ANTHROPOLOGY 697V

RACE, ETHNICITY, AND XENOPHOBIA IN THE NEW EUROPE

W 12:20-3:20 pm, Spring 2006

Professor Krista Harper

CONTACT INFORMATION:

E-MAIL: kharper@anthro.umass.edu

PHONE: 577-0661

OFFICE: Machmer Hall 214

OFFICE HOURS: Tu 1-2:30 pm and by appt.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

From skinhead attacks on Roma (Gypsies) in Hungary following 1989 to this months' riots in the housing projects of Paris, race, ethnicity, and xenophobia have taken on new significance in political culture and everyday life across Europe. In this seminar, we will investigate ethnographic and historical work on "Europeanness" and the "new racism" in Europe. We will connect emerging body of research with more established anthropological literature on ethnonationalism, colony and metropole, and the Central European "culture" concept as used in European political discourse and in our own scholarly practice. Students will explore cross-cutting themes of migration, mobilization, gender, sexuality, and identity. Geographically, readings cover "Europe" from the UK to the former Soviet Union.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Over the course of the semester, we will work together toward the following goals:

1. Developing a richer, comparative understanding of key anthropological concepts of race, ethnicity, nation, citizenship, the problematic "West," and power.
2. Gaining a deeper knowledge of how difference is framed and enacted in European contexts: EU institutions, state-level institutions such as schools and clinics, ethnic and multicultural mobilizations, anti-immigrant movements, the media, and popular culture.
3. Developing a conceptual "map" of the diverse concepts of race, ethnicity, and xenophobia existing in different parts of Europe: Europeanization, postcolonial UK, post-Nazi Germany, postsocialist Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, French universalism, Central European concepts of culture, Mediterranean migration, and northern European debates about tolerance belie any notion of a cohesive European narrative on race and ethnicity, but nonetheless may have shared features.
4. Learning through cross-cultural comparison. We hope to gain greater insight on the ways that race, ethnicity,and racism in the U.S. Students whose main research focuses on the United States are encouraged to develop this comparative perspective in discussions and in the independent project.
5. Getting involved in networks of scholars doing research in/about Europe—BY preparing a presentation or panel for the May 20 UMass grad conference, learning more about the European Field Study program, and/or attending the Association for the Study of Nationalities meetings in NYC this March.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Students in this seminar must complete the following requirements:

1. Attend regularly and participate actively in a discussion of the readings,

2. Prepare weekly 1-2 page reflection papers on the readings ,

3. As part of a small team (2-3 students) facilitate class discussion twice over the course of the semester, and

4. Develop an independent research project on a topic related to the course's themes. You will present this research to the class in a "conference presentation" format during the last two weeks of the semester and also in a 15-20 page research paper, due on Wednesday, May 24.

REQUIRED TEXTS

Books available at Food for Thought Books, 106 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst.

Balibar, Étienne

2004 We, The People of Europe? Reflections on Transnational Citizenship. Princeton, NJ: Princeton.

Beriss, David

2005 Black Skins, French Voices: Caribbean Ethnicity and Activism in Urban France. Boulder, CO: Westview.

Brown, Jacqueline Nassy

2005 Dropping Anchor, Setting Sail: Geographies of Race in Black Liverpool. Princeton, NJ: Princeton.

Articles will be available in a file in 207 Machmer Hall; some will be distributed electronically.

SCHEDULE OF READINGS & ACTIVITIES

Week/Date	Theme/Activities	Read for class	Assignments	Extracurricular events
Week 1: Feb 1	Introductions; syllabus; film: La Haine (1992, Dir. Matthieu Kassowitz); discussion
Week 2: Feb 8	British politics of race, place, and nation; ethnographic research and writing.	Brown, Dropping Anchor, Setting Sail, Ch. 1-6, 8, and postscript.	Reflection
Week 3: Feb 15	Keywords: race, ethnicity, racism, exclusion	Paul A. Silverstein; Douglas Holmes; Jonathan Friedman et al.; Ruth Wodak and M. Reisigl; Hilary Silver and S.M. Miller (all will be posted on WebCT by evening of Feb. 8); Alana Lentin (selections will be be in Anthro 207 for photocopying).	Reflection	MCFF: 05/06 The Sixth Of May, 7:30 pm, 137 Isenberg SOM
Week 4: Feb 22	Keywords: Culture, Civilization, and "Europeanness"; discussion of initial project proposals and possible panels.	Norbert Elias; Christopher Hutton; Dan Segal; "Core Europe" debates (all of the above will be in Anthro 207 for photocopying); Verena Stolcke (to be posted on WebCT)	Reflection; Paper abstract; brainstorm panel ideas.	Friday, Feb. 24 is deadline for submitting paper and panel proposals to Grad student Conference.
Week 5: Mar 1	Keywords: Europeanization and Citizenship	Balibar, We the People of Europe; John Borneman and Nick Fowler review (to be posted on WebCT)	Reflection	MCFF: L'esquive/ Games Of Love & Chance, 7:30 pm, 137 Isenberg SOM
Week 6: Mar 8	Keywords: Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism	Exchange in November 2005 issue of American Ethnologist, Penina Werbner (to be posted on WebCT); other articles TBA	Reflection
Week 7: Mar 15	Keywords: Gender, Ethnicity, Migration	Jacqueline Andall, et al.; Danièle Jolie, et al.; Helma Lutz, et al.; Leyla Keough; Carolyn Sargent; Beverly Weber	Reflection	MCFF: ZIZEK! 7:30 pm, 137 Isenberg SOM (only partially related to our theme, but fun)
Spring break: 3/22	Continue developing projects	No class this week

Week 8: Mar 29	Italy; discussion with Milena Marchesi and Flavia Stanley	Donald Carter; Jeffrey Cole; readings from guests	Reflection	MCFF: Le Malentendu Colonial/ The Colonial Misunderstanding, 7:30 pm, 137 Isenberg SOM
Week 9: Apr 5	Central and Eastern Europe; Russia.	Peter Vermeersch; Kürti and Langman; Michael Stewart; Alaina Lemon; Elissa Helms.	Reflection
Week 10: Apr 12	Germany; Film by Damani Partridge	Tina Campf, Uli Linke, other articles TBA as German conference program is finalized. Visit Chris Sweetapple's fieldblog.	Reflection	MCFF: Le Grand Voyage, 7:30 pm, 137 Isenberg SOM
Exchange Day: Apr 19	Continue developing projects	No class this week		Black Germans Conference, April 20-21
Week 11: Apr 26	France	Beriss, Black Skins, French Voices; Pierre-Andre Taguieff; Miriam Ticktin	Reflection
Week 12: May 3	Sweden/Northern Europe; Keyword: "Tolerance"; wrap-up discussion	Allan Pred; Unni Wikan, A. Fuglerud; Lena Sawyer .	Reflection
Week 13: May 10	Class Presentations		Presentations by
Week 14: May 17	Class Presentations		Presentations by
Finals week: May 25			Papers due.	Graduate Student Conference-- May 19 & 20