ANTHROPOLOGY 497
THE AMHERST COMMUNITY
A Community Service Learning Course
(Fall 1997)
 
 
Professor Art Keene
Office: 207 Machmer
Phone: 545-0214
Email: Keene@anthro.umass.edu / Home Page: http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~akeene
Office Hours:WED 11:-12:00, TH 1-2 and by appointment
 
Praxis: the dialectic in which action and reflection feed on each other.
Paulo Freire
 
In community you must do the work of learning who other people are and how they see things differently and honoring that so you in turn will have your views honored.
Laird Sandhill
 
Community evokes in the individual the feeling that "here is where I belong, these are my people, I care for them, they care for me, I am part of them. I know what they expect from me and I from them, they share my concerns. I know this place, I am on familiar ground, I am at home
Daniel Yankelovitch, New Rules.
 
Community exits when people who are interdependent struggle with the traditions that bind them and the interests that separate them in order to realize a future that is an improvement upon the present.
Carl Moore
 
The more a community's culture supports individual destiny and creativity the more likely it is to be able to hold a healthy tension between its collective mission and personal freedom and therefore the more likely it is to actually enable the individual's work for social change.
Paige Cousineau
 
INTRODUCTION:
There is a good deal of social commentary being generated these days about the state of community. Pundits from both the left and the right (and everywhere in between) lament the erosion of community in the contemporary USA and elsewhere. Conservatives often speak of the erosion of community values and community standards. This lament often marks the frustration of the cultural majority over (perceived and real) concessions and compromises that have been made to non-dominant (or subaltern) interests. For these conservative thinkers as well as for many moderate "new communitarians" successful community is threatened by heterogeneity - by many voices expressing diverse interests and needs. These conservative voices often nostalgically long for the "good old days" when things were less conflictual and when people were united around community institutions such as church and school and civic holidays. Progressive observers on the other hand see community as purposeful association based on connection, commitment and mutual responsibility. That is, meaningful community is seen as collection of people who recognize their common cause and who contribute in some way to the common well being. Progressive commentators have lamented that the emergence of a culture of selfishness during the era of Reagan/Thatcher, now hegemonic in the 90's, has undermined the ability of people to see their common interests and their willingness to work together.
 
This course endeavors to follow up on theoretical issues raised in the course Anthropology 397b - Community (which was offered in the Fall of 1996) by exploring them on the ground in a real, complex community. Because there is such an aggressive celebration of greed and competition about, combined with a cynicism that ridicules idealism, altruism, and movements for social justice (most notably evident in the gloating triumphalism over the collapse of socialism around the world and current political initiatives designed to punish society's most unfortunate) we began that course with a most basic question:
 
Is it possible for people to live together?
 
The emergence in the West of a hegemonic discourse centered on individualism and a culture of selfishness would suggest that the answer is no, that the ideas of tolerance, cooperation, mutual understanding, mutual assistance and social justice are anachronistic idealisms that must inevitably give way, indeed have already given way, to the forces of individualism, materialism and competition. The eruption of myriad ethnic conflicts around the world in concert with the energetic pursuit of capitalism in the formerly socialist world would seem to support the aforementioned conclusion. In anthropology 397 we undertook an investigation of the fate of different kinds of communities around the globe in order to ascertain what is required to build meaningful and effective communities to meet the challenges that current global events are throwing at us. Since membership in any community necessitates mediation of the needs and desires of individuals with those of a larger group the issue of cooperation was central to our inquiry. This raises a number of theoretical and practical questions. For example: when and why do we cooperate with others? Why do we chose to pool our efforts and under what circumstances do we prefer to go it alone? If you help a friend write a paper, are you hurting yourself by taking potential time away from endeavors that would have enhanced your own well being? Does the advancement of the well being of others, necessarily diminish your own? Why is the University reluctant to accept co-written dissertations, co-written papers, or collectively graded projects? Do I (as a member of a western capitalist society) calculate the costs and benefits of cooperation? Do members of other societies also calculate costs and benefits and if so, do they do it in the same way? If I can count on others to assist me, does this diminish my own motivation to work hard? Are motivations the same (or equally effective) in cooperative and individualistic environments? Does the compromise necessary to cooperate with others stifle my individuality? If I wish to engage in collective endeavors but I also wish to preserve my freedom of action and creativity as an individual, how can I do this? To what degree am I responsible for what happens in the lives of others? To what degree can I our should I be involved? When does my interest in the lives of those around me begin to violate their right to privacy (and vice versa)? How much privacy or how much togetherness is desirable and how much is oppressive? What does personal responsibility mean to you?
 
Back to Amherst:
Many of the above issues arise either explicitly or implicitly within Amherst as its residents struggle with issues like funding for schools, ethnic diversity, declining standards of civility, overt and covert racism, conflict over resources among the University, the colleges and the town, and the democratic character of town government (to name just of few sites of contestation). Amherst has often defined itself as a special place which if not utopian is at least somewhat isolated from the vicissitudes that affect other communities. Amherst is sometimes referred to (both affectionately and disparagingly depending on the politics of the speaker) as the center of the Happy Valley, the capital of "PC", or as not being part of the "real world". Many long-time Amherst residents boast of Amherst being a solid community in which people care about each other and where racial, cultural and class harmony predominate. This is certainly part of the ideology of Amherst. However, if we understand ideology to be those ideas that mask social contradictions, then understanding the nature of community in Amherst necessitates breaking down the ideology of Amherst. So, we want to ask, what is it that makes Amherst a community? Are the trends of intolerance and incivility that are apparent throughout the USA, evident in Amherst as well? What forces bind this community together and what forces tear it apart? How can we use this information to confront some of the real problems that face Amherst and other communities?
 
This seminar will explore these questions through the construction and execution of service-based ethnographic research projects in the town of Amherst. Students will learn about basic anthropological field methods and then apply them in conducting weekly data collection exercises. In the first few weeks we will attempt to develop a basic profile of the town and its citizens. Based on this information students will design and carry out a major research project which will be presented to the seminar, the anthropology department, and the community at the end of the term. The goals of the course then are threefold:
1) to think about the meaning of community in general and the late 90's in particular. We will seek to understand the forces that support "meaningful community" and the forces that work against it.
2) to study the above as it applies to a real community that is, the community of Amherst. For this reason we will endeavor to learn everything we can about the town and how it works.
3) to learn about the town and the central questions of community by engaging in participant observation within the community through the execution of community service.
 
 
COURSE FORMAT: There are two components to this course - the seminar component which covers the theoretical discussion of community issues, preparation for the field and the writing-up of research and the service component and the fieldwork component itself. Members of the seminar are expected to vigorously prepare for and attend each class meeting and to actively participate in discussions. Seminars are team efforts and the quality of the course depends on the thoughtful participation of EVERY member. If you come to class unprepared, you shortchange not only yourself but every other member of the seminar. You will be undertaking modest, but hopefully significant research projects that have the potential to impact on the lives of the citizens in Amherst as well as the future of community based research in Amherst. Hence you will be held to the same professional and ethical standards as practicing anthropologists. In service learning courses a substantial portion of your education comes from doing service to the community. While service comes in different shapes, sizes and flavors you can expect to spend 3-5 hours/week engaged in service at your field site. Your will undertake your service/research in teams of 3-5 and you will be responsible for preparing a substantial written report on your efforts. You will also prepare an oral report to be presented to the Anthropology department and/or representatives from the town of Amherst at the end of the term.
 
WHAT IS COMMUNITY SERVICE LEARNING? Service learning courses give students an opportunity to learn by doing. Through service learning classes students engage in activities which enhance the quality of someone else's life, activities which benefit individuals, families, communities, and government both here and abroad. Service learning courses differ from community service, volunteer work , practica or internships in their explicit linking of theory and practice, that is, the linking of ideas developed within the classroom and their practical application within the community through guided reflection. These courses vary considerably in form and content but all promote a practical understanding of society, citizenship and community through participation.
 
CREDITS: Students will receive 4 credits for this course. Students will receive 3 credits for Anthropology 497 and an additional one credit for Anthropology 397S (Community Service). You must register for this additional credit before the end of the add drop period. Students will receive the same grade in Anthropology 397S that they receive in Anthropology 497.
 
GRADES:
Grades will be based according to the following breakdown.
25% attendance and participation, homework AND field journal,
25% oral presentation to class project
50% final project (Note: every member of project team will receive the same grade regardless of individual contributions.)
 
LATE PROJECT POLICY: Projects not completed by the due date will be downgraded one full letter grade. Projects not completed by the end of the final exam period will be downgraded two full letter grades.
 
CONTACTING PROFESSOR KEENE: If you need to get in touch with me between classes the best time to do this is during office hours. If you cannot make office hours, email is an excellent way to get in touch. I check my mail at least twice/day and will usually respond within 24 hours. In a pinch you may call me at home (253 3421). You may leave voice mail on my office line but don't expect a return call unless it is a dire emergency.
 
REQUIRED TEXTS:
1) Madeline Blaise In these girls hope is a muscle. 1995. Available at Food For Thought Books, Amherst.
2) A Community Reader: Available at Campus Design and Copy. Student Union Building.
2) The Amherst Bulletin : available at Hastings (on the common), The Amherst Bulletin Office (next to Cutty's on University Drive) and at many other outlets downtown. The Bulletin usually appears on newsstands late Thursday and is free.
 
WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS
1) Data collection exercise (First 5 weeks only) usually handed out on Tuesday and due the following Tuesday. In addition each seminar participant has the following weekly responsibilities:
a) read the Amherst Bulletin noting issues relevant to the course
b) read and take notes on weekly readings as assigned
c) make weekly, if not daily, entries in your personal journals. You will use your journal in a different way than you have in previous anthropology courses. Early in the term You will use the journal to record observations and impressions about the town and about the key issues affecting it. You can think of it as a conceptual sketch book for your major study. Your entries can take any form you want, but I expect your journal to show a continuous engagement with the course subject matter. I will ask to see your journals several times during the semester so please keep them up to date and bring them with you to each class. Later in the term this journal will become your field journal in which you will record all of the data necessary to do your project. In order to do this project you must develop a basic understanding of the town of Amherst.
 
LATE HOMEWORK POLICY: If you must miss class for any reason, it is your responsibility to make sure that your homework still arrives on time. Just as professional researchers working on a research contract are expected to deliver reports on time - regardless of their other responsibilities - so too are you expected to fulfill the responsibilities of the seminar in a timely manner. Since most of the assignments contribute to our composite picture of Amherst, a late assignment, which arrives after our discussion, does little to help our research group. MAKE SURE YOUR HOMEWORK GETS TO CLASS ON TIME! LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY DOWNGRADED.
 
GROUP WORK/COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY: Research projects will be team projects and will be graded collectively. You
are responsible not only for your own work but for that of the others in your group. You will be responsible for monitoring group process within your team. Within any community there are likely to be free riders - individuals who do not contribute but who are content to enjoy the benefits of the efforts of others. The question of free riders is a tricky one: within any community or any team, people bring different skills and dispositions. Within a learning team, people may face very different kinds of constraints and responsibilities in their lives outside the classroom.
Should a student living off campus with 3 children carry the same workload as a single student living on campus? Should/can the team make any adjustments to accommodate the former without unfairly burdening the latter? The challenge for each team is maximize the talents and resources available for the benefit of the whole team. This is an important part of the learning experience. If one of your team members is always unprepared or fails to attend meetings then you must deal with it. We will discuss group process further as the semester progresses.
 
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
 
NOTE: all assigned readings for the weeks below are to be completed by our Tuesday meeting unless otherwise noted.
 
Week 1
Sept 4 Introduction
 
Week 2 Sept 9 What is a community? Issues in the construction of community. A discussion
READ: Keene (1995) plus handouts
Columbo, Cullen and Leslie: Thinking critically
Whitt and Slack
Marin
 
Sept 11 Continuation of the discussion: what is a community?
Week 3 Sept 16 Where is the Amherst community and what makes it so special?
READ: Blaise - all
 
Sept 18 Discussion and selection of research topics/service projects
READ: Spring 1997 Student papers-All
 
NOTE: WE WILL TRY TO SCHEDULE A FIELD TRIP IN AMHERST THIS WEEK WEATHER PERMITTING.
 
Week 4 Sept 23-25 Participatory research, community service, citizenship and education
Thinking about community again. Issues in Amherst and beyond
READ: Morton
Nash
Coontz
Mantisios
 
Week 5 Sept 29, Oct 2 Doing ethnography. Part I Thinking about methods and community studies.
Entering the Field. Making Contacts. Free Listing
READ: Agar, Chapter /
 
Week 6 Oct 7-9 Ethics of Field Work
Research Design
READ: Ethics Handouts
Bohannan
Sieber
 
Week 7 Oct 14-16 Participant Observation and Problem solving and Field Notes
READ: Fieldnotes Handouts
 
Week 8 Oct 21-23 Doing Ethnography Part II - The Ethnographic Interview Part A
READ: Chiseri-Strater and Sunstien (Chapter 5)
 
Week 9 Oct 28-30 Doing Ethnography Part III - The Ethnographic Interview Part B
 
Week 9 Oct 28-30 Fieldwork Reporting and Problem Solving
 
Week 10 Nov 4-6 Visits with Community Partners and/or Field Trips
 
Week 11 Nov 13 Fieldwork Reporting and Problem Solving
 
Week 12 Nov 18-20 Field Writing
READ: Chiseri-Strater and Sunstein - Chapter 6
 
Week 13 Nov 25 Fieldwork Reporting and Problem Solving
 
Week 14
Dec 2 Draft of Final Report Due
Dec 4 No Class
 
Week 15
Dec 9-11. Editing and Feedback.
IN CLASS PRESENTATIONS WILL TAKE PLACE DURING THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED FINAL EXAM PERIOD.
 
Reading List- Anthropology 497- Fall 1997
 
Agar, Michael
1996 The professional stranger. Academic Press: Orlando. Chapter
 
Madeline Blaise
1995 In these girls hope is a muscle. Atlantic Monthly Press, NY.
 
Bohannan, Paul
1981 Unseen community: the natural history of a research project. In Anthropologists at home in North America: methods and issues in the study of one's own society. ed by Donald Messerschmidt. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. Pp 29-45.
 
Chiseri-Strater, Elizabeth and Bonnie Sunstien
1997 Fieldworking: reading and writing Research (Chapters 5,6). Pp 215-314.
 
Columbo, Gary, Robert Cullen and Bonnie Lisle
1995 Thinking critically, challenging cultural myths. In Rereading America:Cultural contexts for critical thinking and writing. 3rd edition. ed by Gary Columbo,Robert Cullen and Bonnie Lisle. Bedford Books: Boston. Pp.1-14.
 
Coontz, Stephanie
1995 We always stood on our own two feet: self reliance and the American family. in Rereading America:Cultural contexts for critical thinking and writing. 3rd edition. ed by Gary Columbo,Robert Cullen and Bonnie Lisle. Bedford Books: Boston. Pp 212-224.
 
Keene, Arthur S.
1996 The retreat from community and the language of disengagement. Paper presented at the 1996 Meetings of the International Communal Studies Association. Ramat Efal, Israel.
 
Matisios, Gregory
1995 Rewards and opportunities: the politics and economics of class in the U.S. in Rereading America:Cultural contexts for critical thinking and writing. 3rd edition. ed by Gary Columbo,Robert Cullen and Bonnie Lisle. Bedford Books: Boston. Pp 465-481.
 
Marin, Peter
1995 Helping and hating the homeless: the struggle at the margins of America. in Writing for change: a community reader. ed. by Ann Waters and Marjorie Ford. McGraw Hill, Ny. Pp. 270-282.
 
Morton, Keith
1995 The irony of service: charity, project and social change in service learning. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning. 2(Fall):19-32.
Nash, June
1989 From tank town to high tech: the clash of community and industrial cycles. SUNY Press: Albany. Chapter 1 (Pp1-28).
 
Sieber, Timothy
1981 Many roles, many faces: researching school-community relations in a heterogeneous American urban community. In Anthropologists at home in North America: methods and issues in the study of one's own society. Pp. 202-222.
 
Student Papers: Anthropology 497, Spring 1997
Representative government?A study of representation and accessibility within Amherst town meeting.
A preliminary study of youth culture at Amherst Regional High School,
Assessment of Amherst Human Service Agencies.
 
Whitt, Laurie and Jennifer Slack
1994 Communities, environments and cultural studies. Cultural Studies 8(1):5-27.