ANT/ASN266 - Philippines
TR 9-10:20 Prof. Michael Billig
Keiper 201 Gerhart House (x4036)
Office Hours: M 2:30-4:30; W 11-12;
F 11-12 (or by appointment)
Texts
Available at the bookstore:
1) Steinberg, David. J. 2000. The Philippines: A Singular and Plural Place. 4th edition. Westview Press.
2) Dumont, Jean-Paul. 1992. Visayan Vignettes: Ethnographic Traces of a Philippine Island. University of Chicago Press.
3) Kiefer, Thomas. 1986. The Tausug: Violence and Law in a Philippine Muslim Society. Waveland Press.
4) José, F. Sionil. 1998. Dusk: A Novel. Modern Library.
5) Billig, Michael S. 2003. Barons, Brokers, and Buyers: The Institutions and Cultures of Philippine Sugar. University of Hawaii Press.
Available as Unassigned Reference on the Internet:
1) The Philippines: A Country Study. 1993. Area Handbook Series. U.S. Superintendent of Documents. Library of Congress. Federal Research Division. Washington, DC.
URL Address: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/phtoc.html
2) Good maps of the Philippines at: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/philippines.html
Requirements
1) Midterm – Tuesday, March 1st. (22% of Grade).
2) Two 4-5 page Papers – Due on Thursday, February 24th and Tuesday, April 26th, respectively. The form and topics of these will be addressed in separate handouts. (25% Each).
3) Final Exam (28% of Grade).
The due dates of the papers are non-negotiable so plan accordingly. Since the papers will be based mainly upon the readings, I strongly advise that you remain up-to-date on your assignments.
ALL GRADED ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN ORDER TO PASS THE COURSE.
SYLLABUS – Complete the reading on the day specified.
Date Topics Reading
T 1/18 Course intro; Island Southeast Asia; geography;
where are the Philippines?, and who are the Filipinos?
R 1/20 More on geography; climate; population; Steinberg: Ch. 1
regions and provinces; agriculture; natural and 2
disasters; early and pre-colonial history.
T 1/25 The Spanish Era (350 years in a convent); seeds of Steinberg: Ch. 3,
revolution; Rizal, Bonifacio, and Aguinaldo; Heroes? 4, and 5
R 1/27 The revolution and its aftermath; U.S. annexation. Steinberg: Ch. 6
T 2/1 The American Era (50 years in Hollywood); the Steinberg: Ch. 7
road to independence; The New Republic; Magsaysay.
R 2/3 The Marcos Era; People’s Power; EDSA; the Steinberg: Ch. 8
current scene. and 9
T 2/8 Film: In Our Image, Part I and II. Begin Dumont
(finish by 2/24)
R 2/10 In Our Image, Part II and III. Receive 1st Essay Continue Dumont Assignment.
T 2/15 Languages; Philippine culture; utang na loob. Continue Dumont
R 2/17 More on culture; etiquette; food; kinship; Continue Dumont
Philippine “nepotism.”
T 2/22 Kinship and family; women in Philippine society. Continue Dumont
R 2/24 Rural society; discuss Dumont. FIRST ESSAY DUE. Finish Dumont
T 3/1 Midterm Exam. Begin Jose
(finish by 3/22)
R 3/3 More on rural society; agrarian reform; Continue Jose
peasant resistance; From babaylan to the
Huk to the NPA.
T 3/8 The politics of agriculture. Continue Jose
R 3/10 Rural to urban migration; life in the city; Manila. Continue Jose
SPRING BREAK
T 3/22 Film: Celso and Cora. Finish Jose
R 3/24 Religion and society; Philippine Christianity; Begin Kiefer
Islam; tribal religions; fiestas; discuss Jose. (finish by 4/12)
T 3/29 Religion and politics; cultural variation by region. Continue Kiefer
R 3/31 More cultural variation by region; elites, tenants Continue Kiefer
and smallholders.
T 4/5 The ethnographic record; research in tribal societies. Continue Kiefer
R 4/7 More on tribal societies; Muslim tribals of Mindanao; Continue Kiefer
Igorots of the Cordillera; Ifugao; Aetas. Receive 2nd
Essay Assignment.
T 4/12 The strange case of the Tasaday; discuss Kiefer. Finish Kiefer
R 4/14 Film: The Lost Tribe. Begin Billig
(finish 4/28)
T 4/19 Major issues in Philippine politics, economics, and Continue Billig
society; ASEAN and the U.S.; political extremism;
The feud with China.
R 4/21 Land reform; corruption; the military; Continue Billig
industry, banking, and commerce; The NGO
movement.
T 4/26 Case Study: The Philippine sugar industry; Continue Billig
Slide Show; SECOND ESSAY DUE.
R 4/28 Course summary, wrap-up, and discussion. Finish Billig
(literally)
