Religion, Ritual, and Politics

SYLLABI Mary Elaine Hegland Santa Clara University Religion, Ritual, and Politics Course Description Religion and ritual are involved in legitimizing the political status quo, in political competition, and in organizing passive and active resistance to the political powers that be. This course will examine why and how religion and ritual are used in political activity. In dealing with political and power systems, we will be interested in far more than formal political activities such as political parties and elections or kings and presidents. Rather, "political" is taken to mean anything having to do with the organization and distribution of power, with how people influence others and get what they want. We will investigate how religion and ritual provide identity, meaning, and continuity for groups, how people use religion and ritual to channel and influence political activity during political competition, and how and why religion and ritual can be powerful during the process of political change. During the course we will examine how political activity and changing circumstances serve to modify religion and ritual. Throughout, we will be interested in the qualities of spirituality which lend themselves so well to connection with political ideology and action. Through lecture material, students will be exposed to a number of perspectives and theoretical approaches for the analysis of the interconnections among religion, ritual, and politics. Students will be asked to apply these different theoretical approaches to case materials presented through readings, films, and guest speakers. We will then evaluate, compare, and modify the different theoretical perspectives in light of this application to case studies. We will look at case studies where religion and ritual are involved with racial, ethnic, and religious interest groups; religion and ritual in election/party politics; religion and ritual in revolutionary change; and religion and ritual in gender politics. The spirit of the class will be one of cooperative inquiry, examination, and analysis. This class will be a discussion class as much as possible with the aim of exploring ideas and interconnections. Everyone is required to read, study and think about the readings and to discuss the readings. It is expected that students will work in an active way inside the classroom as well as outside. Page 132 [PoLAR: Vol. 19, No. 1 Course Requirements and Evaluation Attendance is required since the class is a discussion class and you certainly cannot discuss if you aren't present. Students are allowed two unexcused absences only. With each unexcused additional absence after two, your grade will be lowered by a third of a grade. If you are more than five minutes late, it is counted as an absence. Participation is required. Students should be prepared at all times to discuss class materials. I will call on students if necessary. Contribution to class discussion is an important part of the grade. Preparation is required. Students are expected to study assignments carefully and to review and think about notes from readings, class lectures, discussions and films. Periodically a writing exercise based on the readings and films will be given. Your answer must demonstrate that you have read and thought about the materials. You are allowed one zero only on these unannounced short essays. With each additional zero, your grade will go down by a third of a grade. In order to pass the course, all requirements must be completed. Plagiarism brings an automatic F for the course and perhaps more. See student handbook for the definition of plagiarism. Promptness in fulfilling assignments is required. Essays or assignments may be completed late only if (1) I am notified beforehand and (2) given a note from the infirmary. Paper grades will go down by a third for each day or fraction of a day handed in late. Your research paper must be handed in at the beginning of class on Friday, March 12. There is no mid-term and no final exam (unless students want them!). Important for grading are analytical essays on each book, oral presentations and discussion leadership, class preparation and participation, and a field research/intensive interviewing project and paper. The expectation is that students will be constantly and actively involved with the material and with the learning process. For the presentation/discussion, students will be divided into five teams. Each team will chose the book they wish to present. Students will work outside of class to develop their presentation/discussion, sharing responsibilities as evenly as possible, and on the day of their presentation, will take over the class to present their work and then their method of drawing all other students into involvement with discussing and analyzing materials and theories presented. (See guide sheet on presentation/discussion.) May 1 9 9 6 ] P a g e 133 The culmination of the quarter's work will be your own experience of anthropological fieldwork and analysis. The paper will be based on interviewing and/or field research on a case study of religion, ritual, and politics. You should apply one or more of the analytical frameworks presented in class lecture or reading materials to your case study and evaluate and modify the analytical framework in light of the application to a new set of case study data. You should try to find a case study and informants yourself, but I will help you if you can't find people on your own. Study the books carefully for ideas on topics. You should begin work on your paper very early in the term. We will work on developing the papers together. Start thinking about a possible case study/subject immediately. The paper is due at the scheduled final exam period. This paper should be at least 5 pages long and should reflect knowledge and insights gained throughout the semester. (See guide sheet on research paper.) Your final grade will be computed from the following sources: Analytica • l essays on books 40% Clas • s preparation and participation 10% Presentatio • n and leading discussion 25% Fieldwor • k paper 25% Aims of the Course It is expected that the course will assist you to attain: 1. In-depth knowledge about the interconnections among religion, ritual, and politics in a number of case studies and the ability to look with a more insightful eye at other situations where religion, ritual, and politics come together. 2. Familiarity with several of the types of questions which anthropologists ask about the connections among religion, ritual, and politics and with some concepts, theoretical frameworks, methods, and paradigms which anthropologists use to try and answer their questions. 3. Knowledge about the process of anthropological inquiry as applied to the analysis of religion, ritual and politics. Skills in research, analysis, writing, discussion, and presentation. a. We will study a number of examples of how anthropologists have collected and organized data related to religion, ritual, and politics and how they have analyzed this data and presented the data and their analysis. Page 134 [PoLAR: Vol. 19, No. 1 b. Using readings, films, class lectures, and your own observations as data, you will have a number of opportunities to collect, organize, analyze, and present anthropological findings in shorter written and oral assignments. c. Finally, having studied how a number of others have done it and having conducted a number of your own mini-anthropological research projects largely using data collected by others and presented in written work and films, you will have the opportunity to conduct anthropological description and analysis using data you collect yourself and to which you apply your own original analysis. The paper will be based on participant observation and/or interviewing about religion, ritual, and politics. You will work on the paper throughout the term and present it near the end of the quarter. Your knowledge about the process of anthropological inquiry will thus be acquired in three steps of ascending difficulty and will culminate in your carrying out of an anthropological research project similar to those conducted by professional anthropologists except that it will be shorter. Required Readings 1. Kertzer, David 1980 Comrades and Christians: Religion and Political Struggle in Communist Italy. New York: Cambridge University Press. 2. Neihardt, John and Black Elk 1985 Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. 3. Various readings about Shi'i Muslims on reserve. 4. Atwood, Margaret 1986 The Handmaid's Tale. New York: Fawcett Crest. 5. Ginsburg, Faye 1989 Contested Lives: The Abortion Debate in an American Community. Berkeley: University of California Press. Reading Schedule (Take careful and comprehensive notes on all readings, films and speakers, as this information will be required for essays and discussion.) May 1996] Page 135 I. Religion and Ritual in Italian Politics: Catholics against Communists Week 1: Introduction A) The Anthropological Approach-Co/wracfe^ and Christians xv-xxi, 1 -48 B) Fieldwork-Comrades and Christians 48-97 Week 2: Comrades and Christians 115, 116, 128, 131-68, 183-85, 204-13, 234, 237, 238-69 Review and prepare for essays and presentations ESSAYS DUE; STUDENT PRESENTATIONS. II. Identity, Continuity, and Resistance: Oglala Spirituality Week 3: Research abstract due Black Elk Speaks xi-xix, 1-139 Week 4: Black Elk Speaks 140-279, 291 -96 Review and prepare for essays and presentation ESSAYS DUE; STUDENT PRESENTATION. HI. Accommodation Versus Resistance: Shi'i Muslims in Iran, Pakistan, and India Week 5: RESEARCH REPORT DUE. James A. Bill-Catholic and Shia Clerics Lead Wave of Liberation. Los Angeles Times, June 21, 1985, p. 1. Eric Hooglund-Rural Participation in the Revolution. MERIP Reports, No. 87, May 1980, pp. 3-6. Mary Hegland—Religious Ritual and Political Struggle in an Iranian Village. MERIP, No. 102, Jan. 1980, pp. 10-17. Mary Hegland~Two Images of Husain: Accommodation and Revolution in an Iranian Village. In Religion and Politics in Iran. Nikki R. Keddie, ed. New Haven: Yale U. Press, 1983, pp. 218-35. David Pinalt--77ie Shiites: Ritual and Popular Piety in a Muslim Community. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992, pp. 99-135. : The Shiites 137-75. Review and prepare for essays and presentation ESSAYS DUE; STUDENT PRESENTATION. Page 136 [PoLAR: Vol. 19, No. 1 IV. Religion, Ritual, and Gender Politics: Women and Fundamentalism The Handmaid's Tale 3-98 Week 7: Second research report due. The Handmaid's Tale 99-296 Week 8: The Handmaid's Tale 297-95 Review and prepare for essays and presentations ESSAYS DUE; STUDENT PRESENTATION V. Religion, Ritual, and Reproduction: Women Activists in Fargo, N. Dakota Contested Lives ix-xi, xiii-xiv, 1-57 Week 9: ESSAYS DUE; STUDENT PRESENTATIONS. Contested Lives 61 -226 Review and prepare for essays and presentation Week 10: Oral Presentations of Field Research Papers; Field research paper due. Congratulations! Grading Policy for Religion, Ritual, and Politics Grades will be determined by calculating the numerical values given to various contributions according to the following scale: 74-76 C A 93 70-73 C89-92 A66-69 D+ 86-88 B+ 62-65 D 83-85 B 58-61 D80-82 B57 and below F 77-79 C+ As noted in your syllabus, students are allowed only two unexcused absences. For an excused absence, you must inform me ahead of time and bring documentation the first day back at class. With each unexcused absence after two, your grade goes down by a third of a grade. If you are more than five minutes late, it counts as an absence. Each student is responsible for signing the attendance sheet. Students are allowed one zero only on short, often unannounced essays. With each additional zero, your grade goes down by a third of a grade. Two check minuses equal a zero. A number of check pluses may improve your grade. An "ok" equals a close call~you barely avoided getting a check minus. May 1996] Page 137 As stated in your syllabus, grades will be computed numerically and will be derived from the following requirements: 1. Class preparation and participation: 10% You must have read carefully and taken notes on each reading assignment. You should come to class with a thorough knowledge of the material in the day's assignment, notes on the main ideas and themes in the material and your ideas and analysis of the material, and two or three good discussion questions. In other words, you must come to class prepared for informed and thoughtful discussion of the reading material. Quality as well as quantity of oral contributions to discussion are significant for grading. (Please note, if anyone is extremely shy and feels their class grade will be affected by lack of oral contributions, please see me.) 2. Presentation and leading discussion: 25% Class members will be divided into five groups and each group will be responsible for a presentation, answering questions, and leading discussion of a textbook. Each group will have to meet outside of class in order to plan the presentation and discussion. See sheet on presentations and discussion leadership. 3. Fieldwork paper: 25% See sheet onfieldworkpapers. 4. Analytical essays on books: 40% A thoughtful, analytical essay with an original, central thesis or argument based on each book must be handed in at the beginning of class on the day of the student presentation. Paper grades will be lowered by a third of a grade for each day or fraction of a day late. See sheets on essays. Requirements for Group Presentations One of the aims of education at Santa Clara is to help students learn skills of critical and independent thinking: to learn to evaluate materials, come to your own conclusions and insights, and find connections with other materials. An important way to accomplish this aim is through active rather than passive learning. In this assignment you will have the opportunity not only to teach yourselves but to teach others as well! The most effective way to learn ideas, skills, and theories is through teaching them! Each group will have its own opportunity to be the expert on a book and to have the opportunity of getting the main ideas of that book, and related materials, across to the rest of the class. Page 138 [PoLAR: Vol. 19, No. A. Responsibilities of presenter/discussants 1. Each group must exchange names and phone numbers in order to meet with each other outside of class to work on your presentation/discussion. You should start working with your group to plan your session immediately. You can choose any type of a program that you wish—a play with dialogue among characters from the book, a series of skits, a debate, a "This Is Your Life" presentation or other TV show, discussion among the anthropologist(s) and others in the book, imagine years have passed and the characters are discussing and analyzing what happened during the period the research was done and what has happened since and why, have characters discuss heart to heart the things they haven't brought up before. Have different people from the book discussing their views of religion and how they should act so as to put those views into effect. What are the political implications of their religious views and beliefs? In what ways are their beliefs the same as or different from those of others in the book? What rituals do they take part in and why? What are the meanings of those rituals for them? What are the political implications of the rituals? Imagine that several people from the book were able to talk to some of your relatives and/or friends—perhaps to you and learn about your religious beliefs and practices and their political implications. What would you say to each other about the advantages and disadvantages of your respective religious beliefs and practices and how they are connected with such areas as sexuality, family and kin, education, politics, husband-wife relationships, reproduction, environment. Or—imagine that you are characters from the book. Discuss your worries, problems, and fears, and your goals and wishes. How are they related to religion and ritual, family and kinship, gender roles and expectations, sexuality, politics? Why are you in conflict or collusion with other characters? What are your religious and ritual resources, strategies, techniques in trying to further your aims? What is the effect of religion and ritual in dealing with your husband, mother-in-law, the family, the sad stories of your life, political concerns, children, wishes for education and career? Or perhaps you might imagine that some characters in one book are brought into contact with characters from another book we have studied for conversation. Try to think up some good ideas and good approaches which will get across to the class some of the important ideas and insights which you have developed about the materials and the people and how religion and ritual are related to the political situation. The presentation should last 20 to 30 minutes. Be sure to introduce yourself with your full name beforehand. Write on the board the full names of each panelist and the names of the May 1996] Page 139 characters they are playing. Props, costumes, make-up, audio-visuals, videos you have made, music, etc. are all conducive to a sense of reality. You should be very clear on just what important points you want to convey. 2. Then the tables will turn! The panelists will organize discussion. Again, how you do this is up to you. Your discussion should be carefully planned. You may wish to have questions prepared about ideas from the book or the presentation—you may ask students to do a short essay about a thought question, you might ask students to do role playing, or compare and contrast aspects of religion, ritual, and politics of your book with other books, or with the situation of their own selves and families. You might want to ask about male points of view or experiences versus female. You may arrange a debate or discussion sections with different groups playing the parts of people from your presentation. This section should last 15-20 minutes. Again, all should introduce themselves using their whole name. 3. The last section of the class will be for summing up the important ideas and questions brought out during the presentation and discussion. Both students and professor will contribute to pulling together what has been learned from the class and the reading materials. This will last about 15 minutes. If there isn't time, this section may be left to the next class. 4. Finally, during the last five minutes each member of the class will be asked to write out a brief evaluation of the presentation and the discussion—what they liked about it and how it could have been made more effective, as well as evaluating their own participation. Panel members will be asked to evaluate and assign a grade for her/his contribution and also for the contribution of each other member of the team. The evaluations will be completely confidential and will be considered when I am assigning a grade. Panel members should fill out the front of the sheet and then on the back write the name of each panelist—including yourself—and the grade you are assigning them with a detailed explanation—what they did, what they didn't do. B. Responsibilities of other class members 1. Be prepared with thorough knowledge, ideas, and analysis about the book. Prepare two to three good thought questions about the material. Have in mind how the connections among religion, ritual, and politics in the assigned book compares with that in other books studied and with your own outlook and practices related to religion and politics and that of general American society. How do presented theories apply to this Page 140 [PoLAR: Vol. 19, No. 1 particular book and the connections between religion and politics? Ask your prepared questions after the conclusion of the presentation, as well as questions related specifically to the presentation. 2. Participate in the discussion led by the panelists. Be prepared to answer questions from the panelists. 3. Participate in the summing up period. What are the important points and insights brought out by the book and the presentation and discussion? The following are some issues which you might wish to consider. a. What are the five main points? What evidence and arguments have been used to make them? b. What is the author's theoretical framework or bias? Do you agree? Why or why not? How does it affect findings? c. What are the main strengths of the book? Weaknesses? d. What are the connections among religion, ritual, and politics in this group? What religious beliefs, myths, ideologies, rituals, practices, and values are important and powerful and why? RELIGION, RITUAL, AND POLITICS RESEARCH PAPER The two main steps of anthropological inquiry are description-collection and recording of data~and analysis-using the data to construct a picture of social structure or social process or an analytical framework. In previous discussion and writing you have been using someone else's description with which to perform your analysis. In this assignment, you will do both the description and the analysis yourself. The paper should be at least five pages long, typewritten, double spaced, about half description and half analysis. Hand in two copies, one for my files and one to return to you. Your essay should be well-written according to the guidelines of the handout on writing essays. The paper must be based on original interviewing and/or field experience of participant observation. It can deal with any case study of religion, ritual, and politics in which you gather the data yourself. The following are some suggestions for topics: religious institutions in this area and the religious/political dynamics taking place-churches such as Italian, Assyrian, Greek Orthodox, Pentacostal, Russian Orthodox, Eastern European. How are religion and politics important in the politics of identity, ethnic continuity, May 1996] Page 141 political pressure? Socialization of children in religious schools or Sunday schools, involvement of religious groups in election politics, the Religious Right, religious communities-Hutterites, convents, monasteries. Politics in churches for MexicanAmericans or South American refugees. Mosques or religious gatherings of other religious groups, an analysis of T.V. evangelists. Religion and ritual and family politics-how is religion used to influence family structure and dynamics? What are beliefs of men and women about gender roles in the family because of religious teachings? Gender roles in organized religion-what do men do in churches, mosques, temples? What do women do and why? Restrictions on women in religious activities? Native American groups in the area and their organizations, rituals, religious objects, dances, practices and how they relate to politics. Weddings and how these rituals are related to gender politics and family politics. Sunday school, Bible school, Qor'an school, first communions, divinity school or other types of religious training and education and their political aspects and implications. Efforts of gays and lesbians to gain a place in organized religion. Groups to push for marriage of priests, gay priests, female priests. Family religious rituals. Liberation Theology. Religion in civil rights. American civil ritualssuch as Memorial Day. Religion and ritual in times of war-such as the Gulf War. Religion and views of women, of men. Religion and reproduction-"pro-choice" and "pro-life" groups and their religious connections. Religious involvement in social practices such as divorce, sexuality, euthanasia, child-rearing practices. Religion in the military. Church politics—who runs church activities? How? Why? Conflict between generations-parents and children—related to religion. Efforts by women to escape the family ideology promoted by religions-how agents for religions promote family ideology. The following are some suggestions of questions you may want to ask yourself about your case study: What aspects of religious ideology, mythology, holy objects, practices, values, rituals, figures, places, occasions, symbols, are important in the situation? Why are they important? Are they becoming modified in the course of the political activity? Are their meanings and implications changing? Who is promoting these aspects and how do they interpret them? Why? What religious aspects are powerful in this situation and why? What are the various interpretations of religious aspects and who holds to each interpretation? What religious beliefs do people adhere to in supporting their stance on an issue? What beliefs do people on the other side adhere to? What are the religious practices, rituals, texts, figures used by each side? If your paper is about trying to bring Page 142 [PoLAR: Vol. 19, No. 1 about change, who wants change and how are they trying to bring it about? Who doesn't want change? Why not? How do they try to resist it? What are the resources and strategies from religious beliefs, rituals, practices, mythology used? Who is winning and why? Please start thinking about your research topic and searching for a research setting immediately. When you have found one or more informants, explain the project to them and ask them if they would be willing to spend several sessions of interviewing with you and/or allow you to attend gatherings. It would be useful to choose someone with whom you already have a relationship of rapport. Explain that all they tell you will be confidential and that you will chose-or let them chose a pseudonym to hide their identity for the paper. 1. Week 3: hand in a typed, half-page proposal about your topic and research plans, the field work situation and the people you will be working with and their names, addresses, phone numbers. How you got in contact with them, what is your relationship with them, how you will do the research, what sort of gatherings you will be attending, the issues that will be important, how religion and ritual come into the political setting. 2. Week 6: hand in a research report on at least one gathering you have attended or one interview. The first separate page should contain all vital statistics and information. Then should come the research report, interview report, or case study. The research report or case study should be at least two pages long. It should be divided into two sections—description and analysis. In the description section, please provide the data or information. In the analysis section, please provide your own analysis about what has happened and why. What is your explanation, interpretation about what has happened in the gathering or in the experience of the informant? What are your insights, ideas? Each section should have an introductory paragraph and a concluding paragraph. (10% of research paper grade) 3. Week 7: The second research report or case study is due. (10% of research paper grade.) 4. Week 10: Three minute oral presentation of research papers, (oral presentation: 10% of research paper grade.) Be sure to present your main conclusions fully and specifically in the introduction to your talk. Research papers due in final, revised form. May 1996] Page 143 The papers should be arranged as follows (research-30%, analysis-30%, organizationTitle page with good descriptive title of your paper. I. Introduction The introduction should convey the contents of your paper in a nutshell—your main findings, how you did your research and anything else important. Be sure to present your main conclusions fully and specifically in the introduction. II. Your methodology How you did your research—how you got in touch with the research setting and the informants, how you worked with them, if you tape-recorded or hand-wrote notes, the setting of the participant observation and/or interviews, when, what time, how long, how did the participant observation and/or interview go—were you on comfortable terms, or was it formal, any problems or challenges and how you dealt with them, how the participants or informants felt about your presence, what you thought you would find and the contrast with what you found, etc. III. The analytical framework from class materials which you will be applying to your case study and your main conclusions in evaluating the framework. How useful is it for your research? What modifications or additions did you develop to make it more appropriate as an analytical framework for your research findings? IV.-VII. or VIII. (or however many paper sections or case studies you have) For each section of your paper or case study, the organization should be as follows: A. Introduction to the section—What are the main conclusions or ideas which this section presents? B. Description—Provide your information in well-organized, well-structured fashion. Make sure all of the information is relevant to your analysis. Give us the information which is necessary to your analysis. C. Analysis—Provide your interpretation, explanation, insights, and ideas based on the data— the information or description. What does the data tell us, what can we learn from it? What does it mean? D. Conclusion—What are the main ideas and conclusions which come out of this section of the paper and how are they related to your overall analytical framework? Page 144 [PoLAR: Vol. 19, No. 1 IX. Analysis In this section you pull all of the sections of the paper together for a final analysis or you compare and contrast the two case studies, and explain where and why they are similar (if anywhere) and where and why they are different. You make conclusions, explanations, interpretations based on the different sections of your paper or your case studies. X. Conclusions In this section you pull together all of the threads of your analysis to make a fine finish. Summarize your analytical framework as presented in the paper. What are your conclusions about the usefulness of the analytical framework you chose and how did you modify it? What is the point of all of your work and research? What are the conclusions which this paper allow us to draw? The final sentence should be especially powerful in synthesizing your brilliant analysis of your data and your conclusions.