ADVANCED READINGS IN ANTHROPOLOGY*

概要

The “state” and its institutions seem to be everywhere in our lives. We often come across descriptions that associate a group of people with nation-state (e.g., “They are very American”). We complain about our latest visits to a government office. Some of us have more visceral memories of our encounters with state agents such as the police or border officials. We see social media accounts blowing up because a celebrity or a popular film has “misrepresented” where state borders lie. It seems nearly impossible to imagine our lives without the state and its institutions; they have a ubiquitous, normative, and naturalized presence even among the pettiest details of our ordinary lives. At the same time, institutions like state, border, bureaucracy, and law are abstract concepts that cannot be easily pinned down to specific geographical sites, individuals, or historical moments. If we are to res these institutions, where should we go find them? What are they? How do they manifest or remain more (or less) visible in our everyday lives? How do these large and abstract institutions shape our sense of identity and belonging? In this seminar, we will examine how the state and its institutions mediate our everyday lives. We will delve into ethnographic work, political theory, news articles, and films to identify some of the key theoretical and methodological challenges in addressing nebulous concepts such as the state, border, bureaucracy, and citizenship. Class discussions, group activities, and assignments are designed to help equip ourselves with effective analytical toolkits to articulate their curiosity and raise critical questions. In particular, we will focus on exploring the conditions of possibility that give rise to the contemporary notion of the state, border, and bureaucracy. Below are some big questions that will be raised throughout the seminar: * What are the historical conditions, conceptual and discursive toolkits, institutional apparatuses, and technological infrastructure that enable the seemingly hegemonic presence of the state and its institutions in the contemporary world? * What kind of ideas and practices do the concept of state and border produce and naturalize? For example, what does border politics reproduce and reinforce certain ideas of identity, belonging, citizenship, mobility, violence, or the racialized Others? * How do the state and its institutions legitimize its exceptional authority and legitimacy over violence? * How can we examine the state and its border politics without reproducing some of their ideological claims? Can we decolonize knowledge about the state, and if it is possible, how? * What do the changing global conditions such as technological development, migration crisis, population decline, war, and climate change reveal about our understanding of the state, border, and citizenship? Please note that this course is primarily designed for advanced undergraduate students who have taken anthropology, sociology, history, or other related fields in humanistic social sciences.

目標

By the end of the seminar, students are expected to: 1) Familiarize with key theoretical and methodological approaches in anthropological research on the state, border, and bureaucracy; 2) Develop conceptual and theoretical toolkits to investigate, analyze, and engage with pressing social and political concerns such as migration crises, police violence, and border issues around the world; 3) Strengthen research skills by learning how to work with diverse materials, including direct observation, documents, media reports, and audiovisual material, with an awareness of the stakes and process of mediated knowledge production; 4) Enhance academic reading and writing skills; and 5) Communicate their ideas and knowledge effectively to different audiences.

授業外の学習

Review previous class (20 min per class) Prepare for the next class, which may include reading, writing a short response, and/or preparing for presentation (140 min per class; will fluctuate based on the course schedule) Work on the final project, which may include conducting individual research, writing the final paper, group meeting, and/or preparing for presentation (30 min per class; the amount of work obviously will increase toward the latter part of the semester)

所要時間: 190 minutes per class