Author: Serkadis

Required Texts
Lynd, Robert S., and Helen Merrell Lynd. 1929. Middletown: A Study in Contemporary American Culture. New York:Harcourt Brace & Company.
Lassiter, Eric Luke (ed)., 2004. The Other Side of Middletown. Alta Mira Press.
Spradley, James. 1979. The Ethnographic Interview.

Other Readings
Spradley, James. 2000[1970]. “You Owe Yourself a Drunk” (optional text)
**There will also be readings and other resources posted online which you can access via Blackboard

Course Objectives and Learning/Service Learning Expectations

• Examine American culture from an anthropological perspective
• Identify the relation between ideals of American culture and people‘s diverse realities as Americans develop strategies and tools for researching American culture on a community and neighborhood level apply research tools and strategies for studying American culture to addressing specific research
• Questions and needs as defined and articulated by the designated community partner develop a portrait of American culture and/or an American cultural experience as an ethnographic and/or ethnohistorical research paper for public presentation.

In this course we will examine American culture from an anthropological perspective. The aim of the course will be to develop profiles of American culture that reflect everyday realities of living in America
as articulated by specific community partners engaged in researching social-cultural; social-economic; and/or social-historical issues specific to their communities. Various sources will be consulted and methods used in formulating community specific profiles and portraits of American culture including readings, films, archival research, ethnographic fieldwork, ethnographic interview, and personal experiences. Throughout this process and our analysis we will strive to research, examine, and interpret American culture‘ in a way that juxtaposes our ideals and assumptions regarding what America‘ is against the many diverse experiences of Americans as articulated on a community level.

At the conclusion of the course, students will produce a final research project including a research paper and presentation profiling an aspect of American culture from an anthropological perspective as derived
through active participation in a community partner defined and mutually agreed upon cultural research and/or historic preservation project in a designated community (i.e., the Tampa Bay area community of Sulphur Springs). The expectation is that in completing this exercise in researching and studying American culture on a community level, students will take important insights into whatever profession they go on to pursue in the future. Additionally and equally important, at the conclusion of this course, community partners will be able to advance their articulated cultural research and historic preservation agenda in specific and quantifiable ways. Overall, my desire is that this course will be a win-win for both students and community partners.

Service Learning as an Applied/Directed Research Project
This is course is being conducted as a service learning as a directed research project. Students will be partnered with a lead researcher (i.e., faculty and/student mentor) and will participate in an ongoing community cultural heritage research or historic preservation project This approach focuses on teaching students to critically analyze American culture from an anthropological perspective through classroom learning and through direct application of qualitative research methods, such as ethnographic and ethnohistorical research. Students work with a designated Community Partner and are expected to actively participate in helping the community conduct research and/or implement specific research initiatives as defined by the community partner. Projects could include but are not limited to:

1. Sulphur Springs Heritage Project – active participation in an ongoing community and heritage research project including: collecting oral histories using a range of ethnographic techniques and audio visual options; creating multi-media educational materials; participating in community heritage preservation meetings &activities; website design; collecting and preserving historic photographs; participating in historic building designation fieldwork, and doing library & other archival research in support of the Sulphur Springs Museum and Heritage Center. *Student research will be directed by: Dr. Antoinette Jackson (USF), Dr. Susan Greenbaum (USF), and tbd graduate student researchers/mentors. Community partner, Mrs. Norma Robinson will define and review the research products as service learning deliverables.
2. Collaborative Research and Community Empowerment—active participation in community partner directed research projects focused on heritage preservation and quality of life activities through folk art and youth programs; capacity building activities; and community engagement and empowerment initiatives s aimed at facilitating cohesion among diverse population segments (i.e., DARE). Alternatively, students may participate in community heritage research projects, including conducting ethnographic and ethnohistorial research outside the Tampa Bay area as defined/determined by the Instructor and designated Community Partner.

What other kinds of activities do you envision?
Tampa has a rich and varied history consisting of many cultures and cultural influences. Much of Tampa‘s history and heritage remains to be researched, documented, and/or preserved. Join us as we work directly with the the Sulphur Springs Museum and Heritage Center as they lead their community in a variety of heritage research and preservation activities. This project will give students a chance to:

1. Participate in a community project;
2. Learn about American culture from an anthropological perspective
3. Potentially earn research dollars through the Office of Undergraduate Research;
4. Gain qualitative research methods experience and
5. Apply research skills and knowledge to helping address Community partner defined/articulated research needs.

Possible activities include: collecting oral histories and interviewing long term residents of the historically African American community of Spring Hill—a neighborhood of historic Sulphur Springs, Florida which remains to be documented and included in the history and heritage of Tampa in the public forum using previously collected ethnographic and oral history data to create multi-media educational materials including website and/or curriculum design perusing historic and/or private photo collections in order to find and catalog historic photographs of significance to the community searching old newspapers, city directories, and census data records to help build previously undocumented profiles of Sulphur Springs and/or communitiesparticipating in historic building designation fieldwork by finding, researching, and cataloging buildings/houses/churches with possible historic significance working with GIS experts to create community maps and cultural resource inventory profiles participating in heritage preservation and quality of life activities through folk art and youth programs developing grant proposals.
1) Class Participation (25%)

• Lead at least one class discussion
• In-class exercises
• Field trip(s)
• Attendance
• Readings/film reviews – tbd by instructor
• Extra Credit

2) Final project paper plus presentation (50%)

• Final written research paper
• Public delivery/presentation of final project research paper and deliverable to community/community partner

3) Cultural heritage and/or historic preservation directed research project participation (25%)

• Develop proposal outlining agreed upon final project deliverables with Community partner
• Participate in a qualitative research project/study
• Commit to 6 hour minimum research activity per week with/for community partner (i.e., fieldwork, archival work, ethnographic interview, oral history, participant observation, genealogy/kinship work, …).
• Maintain a research journal
• Turn in weekly field reports (be prepared to share your weekly experiences with the class via the class discussions area of blackboard or during our class discussions)
• Complete final project deliverables per agreed upon proposal

Class Participation

• Written synopsis/analysis of assigned readings (10 pts each)
• Each assigned review should be 1-2 pages (typed and double-spaced) in length. For each review in addition to stating the main point of the article, you should list/discuss specific aspects or traits of American culture described/presented in the article/book and reference at least two other sources in support of your analysis. Conclude your review by providing your opinion of the article (i.e., did the author articulate his/her point clearly and did you agree or disagree).
• No late reviews will be accepted.
• Note: There will be at least 1 mandatory review of either the Lynd or Lassiter reading.

Lead a Class Discussion-15 pts

• Students will be assigned a reading and will be expected to lead the class in a discussion/analysis of the reading at least once. Discussion leaders should come prepared with a written review of the reading, an outline of what you plan to discuss, and at least two questions for the class. Presenters will be allocated a maximum time of 10 min/per reading unless otherwise stated. Note: Everyone is expected to read all assigned readings and come to class with a least 2 prepared questions per reading.
• You may be called upon to pose your question to the class or questions maybe collected prior to the start of class. Additionally, in-class exercises and quizzes will be given at the discretion of the instructor. Be prepared and stay current with the readings.

Field Exercises/trips (10 points each)

• Field exercises/trips will be assigned at the discretion of the instructor and requirements and due dates will be announced in class.

Extra Credit Readings/Projects/ (points vary)

• These will assigned throughout the semester at the discretion of the instructor and requirements and due dates will be announced in class.

Cultural Heritage and/or Historic Preservation Directed Research Project Participation (100 points total)

• This is a mandatory component of this course—a service learning as a directed research exercise. You will not pass the class unless you are actively involved in a directed research project per tasks and deliverables defined by the designated community partner. Your participation in this aspect of the course will be evaluated by the course instructor(s), your assigned mentor, and the designated community partner. You should commit to spending a minimum of 3 hours per week participating in qualitative research activities and/or onsite ethnography and fieldwork specific to your assigned project outside of classroom meetings.

Service Learning and Community Partner defined Deliverables:

• During the first 2 weeks of class, students will develop a project proposal outlining specific project deliverables and a specific research focus per consultation with the community partner or a designated representative. Students will also be instructed on IRB requirements and will take online courses as needed for appropriate certification.

Final project research paper and presentation of Service Learning project deliverable to Community Partner (100 points total)

• This is a mandatory assignment. You will not pass the class unless you complete this assignment. Each student is expected to develop a portrait of American culture or an American cultural experience as an ethnographic or ethnohistorical exercise (i.e., use ethnographic and/or ethnohistorical field methods to collect data for your topic). In this exercise each student will research/profile/interpret/critique an aspect of life in America based on active participation in a community partner defined and mutually agreed upon cultural research and/or historic preservation project in a designated community (i.e., the Tampa Bay area community of Sulphur Springs). Ethnographies read and/or discussed in this course such as Middletown; The Other Side of Middletown, and You Owe Yourself a Drunk, should serve as models.
• At the conclusion of the course students will present the specified and agreed upon project deliverables to the community partner as well as complete an 8-10 page research paper (typed, double-spaced). In addition, each student will be required to give a 15 minute formal presentation of his/her research and project deliverables to the class and community partner in a public forum. This will take place at the conclusion of Summer B session. Students may work in teams, however each student is expected to turn in a paper and participate in the presentation of the project. The format and style of presentation are open. Creativity is encouraged. Student presentation dates will be provided at the start of the semester.

Attendance is required by all for final project presentations and final grade will reflect attendance.

• 6/28 and/or 7/26—Student Presentations of Summer A/B final project deliverables/Public presentations of final projects. [*Note dates are subject to change per discretion of Community partner. Additional details and instructions will be provided at the start of Summer A semester. Students are required to discuss their final research project/proposal with the instructor and/or assigned mentor prior to beginning the research and write-up.
• 8/2—Final project research papers due

COURSE EXPECTATIONS AND ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES
I believe that we are all learners and teachers. Learning involves more than just getting good grades. Learning can also be expressed by how well you use your skills, knowledge, and experiences to educate
those around you. The class is a combination of lecture plus active learning and participation on your part. If you do not want to actively participate in the learning process, then please consider other options.

Lectures and/or class discussions will be based on the scheduled material as outlined in this syllabus. I expect you to read assigned materials before class. Additionally, we will view films and I will use exercises and projects to help illuminate particular concepts. All material presented or assigned in class are considered fair game for testing purposes. Please come to class prepared to listen, to think critically, and to participate.

Weekly Readings and Activities
SUMMER A
Week 1: American Culture from an Anthropological perspective
5/17 Introductions and review of syllabus

• Overview of service learning as a directed research exercise and learning objective concept
• oWhat is culture/what is anthropology of American culture

Analyzing American culture

• Reading: DeVita text-―The American Culture Configuration‖ (by: Holmes and Holmes/Blackboard posting)
• Reading: Middletown book (Introduction + Chapter I- Getting a Living)
• Reading: Blackboard postings of community and project specific materials

Cultural anthropology research tools/methods/ethics – General overview

• Reading: Wolcott (Chapters 1&2)
• Reading: Weinreich article: Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in Social Marketing
• Film (opt.)

5/19 Experiencing American Culture

• Reading: A Different Mirror‖ (Chapter 1) by R. Takaki (Blackboard posting)
• Reading: Baker text-Introduction (Blackboard posting)
• Reading: Middletown book (Chapter IV- Using Leisure; Chapter V – Engaging in ReligiousPractices)
• Reading: Blackboard postings of community and project specific materials
• Reading (opt): Middletown book (remaining chapters)
• Reading (opt/EC): Middletown Interviews (online postings)
• Film: (opt.)

Culture and Ethnography. How is it studied and what does the study produce?

• In-class exercise: IRB Exercise/Workshop
• Go to/peruse – http://www.loc.gov/folklife
• Reading: Wolcott (Chapters 3&4—Blackboard posting)

Introduction to Service Learning as a directed research project expectations and requirements

• Meet with Community Partner
• Mentor team introductions

Week 2: An ethnographic look at American culture
5/24 Reading: The Other Side of Middletown (all chapters)

• In-class activity: tbd
• Film (opt)

Research tools

• Read/review: Chapters 1, 2, & 3 from book ―The Ethnographic Interview, by: J. Spradley
• RESEARCHING AMERICAN CULTURE-Summer 2010
• Page 10 of 13
• Read/review: Spradley book (Ethnographic Interview)-Part II, Steps 1-4

5/26 Reading: The Other Side of Middletown (all chapters)

• Reading: Blackboard postings of community and project specific materials
• Film (opt)

Research tools

• Review: Chapters 1, 2, & 3 from book ―The Ethnographic Interview‖ by: J. Spradley
• Review: Spradley book (Ethnographic Interview)-Part II, Steps 1-4
• Reading/review: R. Bernard readings (see blackboard posting): #2 (Participant Observation); #3(Field Notes); #4(Interviews)
• *Lab/Field exercise –Intro to USF Library and/or other archival research tools/resources
• [Special Collections/Sanborn maps/City directories/Census data/…]

Week 3: Our cultural ideals of America and people‘s everyday realities
5/31 NO CLASSES—HOLIDAY

6/2 Reading: ―Emigrants from Erin: Ethnicity and Class within White America‖ by R. Takaki

• Reading: ―White Privilege: UnPacking the Invisible Knapsack‖ -by: P. McIntosh
• Reading: Blackboard postings of community and project specific materials
• Reading (opt/EC): ―Writing a Place in American Life: The Sensibilities of an American-born
• Chinese as Reflected in Life Stories from the Exclusion Era‖ by: Xiao-Hung Yin (online posting)

Research tools

• Review: Spradley book (Ethnographic Interview)-Part II, Steps 1-4
• Review R. Bernard readings—#2 (Participant Observation); #3(Field Notes); #4(Interviews)—(Blackboard posting):
• *Lab/Field exercise –Intro to archival research tools/resources
• [Tour/overview of general library resources/tools/available databases]

Week 4: Researching American culture—qualitative research tools/methods
6/7 Reading: Spradley book (You Owe Yourself a Drunk excerpt) – Blackboard posting

• Reading: Blackboard postings of community and project specific materials

6/9 In-class activity/ open discussion

• Review/discuss final project deliverables and research paper
• Film (opt)

Research tools/ research methods (i.e., ethnographic interview)

• Review: Spradley book (Ethnographic Interview)-Part II, Steps 1-4
• Read/review: Spradley book (Ethnographic Interview)-Part II, Steps 11 and 12
• Read/review: R. Bernard readings (see blackboard posting): #1(Literature Review); #4(Interviews); #5(Questionnaires & Survey Research)
• Reading (s): M. Angrosino readings (see Blackboard posting—optional)
• Reading: US Holocaust Museum Oral History Guidelines (optional)

Lab/Field exercise –Multimedia/Podcast training session

Week 5: Researching American Culture

• 6/14 Readings: to be assigned
• Guest Speaker(s) – tbd
• *Lectures will focus on community based research projects in the Tampa Bay area; Anthropology
• of American Culture; qualitative tools ; ethics; oral history

6/16 Readings: to be assigned

• Guest Speaker (s) – tbd
• *Lectures will focus on community based research projects in the Tampa Bay area; anthropology
• of American culture; qualitative tools ; ethics; oral history

Week 6: Researching American Culture

• 6/21 Service Learning/Final Project research discussion day
• Mentor meetings
• Film (opt)
• Guest Speaker (s) – (opt)

6/23 NO CLASS – Service Learning/Final Project research day

6/25 Summer A Classes end

• Final Papers due—option 1 (*this is first date that students can turn in final project research papers; second and final date is 8/2)

6/28 Public Presentation of Student Summer A/B Final Project deliverables—option 1 [time/location tbd— subject to change per discretion of Community partner]

SUMMER B
Weeks 1-4:
6/28 Summer B starts

6/29 –7/23 Student directed research projects/no formal class meetings/informal meetings with
mentors and instructor

Week 5-6: Summer A/B Final Project Deliverables due
7/26 Student Presentations of Summer A/B Final project deliverables; Public presentations of final
projects—option 2
[*time/location tbd—Note this date is subject to change per discretion of Community partner]

8/2 Final project research papers due

8/6 Summer B ends

Using Facebook for this sort of thing is a lot more fun than looking up your boring ass high school classmates.

(The Chive)

While Toyota was trying to prove to the media and the public that there is nothing electronically wrong with their gas pedal issue, a runaway Toyota Prius in San Diego had a driver calling 911 for help after his hybrid hit speeds of up to 94 mph.

James Sikes, 61, was driving down a San Diego County freeway when he accelerated to pass another vehicle and could not control his car, according to California Highway Patrol.

“I pushed the gas pedal to pass a car and it did something kind of funny … it jumped and it just stuck there,” Sikes said. “As it was going, I was trying the brakes … it wasn’t stopping, it wasn’t doing anything and it just kept speeding up.”

Eventually an officer pulled up and told Sikes to apply the brake pedal and the emergency brake at the same time. After the car came down to about 50 mph, Sikes turned off the engine and coasted to a stop with the officer’s car in front of his as a precautionary block.

Sikes said that two weeks prior to the incident, he had taken his Prius to an El Cajon dealership for repairs after receiving a recall notice, but was turned away.

“I gave them my recall notice and they handed it back and said I’m not on the recall list,” Sikes said.

In a short statement Toyota said that it has “dispatched a field technical specialist to San Diego to investigate the report and offer assistance.”

– By: Omar Rana

Source: Detroit News

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has lifted some limitations it imposed on US-based software makers and web service providers regarding three countries: Cuba, Iran and Sudan. The bans applied to North Korea and Syria still remain in place, and apply to any software transaction or electronic Inte… (read more)

Girls are so slutty, I love it.

(College Humor)

Smell that morning air? That’s the smell of new games on the store shelves…and the subsequent emptying of your wallet. Just a quick heads up as you go through your day-to-day stuff if you’re in North

The mobile web is quickly becoming less of a niche, like just a few years ago, and a very important and potentially lucrative market. Plenty of companies are interested in the space, Google is betting heavily on the mobile web, and Yahoo seems to be doing the same. The company, which has been undergoing a big restructuring for a year now, is now disbanding its dedic… (read more)

How should companies survive a recession and do well afterward? Empirical research into the activities of 4,700 public companies during three recent recessions makes clear that the healthiest survivors simultaneously deployed both defensive and offensive maneuvers. Writing in the March issue of Harvard Business Review, HBS professors Ranjay Gulati and Nitin Nohria and Kellogg School doctoral student Franz Wohlgezogen advise a multi-pronged strategy to reduce costs selectively and invest wisely in marketing, R&D, and new assets.

The study provides sobering news as well. Seventeen percent of the companies went bankrupt, were acquired, or turned private in the wake of a recession. “Firms that cut costs faster and deeper than rivals don’t necessarily flourish,” the researchers explain. “Businesses that boldly invest more than their rivals during a recession don’t always fare well either. They enjoy only a 26 percent chance of becoming leaders after a downturn. And companies that were growth leaders coming into a recession often can’t retain their momentum; about 85 percent are toppled during bad times.” Their article, “Roaring Out of Recession,” suggests ways to avoid that fate.

Other new work on tap examines, among other topics, the building of the Panama Canal and the varying influence of business groups in India. And a “Marketing Analysis Toolkit: Breakeven Analysis” case note launches this week.

— Martha Lagace

Working Papers

Location Strategies for Agglomeration Economies

Authors:	Juan Alcácer and Wilbur Chung

Abstract

Geographically concentrated industry activity creates pools of skilled labor and specialized suppliers and increases opportunities for knowledge spillovers. The strategic value of these agglomeration economies may vary by firm, depending upon the relative value of each economy, and upon firm and agglomeration economy traits. To better determine when a firm will be attracted to agglomeration economies, we develop a three-layer framework. The first layer assesses the relative importance of skilled labor, suppliers, and knowledge spillovers. The second layer considers whether firms can benefit from geographic concentration without co-locating. The final layer examines why some firms are more inclined to co-locate than others based upon firm and agglomeration economy traits. We test our framework on the U.S. location choices of new manufacturing entrants between 1985 and 1994 and find that firms are far more attracted to skilled labor and specialized suppliers than they are to potential knowledge spillovers, even in R&D intensive industries. We also find that leading firms will be more attracted to pools of labor, suppliers, and potential knowledge spillovers when their own contributions are less fungible, and cannot be easily leveraged for strategic advantage by proximate competitors.

Download the paper: http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/10-071.pdf

Matching Firms, Managers, and Incentives

Authors:	Oriana Bandiera, Luigi Guiso, Andrea Prat, and Raffaella Sadun

Abstract

We provide evidence on the match between firms, managers, and incentives using a new survey that contains information on managers’ risk preferences and human capital, on their compensation schemes, and on the firms they work for. The data is consistent with the equilibrium correlations predicted by a model where firms with different ownership structure and managers with different risk aversion and talent match endogenously through incentive contracts. The model predicts and the data support that, compared to widely held firms, family firms use contracts that are less sensitive to performance; these contracts attract less talented and more risk-averse managers, and these managers work less hard, earn less, and display lower job satisfaction.

Download the paper: http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/10-073.pdf

Equity-Debtholder Conflicts and Capital Structure

Authors:	Bo Becker and Per Strömberg

Abstract

We use an important legal event as a natural experiment to examine equity-debt conflicts in the vicinity of financial distress. A 1991 Delaware bankruptcy ruling changed the nature of corporate directors’ fiduciary duties in that state. This change limited incentives to take actions favoring equity over debt. We show that, as predicted, this increased the likelihood of equity issues, increased investment, and reduced risk taking. The changes are isolated to indebted firms (where the legal change applied). These reductions in agency costs were followed by an increase in average leverage and a reduction in interest costs. Finally, we can estimate the welfare implications of agency costs, because firm values increased when the rules were introduced. We conclude that equity-bondholder conflicts are economically important, determine capital structure choices, and affect welfare.

Download the paper: http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/10-070.pdf

A Reexamination of Tunneling and Business Groups: New Data and New Methods

Authors:	Jordan Siegel and Prithwiraj Choudhury

Abstract

The last decade of corporate governance research has been focused in large part on identifying what leads to superior or deficient corporate governance in emerging economies, and we think the conventional wisdom about the economically important topics of tunneling and business groups will need to be significantly questioned and reformulated in light of new findings, data, and methodology presented here. We propose the idea that firms’ corporate governance and firms’ strategic business activities within an industry are interlinked, and that only by conducting a simultaneous economic analysis of business strategy and corporate governance can scholars fully discern the quality of a firm’s governance. We advance this idea by taking a fresh look at one of the most rigorous extant methodologies for detecting “tunneling,” or efforts by firms’ controlling owner-managers to take money for themselves at the expense of minority shareholders. We show that efforts to discern which firms have superior or deficient corporate governance in the important emerging economy of India turn critically on whether one does a simultaneous economic analysis of business strategy and corporate governance. We find in contrast to prior views that Indian business groups are not, on average, engaging in tunneling but are, on average, exhibiting good corporate governance, especially in light of the markedly different business strategies they typically undertake. Moreover, unlike many past conceptions of business groups from financial economics, sociology, and strategy, we find evidence for a knowledge-based “recombinative capabilities” view of business groups-that such groups have done the most to invest in R&D and other skills necessary to combine inputs in ways that lead to greater added value. Moreover, our finding that Indian business groups have grown larger and more diversified since liberalization and since broad-based corporate governance reforms were implemented goes expressly against the prediction of prior schools of thought about business groups.

Download the paper: http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/10-072.pdf