Fall 2002: World Cultural Comparisons 11-12:20 Tues Thurs SST 220A and SST 155-Lab; from 2nd day SST 155 (Computer Lab)

    Anthropology 174AW 60240: Douglas R. White
    mirror site at uci Office Hours T,Th 10-11 SSPA 4170 (949) 824 5893

    Post your proposals, queries, comments, course notes here

    ORDER OF PRESENTATIONS and proposal topics

    Introduction to ethnology/ethnography, comparative research and theory, culminating in processes of discovery and hypothesis testing using world cultural databases to which students have access in the lab and on CD ROM. This year's class features the use of Spss, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Term paper project will be based on research using the cross-cultural database. Materials needed for the project will be provided, but students need to find references relevant to their topic (from review articles provided) in the cross-cultural literature in the library.

    Writing assignments and oral presentations for the class: a 1-2 page proposal, a preliminary study for the term project (8-10 pp. plus appendices), an oral presentation of the final project using transparencies, powerpoint or a web page to show results, and a term paper (12-15 pp. plus appendices), all to be provided on disk as part of the assignment.

    for off-campus access to readings please click here to configure your proxy server

    Class Objectives: During the first two weeks you should become familiar with the cross-cultural data resources (maps for distributions of variables, codes and codebook, guides to the variables in the codes) and how to use Spss to access data and show relationships between variables. Early readings will provide an overview and review of literatures useful for your term projects in finding previous studies on possible topics for your research. Your goals early on should be to master use of Spss for variables and selective recoding, correlations and cross-tabs, and learning how to test hypotheses. During the quarter you need to learn how to come up with hypotheses and how to test them with Spss using the cross-cultural database. You need to think about how these relate to general theories about culture and society that will be discussed in class, and learn how to write up and present your materials in class and for the term project. Ample feedback is provided by the instructor. The general goal here is to learn how to put social science theories to the test empirically using a sample of case studies, whether you deal with biology, economics, religion, expressive culture, social organization, politics or the like. There are no disciplinary or statistical prerequites and you may focus your research on any subject for which there are adequate data in the datasets provided (but the database will be worldwide in scope). The writing goals are to learn fairly simple strategies for writing up results of empirical research using tables showing relationships among variables.

    Provided by World Cultures Electronic Journal

    • Pre-Coded Variables for the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample, from World Cultures, 1998, William Divale, editor

    Week 1: Read text ch 1 and two articles of your choice from Cross-Cultural Studies published in World Cultures, using Murdock’s Data or Murdock and White’s Standard Sample and be prepared to discuss them when called upon! http://eee.uci.edu/02f/60380/files/SCCSarticles.htm

    • Oct 1: Introduction to Cross-Cultural Research - Evolutionary Adaptation and Complexity in the Self-Organization of Cultural Interactions
      • Standard Cross Cultural Survey, reviewed by Philip Silverman and Jacquelyn Messinger, with codebooks for Spss files STDS01-22
    • Oct 3: Introduction to Spss for Cross-Cultural Research with the Standard Sample
      • Using Spss in the lab -- and accessing codebooks - essential instructions
      • Standard Cross-Cultural Sample Codebook, Variables 1-1270 pdf - html version 1-1270 pdf - html version a- b
      • Standard Cross-Cultural Sample Codebook, Variables 1271-1849 - html version 1271-1849 - html version c- d
          Glossaries of Anthropological and Sociological Terms
      • Using the Index of Variables - reference to codebook
      • Guide to Variables by Spss Files - essential to print yourself a copy
      • White and Veit's EthnoAtlas - a (Standard Sample)
      • Equal Area projection of continents (correcting Eurocentric bias)
      • "Focused Ethnographic Bibliography: Standard Cross-Cultural Sample" Douglas R. White, Behavior Science Research 23:1-145. html version a - b
      • Publishing opportunity: UCI Undergraduate Research Journal

        Related Course Materials at other Universities:

      • Research Questions and Hypotheses Instructor Brad Huber, College of Charleston
      • HRAF Data Recovery (requires use of the statistical program SPSS) Instructor Brad Huber, College of Charleston
      • Group Poster Presentations Instructor Brad Huber, College of Charleston
      • Basic Guide to Cross-Cultural Research by Carol Ember and Mel Ember
      • Ethnographic texts: eHRAF files
      • Ethnographic examples: eHRAF files

    Week 2: Find your a Research Topic - and read text ch. 2 and two of the following articles ... isnt always easy....

    • Oct 8: Cross-Cultural Research Topics - What is Feasible?
    • Proposal due thurs week 3
    • Resource articles: some but not all these articles use the Std Cross Cultural Sample, but they may stimulate ideas and can be used as references in your own papers and proposals.
    • Korotayev on Gender Division of Labor and Residential Choice
    • Father-Child Relationships and the Status of Women: A Cross-Cultural Study Scott Coltrane. American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 93, No. 5. (Mar., 1988), pp. 1060-1095.
    • Ideology and the Materialist Model of General Evolution: A Cross-Cultural Test of Subsystem Relationships Gregory C. Leavitt. Social Forces, Vol. 65, No. 2. (Dec., 1986), pp. 525-553.
    • Correlates of the Long Postpartum Taboo: A Cross-Cultural Study Jean-Francois Saucier. Current Anthropology, Vol. 13, No. 2. (Apr., 1972), pp. 238-258.
    • A Cross-Cultural Test of Collins's Theory of Sexual Stratification G. David Johnson, Lewellyn Hendrix. Journal of Marriage and the Family, Vol. 44, No. 3. (Aug., 1982), pp. 675-684.
    • Supervision and Conformity: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Parental Socialization Values Godfrey J. Ellis, Gary R. Lee, Larry R. Petersen. American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 84, No. 2. (Sep., 1978), pp. 386-403.
    • A Cross-Cultural Study of Expressive and Instrumental Role Complementarity in the Family William D. Crano, Joel Aronoff. American Sociological Review, Vol. 43, No. 4. (Aug., 1978), pp. 463-471.
    • Social Structure, Socialization Values, and Disciplinary Techniques: A Cross-Cultural Analysis Larry R. Petersen, Gary R. Lee, Godfrey J. Ellis. Journal of Marriage and the Family, Vol. 44, No. 1. (Feb., 1982), pp. 131-142.
    • Social Organization, Spousal Resources, and Marital Power: A Cross-Cultural Study Rebecca L. Warner, Gary R. Lee, Janet Lee. Journal of Marriage and the Family, Vol. 48, No. 1. (Feb., 1986), pp. 121-128.
    • Female Exclusion from Religious Roles: A Cross-Cultural Test of Competing Explanations Michael R. Welch. Social Forces, Vol. 61, No. 1. (Sep., 1982), pp. 79-98.
    • The Cross-Cultural Study of Human Sexuality D. L. Davis, R. G. Whitten. Annual Review of Anthropology, Vol. 16. (1987), pp. 69-98.
    • Economic and Political Antecedents of Monotheism: A Cross-Cultural Study Ralph Underhill. American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 80, No. 4. (Jan., 1975), pp. 841-861.
    • Rethinking Polygyny: Co-Wives, Codes, and Cultural Systems Douglas R. White Current Anthropology, Vol. 29, No. 4. (Aug. - Oct., 1988), pp. 529-572.
    • Oct 10: Using Spss for your Cross-Cultural Research

    Week 3: State your hypotheses and read text ch. 3 and Paige and Paige on "Reproductive Ritual" (social theory for pre-state societies), check out controls and embedding in civilizations

    • review of Reproductive Ritual, by Paige and Paige
    • summary of Reproductive Ritual, by Paige and Paige
    • Oct 15: Practicum with Spss
    • What statistics to use in Spss?
    • Oct 17: Focusing your topic; Proposals due
    • How to post a table to the NOTEBOARD - optional

    Week 4: Check out your variables and their correlations and read text chs 4-5 and find further sources on your topic; readings below help in the library search and discuss problems of explanation and methodology

    • Cross-Cultural Surveys Today, 1987, by Michael Burton and Douglas White, Ann. Rev. Anthropol. 16:143-169
      • see Marilyn Strathern: commentary on cross-cultural method as described in the article above
    • Cross-Cultural Comparisons Joseph G. Jorgensen. Annual Review of Anthropology, Vol. 8. (1979), pp. 309-331.
    • Why Exceptions? The Logic of Cross-Cultural Analysis A. J. F. Kobben. Current Anthropology, Vol. 8, No. 1/2. (Feb. - Apr., 1967), pp. 3-34.
    • Sample Size and Research Strategy in Cultural Anthropology Thomas Schweizer, Hartmut Lang. Current Anthropology, Vol. 30, No. 4. (Aug. - Oct., 1989), pp. 514-517.
    • CLICK HERE to get week 4 assignment A
    • Oct 22: Expanding your Topics - finding other variables - replication
    • Oct 24: Replication with multiple variables; Replication by Region
    • CLICK HERE to get week4 assignment B
    • How to post a table to the WEB to build a PROJECT WEBPAGE

    Week 5: Research your Topics and analyze your variables - read text chs. 7-8 and finish library research on relevant cross-cultural literature; How will you write up your research report?

    • Oct 29: Review of Theories, Publications and Topics in Cross-Cultural Research, and Using the Library search engines from the PC lab (in our classroom) to find cross-cultural and topical references
    • A secret weapon for Exact Significance Tests
    • Oct 31: Elements of the research report, Putting it all together
    • CLICK HERE for outline of Rough Draft assignment due thurs week 6

    Week 6: Getting References, Tables and your argument in order - read text ch 9 on reliability

    • Nov 5: Finding further references on topics (incl Pauline Manaka's 40 min presentation)
    • American Anthropologist: search 1888-2000+
    • Nov 5&7: Tables, Percents, Logic of Arguments
    • CLICK HERE Using percentages and getting the form of relationship right
    • Nov 7: Putting it all together again
    • CLICK HERE How to clean up your act: Presentation of Tables or BarGraphs

    Week 7: Getting your Tables and your Argument in order - read text ch 10 on summing up

    • Nov 12: Getting ready for your oral report; Illustrative
    • CLICK HERE Further help with conditional versus linear relationships
    • Nov 14: Getting Significance
    • CLICK HERE Exact Significance Tests - as in week 3 THE BELLWEATHER REPORT: Gordon Lin ppt on Warfare and Leadership
      Remember: Final papers should discuss at least one specific ethnographic case from your readings that is relevant to your hypotheses by way of illustration

    Week 8: Research Presentations by Class Members

    • Nov 19: REPORTS: CONFLICT Papers 19,20,22,23,12/14
    • CLICK HERE Slides for Overhead Projector - optional
    • Nov 21: Standard Sample FILM on Dance in Human History, by Alan Lomax. The film is crucial for you to get a feel for the diversity of cultures in our sample since Lomax uses the same sample, and for getting an idea of how large world regions differ continuously in the distribution of cultural features and how they intermix. Also tests hypotheses using the percentaging method. This is a good time to take notes on one of the sections of the film and post them to the noteboard if you havent posted notes previously.

    Week 9: Research Presentations by Class Members

    • Nov 26: REPORTS: Complexity Papers 18,1,2,5,4,25
    • Nov 28: Thanksgiving (and how!)

    Week 10: Research Presentations by Class Members

    • Dec 3: REPORTS: Gender & Family Papers 3,7,8,9,10,11,13 / 20
    • Dec 5: REPORTS: Sexuality Papers 14,15,16,17 / 6 / 25

    INTERNET INFORMATION: Standard Cross-Cultural Sample

    • Standard Sample explanation
    • World Cultures guide to cross-cultural studies

    INTERNET INFORMATION: Spss (for use with standard sample)

    • Spss version of the Standard Sample Database
    • A Student Guide to Spss for Windows by Thomas W. Pavkov, Kent A. Pierce - Amazon.com Price: $6.95
    • Step-By-Step Calculations and Computer Techniques Using Spss for Windows by Duncan Cramer - Amazon.com Price: $29.99

    INTERNET INFORMATION: Ethno-Atlas

    • Ethno-Atlas explanation
    • Cross-Cultural Research with Murdock's Ethnographic Atlas by Michael Fischer
    • Ethnographic Atlas Cross-Tabs by Michael Fischer
    • Biography of G.P. Murdock

    INTERNET INFORMATION: Other

    • Experience Rich Anthropology
    • eHraf ideas on individual societies
    • UCI Electronic Educational Environment
    • Home pages for students in the class

    Recommended

      An extraordinarily useful reference if you can get it: Towards Explaining Human Culture: A criticial review of the findings of worldwide cross-cultural research. David Levinson

      Supplementary Text: Cross-Cultural Research Methods $22.00. Very few students in the 2002 class found this useful.

      The Management of Conflict. Marc Howard Ross. Barnes&Noble Price: $18.00 new, $13.50 used. Available: Ships in 1-2 weeks (There may be copies in the bookstore)

      OUT OF PRINT The Politics of Reproductive Ritual Karen E. Paige Jeffrey M. Paige. Barnes&Noble Price: $16.95 In Stock: 24 hours (Same Day). Not in the bookstore: order off the web from Barnes and Noble.

      Order CD ROM with the computer lab database for home use

    INTERNET INFORMATION: Reference books on writing

    • The Craft of Research, by Wayne Booth, Gregory Colomb, and Joseph Williams. University of Chicago press (paperback). $10.36
    • Style: Toward Clarity and Grace (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) Joseph M. Williams, $7.96
    • A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing); Kate L. Turabian, et al, $10.36
    • Writing for Social Scientists : How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing); Howard S. Becker, $7.16

    The syllabus for this course (2002-forward) has been viewed times since Sept 29, 2002
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