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Fall 2006 |
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DR. RICHARD WILK |
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Anthropology E618 |
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Fridays 12:20-2:50 |
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Professor's
Office: 242 Student Building, phone 855-3901, email: WILKR |
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Office Hours: Tuesday 10AM-1PM or by appointment |
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Class Website: http://www.indiana.edu/~wanthro/e618.htm |
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Is the whole world
drinking Coke®? |
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And what makes Coke®
different from other Colas? |
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Is
the world becoming one big McDonalds, dominated by global brands, multinationals,
and Hollywood media? Or is there a resurgence of nationalism and
fundamentalism that is creating new kinds of local cultures founded in
existing traditions? And is consumerism going to eventually destroy the
planet's ecology? This course looks at the phenomenon of consumer culture in
general, and then asks how that consumer culture has spread around the world,
and what effects it is having on all of us. This semester the special topical
focus of the course will be the issue of authenticity,
a concept which plays a crucial role in global consumer culture. |
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COURSE DESCRIPTION |
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The world is in the grip of
unprecedented social and cultural changes, as world trade in consumer goods begins
a new phase of expansion. Global communications media and cheap air travel
have reduced the costs of cross-cultural connections of all kinds, boosting
television, tourism and emigration to new levels. At the same time, following
the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, capitalism has become more pervasive, less
nationally-limited and more powerful all over the world. Global financial
integration proceeds at a furious pace, while commodity flows
increase, and countries become increasingly dependent on each other for food
and basic commodities. |
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Something important is
happening, and we are only beginning to understand what the effects will be
on our lives and on the knots of shared identity and practice that
anthropologists have always called "cultures." One important
dimension of this global change is the dramatic increase in the consumption
of goods manufactured, designed and/or marketed by firms based in Europe,
North America and |
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This course will take a
critical look at global consumerism as a practice and at the discourse (both popular
and academic) about consumerism. We will also read some current theory from
transnational studies, anthropology, sociology, history, and cultural studies
that can provide tools for evaluating and understanding consumerism. After we have read about globalization and
consumer culture, we will focus for the second half of the semester on the
cultural currency of the global marketplace – the quality of goods which
gives them cultural meaning grounded in a particular time and place. What is fake and what is authentic? What kinds of expertise and
special knowledge establish authenticity, and what kinds of practices
undermine it? We will take a field trip to |
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This is new intellectual
territory. There are at present very few good books which focus on
authenticity in a sophisticated way. A publisher has asked me to edit a book
of essays on the topic, and I am hoping that each of you will write one of
the chapters. This means that I expect a very high standard of research and
writing for this course. |
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Course Structure
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This is a graduate reading and
discussion seminar. I will often summarize topics at the beginning of the
class, and then ask you to take the initiative in discussing the readings for
the second half. We will read a selected list of books and articles, and
discuss them each week. You are responsible for keeping up with the reading
and coming to class meetings where you will participate in the discussions.
We will be keeping up a fast pace, so don't fall behind. |
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Each of you will produce an
abstract for your book chapter by the middle of the semester. This will be
peer-reviewed, as will be the draft you turn in two weeks before the end of
class. |
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Grading and Course Requirements |
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One quarter of
your grade in the course will be based on my assessment of your class participation,
based on how well you keep up with the reading and contribute to class
discussion based upon it. I will from time to time ask each of you to take
the lead in class discussion, and I will grade you on your performance. |
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The other three
quarters of your grade will be
based on your book project, your abstract, and on the quality of the peer
reviews you provide when you read other students’ papers. |
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Required Texts: (Available in IU bookstores and TIS.) |
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Course articles on electronic
reserve in the Geography Library at http://ereserves.indiana.edu/eres/courseindex.aspx?error=&page=instr |
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Slater, D. 1997 Consumer Culture and
Modernity. Polity. 0745603041 |
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Beynon,
John and David Dunkerley 2000 Globalization: The Reader. Routledge.
0415929229 |
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Schrift,
Melissa 2001 Biography of a Chairman
Mao Badge. |
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Wilk, Richard 2006 Home Cooking in the Global Village. Berg.
1845203607 |
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Princen,
Tom 2002 Confronting Consumption.
MIT. 0262661284 |
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Baudrillard,
Jean 1994 Simulacra and Simulation.
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Phillips, Ruth and
Christopher Steiner 1999 Unpacking Culture:
Art and Commodity in Colonial and Postcolonial Worlds. |
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Bigenho,
Michelle 2002 Sounding Indigenous:
Authenticity in Bolivian Music Performance. Palgrave. 0312240155 |
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Salamandra,
Christa 2004 A New Old |
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Spencer, Ronald 2004 The Expert versus the Object
: Judging Fakes and False Attribution. |
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MacGillivray,
Alex 2006 A brief History of
Globalization. Carroll & Graff. 0786717106 |
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Fjellman,
Stephen 1992 Vinyl Leaves: Walt Disney
World and |
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In past years I have used
different books in this class – I like to keep up with the latest work, but this
does not mean that older books are not important and useful. You are not
required to read these books, but you will find them all
rewarding. |
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Burke, T. 1997 Lifebuoy
Men, Lux Women. Duke. 0822317621 |
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Miller, D. 1998 A
Theory of Shopping. Polity. 0745619460 |
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Horowitz, D. 1992 The
Morality of Spending. Elephant. 0929587774 |
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Durning, A.
1992 How Much Is Enough? Norton. 039330891 |
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Dominguez, J. V. Robin, J.
Dominguez 1999. Your Money or Your Life.
Penguin |
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0140286780 |
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Ryan, J., A. Durning.1997 Stuff:
The Secret Lives of Everyday Things. |
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Northwest Environment Watch.
1886093040 |
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Tobin, J. (ed.) 1992 Re-Made in |
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Featherstone, M. (ed.) 1990 Global Culture. Sage. |
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Walvin, J.
1997 Fruits of Empire. NYU. |
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Miller, D. 1995 (ed.) Acknowledging Consumption. Routledge. |
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Miller, D. 1997 Capitalism: An
Ethnographic Approach. |
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Miller, D. 1994 Modernity: An Ethnographic Approach.
Berg. |
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Taussig, M.
The Devil and Commodity Fetishism in |
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Basch, L.
et al. 1993 Nations Unbound.
Harwood. |
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Fiske, J. 1989 Understanding Popular Culture. Routledge. |
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McCracken, G. 1988 Culture and Consumption. |
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O'Barr, W.
1994 Culture and the Ad. Westview. |
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Andrae, G
& B. Beckman 1985 The Wheat Trap.
Zed. |
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Korten, D.
1995 When Corporations Rule the World.
Kumarian.1887208011 |
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Chin, E. 2001 Purchasing
Power. |
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Schor, J.
and D. Holt 2001 The Consumer Society Reader. New Press. 1565845986 |
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Waters, M. 1995 Globalization.
Routledge. 0415105765 |
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Hansen, K. 2000 Salaula. |
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Miller, D. 2001 Car
Cultures. Berg. 185973412X |
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Klein, N. 1999 No Logo. Picador.
0312271921 |
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Disclaimers, stylistic guidelines, legal
advisories, etc: |
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You are
responsible for keeping up with the readings and for attending class
regularly. Late assignments will be accepted, but grades will be reduced.
Incompletes are only given with good reason, and if I am notified two weeks
before the final exam date. You are not allowed to copyright any of my class
handouts or other materials, nor can you publish them or use them in public
presentations without my permission. |
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You are
encouraged to discuss with classmates and colleagues, and to collaborate in
studying, reading, digesting, and synthesizing class materials. I encourage
you to form study groups and/or reading discussion circles. BUT,
all written work you turn in must be your own individual work, unless you
make arrangements with me in advance for a co-authorship. Co-authored work
gets one grade which is shared by all authors. |
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Plagiarism is a
serious breach of academic ethics. Use full footnotes and references for all
quoted or attributed materials. Since we will be publishing class work on the
web, we need to pay careful attention to copyright restrictions on fair use.
We also need to use a uniform style for text and references: |
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American
Anthropologist reference and bibliography style is required for all class
materials. This means in-line citations. Check out a recent issue. |
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All
materials should be in Times New Roman font, 12 point type with 1-inch
margins all around. |
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Any
files submitted must be in either Microsoft Word or WordPerfect Windows or
DOS formats, or in HTML. Turn off all hyphenation. Try to use as little
italic and bold or underline style as possible, and avoid table formats
unless required. Spell check and virus check everything. |
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I am always
available for consultation and discussion in my office. Please don't wait until the last minute to discuss problems,
readings, or issues with me! I am always very busy, but I will always make
time to talk about something. |
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Email is often
the best way to ask me brief questions, to check on assignments, or make
short comments. If you miss class, contact me by email to find out if you
have been assigned some discussion for the next week. Most assignments and
communications will be sent to the class through Oncourse – so please set
your oncourse mail so it will automatically forward
to your regular mailbox. You are responsible for checking oncourse
every week, and keeping up with your oncourse mail. |
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