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Reading Analysis Guide through 5/5/07 Prof. Daniel M. Varisco Office: 200E Davison (516) 463-5590 |
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[Last Update 3/22/09]
Guidelines:
Each student is responsible for taking notes on the assigned readings according to the RAG questions posted here. The RAG serves both as a guide for class discussion, including the raising of questions about the readings, and study guide for the midterm and final. You may write your responses on the computer, by hand or on note cards. It is probably easiest to simply copy the content below into a Word format. You must hand your RAG in at both the midterm and the final for credit.
The grading criteria for each RAG are as follows: 2 points (impressive) 1 point (adequate)
a. Comprehensive responses to most questions (more than phrase or simple gist)
b. Recognizes key issues involved
c. Raises specific questions about what is read
d. Provides personal views and opinions (you will not be graded on what you say, but you must make an effort to state how the course material affects your understanding of the material
e. Awareness of anthropological approaches and methods
f. Overall level of effort and engagement with material.
Consider the questions and issues and take notes that will be helpful to you both for class discussion and as a study guide for each exam. You can note relevant pages numbers where other information is useful. Use this as an opportunity to raise further questions you have about the reading or problems with what you do read. Some responses will be brief, but others should engage the issue. It is important from time to time to jot down questions you have or note things you do not understand. There is no required length, but I give a sample below. You may bring your RAG at any time to discuss it with the professor in his office.
3/24 Lepowski, Preface (pp. vii-xviii, chaps. 1-2 (pp. 1-80)
Note: In her preface Lepowsky lays out her main argument about gender equality and all the points she raises will be treated in detail in the ethnography. Look at the map on p. xix to get a sense where the island is located. Note that the island she studied is about half the size of Long Island and only had 2,000 inhabitants (4 times as many as there are undergrads at Hofstra!).
• How many language groups are there on New Guinea and the surrounding islands off its shores? (p. vii) Why do you think there are so many languages in one (until recently) isolated place? Note the number of dialects on the island of Vanatinai alone (p. 49)
• Why did Lepowsky decide on Vanatinai as a field site? (pp. x-xi)
• Lepowsky says on p. xiii "I make no claim of presenting an objective reality." How might this admission influence your reading of the book and acceptance of her argument about gender?
• What surprises you most about the reception of Maria by the local women and children on her first arrival? (p. 6)
• Why did Maria say the local women "presented an extraordinary sight to my Western eyes." (p. 11). To learn more about "betel nut chewing" click here (http://www.betelbox.com/whats_a_betelnut.htm_) and here (http://www.lasieexotique.com/mag_betel.html)
• Why did "Tugu" say "yes" to Maria's question, even though it was not true? (p. 16) How as an anthropologist would you be able to judge a response like this? Compare her response to the issue raised on p. 21 about fear of questions.
• Read the account on pp. 24-25 about who some of the older islanders suspected Maria "really" was. Why do you think they felt that and what would your response have been?
• Of the three views on "male dominance" (Ortner, Rosaldo/Atkinson and Sanday on p. 32), which is the least persuasive to you and why? Think about what we have learned in Shlain.
• On pp. 38-41 Maria discusses several ways in which women and men can be seen as relatively egalitarian. What are these specific ways -- a list will do -- and which to you is the most important?
• From the reading on pp. 45-46 what do you think is the importance of a "matrilineal clan" on Vanatinai?
• What role did women play in warfare in the past on Vanatinai? (p. 62)
• How has the recent political system (since independence of Papua New Guinea) impacted gender relations on Vanatinai? (pp. 75-76)
• What is the social function of the "gia" in Vanatinai? (p. 78-79)
3/26 Lepowski, chap. 3 (pp. 81-124)
• How does the narrative account of the childbirth on pp. 81-82 help you better understand the event (as opposed to mere description of the event)?
• Lepowsky was told that conception can only occur through repeated acts of sex with the same man and that sleeping with several men acts as a contraceptive. (p. 85) She then reports few teen-aged mothers although teenagers engage in sex. How do you make sense of this?
• Why are female babies preferred by women and men in Vanatinia? (pp. 86-87)
• A number of food taboos on new mothers are mentioned on pp. 88-89. Pick one of these and explain what you see as the rationale for such a taboo? (Note: it may be a magical reason rather than logicval in a modern sense).
• How is menstruation regarded on Vanatinai? (pp. 100-101)
• What do you think is the social function of the "buwa" ceremony? (pp. 103-104)
• What makes someone "married" on Vanatinai? (p. 107)
• Lepowsky says she heard of not cases of rape and that wife beating was very rare on the island? (p. 110) Based on her description of gender roles, what do you think contributes to this lack?
• Lepowsky says that an individual who is married may not speak the name of an in-law (i.e. affine)? What do you think the purpose of this custom is?
• What can women on Vanatinai hunt and how does this differ from what men do? (p. 114)
• Why must older people be treated with respect? (p. 120)
3/26 Nanda, ch. 4 (pp. 57-70)
• What does Nanda say are the two most important gender norms in Polynesian societies? (p. 58) Do you see evidence for this for both Samoa and Vanatinai?
• How did Western missionaries and other Europeans first categorize the gender diverse individuals encountered in Polynesian societies? (p. 62) Look at the two quotes on this page. Why do you think this was the reaction of the Europeans?
• Why do ethnographers say that Polynesian liminal genders (like the Hawaiian "mahu") are not the same as Western "homosexuals"? (p. 65)
• Why do you think gender noncomformists in Polynesia do not have sex with each other but only with males (even if mainly playing the female role)? (p. 66
• What social function might the role of the "fa'afafine" in Samoa play in a society that otherwise has rules of rank and decorum? (p. 69)
• Read the section on p. 70 about the concept of the person. Do you agree with the contrast made by Nanda between American and Polynesian concepts of the person? Which concept do you actually prefer and why?
3/31 Lepowski, chaps. 4-5 (pp. 125-205)
• What role does the old woman play in the snake myth discussed on pp. 125-126?
• If you heard the creation story of "Alagh" (p. 129) from an informant, would you be suspicious that it is not an original myth? Also look at another variant about Alagh on p. 133. Why or why not?
• What role do ancestor spirits play for people of Vanatinai? (pp. 134-135)
• In what way does Lepowsky think Ortner's distinction of male/culture as female-nature dichotomy does not work for Vanatinai? (pp. 142-143 and 149-150)
• Based on Leposwky's discussion on p. 145, do you think that it is credible to argue, as Freud did, that the snake is a phallic symbol universally?
• Lepowsky says that the relations between economic or trade exchange partners is explicitly linked to the ideal of relations between lovers (p. 156). What do you think she means by this?
• On pp. 157-159 Lepowsky describes a type of garden magic for the growing of yams, the chief crop of the island. What social function do you think such magic plays? In other words, why do you think people feel a need to use magic for growing yams?
• How do anthropologists distinguish "sorcery" from "witchcraft"? (pp. 171-172)
• Who tends to be regarded as a sorcerer in a Vanatinai hamlet? (pp. 175-176)
• What are said to be the motivations for female witches to attack others? (p. 194)
• What does Lepowsky see as an important effect (or impact) of local witchcraft and sorcery beliefs? (pp. 198, 201)
• As Lepowsky notes, the idea of women as witches subverts the normal symbolism of women as life givers and men as life takers (p. 204). What do you think is going on here?
4/2 Lepowski, chap. 8 (pp. 281-306)
• What are the aspects of "personal autonomy," on Vanatinai, as discussed by Lepowsky? (pp. 281-282) Which of these make sense to you and which would you not want to apply in your own life?
• What does the concept of "the myth of male dominance" mean? (p. 285) Note why Susan Rogers coined the term based on her ethnographic research in France.
• In what sense are menstrual taboos on Vanitinai suggestive of female power rather than being seen as a curse? (pp. 288-289)
• Lepowski argues that the initial pacification through colonialization did not have a negative impact on women, but that overall the impact on women's authority "has probably been negative" (p. 293). What does she think has made it negative?
• Lepowsky argues that matrilineal descent does not guarantee a sexually egalitarian society (p. 296). What specific factors do not foster an egalitarian situation, as can be seen for other parts of New Guinea?
• How does the fact that Vanitinia is small-scale with easy mobility contribute to an "ethic of respect"? (p. 300)
• Lepowsky asks (p. 305): "What can people in other parts of the world learn from the principles of sexual equality in Vanitinai custom and philosophy?" Based on what you have read and her points, pick two main things you think we can learn and probe how they might be integrated into our society. Do not just list an ideal, but think about how to make it practical in our own society.
4/23 Shlain, chaps 16-17 (pp. 227-258)
• What is the original sense of “homo” in Greek in the term “homosexual"? (p. 230)
• What is going on in the diagram of anima and animus on p. 234? If you do not understand Shlain’s argument, ask questions about it.
• According to Shlain, “Young males are far more confused about their sexual identity than are young females.” Do you agree or disagree and why?
• What is “lesbian bed death,” as defined by Meredith Small and how is this said by Shlain to differ from sexual interests of gay men? (p. 237)
• What does E. O. Wilson propose as a selective advantage (in Darwinian terms) of gays in a population? What do you think of the argument?
• Shlain suggests his “theory of eights” to account for the presence of ESSP (know what he means by this) in humans. In this he relates 4 factors (p. 242, and expanded on pp. 242-253). Pick one of these four factors and assess his argument for this. Do you agree or not? What questions do you have? Take some time on this.
• What is a “spandrel”? (p. 253) If you are not sure, look it up in a dictionary of put “Define:spandrel” into Google.
• On p. 254 Shlain states: “Lesbians are also in a better position to make notable contributions to culture.” What do you think he means and do you agree or not?
• What is the classic Greek origin of the idea of a “hermaphrodite”? (p. 255)
• Do you agree with Tiresias, who said that females have 9 parts pleasure to a male’s one part? (p. 255) Why do you think Tiresias said this? What else do you need to know about the myth?
4/23 Nanda, Introduction (pp. 1-9), ch. 7 (pp. 101-106)
• According to Nanda, the concept of gender has been useful in social science for countering biological determinism, but there is also a problem. What is this problem? (p.2)
• What do you think Nanda means (p. 6) by saying that prostitution is more culturally than “selling the body” for money?
• Nanda, like Shlain, suggests that gender variance is more common among males and females, but she also (p. 7) suggests several ways in which this idea may be biased. What are these ways? Do you think that males are more likely to challenge their gender roles and become “like women” than females want to become “like men”? Why
• Note: ch. 7 is a sum of Nanda’s book. Read it mainly to get the broad points; we will focus on the specific cases in the next class.
• What is “intersexuality”? (p. 102; see glossary on p. 107) Have you ever seen someone with this?
4/28 Nanda, ch. 1-3 (pp. 11-56), ch. 6 (pp. 87-100)
• What is the problem with using the term “berdache” to describe gender diverse males in the Americas? (p. 11)
• Nanda refers to gender variants in North American Indian tribes by saying: “Through their diverse occupations, then, gender variants were often central rather than marginal in their societies.” (p. 16) Provide an example that she mentions to illustrate this.
• Why do you think a Navajo nadleeh could not have sex with a nadleeh of the same sex? (p. 17) How does this force us to rethink the Western concept of “homosexuality” and the assumptions we have about this?
• Within Mohave society how was the gender variant of “alyha” recognized and legitimized? (pp. 21-22)
• In Hindu cosmology why must women be controlled by men? (pp. 27-28)
• Why do “hijra” males in India get emasculated (lose their male organs)? (p. 33) How does this relate to Hindu cosmology about sex and asceticism explained before this page.
• Why is there no caste distinction (so common in Hindu society) among hijras? (pp. 38-39)
• Why do you think the female gender variant of “sadhin” among the Gaddis in India remain celibate in terms of Hindu cosmology? (pp. 40-41)
• What is the basis of Brazilian gender ideology? (p. 44) Why is this not the same as simply based on the genitals?
• Why is a male who has sex with a travest, bicha or viado not considered a “homosexual,” nor sacrifice his masculinity in Brazil? (p. 45-46)
• Why do travesties in Brazil not want to get rid of their penises? (p. 47)
• What is the functional explanation for “effeminate pasivos” becoming associated with Candomble religion in Brazil? (pp. 52-54)
• What is the difference between a “molly” and a “sapphist” in 18th century Europe? (pp. 88-89)
• How were homosexuals “doubly stigmatized” in Western society? (p. 90)
• Who is St. Wilgefortis and why she is the saint of women who want to get rid of their husbands? (p. 91)
• How do you distinguish a transsexual from a transgender person? (pp. 94-99) Do you think this is a useful distinction in terms?
4/30 Benson (2000) on Blackboard (benson.pdf)
• What is the "profound paradox" noted by Benson on p. 235. What makes this a paradox?
• When and how did tattoing being among Europeans? (p. 238)
• In what sense can a tattoo or piercing be seen as reconnecting with the "authentic"? (pp. 242-243)
• Do you agree with the following statement: "The guy with a $10,000 tattoo and a few thousand dollars worth of jewelery is no different than the guy in the Italian designer suit wearing a Rolex." (p. 244)
• Do you agree with Vyvyn Lazonga that getting pierced and tattooed develops a person's awareness of memory? (p. 246)
• What is the difference between self mutilation and body modification? (p. 249)
• What is the fear of the tattoo about? (p. 251)
• What do you think Benson means by saying we do not own our bodies, they own us? (p. 253)
5/5 Shlain, ch. 24 (pp. 351-365 and epilogue, pp. 367-370)
[Note: This is our last day. For this day you need to think up 4 questions (create questions that make you think!) and provide your comments to each of these. We will use these as the basis for our class discussion.]
