John W. Traphagan

This course focuses on how Japanese religious traditions, particularly Zen, have been viewed from the perspective of people living in non-Japanese societies since the end of World War II. Using Ruth Benedict’s book The Chrysanthemum and the Sword as a starting point, we will explore different ways in which non-Japanese have imagined Japanese religious and ethical ideas and both explained Japanese behavior and adopted (often stereotyped) ideas about Japan into their writings about philosophy and life. We will discuss and deconstruct works by authors such as Alan Watts, Eugene Herrigel (Zen in the Art of Archery), and Robert Pirsig (Zen in the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance) as a framework for thinking about how Japanese religious and ethical ideas have been imagined in the West.

Health-care professionals, bio-medical researchers, patients, and families in all societies are increasingly faced with ethical issues that arise because of new medical technologies and because of alternative approaches to health and illness. This course focuses on ethical questions such as allocation of medical resources, stem cell research and cloning, organ transplantation, abortion, human experimentation, prolonging life and the right to die, suicide, euthanasia, and the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses such as Alzheimer disease, AIDS, and mental disorders.

This course explores these topics from a global perspective, emphasizing how cultural values and ethical systems define moral issues and inform decision-making about medical care. We will consider ethical theories that have been used in the West to consider medical practice, and compare these with approaches in non-Western cultures such as Japan and India. The course emphasizes the use of case studies to explore issues in medical ethics and to develop the ability to apply ethical theories in ways sensitive to variations in cultural values. 

Students in this course engage in discussion and debate about difficult moral issues and it is likely that members of the class will have different, and sometimes profoundly conflicting, ideas about what is right and wrong. You should feel free to express and support your position; this is an important component of the class.

Please check back for updates.

R S 383T  Ritual in Theory and Practice

This graduate seminar examines the role of ritual and ritual-like phenomena in religion and other forms of human social organization from a cross-cultural perspective.  We will consider several of the classic works in the study of ritual, such as Victor Turner’s The Ritual Process and Catherine Bell’s Ritual Theory, Ritual Practice.  We will explore theoretical frameworks that look at ritual from functional, structural, process, ecological, and drama/theater perspectives (among others) as well as studies that look at ritual in terms of health and healing.  In addition to theoretical works, we will look at specific examples of ritual practice, such as Rappaport’s Pigs for the Ancestors, Weigel and Lev’s Roman Pilgrimage: The Station Churches, Alan Klima’s the funeral Casino: Meditation, Massacre, and Exchange with the Dead in Thailand, and Howard Bad Hand’s Native American Healing – A Lakota Ritual.  Specific case-study readings will vary in relation to the students taking the class. 

Grading

Class Participation, 25%

Reaction papers, 50%

Long paper 25%

Health-care professionals, bio-medical researchers, patients, and families in all societies are increasingly faced with ethical issues that arise because of new medical technologies and because of alternative approaches to health and illness. This course focuses on ethical questions such as allocation of medical resources, stem cell research and cloning, organ transplantation, abortion, human experimentation, prolonging life and the right to die, suicide, euthanasia, and the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses such as Alzheimer disease, AIDS, and mental disorders.

This course explores these topics from a global perspective, emphasizing how cultural values and ethical systems define moral issues and inform decision-making about medical care. We will consider ethical theories that have been used in the West to consider medical practice, and compare these with approaches in non-Western cultures such as Japan and India. The course emphasizes the use of case studies to explore issues in medical ethics and to develop the ability to apply ethical theories in ways sensitive to variations in cultural values. 

Students in this course engage in discussion and debate about difficult moral issues and it is likely that members of the class will have different, and sometimes profoundly conflicting, ideas about what is right and wrong. You should feel free to express and support your position; this is an important component of the class. 

Description:

This graduate seminar explores conceptualizations of health and illness as they relate to religious ideas as expressed in different cultural contexts.  What does it mean to be healthy or ill?  How do different epistemologies influence epidemiology?  In what ways to people use various conceptual frameworks for thinking about healing to attain or re-attain health?  How do people describe the experience of illness and health?   And how do questions of these intersect with biomedical understandings of the body, health, and illness?  We will focus on critical readings of ethnographic studies focused on religion, health, and illness and will devote a considerable amount of attention to the uses of ritual as a method of dealing with illness. 

Texts:

• Boddy, Janice.  1989. Wombs and Alien Spirits: Women, Men, and the Zar Cult in Northern Sudan.  University of Wisconsin Press.  
• Ohnuki-Tierney.  1984. Illness and Culture in Contemporary Japan: An Anthropological View.  Cambridge University Press.  
• Ozawa-de Silva, Chikako.  2006. Psychotherapy and Religion in Japan: The Japanese Introspection Practice of Naikan.  Routledge.
• Drozdow-St. Christian, Douglass.  2006.  Elusive Fragments: Making Power, Propriety & Health in Samoa.  Carolina Academic Press.  
• Strathern, Andrew and Pamela Stewart.  2010. Curing and Healing: Medical Anthropology in Global Perspective.  Carolina Academic Press.  
• Leslie, Charles andAllen Young.  1992. Paths to Asian Medical Knowledge.  University of California Press.  

Grading:

• Five 2-page response papers: 50%
• Term paper:  50%

Description:

This course focuses on how Japanese religious traditions, particularly Zen, have been viewed from the perspective of people living in non-Japanese societies since the end of World War II. Using Ruth Benedict’s book The Chrysanthemum and the Sword as a starting point, we will explore different ways in which non-Japanese have imagined Japanese religious and ethical ideas and both explained Japanese behavior and adopted (often stereotyped) ideas about Japan into their writings about philosophy and life.

Texts:

We will discuss and deconstruct works by authors such as Alan Watts, Eugene Herrigel, (Zen in the Art of Archery), and Robert Pirsig (Zen in the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance) as a framework for thinking about how Japanese religious and ethical ideas have been imagined in the West.

Requirements:

• Weekly reading reaction papers, 30%
• Final, take home exam, 40%
• Group project, 30% 

In this course, we will endeavor to navigate some of the extensive anthropological literature that has been written on Japanese conceptualizations of self and body and explore how these concepts intersect with ideas about religion and morality.  The "self" has been one of the central themes in ethnographic writing about Japan since Ruth Benedict's work The Chrysanthemum and the Sword was published in the 1940's.  We will consider how Japanese educational approaches contribute to the formation of paritcular forms of behavior; how selves change over the life course; Japanese conceptualizations of the body and person; and how Japanese ideas about self and body are expressed in medical practices.  The course is discussion-based and will incorporate films in addition to ethnographic writings.  Grading will be based upon five response papers and mid-term take-home and final take-home exams.

Assignments:

• Midpterm exam: 20%
• Final exam: 30%
• Five 2-page response papers: 50%

Humans have long wondered whether or not we are alone in the universe.  Are there other civilizations?  If so, how are they similar or different from ours? Or are humans virtually alone in the universe, as has been proposed in the rare Earth hypothesis.  This course explores the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) and its relationship to both culture and religion.  One central question we will consider is whether SETI is a producet of particular cultural and historical trends that have arisen in the US and that are evident through other cultural contsructs such as Star Trek.  Our exploration will consider important key idea such as the Drak Equation and the Incommensurability Problem and will look at meanings and motivations behind issues such as Percival Lowell's quest to prove the existence of canals on Mars and the cevelopment of Scientology.  Although to date there is no unequivocal evidence for the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI), contemplation of the scientific search for extraterrestrail intelligence, as well as ETI in the human imagination, provides an opportunity to contemplate humanity and ideas about its place in the universe as well as the ways in which culture shapes our concepts of alien others.

Grading:

• Mid-term take-home exam (30%)
• Internet research project (30%)
• Final take-home exam (40%)

Please check back for updates.

Sport has become a major feature of life in industrial and post-industrial worlds, as well as in many parts of the developing world. People attend games, follow their teams in newspapers and on television, pray for teams and players to succeed, bet on their teams in office pools or through betting agencies, and talk about sports constantly.  In this course we will consider sport in relation to a variety of questions that contextualize sport as it relates to ritual and religious practice.  We will consider questions such as: What constitutes a sport?  What is the relationship between sport and religion?  How are sport-related institutions different from or similar to religious institutions?  The course considers these questions and explores the meaning and nature of sport in cross-cultural perspective.

Texts

Bissinger, Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, and A Dream

Foer, How Soccer Explains the World

Price, Rounding the Bases: Baseball and Religion in America

Baker, Playing with God: Religion and Modern Sport

Grading   

Wikipedia Project (40%) 

Mid-Term Exam (20%)

Final Exam (20%)

FLAGS:   GC

Description

This course focuses on how Japanese religious traditions, particularly Zen, have been viewed from the perspective of people living in non-Japanese societies since the end of World War II.  Using Ruth Benedict’s book The Chrysanthemum and the Sword as a starting point, we will explore different ways in which non-Japanese have imagined Japanese religious and ethical ideas and both explained Japanese behavior and adopted (often stereotyped) ideas about Japan into their writings about philosophy and life.  We will discuss and deconstruct works by authors such as Alan Watts, Eugene Herrigel (Zen in the Art of Archery), and Roberg Pirsig (Zen in the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance) as a framework for thinking about how Japanese religious and ethical ideas have been imagined in the West. 

Grading

• Weekly reading reaction papers, 30%
• Final, take home exam, 40%
• Group project, 30%

Texts

We will discuss and deconstruct works by authors such as Alan Watts, Eugene Herrigel (Zen in the Art of Archery) and Robert Pirsig (Zen in the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance) as a framework for thinking about how Japanese religious and ethical ideas have been imagined in the West.

This seminar explores human bodies as products of both biology and culture and considers the relationship between body and society with an emphasis on the expression of that relationship in religious and medical contexts.  We will read  works that critique ideas of the body as natural and universal by examining ethnographic research focused on representations and perceptions of the body in religious and medical contexts as well as more philosophically oriented work on the relationship between mind and body.  We will also consider cultural processes of regulation and control of bodies in relation to structures and technologies of power.  The seminar draws on works from cultural anthropology, medical anthropology, and religious studies/philosophy.

Grading:

• Reading Presentations and Attendance: 40%
• Final Project: 60%

Humans have long wondered whether or not we are alone in the universe. Are there other civilizations? If so, how are they similar or different from ours? Or are humans virtually alone in the universe, as has been proposed in the rare Earth hypothesis. This course explores the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) and its relationship to both culture and religion. One central question we will consider is whether SETI is a product of particular cultural and historical trends that have arisen in the US and that are evident through other cultural constructs such as Star Trek. Our exploration will consider important key ideas such as the Drake Equation and the Incommensurability Problem and will look at meanings and motivations behind issues such as Percival Lowell’s quest to prove the existence of canals on Mars and the development of Scientology. Although to date there is no unequivocal evidence for the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI), contemplation of the scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence, as well as ETI in the human imagination, provides an opportunity to contemplate humanity and ideas about its place in the universe as well as the ways in which culture shapes our concepts of alien others.

Grading:

Mid-term take-home exam 30%Internet research project 30% Final take-home exam 40%

Texts:

Readings may include: Maria Lane’s Geographies of Mars: Seeing and Knowing the Red Planet Carl Sagan’s ContactSteven Dick’s Life on Other Worlds: The 20th Century Extraterrestrial Life Debate Joe Lewel’s The God Hypothesis: Extraterrestrial Life and its Implications for Science and Religion.

This course examines moral dilemmas that have been generated or intensified by recent advances in medical technology. We will explore ethical questions related to topics such as allocation of medical resources, stem cell research and cloning, organ transplantation, abortion, human experimentation, genetic screening, in vitro fertilization, pharmaceutical use and distribution, prolonging life and the right to die, suicide, euthanasia, and diagnosis and treatment of illnesses such as Alzheimer disease, AIDS, and mental disorders. These topics will be considered from a global perspective emphasizing how cultural values inform ethical decision-making and how different ethical/cultural systems address and define moral issues that arise in relation to medical care. We will consider ethical theories that have been used in the West to consider medical practice and compare these with approaches in non-Western cultures such as Japan. The course will emphasize use of case studies to explore issues in medical ethics and to develop the ability to apply ethical theories in ways sensitive to variations in cultural values.

Grading:

Midterm One      30%Midterm Two     30%Final                   40%

Texts:

Beauchamp, Tom L. and James F. Childress. Principles of Biomedical Ethics, 6th Edition. Oxford University Press.Martin, Emily.  The Woman in the Body.  Beacon Press.  Santorro, Michael A.  and Thomas M. Gorrie.  Ethics and the Pharmaceutical Industry.  Cambridge University Press.  Traphagan, John W.  Taming Oblivion: Aging Bodies and the Fear of Senility in Japan.  State University of New York Press.  Veatch, Robert M., Amy Haddad, Dan D. English.  Case Studies in Biomedical Ethics: Decision-Making, Principles, and Cases.  Oxford University Press.

More than any other social institution, the family represents the primary locus of religious activity for contemporary Japanese.  This course explores the structures of family, kinship relationships, and religion in Japan since the Meiji Restoration (1868) with a strong focus on the post-war era and examines how both religion and family have been used as concepts and institutions for the creation of national identity as well as the expression of individual identities.  Students will develop a strong understanding of contemporary Japanese religious ideas and rituals and their connections to kinship structures, with particular attention focused on how family and kinship structures and ideologies have changed in the post-war era.

This seminar introduces graduate students to the field by considering the history of theories and methods in the study of religion. We concentrate on three fundamental questions: 1) How have scholars defined “religion”?; 2) How have they studied it?; and 3) How have they narrated the field’s history? Focusing on the period between the 1870s and the 1970s, especially the decades before and after the turn of the twentieth century, we read “classic” texts and consider multiple approaches—anthropological, psychological, historical, phenomenological, geographical, and sociological. We also identify some lineages in the study of religion that have been obscured in most of the histories.  Considering more recent trajectories and issues in the study of religion since the 1970s, we end by looking at a few works on gender studies, cognitive science, spatial analysis, poststructuralism, and postcolonial theory. Along the way, we will read a wide range of interpreters, including works by David Hume, Herbert of Cherbury, Hannah Adams, Friedrich Schleiermacher, Ludwig Feuerbach, Karl Marx, F. Max Müller, Morris Jastrow, E. B. Tylor, James Frazer, William James, Sigmund Freud, Emil Durkheim, Max Weber, Rudolph Otto, G. Van der Leeuw, Mircea Eliade, Jonathan Z. Smith, Victor Turner, Clifford Geertz, Talal Asad, Timothy Fitzgerald, Russell McCutcheon, Ursula King, Karen McCarthy Brown, Harvey Whitehouse, Edward Said, David Chidester, and Richard King.

Texts

Eric J. Sharpe, Comparative Religion: A History (Chicago: Open Court, 1986); David Hume, The Natural History of Religion (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1956); William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience (New York: Penguin, 1982); Peter Gay, ed., The Freud Reader (New York: Norton, 1989); W. S. F. Pickering, ed., Durkheim on Religion  AAR Texts and Translations Series (Atlanta: Scholars Press; New York, 1994: distributed by Oxford University Press); Max Weber, The Sociology of Religion (Boston: Beacon, 1964; 1993). Mircea Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane (New York: Harvest, 1959); Victor Turner, The Ritual Process (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1969); Karen McCarthy Brown, Mama Lola, updated edition (Berkeley: University of California, 2001); Harvey Whitehouse, Modes of Religiosity: A Cognitive Theory of Religious Transmission (Walnut Creek: Altamira Press, 2004); Richard King, Orientalism and Religion: Postcolonial Theory, India, and ‘The Mystic East’ (London: Routledge, 1999); Thomas A. Tweed, Crossing and Dwelling: A Theory of Religion (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2006).

Recommended Text: Daniel Pals, Eight Theories of Religion, 2nd ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006). Pals is highly recommended. [Another volume that might help those who feel they need a bit more introduction to cultural theory is Philip Smith’s Cultural Theory: An Introduction (2001).]

Grading

Assessment will be based on the following: 1) ANALYSIS PAPERS (15% each): Three critical analysis papers (two to three pages each) that consider one of the assigned texts. One of these three papers must describe and assess one of the narrative histories of the field (See the list of narratives below). 2) CLASS ORIENTATION (10%): One 12-15 minute class presentation that introduces the other members of the seminar to the assigned readings for the day. 3) FIELD OR SUBFIELD PAPER (10%): One two to three-page analysis of how one of the assigned texts, or in some cases it could be a recommended text, has been used or criticized in your own discipline or area of specialization. 4) OVERVIEW (30%): One overview or analysis of the history of the study of religion (from three to five pages, or its equivalent). This can take any form that seems most helpful to you and suits your learning style. It could be an historical narrative, thematic analysis, diagram, chart, table, video, web page, data base, blog, chronology, or it could combine multiple forms of visual and verbal representation. 5) PARTICIPATION (5%): Regular attendance and informed participation in the seminar.

In this course, we will endeavor to navigate some of the extensive anthropological literature that has been written on Japanese conceptualizations of self and body and explore how these concepts intersect with ideas about religion and morality.  The "self" has been one of the central themes in ethnographic writing about Japan since Ruth Benedict's work The Chrysanthemum and the Sword was published in the 1940's.  We will consider how Japanese educational approaches contribute to the formation of paritcular forms of behavior; how selves change over the life course; Japanese conceptualizations of the body and person; and how Japanese ideas about self and body are expressed in medical practices.  The course is discussion-based and will incorporate films in addition to ethnographic writings.  Grading will be based upon five response papers and mid-term take-home and final take-home exams.

Assignments

Midpterm exam: 20%

Final exam: 30%

Five 2-page response papers: 50%

Humans have long wondered whether or not we are alone in the universe.  Are there other civilizations?  If so, how are they similar or different from ours? Or are humans virtually alone in the universe, as has been proposed in the rare Earth hypothesis.  This course explores the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) and its relationship to both culture and religion.  One central question we will consider is whether SETI is a producet of particular cultural and historical trends that have arisen in the US and that are evident through other cultural contsructs such as Star Trek.  Our exploration will consider important key idea such as the Drak Equation and the Incommensurability Problem and will look at meanings and motivations behind issues such as Percival Lowell's quest to prove the existence of canals on Mars and the cevelopment of Scientology.  Although to date there is no unequivocal evidence for the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI), contemplation of the scientific search for extraterrestrail intelligence, as well as ETI in the human imagination, provides an opportunity to contemplate humanity and ideas about its place in the universe as well as the ways in which culture shapes our concepts of alien others.

Grading:

Mid-term take-home exam 30%

Internet research project 30%

Final take-home exam 40%

Please check back for updates.

This graduate seminar introduces students to the use of qualitative research methods in the social sciences and humanities. Although the course is situated in Religious Studies, it will cover basic ethnographic research techniques and theoretical issues related to research methodology that are appropriate for any discipline or field.  The aim of the course is to give students a general understanding of a variety of research methodologies and to combine this with theoretical discussion and practical experience.  We will explore debates and discussions related to the nature of qualitative data and the value and applicability of particular approaches; the conditions under which specific methods of data collection and analysis are most appropriate; ethical questions in qualitative research; and research design and implementation. Following this general introduction, we will devote the remainder of the class to covering practical aspects of qualitative research, including: gathering data through interviews, focus groups, observation and archival research; strategies for recording, coding and analyzing qualitative data; and evaluating and presenting qualitative research. The course will provide students with a solid foundation for using qualitative methods for PhD and MA thesis research.

Grading:

Attendance and Participation (10%)Regular Thought Papers (10%)Human Subjects Training (10%)Field Exercises (30%)Research Proposal Project (40%)Research Abstract (5%)Draft Proposal (5%)Final Proposal (30%)

Texts:

Hennink, Monique, Inge Hutte, and Ajay Bailey.  2010.  Qualitative Research Methods.  Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.Emerson, Robert M., Rachel I. Fretz and Linda L. Shaw. 2011. Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. George, Alexander L. and Andrew Bennett. 2005. Case Studies and Theory Development in the Social Sciences. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Kvale, Steinar. 2008. Doing Interviews. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. Maxwell, Joseph A. 2005. Qualitative Research Design: An Interactive Approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Barbour, Rosline.  2008.  Doing Focus Groups.  Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. 

More than any other social institution, the family represents the primary locus of religious activity for contemporary Japanese.  This course explores the structures of family, kinship relationships, and religion in Japan since the Meiji Restoration (1868) with a strong focus on the post-war era and examines how both religion and family have been used as concepts and institutions for the creation of national identity as well as the expression of individual identities.  Students will develop a strong understanding of contemporary Japanese religious ideas and rituals and their connections to kinship structures, with particular attention focused on how family and kinship structures and ideologies have changed in the post-war era.

Texts

Readings may include (but are not limited to): Hashimoto, Akiko and John W. Traphagan.  2008.  Imagined Families, Lived Families: Kinship and Culture in Contemporary Japan.  SUNY Press.Halloway, Susan.  2010.  Women and Family in Contemporary Japan.  Cambridge University Press.  Kawano, Satsuki.  2010.  Nature’s Embrace: Japan’s Aging Urbanites and New Death Rites.   University of Hawaii Press.LaFleur, William.  1994.  Liquid Life: Abortion and Buddhism in Japan.  Princeton University Press.Traphagan, John W. 2004.  The Practice of Concern: Ritual, Well-Being, and Aging in Rural Japan.  Carolina Academic Press.Smyers, Karen.  1998.  The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship.  University of Hawaii Press.

Grading

Take-home mid-term    30%Take-home final    30%Reaction papers    40%

Sport has become a major feature of life in industrial and post-industrial worlds, as well as in many parts of the developing world. People attend games, follow their teams in newspapers and on television, pray for teams and players to succeed, bet on their teams in office pools or through betting agencies, and talk about sports constantly.  In this course we will consider sport in relation to a variety of questions that contextualize sport as it relates to ritual and religious practice.  We will consider questions such as: What constitutes a sport?  What is the relationship between sport and religion?  How are sport-related institutions different from or similar to religious institutions?  The course considers these questions and explores the meaning and nature of sport in cross-cultural perspective.

Texts:

Bissinger, Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, and A DreamFoer, How Soccer Explains the WorldPrice, Rounding the Bases: Baseball and Religion in AmericaBaker, Playing with God: Religion and Modern Sport

Grading:

Wikipedia Project 40%Mid-Term Exam 20%Final Exam 20%

In this course, we will endeavor to navigate some of the extensive anthropological literature that has been written on Japanese conceptualizations of self and body and explore how these concepts intersect with ideas about religion and morality.  The “self” has been one of the central themes in ethnographic writing about Japan since Ruth Benedict’s work The Chrysanthemum and the Sword was published in the 1940’s.  We will consider how Japanese educational approaches contribute to the formation of particular forms of behavior; how selves change over the life course; Japanese conceptualizations of the body and person; and how Japanese ideas about self and body are expressed in medical practices.  The course is discussion-based and will incorporate films in addition to ethnographic writings.  Grading will be based upon five response papers and mid-term take-home and final take-home exams. 

Texts:

Gilbert Ryle.  2000.  The Concept of Mind.  University of Chicago Press. ISBN: 0226732967Traphagan, John.  2000.  Taming Oblivion: Aging Bodies and the Fear of Senility in Japan.  Albany:  SUNY Press.  ISBN: 0791445003Kondo, Dorinne. 1990.  Crafting Selves : Power, Gender, and Discourses of Identity in a Japanese Workplace. University of Chicago Press.  ISBN: 0226450449Cave, Peter.  2007.  Primary School in Japan: Self, Individuality and Learning in Elementary Education.  Routledge.  ISBN: 0415545366Ozawa-de Silva, Chikako.  2006. Psychotherapy and Religion in Japan: The Japanese Introspection Practice of Naikan.  Routledge.  ISBN: 0415545684.

Grading:

Mid-term exam:  20%Final exam: 30%Five 2-page response papers: 50%

This course examines moral dilemmas that have been generated or intensified by recent advances in medical technology. We will explore ethical questions related to topics such as allocation of medical resources, stem cell research and cloning, organ transplantation, abortion, human experimentation, genetic screening, in vitro fertilization, pharmaceutical use and distribution, prolonging life and the right to die, suicide, euthanasia, and diagnosis and treatment of illnesses such as Alzheimer disease, AIDS, and mental disorders. These topics will be considered from a global perspective emphasizing how cultural values inform ethical decision-making and how different ethical/cultural systems address and define moral issues that arise in relation to medical care. We will consider ethical theories that have been used in the West to consider medical practice and compare these with approaches in non-Western cultures such as Japan. The course will emphasize use of case studies to explore issues in medical ethics and to develop the ability to apply ethical theories in ways sensitive to variations in cultural values.

Texts:

Beauchamp, Tom L. and James F. Childress. Principles of Biomedical Ethics, 6th Edition. Oxford University Press.Martin, Emily.  The Woman in the Body.  Beacon Press.  Santorro, Michael A.  and Thomas M. Gorrie.  Ethics and the Pharmaceutical Industry.  Cambridge University Press.  Traphagan, John W.  Taming Obligion: Aging Bodies and the Fear of Senility in Japan.  State University of New York Press.  Veatch, Robert M., Amy Haddad, Dan D. English.  Case Studies in Biomedical Ethics: Decision-Making, Principles, and Cases.  Oxford University Press. 

Grading:

Midterm One      30%Midterm Two     30%Final                   40%

This graduate seminar explores conceptualizations of health and illness as they relate to religious ideas as expressed in different cultural contexts.  What does it mean to be healthy or ill?  How do different epistemologies influence epidemiology?  In what ways to people use various conceptual frameworks for thinking about healing to attain or re-attain health?  How do people describe the experience of illness and health?   And how do questions of these intersect with biomedical understandings of the body, health, and illness?  We will focus on critical readings of ethnographic studies focused on religion, health, and illness and will devote a considerable amount of attention to the uses of ritual as a method of dealing with illness. 

Texts

Boddy, Janice.  1989. Wombs and Alien Spirits: Women, Men, and the Zar Cult in Northern Sudan.  University of Wisconsin Press.  Ohnuki-Tierney.  1984. Illness and Culture in Contemporary Japan: An Anthropological View.  Cambridge University Press.  Ozawa-de Silva, Chikako.  2006. Psychotherapy and Religion in Japan: The Japanese Introspection Practice of Naikan.  Routledge. Drozdow-St. Christian, Douglass.  2006.  Elusive Fragments: Making Power, Propriety & Health in Samoa.  Carolina Academic Press.  Strathern, Andrew and Pamela Stewart.  2010. Curing and Healing: Medical Anthropology in Global Perspective.  Carolina Academic Press.  Leslie, Charles andAllen Young.  1992. Paths to Asian Medical Knowledge.  University of California Press.  

Grading

Five 2-page response papers: 50%Term paper:  50%

Flag: Global Cultures

Description:

What is religion? How do people study religion? How does the academic study of religion differ from a religious education?  In this course, we will consider questions like these as a way to introduce students to the discipline of Religious Studies. We will consider topics such as how religion has been defined and explore philosophical, theological, anthropological, sociological, comparative, and historical approaches to the study of religion.  We will also consider how religious practice intersects with other parts of society.  The aim of the course is to expose students both to different ways of studying religion and different religious systems throughout the world. 

Texts:

Rodrigues, Hillary and John S. Harding.  Introduction to the Study of Religion.  Routledge.Martin, Joel.  The Land Looks After Us: A History of Native American Religion.  Oxford University Press.  Haddad, Yvonne. Y. and John L. Esposito.  Islam, Gender, and Social Change.  Oxford University Press.  Traphagan, John W.  The Practice of Concern: Ritual, Well-Being, and Aging in Rural Japan.  Carolina Academic Press.

Grading:

Mid-term exam: 40%; Final exam: 40%; Intellectual journal reacting to readings and class discussions: 20%

This course examines moral dilemmas that have been generated or intensified by recent advances in medical technology. We will explore ethical questions related to topics such as allocation of medical resources, stem cell research and cloning, organ transplantation, abortion, human experimentation, genetic screening, in vitro fertilization, pharmaceutical use and distribution, prolonging life and the right to die, suicide, euthanasia, and diagnosis and treatment of illnesses such as Alzheimer disease, AIDS, and mental disorders. These topics will be considered from a global perspective emphasizing how cultural values inform ethical decision-making and how different ethical/cultural systems address and define moral issues that arise in relation to medical care. We will consider ethical theories that have been used in the West to consider medical practice and compare these with approaches in non-Western cultures such as Japan. The course will emphasize use of case studies to explore issues in medical ethics and to develop the ability to apply ethical theories in ways sensitive to variations in cultural values.

Texts

Beauchamp, Tom L. and James F. Childress. Principles of Biomedical Ethics, 6th Edition. Oxford University Press.Martin, Emily.  The Woman in the Body.  Beacon Press.  Santorro, Michael A.  and Thomas M. Gorrie.  Ethics and the Pharmaceutical Industry.  Cambridge University Press.  Traphagan, John W.  Taming Obligion: Aging Bodies and the Fear of Senility in Japan.  State University of New York Press.  Veatch, Robert M., Amy Haddad, Dan D. English.  Case Studies in Biomedical Ethics: Decision-Making, Principles, and Cases.  Oxford University Press.

Grading

Midterm One      30%Midterm Two     30%Final                   40%

This course investigates the relationship between religion and culture in both Western and non-Western societies with an emphasis on societies in Asia and North America. The course provides a broad introduction to the anthropology of religion and explores systems of beliefs in supernatural forces and how these are expressed through ritual and symbols directed at making life and death meaningful. The course also explores the intersection of moral ideas with religious systems and considers how what is conceived of as "sacred" varies across different cultural contexts and how the Western notion that religion involves belief does not necessarily apply in other societies.

Grading Policy

Mid-term exam: 30%Web-based assignment: 30%Final exam: 40%

Texts

May include: Religion and Culture: An Introduction to the Anthropology of Religion, Islam Observed: Religious Developments in Morocco and Indonesia, and Ritual Practice in Modern Japan: Ordering Place, People, and Action.

Religion and Family in Japanese Society

Sport has become a major feature of life in industrial and post-industrial worlds, as well as in many parts of the developing world. People attend games, follow their teams in newspapers and on television, pray for teams and players to succeed, bet on their teams in office pools or through betting agencies, and talk about sports constantly.  In this course we will consider sport in relation to a variety of questions that contextualize sport as it relates to ritual and religious practice.  We will consider questions such as: What constitutes a sport?  What is the relationship between sport and religion?  How are sport-related institutions different from or similar to religious institutions?  The course considers these questions and explores the meaning and nature of sport in cross-cultural perspective.

Texts:

Bissinger, Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, and A Dream
Foer, How Soccer Explains the World
Price, Rounding the Bases: Baseball and Religion in America
Baker, Playing with God: Religion and Modern Sport

Grading:

Wikipedia Project 40%
Mid-Term Exam 20%
Final Exam 20%

MEETS WITH ANS 301M (30850)

Classroom: BUR 426
Office Hours: M 12:00pm – 2:30pm and by appointment
Tel: 232-0874; email: jtraphagan@mail.utexas.edu 

The aim of this course is to examine and contemplate ideas about right and wrong, concepts of the good and evil, and ways of thinking about ethical behavior as they are expressed in different religious traditions.  We will use a case study approach to compare moral ideas related to: sexuality and gender, social justice, the environment, and violence.  In looking at these topics we will discuss a variety of issues such as homosexuality, abortion, capital punishment, just war, responses to the ecological crises, and the relationship of humans to the natural world.  The course will focus on comparison across four broad areas of religious practice: Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Native American religions.  

Required Readings:

1570752400      Ethics and World Religions: Cross-Cultural Case Studies, Wolfe and Gudorf  
1570034710      ISLAMIC ETHICS OF LIFE: ABORTION, WAR & EUTHANASIA, BROCKOPP  
0748623302      Ethical Issues in Six Religious Traditions, Peggy Morgan, Clive Lawton  
079145018X      ENCOUNTER WITH ENLIGHTENMENT, CARTER  
0691050856      The Priority of Love: Christian Charity and Social Justice, Timothy P. Jackson

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

This course involves completion of four reflection papers and a final exam.  The final will be a take-home and will be distributed on the last day of class and be due during the final exam schedule (the date will be determined later in the semester).  The course is graded on the basis of total points earned—the maximum total points for the course is 1000.   
 
All written assignments are to be submitted using the SafeAssign function in Blackboard.  SafeAssign is a program designed to prevent plagiarism—your submissions will be compared to both a database of published works and the Internet to scan for possible plagiarism.  Assignments are valued as follows:
 
Assignment         Total Possible Points     Percentage of Grade     Due Date
Reaction Papers        600 (200 each)                      40                                       2/4, 2/18, 3/11
Ethnographic             300                                      20                                       4/22
Reflection
Plagarism Quiz          100                                       6.6                                      1/28
Final Exam                500                                       33.4                                    Handed out last day of class
Total                     1600                                 100  
 
Reaction papers are an important part of this course.  By “reaction paper” I mean a short paper in which you think about and react to the assigned reading for that period.  Each reaction paper is due in response to each of the first three assigned books.  In these papers, you must respond to the book—what are its strengths and weaknesses, and also to the argument of the author.  Does the author’s argument make sense?  Does he/she present a reasonable way of thinking about ethics?  Are you convinced by his/her argument (why or why not)?  Each reflection paper should be between 1,000 and 1,200 words in length.  
 
In addition to these reflection papers, you will also need to write one “ethnographic reflection” (1,200 to 1,500 words) in which you respond to and compare a pair of religious events or locations in terms of how ideas about right and wrong are presented.  You will have two options on this:  (1) you may visit two different religious locations (such as a church and mosque) and observe the services, paying close attention to issues related to the representation of morality, justice, etc.  You must also conduct an informal interview with one person from each site; (2) you may visit two different religious services in the virtual world known as Second Life and observe the activities, also paying close attention to the representation of morality, justice, etc.  If you select the Second Life option, you must also interview one person who is closely related to each sim you visit.   
 
Plagiarism quiz—on 1/28 you will be given a quiz that will test your knowledge of general and university policies and definitions related to plagiarism.  See number 3 under ground rules for more information.

Ground Rules

1. NO LOBBYING FOR INCREASES IN YOUR GRADES.  I will not under any conditions entertain emails or other contacts that involve attempts to lobby for a grade.  For example, if you calculate your final grade for the semester and it is a 79.4, do not send me an email (or any other communication) trying to explain why you think you deserve a B-.  Your grade is based upon your work, not upon your capacity to convince me that you deserve a particular grade.  If you disagree with your grade, you should go through the process of appeal outlined below.

2. NO OFFERING PRESENTS TO THE PROFESSOR OR TA.  Although I appreciate it when a student has enjoyed the class and wishes to thank me or my TA with a gift, the rules of the university forbid this, and I also do not wish to receive such presents as they represent a conflict of interest.  Please do not offer any sort of present, including candy, baked cookies, etc. at any time prior to, during, of after the course has ended.   

3. YOU MUST UNDERSTAND WHAT CONSTITUTES ACADEMIC DISHONESTY.  You will be required to read and understand the academic dishonesty site provided by Student Judicial Services and you will be tested on it.  This is your responsibility. The URL is http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/acadint.php.  You will be quizzed on the contents of the site at the end of the second week of class.  

STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS

This course will employ the new plus and minus grading system.  Grades are assigned as follows: 93-100 = A; 90 – 92 = A-, 88 – 89 = B+, 83 – 87 = B, 80 – 82 = B-; 78 – 79 = C+, 73 – 77 = C, 70 – 72 = C-; 68 – 70 = D+, 63 – 67 = D, 60 – 62 = D-; below 60 = F.  There is no scaling of grades. You are expected to attend class regularly and to participate in discussion. There are no extra credit assignments in this class.  In general, I do not “bump” up final grades that are borderline.  An 89 is a B+, a 79 is a C+, etc.  I may make exceptions for students who have been regular contributors to class discussion.

GRADING RUBRIC

Grade / Expectations / Standards 

A, A-  The grade of A will be only given for exemplary work.  The paper, presentation, or exam demonstrates a detailed understanding of the topic and provides a creative and scholarly analysis of the issues.  There is a clear thesis and the thesis is well-supported.  It is clearly written, without typographical errors, spelling mistakes, or grammatical errors.
B+, B, B-  This grade will be given to an exam, presentation, or paper that presents material clearly, shows a basic understanding of the topic and provides a clear analysis of the issues.  It is well written, but may have some typographical errors, spelling mistakes, or grammatical problems (there are few, however).  There is room for improvement in both presentation and content/structure of the argument.
C+, C, C-  This grade will be given to a product that shows some problems in terms of understanding and analyzing the materials.  There are problems with writing, some typographical errors, spelling mistakes, or grammatical problems.  These are sufficient to hinder understanding of the writing and argument.  There are problems in the argument and its supporting data.   
D+, D, D-  This is given when there are significant problems related to understanding and analysis of materials.  The argument is poorly presented or is very weak.  There are major problems with writing, presentation style, spelling, grammar, etc.  
F  This grade is given when there are extremely serious deficiencies related to understanding and analysis of the topic at hand and there are major problems with writing, presentation style, spelling, grammar, etc.  The grade F indicates a very serious deficiency in the paper, presentation, or exam.
A/B, B/C, C/D  Grades such as A/B indicate a paper, presentation, or exam that is borderline.  This means that the paper is between the two grades.  An A/B indicates the paper, presentation, exam, etc. is closer to an A; a B/A indicates it is closer to a B.
 
Policy on Examination and Assignment Schedule:  Examinations are to be taken on the assigned date and time and assignments are to be turned in on the assigned date.  

• Late assignments will not be accepted in this class; if you turn in an assignment late, I will not read it and you will not receive any credit for the assignment.   
• If a due date conflicts with a religious holiday, you must contact the instructor prior to that date to arrange an alternative date to turn-in the assignment.  If you have some type of important event, and can prove it, I will be happy to discuss an alternate date and time for you to turn in your assignment—discussing it does not necessarily mean that I will approve the change in due dates.  You must give at least five business days prior notice in order to receive an exception to a due date.   
• Emergencies will be handled on a case-by-case basis, but will require evidence that proves that you actually encountered a situation that prevented you from turning in your assignment on time.  Excuses such as being confused about a due date or failing to wake-up early enough to make it to class and turn in your assignment will not be considered acceptable and will receive a grade of zero.

Appealing Grades

It is important to understand that you earn your grades on assignments and exams and that you earn your final grade for the course—I do not assign grades to your work, rather, based upon the quality of the work you turn in, I arrive at an opinion about the grade which you have earned.  The grade you earn is based upon the quality of the work you turn in—there are no other criteria that are used to arrive at a grade.   
 
Should you find that you disagree with me on a grade you receive for an assignment you turn in, you have the option of appealing your grade.  If you want to appeal your grade, you must follow the steps below within two days of my returning the graded assignments.  If you are not in class to receive the returned assignment, you still have only two days from the date that I return them—you do not have two days from the date that you receive your graded assignment (once I have returned the assignment to the class, the clock is ticking).  Follow these directions—if you do not follow the directions, I may not be willing to consider your appeal:

• Provide the original assignment with any comments I have written on it, including the grade given.  Keep a copy for yourself.  
• Include a written explanation of why you believe that you have earned a grade different from the one I believe you have earned.  The written explanation must indicate clearly that you are appealing your grade. I will assume that you will be appealing for a higher grade, but should you want to lower your grade, you are welcome to appeal for that as well.  The written explanation should be no more than two paragraphs in length—it must be typed (single space is fine).  Part of the success of your appeal will be based upon the quality of your argument as to why the grade I believe you earned is not appropriate.  In your argument, you must indicate the exact grade that you believe you earned and explain why you believe this to be the case.   
• Keep in mind that the amount of time or effort you put into an assignment is not an adequate reason for changing a grade.  If you spend four years working on something and turn in a product of poor quality, you will still receive a low grade.  While there is no question that there is a correlation between the amount of work and time you put into an assignment and the grade you earn, as an instructor I cannot take into account how much time/effort you put into the assignment beyond the evident quality of the work you turn in.  If you appeal your grade on the basis of the fact that you put a lot of work into the assignment, do not expect to receive a positive response.  I may sympathize with you and will be more than happy to discuss how you can improve the quality of your work; but I am unlikely to change your grade.   
• Also keep in mind that asking me to “round up” a grade that is close to a higher grade is not considered an acceptable appeal.  You may appeal a grade only when you believe that I have made an error in grading or have been unfair in my conclusion about the grade you have earned.
• NOTE:  In the case of a simple error in calculating your grade, you do not need to go through the above process.  Simply see me after class and point out the error.   
• You may be asked to come to my office hours to discuss your appeal.  If this happens, come prepared to discuss/debate your appeal and to support your argument.
• Should you wish to discuss an appeal prior to actually submitting it, you are welcome to do so during my next office hours following return of the assignment.  To do this you need to make an appointment with me within two days of receiving the assignment; you will then have two days following our meeting to write your appeal.   
• If you want to appeal your final grade, you must provide all original graded materials for the semester to the instructor within five days of grades being posted to the CliPS online system.  All of the above apply to appeals of final grades; however, I may not be able to meet with you ahead of your appeal.   
• Appealing a grade means that you are requesting that I re-evaluate your assignment(s) and the grade I believe you have earned.  It is possible, although unlikely, that I will lower your grade if I feel that you have earned a grade which is lower than the one I originally believed to be appropriate.   

POLICY ON Q-DROPS

As a rule, I will not sign forms requesting a Q-drop.  It is your responsibility to attend class and keep up with the work.  If you encounter an emergency during the semester that interferes with your attendance and studies, please call or visit my office to discuss the situation and see if there is an alternative to dropping the course.  If you come to my office with a Q-drop form at the end of the semester, having not attended class or completed the work, expect me to refuse to sign the form.

POLICY ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

You are expected to adhere to university requirements on academic honesty and integrity.  Behaviors such as plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, copying of another student’s work, or cheating on examinations in any form will be viewed as an offense against the academic community and will be dealt with accordingly.  If you are uncertain about what constitutes academic integrity (for example, if you are uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism), you can either meet with the instructor or visit the web site of Student Judicial Services (http://www.utexas.edu/depts/dos/sjs/).  In the event that a student is found engaging in behavior that violates university policies on academic integrity, as stipulated by the office of Student Judicial Services, the student will receive the grade of F for the course and will be reported to the office of Student Judicial Services, where further disciplinary action may be taken.  There will be no exceptions.

UNIVERSITY ELECTRONIC NOTIFICATION POLICY

All students should become familiar with the University's official e-mail student notification policy. It is the student's responsibility to keep the University informed as to changes in his or her e-mail address. Students are expected to check e-mail on a frequent and regular basis in order to stay current with University-related communications, recognizing that certain communications may be time-critical. It is recommended that e-mail be checked daily, but at a minimum, twice per week. The complete text of this policy and instructions for updating your e-mail address are available at http://www.utexas.edu/its/policies/emailnotify.html.
 
In this course e-mail will be used as a means of communication with students. You will be responsible for checking your e-mail regularly for class work and announcements. 

POLICY ON LAPTOPS AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY USAGE IN CLASS

You are encouraged to bring your laptop computer to class to use for taking notes.  You also will have opportunities in class to work in groups and having your laptop may facilitate the ease of working together.  However, I do not want you to surf the web or otherwise use your computer for things not related to class while I am lecturing or when you are working in your groups.  Aside from the fact that it is rude, it is distracting to other students (particularly those behind you during lectures) and also distracts YOU from the lecture or discussion.  My lectures may be boring, but I still expect you to pay attention.  Don’t think that because I cannot see your screen, I don’t have any idea that you are surfing the web.  It is actually quite easy to tell when people are surfing the web simply by looking at their faces.  If I find that a student is not adhering to this policy, I will ask the student to meet me during office hours to discuss an appropriate penalty.  Expect a minimum of a 5% reduction in your final grade if you are caught using your laptop during class for purposes unrelated to the course.
 
Please turn off your cell phone before coming to class, unless you don’t mind my stopping class and asking you to answer a call while we all wait and listen (yes, I’ve done it before).
 
Some students, particularly those for whom English is not their first language, may wish to record lectures.  You are welcome to do so.  

DOCUMENTED DISABILITY POLICY

Students with disabilities who require special accommodations need to get a letter that documents the disability from the Services for Students with Disabilities area of the Office of the Dean of Students (471-6259 voice or 471-4641 TTY for users who are deaf or hard of hearing). This letter should be presented to the instructor at the beginning of the semester and accommodations needed should be discussed at that time. We do not have any in-class exams, however, if you need any sort of special accommodation for assignments, you need to give me at least five business days notice so that we can work out what you need.  See following website for more information: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/ssd/providing.php.

CITATION STYLE

All papers for this course should follow the bibliographic and citation format of the American Anthropologist.  When an idea is taken from a particular book or article, the source should be noted in the text with the author's name, date of the publication, and page number, e.g., (Hendry 1995: 139) to indicate that this particular piece of information, or this idea, was taken from page 139 of a 1995 publication by Hendry.  If the item is quoted, it should be put in quotation marks, e.g., “Nowadays, both types of marriage persist, and it is not even always possible to classify a particular marriage as ‘love’ or ‘arranged’, although people like to talk as though it were” (Hendry 1995: 139). 

The book or article should then be listed in the bibliography, which lists only those items cited in the text, as follows:

Hendry, Joy
    1995      Understanding Japanese Society.  2nd edition. New York: Routledge.  
 
Failure to attribute ideas and quotations to their sources constitutes plagiarism and will be dealt with accordingly (see policy on academic honesty above).

Office Hours

My office hours for this semester are listed at the beginning of this syllabus. I will normally be in my office during those hours; however, I am often also in my office at other times. You are free to visit my office at any time—you are not limited to visiting during office hours.  If the door is shut, just knock.  If I am busy (with meetings, writing, other work, etc.) outside of office hours, I will let you know or I won’t answer the door.  

Tentative Schedule

Readings that are marked with the symbol § are available on Blackboard.  All case studies must be read prior to discussion on Friday of each week. Readings should be completed by Monday of each week, with the exception of week 1.

Week 1:  1/19 and 21:  Religion and Identity, Right and Wrong

Reading:  
Ethical Issues in Six Religions: Sections A – F, numbers 1, Sections A – F, numbers 6

Week 2:  1/26 and 28:  Christianity and Ethics

Jackson, Introduction – Chapter 2

Week 3:  2/2 and 4:  Christianity and Ethics

Jackson, Chapter 3 – end
First Reaction Paper Due at beginning of class on 2/4

Week 4:  2/9 and 11:  Islam and Ethics

Brockopp, Chapters 1 - 4

Week 5:  2/16 and 18:  Islam and Ethics

Brockopp, Chapters 5 - 9
Second Reaction Paper Due at beginning of class on 2/18

Week 6:  2/23 and 25:  Japanese Ethics

Carter, Chapter 1 - 3

Week 7:  3/2 and 4:  Japanese Ethics

Carter, Chapters 4 - 6
By 4 March, you must email the professor a brief statement explaining where you intend to do you ethnographic observation.  If you do not do this by the 4th, you will be downgraded 20% on your paper.

Week 8:  3/9 and 11:  Japanese Ethics

Carter, Chapter 7 - end
Third Reaction Paper Due at beginning of class on 3/11

Week 9:  3/16 and 18:  Spring Break

Week 10:  3/23 and 25:  Equality, Justice, and Difference

Reading
Ethical Issues in Six Religions: Sections A – F, numbers 7
EWR, Chapters 1, 7, 13

Week 11:  3/30 and 4/1:  Conflict and Violence

Reading
Ethical Issues in Six Religions: Sections A – F, numbers 8
EWR, Chapters 5, 10, 16

Week 12:  4/6 and 8:  Global Issues

Reading
Ethical Issues in Six Religions: Sections A – F, numbers  
EWR, Chapters 6, 11

Week 13:  4/13 and 15:  Marriage and Family

Reading:  
Ethical Issues in Six Religions: Sections A – F, numbers 3
Ethics and World Religions (EWR), Chapters 3, 4, 9,18

Week 14:  4/20 and 22:  Quality and Value of Life

Reading:
Ethical Issues in Six Religions: Sections A – F, numbers 5
EWR, Chapters 8, 14, 15,  
Ethnographic Reflection due at beginning of class on 4/22

Week 15:  4/27 and 29:  Comparative Religious Ethics

§ Little and Twiss, Comparative Religious Ethics, excerpt

Week 16:  5/4 and 6

§ Chao, Leaping into the Boundless: A Daoist Reading of Comparative Religious Ethics
§ Lovin, A Response to Chao

MEETS WITH ANT 324L (30355)

Classroom: BUR 426
Office Hours: M 12:00pm – 2:30pm and by appointment
Tel: 232-0874; email: jtraphagan@mail.utexas.edu 

Sport has become a major feature of life in industrial and post-industrial worlds, as well as in many parts of the developing world.  People attend games, follow their teams in newspapers and on television, pray for teams and players to succeed, bet on their teams in office pools or through betting agencies, and talk about sports constantly.  In this course we will consider sport in relation to a variety of questions that contextualize sport as it relates to ritual and religious practice.  We will consider questions such as: What constitutes a sport?  What is the relationship between sport and religion?  How are sport-related institutions different from or similar to religious institutions?  The course considers these questions and explores the meaning and nature of sport in cross-cultural perspective. 

Required Readings:

REQ  0881461555     Gameday and God: Football, Faith, and Politics in the American South, Eric Bain-Selbo  
REQ  0865549990     Rounding the Bases: Baseball and Religion in America, Joseph L. Price  
REQ  0674024214     Playing with God: Religion and Modern Sport, William J. Baker  
REQ  0060731427     HOW SOCCER EXPLAINS THE WORLD, FOER  
REQ  159030442X     Zen Bow, Zen, Arrow: The Life and Teachings of Awa Kenzo, John Stevens

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

This course involves completion of three exercise, a final exam, a group presentation, and a group participation grade.  The final will be a take-home exam—it will be distributed on the last day of class and be due during the final exam schedule (the date will be determined later in the semester).  The course is graded on the basis of total points earned—the maximum total points for the course is 1600.   
 
All written assignments (other than the Wikipedia project) are to be submitted using the SafeAssign function in Blackboard.  SafeAssign is a program designed to prevent plagiarism—your submissions will be compared to both a database of published works and the Internet to scan for possible plagiarism.  Assignments are valued as follows:
 
Assignment         Total Possible Points     Percentage of Grade     Due Date
First Exercise            100                                       6.25                                    1/26/10
Plagiarism Quiz         100                                       6.25                                    1/28/10
Second Exercise        200                                      12.5                                     2/9/10
Third Exercise           300                                      18.75                                   4/1/10
Group Presentation   300                                      18.75                                   Last two weeks
Final exam                400                                       25                                       Handed out last day of class
Group Participation   200                                      12.5                                     Last day of class
Grade
Total                     1600                                100  
 
The first exercise will be graded on the basis of whether or not it is completed (full credit for completion by the assigned date and time, no credit for failure to complete—if you turn it in late, you get zero points).  Exercises two and three will be graded on the basis of the quality of your work.  Assignments for the three exercises are available in the Assignments area on Blackboard (http://courses.utexas.edu).  The group participation grade will be given by your peers.  Each member will provide feedback (on a provided form) to the instructor and grade the performance of the other members of his/her group and well as his/her own performance. 

Ground Rules

1. NO LOBBYING FOR INCREASES IN YOUR GRADES.  I will not under any conditions entertain emails or other contacts that involve attempts to lobby for a grade.  For example, if you calculate your final grade for the semester and it is a 79.4, do not send me an email (or any other communication) trying to explain why you think you deserve a B-.  Your grade is based upon your work, not upon your capacity to convince me that you deserve a particular grade. 

2. NO OFFERING PRESENTS TO THE PROFESSOR OR TA.  Although I appreciate it when a student has enjoyed the class and wishes to thank me or my TA with a gift, the rules of the university forbid this, and I also do not wish to receive such presents as they represent a conflict of interest.  Please do not offer any sort of present, including candy, baked cookies, etc. prior to, during, or following completion of the course.

3. YOU MUST UNDERSTAND WHAT CONSTITUTES ACADEMIC DISHONESTY.  You will be required to read and understand the academic dishonesty site provided by Student Judicial Services and you will be tested on it.  This is your responsibility. The URL is http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/acadint.php.  You will be quizzed on the contents of the site at the end of the second week of class.  

STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS

This course will employ the new plus and minus grading system.  Grades are assigned as follows: 93-100 = A; 90 – 92 = A-, 88 – 89 = B+, 83 – 87 = B, 80 – 82 = B-; 78 – 79 = C+, 73 – 77 = C, 70 – 72 = C-; 68 – 70 = D+, 63 – 67 = D, 60 – 62 = D-; below 60 = F.  
There is no scaling of grades. You are expected to attend class regularly and to participate in discussion. There are no extra credit assignments in this class.  In general, I do not “bump” up final grades that are borderline.  An 89 is a B+, a 79 is a C+, etc.  I may make exceptions for students who have been regular contributors to class discussion.

GRADING RUBRIC

Grade / Expectations / Standards 

A, A-  The grade of A will be only given for exemplary work.  The paper, presentation, or exam demonstrates a detailed understanding of the topic and provides a creative and scholarly analysis of the issues.  There is a clear thesis and the thesis is well-supported.  It is clearly written, without typographical errors, spelling mistakes, or grammatical errors.
B+, B, B-  This grade will be given to an exam, presentation, or paper that presents material clearly, shows a basic understanding of the topic and provides a clear analysis of the issues.  It is well written, but may have some typographical errors, spelling mistakes, or grammatical problems (there are few, however).  There is room for improvement in both presentation and content/structure of the argument.
C+, C, C-  This grade will be given to a product that shows some problems in terms of understanding and analyzing the materials.  There are problems with writing, some typographical errors, spelling mistakes, or grammatical problems.  These are sufficient to hinder understanding of the writing and argument.  There are problems in the argument and its supporting data.   
D+, D, D-  This is given when there are significant problems related to understanding and analysis of materials.  The argument is poorly presented or is very weak.  There are major problems with writing, presentation style, spelling, grammar, etc.  
F  This grade is given when there are extremely serious deficiencies related to understanding and analysis of the topic at hand and there are major problems with writing, presentation style, spelling, grammar, etc.  The grade F indicates a very serious deficiency in the paper, presentation, or exam.
A/B, B/C, C/D  Grades such as A/B indicate a paper, presentation, or exam that is borderline.  This means that the paper is between the two grades.  An A/B indicates the paper, presentation, exam, etc. is closer to an A; a B/A indicates it is closer to a B.
 
Policy on Examination and Assignment Schedule:  Examinations are to be taken on the assigned date and time and assignments are to be turned in on the assigned date.  

• Late assignments will not be accepted in this class; if you turn in an assignment late, I will not read it and you will not receive any credit for the assignment.   
• If a due date conflicts with a religious holiday, you must contact the instructor prior to that date to arrange an alternative date to turn-in the assignment.  If you have some type of important event, and can prove it, I will be happy to discuss an alternate date and time for you to turn in your assignment—discussing it does not necessarily mean that I will approve the change in due dates.  You must give at least five business days prior notice in order to receive an exception to a due date.   
• Emergencies will be handled on a case-by-case basis, but will require evidence that proves that you actually encountered a situation that prevented you from turning in your assignment on time.  Excuses such as being confused about a due date or failing to wake-up early enough to make it to class and turn in your assignment will not be considered acceptable and will receive a grade of zero.

Appealing Grades

It is important to understand that you earn your grades on assignments and exams and that you earn your final grade for the course—I do not assign grades to your work, rather, based upon the quality of the work you turn in, I arrive at an opinion about the grade which you have earned.  The grade you earn is based upon the quality of the work you turn in—there are no other criteria that are used to arrive at a grade.   
 
Should you find that you disagree with me on a grade you receive for an assignment you turn in, you have the option of appealing your grade.  If you want to appeal your grade, you must follow the steps below within two days of my returning the graded assignments.  If you are not in class to receive the returned assignment, you still have only two days from the date that I return them—you do not have two days from the date that you receive your graded assignment (once I have returned the assignment to the class, the clock is ticking).  Follow these directions—if you do not follow the directions, I may not be willing to consider your appeal:

• Provide the original assignment with any comments I have written on it, including the grade given.  Keep a copy for yourself.  
• Include a written explanation of why you believe that you have earned a grade different from the one I believe you have earned.  The written explanation must indicate clearly that you are appealing your grade. I will assume that you will be appealing for a higher grade, but should you want to lower your grade, you are welcome to appeal for that as well.  The written explanation should be no more than two paragraphs in length—it must be typed (single space is fine).  Part of the success of your appeal will be based upon the quality of your argument as to why the grade I believe you earned is not appropriate.  In your argument, you must indicate the exact grade that you believe you earned and explain why you believe this to be the case.   
• Keep in mind that the amount of time or effort you put into an assignment is not an adequate reason for changing a grade.  If you spend four years working on something and turn in a product of poor quality, you will still receive a low grade.  While there is no question that there is a correlation between the amount of work and time you put into an assignment and the grade you earn, as an instructor I cannot take into account how much time/effort you put into the assignment beyond the evident quality of the work you turn in.  If you appeal your grade on the basis of the fact that you put a lot of work into the assignment, do not expect to receive a positive response.  I may sympathize with you and will be more than happy to discuss how you can improve the quality of your work; but I am unlikely to change your grade.   
• Also keep in mind that asking me to “round up” a grade that is close to a higher grade is not considered an acceptable appeal.  You may appeal a grade only when you believe that I have made an error in grading or have been unfair in my conclusion about the grade you have earned.
• NOTE:  In the case of a simple error in calculating your grade, you do not need to go through the above process.  Simply see me after class and point out the error.   
• You may be asked to come to my office hours to discuss your appeal.  If this happens, come prepared to discuss/debate your appeal and to support your argument.
• Should you wish to discuss an appeal prior to actually submitting it, you are welcome to do so during my next office hours following return of the assignment.  To do this you need to make an appointment with me within two days of receiving the assignment; you will then have two days following our meeting to write your appeal.   
• If you want to appeal your final grade, you must provide all original graded materials for the semester to the instructor within five days of grades being posted to the CliPS online system.  All of the above apply to appeals of final grades; however, I may not be able to meet with you ahead of your appeal.   
• Appealing a grade means that you are requesting that I re-evaluate your assignment(s) and the grade I believe you have earned.  It is possible, although unlikely, that I will lower your grade if I feel that you have earned a grade which is lower than the one I originally believed to be appropriate.   

POLICY ON Q-DROPS

As a rule, I will not sign forms requesting a Q-drop.  It is your responsibility to attend class and keep up with the work.  If you encounter an emergency during the semester that interferes with your attendance and studies, please call or visit my office to discuss the situation and see if there is an alternative to dropping the course.  If you come to my office with a Q-drop form at the end of the semester, having not attended class or completed the work, expect me to refuse to sign the form.

POLICY ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

You are expected to adhere to university requirements on academic honesty and integrity.  Behaviors such as plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, copying of another student’s work, or cheating on examinations in any form will be viewed as an offense against the academic community and will be dealt with accordingly.  If you are uncertain about what constitutes academic integrity (for example, if you are uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism), you can either meet with the instructor or visit the web site of Student Judicial Services (http://www.utexas.edu/depts/dos/sjs/).  In the event that a student is found engaging in behavior that violates university policies on academic integrity, as stipulated by the office of Student Judicial Services, the student will receive the grade of F for the course and will be reported to the office of Student Judicial Services, where further disciplinary action may be taken.  There will be no exceptions.

UNIVERSITY ELECTRONIC NOTIFICATION POLICY

All students should become familiar with the University's official e-mail student notification policy. It is the student's responsibility to keep the University informed as to changes in his or her e-mail address. Students are expected to check e-mail on a frequent and regular basis in order to stay current with University-related communications, recognizing that certain communications may be time-critical. It is recommended that e-mail be checked daily, but at a minimum, twice per week. The complete text of this policy and instructions for updating your e-mail address are available at http://www.utexas.edu/its/policies/emailnotify.html.
 
In this course e-mail will be used as a means of communication with students. You will be responsible for checking your e-mail regularly for class work and announcements. 

POLICY ON LAPTOPS AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY USAGE IN CLASS

You are encouraged to bring your laptop computer to class to use for taking notes.  You also will have opportunities in class to work in groups and having your laptop may facilitate the ease of working together.  However, I do not want you to surf the web or otherwise use your computer for things not related to class while I am lecturing or when you are working in your groups.  Aside from the fact that it is rude, it is distracting to other students (particularly those behind you during lectures) and also distracts YOU from the lecture or discussion.  My lectures may be boring, but I still expect you to pay attention.  Don’t think that because I cannot see your screen, I don’t have any idea that you are surfing the web.  It is actually quite easy to tell when people are surfing the web simply by looking at their faces.  If I find that a student is not adhering to this policy, I will ask the student to meet me during office hours to discuss an appropriate penalty.  Expect a minimum of a 5% reduction in your final grade if you are caught using your laptop during class for purposes unrelated to the course.
 
Please turn off your cell phone before coming to class, unless you don’t mind my stopping class and asking you to answer a call while we all wait and listen (yes, I’ve done it before).
 
Some students, particularly those for whom English is not their first language, may wish to record lectures.  You are welcome to do so.  

DOCUMENTED DISABILITY POLICY

Students with disabilities who require special accommodations need to get a letter that documents the disability from the Services for Students with Disabilities area of the Office of the Dean of Students (471-6259 voice or 471-4641 TTY for users who are deaf or hard of hearing). This letter should be presented to the instructor at the beginning of the semester and accommodations needed should be discussed at that time. We do not have any in-class exams, however, if you need any sort of special accommodation for assignments, you need to give me at least five business days notice so that we can work out what you need.  See following website for more information: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/ssd/providing.php.

CITATION STYLE

All papers for this course should follow the bibliographic and citation format of the American Anthropologist.  When an idea is taken from a particular book or article, the source should be noted in the text with the author's name, date of the publication, and page number, e.g., (Hendry 1995: 139) to indicate that this particular piece of information, or this idea, was taken from page 139 of a 1995 publication by Hendry.  If the item is quoted, it should be put in quotation marks, e.g., “Nowadays, both types of marriage persist, and it is not even always possible to classify a particular marriage as ‘love’ or ‘arranged’, although people like to talk as though it were” (Hendry 1995: 139). 

The book or article should then be listed in the bibliography, which lists only those items cited in the text, as follows:

Hendry, Joy
    1995      Understanding Japanese Society.  2nd edition. New York: Routledge.  
 
Failure to attribute ideas and quotations to their sources constitutes plagiarism and will be dealt with accordingly (see policy on academic honesty above).

Office Hours

My office hours for this semester are listed at the beginning of this syllabus. I will normally be in my office during those hours; however, I am often also in my office at other times. You are free to visit my office at any time—you are not limited to visiting during office hours.  If the door is shut, just knock.  If I am busy (with meetings, writing, other work, etc.) outside of office hours, I will let you know or I won’t answer the door.  

Tentative Schedule

Readings that are marked with the symbol § are available on Blackboard.  All case studies must be read prior to discussion on Friday of each week. Readings should be completed by Monday of each week, with the exception of week 1.

Week 1: 1/19 and 21 Introduction

§ Read: The Symbolism and Ritual Function of the Middle Classic Ball Game in Mesoamerica Author(s): Marvin Cohodas Source: American Indian Quarterly, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Summer, 1975), pp. 99-130

Week 2: 1/26 and 28 What is Sport?

§ Read:  The Meaning of Sport.  Chapters 1, 2, and 4 from Blanchard, The Anthropology of Sport.

Week 3: 2/2 and 4 Culture and Sport

Read: How Soccer Explains the World, pp. 1 - 140

Week 4: 2/9 and 11 Culture and Sport

Read: How Soccer Explains the World, pp. 141 - end

Week 5: 2/16 and 18 Sport and Ritual

§ Read: Geertz, Clifford. “Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight” from The Interpretation of Cultures.
Migliore, Sam.  1993.  Professional Wrestling: Moral Commentary Through Ritual Metaphor.  Journal of Ritual Studies.  

Week 6: 2/23 and 25 Religion and Sport

Read: Playing with God, pp. 1 – 128

Week 7: 3/2 and 4 Religion and Sport

Read: Playing with God, pp. 129 – end

Week 8: 3/9 and 11 Football and religion

Read: Gameday and God: Football, Faith, and Politics in the American (entire book)

Week 9: 3/16 and 18 Spring Break

Week 10: 3/23 and 25 Baseball and religion

Read: Rounding the Bases, pp. 1 - 110

Week 11: 3/30 and 4/1 Baseball and religion

Read: Rounding the bases, pp. 111 – end

Week 12: 4/6 and 8 Religion and Sport in Non-Western Societies

Film: High School Baseball in Japan
§ Read:  Excerpt from Samurai Way of Baseball

Week 13: 4/13 and 15 Religion and Sport in Non-Western Societies

Read: Zen Bow, Zen Arrow, entire book

Week 14: 4/20 and 22 Presentations

Week 15: 4/27 and 29 Presentations

Week 16: 5/4 and 6 Presentations

ADDITIONAL READINGS

Andrews, David (ed.).  Michael Jordan, Inc.: Corporate Sport, Media Culture, and Late Modern America.  SUNY Press, 2001.

Annotated Biblography. Sociology of Sport Journal, 1989, Vol. 6 Issue 2, p182-190.

Ardell, Jean H. Breaking into Baseball: Women & the National Pastime. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2005 

Baker, Aaron. Contesting Identities: Sports in American Film. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2003. 

Baker, Aaron and Todd Boyd, eds. Out of Bounds: Sports, Media, and the Politics of Identity. Bloomington : Indiana University Press, 1997. 

Birrell, Susan and Cheryl Cole (eds.).  Women, Sport, and Culture.  Human Kinetics Publishers.  1994.

Blanchard, Kendall.  The Anthropology of Sport: An Introduction.  Bergin & Garvey, 1995.

Bolin, Anne and Jane Granskog (eds.).  Athletic Intruders: Ethnographic Research on Women, Culture, and Exercise.  SUNY Press, 2003.

Boyle, R. and R. Haynes.  Power Play: Sport, The Media and Popular Culture.  Longman, 2000.

Cassidy, Rebecca.  The Sport of Kings: Kinship, Class, and  Thoroughbred Breeding in Newmarket. Cambridge University Press,  2002.

Coakley, Jay.  Sport in Society: Issues and Controversies, 6th Edition.  McGraw Hill, 1997.

Crawford, Gary.  Consuming Sport: Fans, Sport, and Culture.  Routledge, 2004.

Dimeo, P., Mills, J. (eds.). Soccer in South Asia: Empire, Nation, Diaspora.  Frank Cass Publishers, 2001

Donelly, P.  International Workshop of Sport Sociology in Japan - "Sport and Humanism: The Possibility and Limitation of Sport in Contemporary Society" (Gotemba, Japan, 4-7 September, 1988). International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 1989, Vol. 24 Issue 2, p176-178.

Edwards, Harry.  Sociology of Sport.  Dorsey Press, 1973.

Eisen, George and David Wiggins (eds.).  Ethnicity and Sport in North American History and Culture.  SUNY Press, 1994.

Fernandez-Balboa, Juan-Miguel.  Critical Postmodernism in Human Movement, Physical Education, and Sport.  SUNY Press, 1997.

Hargreaves, J.  Sport, Culture, and Ideology.  Routledge and Keagan Paul, 1982.

Higgs, Robert J. God in the Stadium: Sports & Religion in America. Lexington, Ky.: The University of Kentucky Press, 1995.

Huizinga, Johan. Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play Element in Culture, 1950.

Howe, P. David.  Sport, Professionalism, and Pain: Ethnographies of Injury and Risk.  Routledge, 2004.

Jokl, Ernst.  Medical Sociology and Cultural Anthropology of Sport and Physical Education.  Thomas, 1964.

Jonsson, Hjorleifur. “Mien through Sports and Culture: Mobilizing Minority Identity in Thailand.” Ethnos 68, 3 (2003): 317-40. 

Laughlin, Charles D. and Miracle, A. W.  Ritual and Sport: Speical issue of the Journal of Ritual Studies.  7(1), 1993. Articles: Insearch of the Ultimate: Ritual Aspects of the Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon; Mesquaki Sports Participation as an Adolescent Rite of Passage; Qing Dynasty Grand Sacrifice and Communist national Sports Games: Rituals of the Chinese State?; Professional Wrestling: Moral Commentary Through Ritual Metaphor; Revealing the Hidden: The Epiphanic Dimension of Games and Sport; The ritual Dimension of Karate-d!; The Athlete and Ritual Timing: An Experimental Study; Zen Handgun: Sports Ritual and Experience.

Ladd, Tony, and James A. Mathisen. Muscular Christianity: Evangelical Protestants and the Development of American Sport. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1999.

McBride, James. Symptomatic Expression of Male Neuroses: Collective Effervescence, Male Gender Performance, and the Ritual of Football. In God in the Details: American Religion in Popular Culture, ed. Eric Michael Mazur and Kate McCarthy, 123-38. New York: Routledge, 2001.

Michael R. Professional Wrestling as Ritual Drama in American Popular Culture. Lewiston, N.Y.: Edwin Mellen Press, 1990.

McLaughlin, A.  Korea/Japan or Japan/Korea? The Saga of Co-hosting the 2002 Soccer World Cup. Journal of Historical Sociology, Dec2001, Vol. 14 Issue 4, p481, 27p;

Mills, J.  A Historiography of South Asian Sport. Contemporary South Asia 10, 2 (2001):207-221.

Novak, Michael. The Joy of Sports: End Zones, Bases, Baskets, Balls, and the Consecration of the American Spirit. New York : Basic Books, 1976.

Oleksak, Michael M. and Mary Adams Oleksak. Beisbol: Latin Americans and the Grand Old Game. Grand Rapids, MI: Masters Press, 1991.  

Price, Joseph L., ed. From Season to Season: Sports as American Religion. Mercer University Press, 2001.

Riess, Steven A. Sports and the American Jew. Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, 1998.

Sands, Robert R. (ed.)  Anthropology, Sport, and Culture.  Bergin & Gavrvey, 1999.

Sands, Robert R.  Sport and Culture: At Play in the Fields of Anthropology.  Simon & Schuster, 1999.

Sands, Robert R.  Sport Ethnography.  Human Kinetics Publishers, 2002.

Wagner, E. A. Sport in Asia and Africa: A Comparative Handbook.  Greenwood Press, 1989.

Wagner, E. A.  Sport in Asia and Africa: Americanization or Mundialization?  Sociology of Sport Journal, 1990, Vol. 7 Issue 4, p399-402.

MEETS WITH ANT 324L & ANS 361
BUR 112
Instructor: John Traphagan, Department of Religious Studies
BUR 426; 232-0874; jtraphagan@mail.utexas.edu
Office Hours: MW 12:00pm - 1:30pm

Health-care professionals, bio-medical researchers, patients, and families in all societies have come to increasingly be faced with ethical issues that arise with the development of new medical technologies as well as awareness of alternative approaches to thinking about health and illness. This course focuses on ethical questions related to topics such as allocation of medical resources, stem cell research and cloning, organ transplantation, abortion, human experimentation, prolonging life and the right to die, suicide, euthanasia, and diagnosis and treatment of illnesses such as Alzheimer disease, AIDS, and mental disorders. We will explore these topics from a global perspective, emphasizing how cultural values inform ethical decision-making and how different cultural/ethical systems address and define moral issues that arise in relation to medical care. We will explore ethical theories that have been used in the West to consider medical practice and compare these with approaches in non-Western cultures such as Japan and India. The course will emphasize use of case studies to explore issues in medical ethics and to develop the ability to apply ethical theories in ways sensitive to variations in cultural values.

Throughout the course we will discuss and debate difficult moral issues and it is likely that members of the class will have different, sometimes profoundly different, ideas about what is right and wrong. You should feel free to express and support your position; this is an important component of the class. However, it is equally important that all members of the class respect the opinions of others and listen to their arguments.

Required Books

The following books are required and are available in the University Co-op. However, I encourage you to look for copies at Amazon.com or other Internet sites, as you may be able to find cheaper (new or used) copies of the books.

ISBN:0195143329 PRINCIPLES OF BIOMEDICAL ETHICS , BEAUCHAMP
ISBN:0807046191 WOMAN IN THE BODY (W/NEW INTRO), MARTIN
ISBN:0195309723 Case Studies in Biomedical Ethics, Veatch, Haddad, and English
ISBN:0791445003 TAMING OBLIVION, TRAPHAGAN

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

Assignment Total Possible Points     Percentage of Grade       Due Date
First Exam            400                                      25                                     9/25
Second Exam        400                                      25                                     10/23
Third Exam           500                                      31.25                                12/4
Pop Quizzes          200                                     12.5                                   Unannounced
Self Evaluation       100                                      6.25                                  12/2
Total                 1600                                100

Self Evaluation: You are required to write one self-evaluation on a form, available on Blackboard, that assesses your performance in the class.

STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS

This course will employ the new plus and minus grading system, that is effective for the Fall 09 semester. Grades are assigned as follows: 98 - 100 = A+, 93-96 = A; 90 - 92 = A-, 88 - 89 = B+, 83 - 87 = B, 80 - 82 = B-; 78 - 79 = C+, 73 - 77 = C, 70 - 72 = C-; 68 - 70 = D+, 63 - 67 = D, 60 - 62 = D-; below 60 = F. There is no scaling of grades. You are expected to attend class regularly and to participate in discussion. There are no extra credit assignments in this class. In general, I do not "bump" up final grades that are borderline. An 89 is a B+, a 79 is a C+, etc. I may make exceptions for students who have been regular contributors to class discussion.

GRADING RUBRIC

Grade / Expectations / Standards

A  The grade of A will be only given for exemplary work. The paper, presentation, or exam demonstrates a detailed understanding of the topic and provides a creative and scholarly analysis of the issues. There is a clear thesis and the thesis is well-supported. It is clearly written, without typographical errors, spelling mistakes, or grammatical errors.
B  This grade will be given to an exam, presentation, or paper that presents material clearly, shows a basic understanding of the topic and provides a clear analysis of the issues. It is well written, but may have some typographical errors, spelling mistakes, or grammatical problems (there are few, however). There is room for improvement in both presentation and content/structure of the argument.
C  This grade will be given to a product that shows some problems in terms of understanding and analyzing the materials. There are problems with writing, some typographical errors, spelling mistakes, or grammatical problems. These are sufficient to hinder understanding of the writing and argument. There are problems in the argument and its supporting data.
D  This is given when there are significant problems related to understanding and analysis of materials. The argument is poorly presented or is very weak. There are major problems with writing, presentation style, spelling, grammar, etc.
F  This grade is given when there are extremely serious deficiencies related to understanding and analysis of the topic at hand and there are major problems with writing, presentation style, spelling, grammar, etc. The grade F indicates a very serious deficiency in the paper, presentation, or exam.
A/B, B/C, B-/B+, etc.  Grades such as A/B indicate a paper, presentation, or exam that is borderline. This means thatthe paper is between the two grades. An A/B indicates the paper, presentation, exam, etc. is closer to an A; a B/A indicates it is closer to a B.

Policy on Examination and Assignment Schedule: Examinations are to be taken on the assigned date and time and assignments are to be turned in on the assigned date.

• Late assignments will not be accepted in this class; if you turn in an assignment late, I will not read it and you will not receive any credit for the assignment.
• If a due date conflicts with a religious holiday, you must contact the instructor prior to that date to arrange an alternative date to turn-in the assignment. If you have some type of important event, and can prove it, I will be happy to discuss an alternate date and time for you to turn in your assignment-discussing it does not necessarily mean that I will approve the change in due dates. You must give at least five business days prior notice in order to receive an exception to a due date.
• Emergencies will be handled on a case-by-case basis, but will require evidence that proves that you actually encountered a situation that prevented you from turning in your assignment on time. Excuses such as being confused about a due date or failing to wake-up early enough to make it to class and turn in your assignment will not be considered acceptable and will receive a grade of zero.

Appealing Grades

It is important to understand that you earn your grades on assignments and exams and that you earn your final grade for the course-I do not assign grades to your work, rather, based upon the quality of the work you turn in, I arrive at an opinion about the grade which you have earned. The grade you earn is based upon the quality of the work you turn in-there are no other criteria that are used to arrive at a grade.

Should you find that you disagree with me on a grade you receive for an assignment you turn in, you have the option of appealing your grade. If you want to appeal your grade, you must follow the steps below within two days of my returning the graded assignments. If you are not in class to receive the returned assignment, you still have only two days from the date that I return them--you do not have two days from the date that you receive your graded assignment (once I have returned the assignment to the class, the clock is ticking). Follow these directions--if you do not follow the directions, I may not be willing to consider your appeal:

• Provide the original assignment with any comments I have written on it, including the grade given. Keep a copy for yourself.
• Include a written explanation of why you believe that you have earned a grade different from the one I believe you have earned. The written explanation must indicate clearly that you are appealing your grade. I will assume that you will be appealing for a higher grade, but should you want to lower your grade, you are welcome to appeal for that as well. The written explanation should be no more than two paragraphs in length-it must be typed (single space is fine). Part of the success of your appeal will be based upon the quality of your argument as to whythe grade I believe you earned is not appropriate.  In your argument, you must indicate the exact grade that you believe you earned and explain why you believe this to be the case.   
• Keep in mind that the amount of time or effort you put into an assignment is not an adequate reason for changing a grade.  If you spend four years working on something and turn in a product of poor quality, you will still receive a low grade.  While there is no question that there is a correlation between the amount of work and time you put into an assignment and the grade you earn, as an instructor I cannot take into account how much time/effort you put into the assignment beyond the evident quality of the work you turn in.  If you appeal your grade on the basis of the fact that you put a lot of work into the assignment, do not expect to receive a positive response.  I may sympathize with you and will be more than happy to discuss how you can improve the quality of your work; but I am unlikely to change your grade.   
• Also keep in mind that asking me to “round up” a grade that is close to a higher grade is not considered an acceptable appeal.  You may appeal a grade only when you believe that I have made an error in grading or have been unfair in my conclusion about the grade you have earned.
• NOTE:  In the case of a simple error in calculating your grade, you do not need to go through the above process. Simply see me after class and point out the error.   
• You may be asked to come to my office hours to discuss your appeal.  If this happens, come prepared to discuss/debate your appeal and to support your argument.
• Should you wish to discuss an appeal prior to actually submitting it, you are welcome to do so during my next office hours following return of the assignment.  To do this you need to make an appointment with me within two days of receiving the assignment; you will then have two days following our meeting to write your appeal.   
• If you want to appeal your final grade, you must provide all original graded materials for the semester to the instructor within five days of grades being posted to the CliPS online system.  All of the above apply to appeals of final grades; however, I may not be able to meet with you ahead of your appeal.   
• Appealing a grade means that you are requesting that I re-evaluate your assignment(s) and the grade I believe you have earned.  It is possible, although unlikely, that I will lower your grade if I feel that you have earned a grade which is lower than the one I originally believed to be appropriate.   

POLICY ON Q-DROPS

As a rule, I will not sign forms requesting a Q-drop.  It is your responsibility to attend class and keep up with the work.  If you encounter an emergency during the semester that interferes with your attendance and work, please call or visit my office to discuss the situation and see if there is an alternative to dropping the course.  If you come to my office with a Q-drop form at the end of the semester, having not attended class or completed the work, expect me to refuse to sign the form.

POLICY ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

You are expected to adhere to university requirements on academic honesty and integrity. Behaviors such as plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, copying of another student's work, or cheating on examinations in any form will be viewed as an offense against the academic community and will be dealt with accordingly. If you are uncertain about what constitutes academic integrity (for example, if you are uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism), you can either meet with the instructor or visit the web site of Student Judicial Services (http://www.utexas.edu/depts/dos/sjs/). In the event that a student is found engaging in behavior that violates university policies on academic integrity, as stipulated by the office of Student Judicial Services, the student will receive the grade of F for the course and will be reported to the office of Student Judicial Services, where further disciplinary action may be taken. There will be no exceptions.

UNIVERSITY ELECTRONIC NOTIFICATION POLICY

All students should become familiar with the University's official e-mail student notification policy. It is the student's responsibility to keep the University informed as to changes in his or her e-mail address. Students are expected to check e-mail on a frequent and regular basis in order to stay current with University-related communications, recognizing that certain communications may be time-critical. It is recommended that e-mail be checked daily, but at a minimum, twice per week. The complete text of this policy and instructions for updating your e-mail address are available at http://www.utexas.edu/its/policies/emailnotify.html.

In this course e-mail will be used as a means of communication with students. You will be responsible for checking your e-mail regularly for class work and announcements.

POLICY ON LAPTOPS AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY USAGE IN CLASS

You are encouraged to bring your laptop computer to class to use for taking notes. You also will have opportunities in class to work in groups and having your laptop may facilitate the ease of working together. However, I do not want you to surf the web or otherwise use your computer for things not related to class while I am lecturing or when you are working in your groups. Aside from the fact that it is rude, it is distracting to other students (particularly those behind you during lectures) and also distracts YOU from the lecture or discussion. My lectures may be boring, but I still expect you to pay attention. Don't think that because I cannot see your screen, I don't have any idea that you are surfing the web. It is actually quite easy to tell when people are surfing the web simply by looking at their faces. If I find that a student is not adhering to this policy, I will ask the student to meet me during office hours to discuss an appropriate penalty. Expect a minimum of a 5% reduction in your final grade if you are caught using your laptop during class for purposes unrelated to the course.

Please turn off your cell phone before coming to class, unless you don't mind my stopping class and asking you to answer a call while we all wait and listen (yes, I've done it before).

Some students, particularly those for whom English is not their first language, may wish to record lectures. You are welcome to do so.

DOCUMENTED DISABILITY POLICY

Students with disabilities who require special accommodations need to get a letter that documents the disability from the Services for Students with Disabilities area of the Office of the Dean of Students (471-6259 voice or 471-4641 TTY for users who are deaf or hard of hearing). This letter should be presented to the instructor at the beginning of the semester and accommodations needed should be discussed at that time. We do not have any in-class exams, however, if you need any sort of special accommodation for assignments, you need to give me at least five business days notice so that we can work out what you need. See following website for more information: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/ssd/providing.php.

CITATION STYLE

All papers for this course should follow the bibliographic and citation format of the American Anthropologist. When an idea is taken from a particular book or article, the source should be noted in the text with the author's name, date of the publication, and page number, e.g., (Hendry 1995: 139) to indicate that this particular piece of information, or this idea, was taken from page 139 of a 1995 publication by Hendry. If the item is quoted, it should be put in quotation marks, e.g., "Nowadays, both types of marriage persist, and it is not even always possible to classify a particular marriage as ‘love' or ‘arranged', although people like to talk as though it were" (Hendry 1995: 139).

The book or article should then be listed in the bibliography, which lists only those items cited in the text, as follows:

Hendry, Joy
    1995      Understanding Japanese Society. 2nd edition. New York: Routledge.

Failure to attribute ideas and quotations to their sources constitutes plagiarism and will be dealt with accordingly (see policy on academic honesty above).

Office Hours

My office hours for this semester are listed at the beginning of this syllabus. I will normally be in my office during those hours; however, I am often also in my office at other times. You are free to visit my office at any time--you are not limited to visiting during office hours. If the door is shut, just knock. If I am busy (with meetings, writing, other work, etc.) outside of office hours, I will let you know or I won't answer the door.

Tentative Schedule

Readings that are marked with the symbol §, are available on Blackboard. All case studies must be read prior to discussion on Friday of each week. Readings should be completed by Monday of each week, with the exception of week 1.

Week 1 8/26-28: Introduction, Moral Norms

Lepore, "It's Spreading; Outbreaks, media scares, and the parrot panic of 1930" The New Yorker, 6/1/09. Have this read by Thursday.

Beachamp and Childress, Chapter 1
§ Case Study 1 (Smoking Bans) Discussed on Friday
http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/genbio/olc_linkedcontent/bioethics_cases/g-bioe-09.htm

Week 2 8/31 - 9/4: Moral Character

Beachamp and Childress, Chapter 2
Veatch, et al. pp. 3 - 19

Week 3 9/7 - 9/11: Moral Theories

Beachamp and Childress, Chapters 8 and 9
Veatch, et al. Chapter 1 - 3

Week 4 9/14 - 18: Autonomy

Beachamp and Childress, Chapter 4
Veatch, et al. Chapters 6

Week 5 9/21 - 25: Beneficence and Nonmaleficence

Beachamp and Childress, Chapters 5 and 6
Veatch, et al. Chapter 4
First exam on Friday 9/25

Week 6 9/28 - 10/2: Justice

Beachamp and Childress, Chapter 6

Week 7 10/5 - 10/9: Professional-Patient Relationship

Beachamp and Childress, Chapter 7
Veatch, et al. Chapters 7 and 8

Week 8 10/12 - 16

Film: TBA

Week 9 10/19-23: Life and Death

Veatch et al, Chapters 10, 18

Week 10 10/26 - 30: Human Experimentation

Veatch et al., Chapters 9, 16, and 17
Second exam on Friday, 10/23

Week 11 11/2 - 6: Biomedicine and aging

Traphagan, Taming Oblivion, Chapter 1 -4
Veatch et al., Chapter 12

Week 12 11/9 - 13

Traphagan, Taming Oblivion, Chapters 5 - end
Veatch, et al., Chapter 5

Week 13 11/16 - 2: Abortion

Veatch et al., Chapter 10

Week 14 11/23 - 27: Gender and Biomedicine

Martin, Intro through Chapter 4
Veatch et al., Chapter 11

Week 15 11/30 - 12/4: Gender and Biomedicine

Martin, remainder of book
Third exam on Friday 12/4

Please check back for updates.

Please see the academic advisor for more information.

Study of various Asian studies-related topics that do not focus on any single geographic region.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Prerequisite: Graduate standing; additional prerequisites vary with the topic and are given in the Course Schedule.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please see the academic advisor for more information.

Study of various aspects and periods of Japanese culture and society.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Prerequisite: Graduate standing; additional prerequisites vary with the topic and are given in the Course Schedule.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Study of various aspects and periods of Japanese culture and society.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Prerequisite: Graduate standing; additional prerequisites vary with the topic and are given in the Course Schedule.

Please check back with updates.

Please check back with updates.

Study of various Asian studies-related topics that do not focus on any single geographic region.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Prerequisite: Graduate standing; additional prerequisites vary with the topic and are given in the Course Schedule.

Please check back with updates.

This course is aimed at providing a broad-based introduction to Japanese history, society and culture, beginning with prehistoric times and continuing to present.  We will follow a chronological format, focusing on understanding how Japanese who lived in different historical periods created particular political, social and cultural systems to realize their beliefs and values.  In addition to the main textbook, course materials will include literature, historical documents, art, and film.

Study of various aspects and periods of Japanese culture and society.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Prerequisite: Graduate standing; additional prerequisites vary with the topic and are given in the Course Schedule.

Please check back for updates.

Study of various aspects and periods of Japanese culture and society.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Prerequisite: Graduate standing; additional prerequisites vary with the topic and are given in the Course Schedule.

Please check back with updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Study of various aspects and periods of Japanese culture and society.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Prerequisite: Graduate standing; additional prerequisites vary with the topic and are given in the Course Schedule.

This course is aimed at providing a broad-based introduction to Japanese history, society and culture, beginning with prehistoric times and continuing to present.  We will follow a chronological format, focusing on understanding how Japanese who lived in different historical periods created particular political, social and cultural systems to realize their beliefs and values.  In addition to the main textbook, course materials will include literature, historical documents, art, and film.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.