Topics in Anthropology (490-0-4)
Topic
Households & Everyday Life
Instructors
Cynthia Robin
847/491-4835
1812 Hinman Ave., Room #104, EV Campus
Cynthia Robin is Professor of Anthropology. Her research specialization is in the ancient Maya civilization where she has been working as an archaeologist for the past 40 years. She is interested in using archaeology as a tool to explore the everyday lives of ordinary people to show how the lives of ordinary people make an impact on human societies. She has recently completed research at the ancient Maya farming community of Chan in Belize, Central America which was occupied for 2000 years from 800 BC to AD 1200 (http://www.anthropology.northwestern.edu/subfields/archaeology/chan/index.html). The people who lived at Chan were ordinary farmers and the goal of research at Chan is to explore the importance of farmers¿ everyday lives. Starting in summer 2015, she is embarking on a new research project at the ancient Maya city of Aventura, also in Belize. Aventura is a city that survived the Maya collapse and may hold answers to how humans can create sustainable cities.
Meeting Info
ANTHRO Sem Rm 104 - 1810 Hinmn: Tues 2:00PM - 4:50PM
Overview of class
In a few short decades the field of household archaeology has emerged and exploded within contemporary archaeology. On an empirical level this may be because archaeological remains of houses are ubiquitous in the archaeological record. On a theoretical level this may be because studies of households lead us to focus on peopled pasts. Thus despite its short history, household archaeology has taken a leading role in epistemological shifts which place people and their practices and differences at the center of archaeological interpretations of the past, rather than subsuming these into the "noise" of passive and depersonalized depictions of social systems. Our studies of household archaeology across this course will lead us to consider the importance of studying everyday life in the past. A study of everyday life in the past can lead to a more democratic understanding of societies inclusive of the full range of people that inhabited past societies. Studies of households and everyday life are not without their detractors and these detractors are often quite hostile. Because households and daily life are often considered "micro" domains were people interact with one another, they are not considered suitable areas of studies to answer "macro" questions of politics and society. In this class we will explore how "micro" and "macro" intersect in the analysis households and daily life making these vibrant domains to understand how micro (self, interaction, experience) and macro (institutions, power relations, society) merge as they shape and are shaped by people and societies. This class is designed to be a forum for collaborative discussion on central issues and ethical considerations in contemporary archaeology. Participants will be encouraged to apply household and everyday life studies in their own research.
Registration Requirements
Graduate Students
Learning Objectives
"1. To develop a graduate-level understanding of the field of household archaeology.
2. To articulate the importance of studies of everyday life.
3. To appreciate the ethical dimensions of archaeological research as seen through household and everyday life studies.
4. To apply household and everyday life studies in their own research."
Teaching Method
Seminar with discussion, discussion leading, small group activities, and mini lectures
Evaluation Method
Participation, Presentations, Reading Response Papers, Final Project
Class Materials (Required)
There are no reading material costs for this course. There are two required books for this class. Electronic copies of both books are available free to students through the NU library. The two books are, Everyday Life Matters: Maya Farmers at Chan by Cynthia Robin (2013, ISBN-10 0813062101), and Historical Archaeology and Indigenous Collaboration: Discovering Histories that Have Futures by D. Rae Gould et al (2020, ISBN-10 0813066212). All additional course readings will be articles or book chapters available to students at no cost through the course Canvas site. Students are certainly welcome to purchase their own copies of the two required texts if they wish to own these books (Everyday Life Matters lists at $24.95 and Historical Archaeology and Indigenous Collaboration lists at $85.00) but should be aware that they can access free electronic copies of these books through the NU library.
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Graduate Students.