ANTHROPOLOGY 3160

Paul Shankman

Spring 2004

This course is about the peoples of the South Pacific -- that tiny part of humanity that lives on islands in an ocean which covers one-third of the earth's surface. The peoples of Oceania are not particularly important in terms of the world's past or future, but they continue to fascinate us with images of blue lagoons, pristine beaches, and swaying palms. Perhaps this is the reason that movies like "Cast Away" and shows like "Survivor" interest so many people. The myth of tropical paradise lives on, and our romance with the myth draws us to the islands.

The topics covered in this course reflect our curiosity about the South Seas, from romantic myths to anthropological realities. We will be examining each of the three sub-areas of Oceania -- Melanesia, Polynesia, and Micronesia -- focusing on traditional cultures as well as recent developments. The content of the course is based on some of the great stories about the South Pacific. We will begin with an overview of the prehistory of the South Pacific, discussing how this vast and previously uninhabited area was settled, with a special look at the mystery of Easter Island.

Then we will look at the lives and works of two great anthropologists. Bronislaw Malinowski worked in the legendary Trobriand Islands during World War I, and Margaret Mead worked in Samoa in the 1920s. Mead’s Coming of Age in Samoa became one of anthropology’s all-time best sellers, popularizing the private lives of young Samoans. But it later became a source of great controversy; we will examine the issues in this controversy in some detail.

We will then move on to the contemporary Pacific, reviewing how economic and environmental changes are rapidly transforming the islands today. In this final section of the course, we will examine the dramatic impact of globalization and environmental change. As always, the most important contribution of anthropology is to provide convincing accounts of what is happening to people in real life situations. And we will try to do that.

The books for the course are:

Paul Theroux The Happy Isles of Oceania.

Cathy Small Voyages

Margaret Mead Coming of Age in Samoa.

Carl McDaniel and John Gowdy Paradise for Sale: A Parable of Nature.

They will be available at the CU Bookcenter and the Colorado Bookstore. In addition, there will be three required reading packets on electronic reserve.

Every teacher wants his or her students to think about course material, but this is sometimes difficult because students have other things to do. We teachers encourage involvement with interesting topics, good documentaries, and excellent books, but even then there is student resistance. So we resort to exams, believing that fear will be the mother of intelligence. In this course, there will be three in-class exams, each counting for 25% of your final grade. There will also be one take-home essay exam that will also count for 25% of your final grade. The take-home essay will allow you to think about the material rather than simply learning it. It will allow you to analyze, synthesize, criticize, and master the material. This is what higher education should be about, and I wish the class was smaller so we could do more take-home essay exams.

In addition to scheduled course meetings, discussions outside of class will be available to you. Take advantage of them. Times will be announced in class. My office hours are Wednesdays (1-3) and Thursdays (3-4) in Hale 466, or by appointment at a time convenient for you. To call or leave voice mail, please phone 303-492-6628. My e-mail address is: paul.shankman@colorado.edu

Students with disabilities who may need academic accommodations should see me within the first two weeks of the course. The Office of Disability Services determines these accommodations based on documented disabilities. Please contact them for further information by phone (303-4938671) or in Willard 322.

Extra credit work may help you earn a higher grade in the course if you are in a borderline grade situation at the end of the semester. That is, if you are near a particular overall grade but not quite there at the end of the semester, extra credit will help. For example, extra credit could move you from a B to a B+ or from a B+ to an A-. If you are not close, though, it won't help. I will be able to tell you whether extra credit will improve your final grade after exam #3. You can earn extra credit by viewing one film about the South Pacific, doing some historical background reading on it, and writing up a short essay about 4 pages in length. Extra credit films include one of the three versions of ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ or ‘Once Were Warriors’. There may also be other extra credit possibilities. The readings for each film will be on electronic reserve.

January 14: Introduction

January 21 - February 25: Peopling of the South Pacific: The Prehistory of Oceania

March 3 - March 31: The Many Faces of Paradise

April 7 -21: The Changing Pacific: Development and Environmental Degradation

April 18: Conclusion

TENTATIVE EXAM SCHEDULE

NOTE: The format for in-class exams includes short identification and true-false questions. An essay question may be added.