Comments on: Four-Fields Again: Finding a Way to Make it Work http://savageminds.org/2006/02/19/393/ Notes and Queries in Anthropology — A Group Blog Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:53:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: farther along… http://savageminds.org/2006/02/19/393/comment-page-1/#comment-4724 farther along… Mon, 03 Apr 2006 15:59:30 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2006/02/19/393/#comment-4724 [...] Nancy over at Savage Minds has followed up on an earlier post regarding her frustration with the four-field approach to "Introduction to Anthropology" courses (see my post on "Must I Side With or Against My Section?" for a bit about tensions between our subdisciplines). [...] [...] Nancy over at Savage Minds has followed up on an earlier post regarding her frustration with the four-field approach to "Introduction to Anthropology" courses (see my post on "Must I Side With or Against My Section?" for a bit about tensions between our subdisciplines). [...]

]]> By: Kathy http://savageminds.org/2006/02/19/393/comment-page-1/#comment-3975 Kathy Sun, 05 Mar 2006 05:31:12 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2006/02/19/393/#comment-3975 I'm currently teaching a 4 fields course using Michael Alan Park's, Introducing Anthropology, McGraw-Hill. It's going pretty well, and it's nice to have textbook chapters to assign to prepare students for the mad gallop through all the topics one needs to cover. Park's approach is similar to Nancy's, when he can--bringing the four fields to bear on a topic. I've used Robbins successfully in the past, but not for 4-fields. His globalization book is very good, too. I’m currently teaching a 4 fields course using Michael Alan Park’s, Introducing Anthropology, McGraw-Hill. It’s going pretty well, and it’s nice to have textbook chapters to assign to prepare students for the mad gallop through all the topics one needs to cover. Park’s approach is similar to Nancy’s, when he can–bringing the four fields to bear on a topic.

I’ve used Robbins successfully in the past, but not for 4-fields. His globalization book is very good, too.

]]> By: Nancy http://savageminds.org/2006/02/19/393/comment-page-1/#comment-3948 Nancy Sat, 04 Mar 2006 04:38:26 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2006/02/19/393/#comment-3948 Thanks Kate. I have a desk copy of it and actually like it quite a bit. For some reason, we ruled it out . . .it might have been a cost thing. But I certainly like the approach of the text. Thanks Kate. I have a desk copy of it and actually like it quite a bit. For some reason, we ruled it out . . .it might have been a cost thing. But I certainly like the approach of the text.

]]> By: Kate Gillogly http://savageminds.org/2006/02/19/393/comment-page-1/#comment-3940 Kate Gillogly Fri, 03 Mar 2006 16:49:55 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2006/02/19/393/#comment-3940 I found Cultural Anthropology - A Problem-Based Approach by Richard Robbins useful for a topic-based approach. This is published by Thomson-Wadsworth (http://www.wadsworth.com/) ISBN: 0534640745. The topic list is: 1. Culture and Meaning. 2. The Meaning of Progress. 3. The Construction of the Nation-State. 4. The Social and Cultural Construction of Reality. 5. Patterns of Family Relations. 6. The Cultural Construction of Identity. 7. The Cultural Construction of Social Hierarchy. 8. The Cultural Construction of Violent Conflict. Students seem to enjoy this approach. My students at an arts and media college (no anthro majors!) greatly enjoyed the discussions of the nation-state and violent conflict. They did say that the transition from the nation-state to the social and cultural construction of reality was difficult -- like jumping off a cliff, one student said. However, this text has nothing on evolution, physical anthropology, or archaeology, so you'd be left using handouts, web sites, or another text for that material. On the other hand, you're doing that anyhow. I found Cultural Anthropology – A Problem-Based Approach by Richard Robbins useful for a topic-based approach. This is published by Thomson-Wadsworth (http://www.wadsworth.com/) ISBN: 0534640745.

The topic list is:
1. Culture and Meaning.
2. The Meaning of Progress.
3. The Construction of the Nation-State.
4. The Social and Cultural Construction of Reality.
5. Patterns of Family Relations.
6. The Cultural Construction of Identity.
7. The Cultural Construction of Social Hierarchy.
8. The Cultural Construction of Violent Conflict.

Students seem to enjoy this approach. My students at an arts and media college (no anthro majors!) greatly enjoyed the discussions of the nation-state and violent conflict. They did say that the transition from the nation-state to the social and cultural construction of reality was difficult — like jumping off a cliff, one student said.

However, this text has nothing on evolution, physical anthropology, or archaeology, so you’d be left using handouts, web sites, or another text for that material. On the other hand, you’re doing that anyhow.

]]> By: maia http://savageminds.org/2006/02/19/393/comment-page-1/#comment-3672 maia Tue, 21 Feb 2006 18:29:26 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2006/02/19/393/#comment-3672 This course sounds great and really exciting for the students. Its great to try new things, especially before you have had time to become entrenched into what seem to be the accepted ways of doing tbings. If the class `gets it', its working. This course sounds great and really exciting for the students. Its great to try new things, especially before you have had time to become entrenched into what seem to be the accepted ways of doing tbings. If the class `gets it’, its working.

]]> By: Nancy http://savageminds.org/2006/02/19/393/comment-page-1/#comment-3665 Nancy Mon, 20 Feb 2006 23:43:09 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2006/02/19/393/#comment-3665 We use a custom edition of Ember, Ember and Peregrine in which we hand picked our chapters. We had all agreed that we could cover human evolution with the help of hand-outs and links to web sites (such as Palomar's tuturial page) so in that sense, it has worked out. If I had to pick a textbook "as is", I might go with an intro to cultural anth and supplement with hand-outs and articles. I'd have to hunt around. We use a custom edition of Ember, Ember and Peregrine in which we hand picked our chapters. We had all agreed that we could cover human evolution with the help of hand-outs and links to web sites (such as Palomar’s tuturial page) so in that sense, it has worked out.

If I had to pick a textbook “as is”, I might go with an intro to cultural anth and supplement with hand-outs and articles. I’d have to hunt around.

]]> By: Tad http://savageminds.org/2006/02/19/393/comment-page-1/#comment-3650 Tad Mon, 20 Feb 2006 03:28:37 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2006/02/19/393/#comment-3650 Nancy ... neat stuff and thanks for sharing. The class sounds great and extremely useful for conveying a holistic picture of what anthropology is. How are you managing a textbook? Or are you? Do you have any recommendations in the area of readings or course materials for a course designed like that? Nancy … neat stuff and thanks for sharing. The class sounds great and extremely useful for conveying a holistic picture of what anthropology is. How are you managing a textbook? Or are you? Do you have any recommendations in the area of readings or course materials for a course designed like that?

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