prof. Robert Rotenberg
Office: SAC 528b
VoiceMail: 325-7460
Office Hours:; Email: rrotenbe@wppost.depaul.edu

Pre-requisites:

SOC 102 Cultural Anthropology, or permission of the instructor.

Texts

Texts marked with an * are available from the instructor. If there is a photocopy fee, it is indicated in parentheses. All other texts are available from the Lincoln Park Bookstore.

P. Stoller & C. Olkes In Sorcery's Shadow.

Brown Mama Lola

Drewal Yoruba Ritual

C.Levi-Strauss, The Story of Asdiwal.*

Jill Dubisch You are what you eat: Religious Aspects of the Health Food Movement.*

Horace Miner Body Ritual Among the Nacirema.*

Carl Sagen The Burden of Skepticism.*

Marcello Truzzi The Occult Revival as Popular Culture: Some Observations on the Old and the Nouveau Witch.*

Otto Friedrich New Age Harmonies.*

Description

WARNING: This course is more time consuming than usual because the research project involves extensive fieldwork. You will spend at least four to six hours per week every week on this project in addition to the time spent reading and preparing the essay exams. There is no alternative to this project. If you cannot devote the time to the course, regardless of whether you are taking it for a grade or pass/fail, drop the course. This time commitment is necessary in order to accomplish the integration of theory and method that is the basis of the course.

This is a course in the variety of ways in which people explain how the world works. Topics include how people explain their religious, political, economic, medical, and social beliefs. Various theoretical approaches to understanding world view are highlighted, including the structural, the functional, and the ethnosemantic perspectives. The course revolves around the discussion of four ethnographies that look at the embedding of world view in the social experience in different societies. In addition, the class will also discuss a series of methodological approaches to the study of myth and symbol in preparation for student projects involving the analysis of sacred ritual.

Goals

1. To explore those aspects of culture which seek to explain the world.

2. To read selected works by anthropologists who have tried to describe and explain these aspects of culture.

3. To recognize differing theoretical viewpoints in the approach of anthropologists to their studies.

4. To practice methodologies of symbolic analysis using familiar cultural materials.

Evaluation

  • Students will be evaluated based on the submitted written work and classroom discussion as follows:
  • Mid-term Essay 25%
    Final Essay 25%
    Research Project 30%
    Classroom participation (see below) 20%

    • Criteria:

  • The following criteria apply to the grading of exams and papers in this course. Grades will be based on two components. First, students will be evaluated on the extent to which they know the information presented in lecture/discussions and required readings. Learning the information is the minimal requiring for passing the course. Therefore, students must show competence in the information component by correctly using the vocabulary of the ethnology of religion in all papers and exams to earn a C. Above average or excellent work requires that students be able to apply what they have learned. The exams and paper will be assessed as follows:
  • Grade of A: Detailed narrative that extensively and accurately uses the concepts, theories and ideas from the readings, lectures, discussions, interviews, and other research materials to make sense of the research problem or exam question. These essays are also very well written (clear and logical organization; clear and precise use of language; few technical errors in spelling and grammar.)
  • Grade of B: Occasionally vague or imprecise narratives that frequently and accurately uses the concepts, theories and ideas from the readings, lectures, discussions, interviews, and other research materials to make sense of the research problem or exam question. The occasional error in application, indications of misunderstanding of information and similar weakness are permitted. These essays are also very well written (occasional imprecise or ambiguous phrases or sentences; occasional but still infrequent technical errors. .)
  • Grade of C: Narratives that are vague or imprecise more often than they are detailed and descriptive; few applications of concepts theories and ideas from lectures, readings, interviews and other research materials; several instances of misapplication or misunderstanding of concepts, theories or ideas; acceptable level of writing..
  • Grade of D: Narratives are generally vague, indicating inadequate participation in the course material and research, or inadequate effort invested in the writing process; sloppy writing; generally devoid of application of concepts, theories or ideas from the course materials, or frequent errors in their application.
  • Grade of F: Narrative so general that it could have been written without having enrolled in the class; seriously deficient writing; so many errors in applying concepts as to indicate a lack of comprehension of the subject matter.
  • A. Essays
  • Students will write mid-term and final essays on the assigned ethnographic works. The essays are intended to help you summarize your understanding of the readings. The dates on which these essays are due can be found in the following schedule. Essays must be typewritten with normal margins on all four sides (T: 1.5"; B: 1.5" L: 1"; R: .75") and double-spaced. Essays should not exceed six pages.

    • At this time, Macintosh disks cannot be accepted. You may use Wordperfect (5.1 or earlier), Wordstar (4.0 or earlier), or Word (5.0 or earlier), or you can save the file in text-only format (ASCII file). It is important that you write which word processing program you are using on the diskette. You may use 5.25" diskettes DOS formatted for 360 kb, or 1.2 mb, or 3.5" diskettes DOS formatted for 720 kb or 1.44 Mb. The diskettes will be returned to you and my comments were be contained in an ASCII file on the disk and on a paper printout.

    The essays will be graded on factual content, organization of the argument, and writing style (i.e. grammar, spelling, word choice, etc.). Successful essays will have an introduction and a conclusion and will develop an argument logically from start to finish.

    B. Project

    Students will complete a term-length project on a sacred ritual using symbolic analysis. The date on which the project report is due can be found in the following schedule. Reports must be typewritten with normal margins on all four sides (T: 1.5"; B: 1.5" L: 1"; R: .75") and double-spaced. Reports should not exceed twelve pages.

    The research problem is to explore the sacred rituals of a group that is unfamiliar to you and a religion that is unrelated to the tradition in which you were raised. The encounter need not be threatening. There are many groups with engaging sacred rituals who are welcoming to visitors. There are also groups who will really make you work to gain acceptance. You cannot gain acceptance in a group of any kind if your only reason for being there is because it required for the course. You must actually want to learn about these rituals from genuine interest. If you are so alienated from any consideration of the sacred in the human experience, you will not be able to complete this project effectively.

    After learning as much as you can about one of the rituals, you will then write a project report in which you describe the structure of ritual, identify and analyze the sacred symbols involved, and then describe the effectiveness of the actual performances you witnessed. Obviously this is a very time consuming project, involving many hours of contact between you and people who may initially be unfamiliar and unfriendly at first. You may form work groups to collect and analyze myths . Because of the importance of the project, the second half of the class on Thursday each week will be given entirely over to student consultations on the project. Students will develop their own resources and accumulate their own versions of the myth, based on readings and interviews. Because these beliefs are embedded in the social experience, additional background reading on this social experience (North American, urban family structure, friendship networks, property relations, political structure, etc.), may be necessary. All works consulted, especially the sources of the variants, must be cited and referenced according to either MLS or APA style. Students should feel free to consult with the instructor on the development of the project.

    D. Class Participation

    Students are expected to attend each class meeting. Frequent absences for which there appears to be no acceptable reason will be interpreted as a lack of commitment to the goals of the course. Work schedules, difficulty in getting the reading done, or printer breakdowns the day a paper is due are not acceptable reasons to miss class.

    Students are required to prepared a summary of at least one assigned reading. The format for the summary is provided later in this syllabus. The summary will be spoken to class and submitted to the instructor in writing. .

    Students are expected to have the readings done and be prepared to discuss them. Students who do not volunteer opinions and information frequently will receive only average grades in this area of evaluation. But it is the quality of the contribution, rather than merely mouthing off, that is being evaluated. "A's" in this area will be reserved for students who move the discussion along.

    Students are expected to work together peacefully and cooperative in the work groups. Students may change work groups with the permission of the instructor, but no student can work independently of group. Failure to establish a good working relationship with your group may result in a weak evaluation in this area, all other things being equal.

    Format for Presentation of Summaries

    First assignment & presentation date:

    Second assignment & presentation date:

    Directions: Read the article carefully and prepare a summary based on the following questions. You should plan to make a presentation of no more than fifteen minutes. In addition to the oral presentation, you must give the instructor a written version of the summary. Follow instructions for the exam essays for format and style.

    1. What is the region, period of time and other built in limitations of the assignment?
    2. What is the main question, point, thesis of the assignment? What was the author trying to prove by writing it?
    3. Outline the argument: What was the first point offered? What was the second point? etc...
    4. What examples did the author provide to support the argument? Describe the most convincing example?
    5. Were you convinced of the author's argument? Do you have any questions about it?
    6. What two questions do you think the class should discuss about this assignment?

    Mid-Term Exam

    SOC 302 Myth, Magic and Symbolism August, 1996

    Directions: This is a take-home essay. It must be typewritten, double-spaced with standard margins. The essay length should be no more than five paragraphs, or about three pages. The essay will be graded on content (does it answer the question?), organization of the ideas (is it logical and easy to follow?), and style (does it use the right words, complete sentences, clear paragraph structure, and have no grammatical and spelling errors). Please read the questions carefully. The greatest source of error in this kind of exam come from essays that do not really answer the question. Mid-term essays are returned after one week with extensive comments.

    The mid-term is due February 6.

    Question:

    The instructor will hand out a children's story. Analyze this story as if it were myth using the methodology outlines in the Levi-Strauss article. Since this is one of our stories, reference the myth to the contemporary social organization of Chicago as it would be experienced by a young child.

    Final Exam

    SOC 302 Myth, Magic and Symbolism August, 1996

    Directions: The essay is a take-home project. You may work on it over the entire term. The final product must be typewritten or printed with standard margins and easily readable (dark) type. The entire essay length (both questions) should be no more than six pages. The essay will be graded on content, organization of the ideas, and style (i.e. using the right words, writing in complete sentences, clarity, and absence of grammatical and spelling errors). Final essays are not corrected with comments unless the student specifically requests them.

    Answer both questions: The essay is due before 12:00 PM. Late papers will not be accepted. (Please note, this is the very end of finals period.)

    The paper may be turned in early. Keep a copy for your files. If the paper is lost, you will have to submit a copy. If you turn it in early, give it to secretary, receptionist or student worker to put in my office. Ask them to put the time and their initials on the paper. Do not put the paper in my mailbox. Please note: My office is in SAC 528b (the International Studies offices , not the Sociology offices). Do not give the essay to the staff in Sociology. Its just more work for them to bring it over.

    Questions:

    1. Edmund Leach has written that magic can be so real that it transforms reality. Stoller warns that his is an ethnography that describes events beyond the reach of rationality. Reading about sorcery forces us to confront our own view of reality more explicitly than any drug experience or foreign travel. Write about your experience reading the Stoller and Olkes book. How did their experiences change your understanding of magic, and of reality.

    2. Symbolism is never a cold, neutral object of analysis. We become enmeshed in the power of a symbol even as we try to unwrap its overlapping contexts of social meaning. Describe how Mama Lola's world enmeshed Brown. In what way has your involvement in your own research enmeshed you?

    3. Ritual is a form of symbolic action. It changes the world whenever it is enacted. Using examples from Yoruba ritual, describe how people are changed as a result of their participation in ritual. Give specific examples to support your answer. In what way have the rituals you participated during your research changed the people you spoke to.