2010-11 Catalog

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2010-11 Undergraduate Index A-Z

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Anthropology [clear]


Title   Offering Standing Credits Credits When F W S Su Description Preparatory Faculty Days of Week Multiple Standings Start Quarters
Bodies of Knowledge

Rita Pougiales, Joseph Tougas and Donald Morisato

anthropology biology consciousness studies history literature philosophy 

Signature Required: Winter Spring 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day FFall WWinter SSpring The human body has long been a natural locus of study, interpretation, and storytelling. Corporeal existence has been conceptualized and experienced in radically different ways across time and across cultures, conceived as an irreducible whole by some, and as an amalgam of separate systems or individual elements by others. How has our philosophical and biological conception of the body changed over time? How is the body used to find or express meaning? What is the relationship of the body to the mind and the soul? In this program, we will explore the nature and essence of the body, and reflect on the experience of being human. Knowledge about the body and our lived experiences within our bodies have been created from the culturally distinct perspectives of biologists, social scientists, artists, philosophers and storytellers. We will read philosophical and historical texts, and closely analyze some of the ideas that have helped shape our conception of the body. We will study the genetic development and biological function of the body, carrying out experiments in the laboratory to get a direct sense of the process of scientific investigation. Finally, we will read novels and look at and create art as other ways of engaging with the body, particularly the physical manifestation and representation of emotion. Throughout our inquiry, we will attentively ask how we have come to know what we claim to know. Our investigations will follow a particular progression. In fall quarter, we will consider the body: the history of the conception of the body, images of the body and notions of beauty, the body as the site of meaning-making, medical imaging and genetic approaches to deciphering the development of the human organism. In winter quarter, we will examine aspects of the mind: the Cartesian dualism, the functional organization of the brain, processes of cognition, measuring intelligence, use of language and the importance of emotions. In spring quarter, we will explore the notion of the soul: death and burial rituals in different cultures, philosophical and literary investigations of the soul, ethics and religion. Over the year, we anticipate reading such authors as Michel Foucault, Rene Descartes, Martha Nussbaum, Barbara Duden, Anne Fadiman, Oliver Sacks, Antonio Damasio, Stephen Jay Gould, Henry James and Marcel Proust. epistemology, cultural anthropology, genetics, neurobiology, history of medicine, and the liberal arts and natural sciences. Rita Pougiales Joseph Tougas Donald Morisato Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
Dance of Consciousness

Sarah Williams, Donald Middendorf and Ratna Roy

anthropology consciousness studies cultural studies dance gender and women's studies religious studies somatic studies 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day FFall WWinter SSpring –Isa Upanishad The “it” that defies definition in this 2nd century BCE sacred text has become an equally perplexing focus of study—a “question that towers above all others” according to —in the contemporary life sciences. What is consciousness? Our inquiry will hold open this question within an intentional learning community for nine months as we explore dance as metaphor and practice for how mystics, as well as scholars, artists and scientists, experience the movement of consciousness. If you want answers, especially answers that someone else can provide, this program isn’t for you. "If you want to think about consciousness, perplexity is necessary—mind-boggling, brain-hurting, I can't bear to think about this stupid problem any more perplexity...” advises Susan Blackmore. Furthermore, she says, “if you do not wish your brain to hurt (though of course strictly speaking brains cannot hurt because they do not have any pain receptors—and, come to think of it, if your toe, which does have pain receptors, hurts, is it really your toe that is hurting?), stop reading now or choose a more tractable problem to study." This program is an invitation to explore the movement of consciousness in relationship to Indian and Greek wisdom traditions. We’ll practice Orissi dance, study our dreams as science and science as dream, and read postcolonial Indian English literature as manifestations of the dance of consciousness. Our work will include lectures, book seminars, films, workshops (dance and yoga), introspective journaling (dreams), and what an Evergreen faculty elder named “autobiomythography” in order to explore the multidimensional movements of consciousness. We'll consider anew mythic texts that bridge beliefs about East and West, mysticism and science, such as Gary Zukav’s and Fritjof Capra’s , that have formed consciousness studies from such fields of inquiry as transpersonal psychology, ecofeminism, somatics, ecopsychology, neurobiology and quantum physics. Students should expect to work 40 hours per week and will benefit most from a full-year commitment. During spring quarter students will have the opportunity to focus more intensely on specific program themes and practices by developing research projects, workshops, in-program internships, and individual studies. All students should expect to use intensely experiential methods to explore the dance of consciousness in a collaborative manner that creates and sustains a yearlong intentional learning community. anthropology, feminist studies, consciousness studies and dance, mythology, psychology, yoga, and postcolonial literature. Sarah Williams Donald Middendorf Ratna Roy Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
Individual Study: Interdisciplinary Projects, Arts, Consciousness Studies and Humanities

Ariel Goldberger

aesthetics anthropology architecture art history classics communications community studies consciousness studies cultural studies field studies gender and women's studies geography international studies language studies leadership studies literature music outdoor leadership and education philosophy psychology queer studies religious studies sociology somatic studies theater visual arts writing 

Signature Required: Winter 

  Contract SO - SRSophomore - Senior 16 16 Day WWinter Individual study offers students the opportunity to develop self-direction, to learn how to manage a personal project, to focus on unqiue combinations of subjects, and to pursue original interdisciplinary projects without the constraints of an external structure. Students interested in a self-directed project, research or internship in the humanities, or projects that include arts, travel, or interdisciplinary pursuits are invited to present a proposal to Ariel Goldberger. Students with a lively sense of self-direction, discipline, and intellectual curiosity are strongly encouraged to apply. Ariel Goldberger supports interdisciplinary studies and projects in the Arts, Humanities, Consciousness Studies, and travel. humanities, arts, social sciences, and consciousness studies. Ariel Goldberger Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Winter
Individual Study: Interdisciplinary Projects, Arts, Consciousness Studies and Humanities

Ariel Goldberger

aesthetics anthropology architecture art history classics communications community studies consciousness studies cultural studies field studies gender and women's studies geography international studies language studies leadership studies literature music outdoor leadership and education philosophy psychology queer studies religious studies sociology somatic studies theater visual arts writing 

Signature Required: Spring 

  Contract SO - SRSophomore - Senior 16 16 Day SSpring Individual study offers students the opportunity to develop self-direction, to learn how to manage a personal project, to focus on unqiue combinations of subjects, and to pursue original interdisciplinary projects without the constraints of an external structure. Students interested in a self-directed project, research or internship in the humanities, or projects that include arts, travel, or interdisciplinary pursuits are invited to present a proposal to Ariel Goldberger. Students with a lively sense of self-direction, discipline, and intellectual curiosity are strongly encouraged to apply. Ariel Goldberger supports interdisciplinary studies and projects in the arts, humanities, consciousness studies, and travel. humanities, arts, social sciences, and consciousness studies. Ariel Goldberger Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Spring
Individual Study: Interdisciplinary Projects, Arts, Consciousness Studies and Humanities

Ariel Goldberger

aesthetics anthropology architecture art history classics communications community studies consciousness studies cultural studies field studies gender and women's studies geography international studies language studies leadership studies literature music outdoor leadership and education philosophy psychology queer studies religious studies sociology somatic studies theater visual arts writing 

Signature Required: Fall 

  Contract SO - SRSophomore - Senior 16 16 Day FFall Individual study offers students the opportunity to develop self-direction, to learn how to manage a personal project, to focus on unqiue combinations of subjects, and to pursue original interdisciplinary projects without the constraints of an external structure. Students interested in a self-directed project, research or internship in the humanities, or projects that include arts, travel, or interdisciplinary pursuits are invited to present a proposal to Ariel Goldberger.Students with a lively sense of self-direction, discipline, and intellectual curiosity are strongly encouraged to apply.Ariel Goldberger supports projects in the Arts, Humanities, Consciousness Studies, Arts, and interdisciplinary studies. humanities, arts, social sciences, and consciousness studies. Ariel Goldberger Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
The Remembrance of Things Past

Eric Stein, Stacey Davis and Leonard Schwartz

anthropology history literature political science 

  Program FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day FFall WWinter SSpring Situated somewhere between fact and dream, memory shapes our individual lives in countless ways. When we recall the past, what, exactly, are we remembering? To what extent are our individual memories shaped by collective stories about the past, and how do collective memories, whether real or fabricated, help create and sustain a people's self-image, values and goals? For whom does historical memory of the past matter, and under what political circumstances? What does it mean to forget history? Can groups use the lack of memory, or shared forgetting, to further their sense of identity? This program will explore the links between memory and both individual and group identity. We will investigate historical memory as a product of individual psychological experience, as a politically invested realm of public knowledge, and as a focus of disciplinary-based scholarly inquiry. Students will learn to critically engage historical texts (primary and secondary), public memorial rituals and spaces, oral histories, ethnographies, films and literature with new tools drawn from the study of memory, myth and national identity. They will also deepen their sensitivity to "collective memory" and "collective forgetting" and how each strengthens and structures power dynamics on a social level, considering how the "politics of collective memory" holds consequences for both dominant and minority groups in a culture or nation-state. Turning to museums as a key site of memory making, we will explore how the popular representation of objects contributes to our interpretation of and nostalgia for the past. Finally, we will study the creation and meaning of contemporary memorials and monuments, like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. Fall quarter we will look at specific moments and memories of the 20 century, exploring the shaping and reshaping of national memory in post-WW II Germany and France; the silencing of memories of state violence in late twentieth century Indonesia, Cambodia, and Vietnam; French and Algerian recollections of the colonization of North Africa and the Algerian war of independence in the 1950s; and myths of memory in the contemporary United States. Also in the fall, there will be attention to relevent literary texts, to the ways in which poets shape memory through their art, and to the interdisciplinary exchange between history and poetics. Winter quarter we will consider the theoretical and methodological tools drawn from the study of memory, myth and national identity to prepare students for their own independent research inquiries. From mid-winter to mid-spring quarters, students will embark on original historical fieldwork, conducting archival research, oral history or museum studies locally, nationally or abroad. During the second half of spring quarter, students will revise and present a substantial research paper on their findings. In addition, each student will design and construct a three-dimensional model of a memorial that shows something significant about memory from their research studies. We will develop our understanding of memory through lectures, workshops, films, and a series of guest speakers. Students should expect to engage in weekly critical book seminars, regular writing assignments, independent and collaborative work, and regular program discussion. During the course of the program, students will also take field trips to museums, memorial sites, monuments and archives, touching memory through a wide range of experiences. social sciences and humanities, including history, anthropology, urban planning, politics, writing and museum studies. Eric Stein Stacey Davis Leonard Schwartz Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
Student Originated Studies: Center for Community-Based Learning and Action

Therese Saliba

African American studies Native American studies anthropology communications community studies cultural studies economics education environmental studies gender and women's studies history international studies law and government policy law and public policy leadership studies media studies outdoor leadership and education queer studies sociology sustainability studies 

Signature Required: Spring 

  SOS FR - SRFreshmen - Senior 16 16 Day SSpring community or youth organizing; community development; economic, racial, and gender justice; education; immigrant rights; international solidarity and International Studies; popular education; public policy; sociology; and queer studies.   Therese Saliba Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Spring
Student Originated Studies: Community Based Learning, Practice and Theory

Peter Bohmer

African American studies American studies anthropology community studies cultural studies economics education gender and women's studies government health history international studies law and government policy law and public policy leadership studies media studies political science sociology 

Signature Required: Fall 

  SOS SO - SRSophomore - Senior 16 16 Day FFall This is an opportunity for serious, responsible and self-motivated students to create their own courses of study and research which should include working with the broader community. Prior to the beginning of the quarter, interested students or student groups need to consult with the faculty about their proposed projects. The faculty sponsor will support student research, learning and practice in a cluster of areas linking economic justice and global justice with local, national and global social movements. There will be especially strong support for students developing projects that are connected to local communities, groups and organizations. Although students will register for this program, you will be primarily doing independent study and/or an internship. I will host this Student Originated Studies (SOS) through Evergreen's Center for Community Base Learning and Action (CCBLA). The CCBLA will serve as the center and support for this study-for learning about, engaging with and contributing to community life in the region. Students, through individual or group projects, will be able to link with social movements, non-profits, community groups, and economic and social justice organizations that focus on the issues listed above. I have substantial knowledge of and experience with local organizations, and experience working with students across the curriculum who are interested in learning through community based research, learning and activism. So does the CCBLA! We will meet weekly, either as the entire group or as subgroups interning at similar organizations or studying similar issues. At these meetings, there will be relevant presentations and workshops as well as time for problem-solving and sharing learning and experiences. During week 10, each student will make a presentation to the entire group on what he or she havs learned. anarchism, anti-poverty, anti-racism, anti-war, building social movements, community or youth organizing, community development, economic justice, education, healthcare, homelessness and affordable housing, immigrant rights, international solidarity, labor, Latin American studies and solidarity, law, Marxism, political economy, popular economics, popular education, public policy, sociology, and unemployment. Peter Bohmer Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR Fall
Sustainability from the Inside Out

Cynthia Kennedy and Karen Gaul

anthropology consciousness studies leadership studies sustainability studies writing 

  Program FR ONLYFreshmen Only 16 16 Day FFall WWinter SSpring Many of us want to effect positive change in today’s world. We want to make good personal choices and we want to connect with others in communities of action regionally and even globally. This year-long program will help us explore the challenges inherent in pursuing sustainable living in today’s world and offer concrete tools to move toward a positive global future. Based on the idea that effective community action stems from careful self-reflection, the program will focus on a simultaneous journey inward as well as outward. Sustainability as we understand it today is embedded in the belief systems and practices of many traditional societies. Our work will be guided primarily by one such system: the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. This ancient philosophical system is still profoundly relevant today. The Sutras teach that, with practice, we can transform ourselves. We will explore this philosophical system and its code of conduct in-depth, investigating personal, societal, political, environmental and global themes of sustainability. We will consider ways to make sustainable choices through a regular inquiry of our assumptions about ourselves and the world with an eye towards the creation of a sustainable society. We will develop our understanding of sustainability through lectures, disciplinary workshops, films and a series of guest speakers. Students will engage in weekly critical book seminars, regular writing assignments, in-depth research and writing projects, independent and collaborative work, and regular program discussion. In addition, much of the work will be highly experiential, using radical personal accountability and a rigorous examination of the habits of the mind to explore the body as a micro-organism of the outer natural world. Practice, an important concept in many spiritual traditions around the world, is a central theme in the program. Weekly yoga and awareness classes, workshops, self-reflective writing and other expressive arts practices will provide opportunities for students to examine their own habitual patterns of behavior and develop insight into new ways of being. No experience in yoga is necessary. Students will also engage in regular, extensive community service. In fall quarter, students will be introduced to basic concepts in sustainability and personal leadership. We will examine and experiment with personal practices in the areas of food, consumption and spending. Students will begin to generate ideas for projects that integrate sustainability issues. In winter quarter, we will focus on themes of transportation and energy use in the context of climate change, examining local community responses, and continue work on research projects. In spring quarter, we will examine case studies on successful sustainability initiatives in a variety of cultures around the world. Students will have the chance to work globally or locally applying what they have learned to a project of their choice. These projects could include research, field studies, or extensive community service locally or abroad. awareness, education,  leadership, management, sustainability studies, yoga philosophy and practice, and writing. Cynthia Kennedy Karen Gaul Freshmen FR Fall