e-mail: jgranskog@csubak.edu W: 2:00-3:00

Course Description and Objectives:

Most of the people in underdeveloped countries (the "Third World" or "Other World") are found in rural agricultural communities, communities that are presently caught up to varying extents in global processes of agroindustrialization. The focus of this course is on the examination of the lifeways of such 'peasant', subaltern groups from representative societies of the Third World and how they cope with the stresses and problems produced by global capitalistic processes. The impact and importance of such 'peasant' cultures upon the future direction of the Western modern world will also be examined in depth. The main objectives of this course are thus as follows:

(1) To acquaint students with the basic features of peasant society as it has been defined historically as well as the similarities and differences between selected peasant communities by examining their variant forms of ecological adaptation, social organization, world view, and corresponding mechanisms for dealing with the larger global system of which they are a part.

(2) To provide students with the conceptual tools necessary to critically analyze the defining characteristics of 'peasants' and the complexities of their transformation into polybians through their increasing participation in global processes of agroindustrialism and thus to develop a holistic understanding of the nature of non-Western cultures as well as the dynamics of interaction implicit in globalization processes.

(3) To develop a more critical awareness of the differences and similarities between American culture and the non-Western cultures examined based upon the distinctive set of conditions and values within which we operate.

Required Texts:

Aminul Islam, A.K.M., 1987. A Bangladesh Village. Prospect Heights, Il: Waveland Press.

Granskog, Jane, 1998. Anthropology 370 - Third World Communities Course Review Handbook. Bakersfield, CA : CSUB Reprographics.

Kearney, Michael, 1996. Reconceptualizing the Peasantry. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

Re Cruz, A., 1996. The Two Milpas of Chan Kom. Albany, NY: SUNY Press

Recommended and Required Readings on Reserve (*Required Readings)

*Annis, S. and P. Hakim, 1988. Direct to the Poor: Grassroots Development in Latin America. Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers. Ch. 1, 4, 11, 15.

*Chonchol, J., 1990. "Agricultural Modernization and Peasant Strategies in Latin America." International Social Science Journal 42: 135-151.

Chambers, R., 1983. Rural Development: Putting the Last First. London: Longman.

Collier, George, 1994. Basta! Land and the Zapatista Rebellion. Oakland, CA: Food First Books.

Dube, S.C., 1988. "Cultural Dimensions of Development." International Social Science Journal 40: 505-511.

Ellis, Frank, 1988. Peasant Economics: Farm Households and Agrarian Development. Cambridge University Press.

Fakhouri, H., 1984. Kafr El-Elow, An Egyptian Village in Transition. Prospect Heights, Il: Waveland Press.

Granskog, Jane, 1974. Efficiency in a Zapotec Indian Agricultural Village. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Texas, Austin.

*Hackenberg. Robert, 1997. "Rural Development in the Global Village: An Oppositional Political Ecology?" Culture and Agriculture 19(3): 71-78.

Kearney, M., 1984. "Mexican Peasant World View" in World View, M. Kearney, pp. 171-206. Novato, CA: Chandler and Sharp Publishers, Inc.

*Moore Lappe', F. and J. Collins, 1979. World Hunger: Ten Myths. San Francisco: Food and Development Policy.

Roberts, B. 1990. "Peasants and Proletariats". Annual Review of Sociology 16: 353-377

Scott, J., 1976. The Moral Economy of the Peasant: Rebellion and Subsistance in Southeast Asia. New Haven: Yale University Press.

*Scott, J., 1990. "Everyday Forms of Peasant Resistance" in Customs in Conflict, The Anthropology of a Changing World, F. Manning and J.M. Philibert (Eds), pp. 413-448. Lewiston, NY: Broadview Press.

Sorj, B. and J. Wilkinson, 1990. "From Peasant to Citizen: Technological Change and Social Transformation in Developing Countries." International Social Science Journal 42: 125-133.

Spitzer, M., 1978. Faces of Change. American University Field Staff Inc., Wheelock Educational Resources.

*Stiles, D., 1987. "Classical versus Grassroots Development". Cultural Survival Quarterly 11(1): 3-7.

van Nieuwenhuijze, C.A.O., 1988. Culture and Development: False Dilemmas and Real Issues." International Social Science Journal 40: 513-523.

Warman, A., 1988. "The Rural World and Peasant Studies." International Social Science Journal 40: 499-504.

Wolf, E., 1966. Peasants. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall Inc.

Course Requirements:

There will be a midterm exam consisting of objective and subjective questions and a comprehensive final essay exam. There will also be a research paper between 12 (minimum) and 20 (maximum) typed, double spaced pages on a selected non-Western 'peasant' society of your own choosing. The focus of this research paper will be on delineating the significant forces shaping the character of the society and its interaction with the outside modern world utilizing the most relevant theoretical perspectives which will be compared and evaluated in terms of their relative strengths, weaknesses and overall applicability to the case chosen. You will be asked to discuss the material gathered on your society throughout the course. Home students will be able to participate in discussion through e-mail as well as calling in during class time. For this reason it is absolutely essential for everyone to complete and turn in the student profile form, including your e-mail address the FIRST WEEK of class.

Evaluation of Course Components:

Policy on Plagiarism:

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology will not accept or tolerate instances of academic fraud or plagiarism among its students or faculty. Plagiarism is an extremely serious offense. Using published or unpublished material without citing the source is plagiarism. You may use someone else's material if you enclose it in quotation marks and reference precisely its source. Such material, however, should be used sparingly, if at all. Simply paraphrasing someone else's material by minimal re-arrangement of the wording is also plagiarism. It is an equally serious offense if you write a paper for someone else, or copy someone else's work, or allow someone to copy your work. In all cases, this is cheating. Plagiarism and cheating result automatically in a grade of F for the course. College regulations also require that a letter be entered into the student's file regarding the infraction, and any second offense will lead to permanent dismissal from the university.

GUIDELINES FOR THE RESEARCH PAPER ON A NON-WESTERN 'PEASANT' SOCIETY

The focus of the research paper you have been asked to do on a selected peasant society can be delineated as follows:

Procedural Notes:

Remember to keep direct quotes to the bare minimum needed to support your assertions. When quoting directly or indirectly from one of your sources, note the reference as follows:

Wolf (Ibid: 12-14) clearly indicates the importance of this factor as follows:

BOOK:

Wolf, E., 1966. Peasants. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall Inc.

JOURNAL ARTICLE:

Stiles, D., 1987. "Classical versus Grassroots Development". Cultural Survival Quarterly 11(1): 3-7.

INTERNET SOURCE:

Flores, R., 1998. "Report from Chiapas" [WWW document] URL http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/chpintro.html (visited 1998, December 15).

Note 1: If quoting from the same source consecutively (i.e., two or more times in a row), use IBID instead of the author and publication date after the first usage or the pages cited in parentheses, e.g., (IBID: 7-8) or (pp. 7-8).

Note 2: You may wish to do a search on the internet as well as review recent issues of Cultural Survival Quarterly, the Journal of Peasant Studies, International Social Science Journal and Economic Development and Cultural Change for additional information on peasants in the geographical region that you have chosen to update the material you have obtained for the peasant society being investigated.

RESEARCH PAPER OUTLINE:

Your research paper should address each of the three questions noted above. One way to do this is to divide the paper into sections as follows:

Introduction - Describe the location and setting of the peasant community you have selected. Include a brief discussion of your major sources of information (e.g., major ethnography carried out, time period and focus of research done etc.). Conclude with a brief overview of what will be covered in the rest of the paper.

Ecological Setting - Describe the major features of ecological adaptation and economic organization for your society (focus on the household/family level). You may include here the major forms of economic interaction with the larger society -- i.e., participation in market systems, patterns of migration outside the region etc. -- if appropriate.

Social Organization - Describe the major units of social organization present in your society including all major forms of organization above the household level -- e.g., associations, agricultural co-ops, grassroots organizations present, etc.

Responses to Forces for Modernization/Globalization - Discuss the major factors and processes affecting the potential for change/transformation (including the forces for continued stability or traditionalism) in your society. Major points of interaction with the larger society should be summarized in this section. Conclude with an analysis of the different theoretical perspectives that you feel are most appropriate for understanding the present status of your society.

Conclusion - Summarize the major points made in your research paper with particular emphasis upon the prospective future of your society -- what do you think will happen in the future given the situation that you have described?

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ROUGH DRAFT

The rough draft must be typed and include a brief discussion of each of the major sections noted above. It need not be longer than 5-6 typed pages (or less, if the above sections are minimally covered). To obtain full credit, you must cite at least 3 scholarly references, one of which must be within the last 10 years. The rough draft will be evaluated on the basis of these criteria only -- grammatical correctness and style will not be a basis for evaluation until the final draft is assessed.

The rough draft of your paper will be due MONDAY February 15, 1999 . Your grade for the rough draft will be reduced by 20% for every class day that it is late -- e.g., if turned in on Wednesday February 17, you will receive a maximum of 8 instead of 10 points for the draft.

EVALUATION OF RESEARCH PAPERS

The major factors to be considered in the evaluation of the research papers include:

TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE