Issues in Ethnomusicology (Fall 2012)

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short link to this page: http://bit.ly/isem12
short link to weekly schedule: http://bit.ly/isem12s

Instructor

Professor Michael Frishkopf
Meetings: Fall 2012, Mondays, 9 – 11:50 am, Old Arts 403
Office: 334D Old Arts Building
Office hours: Wednesday 1:00-3:15, by appointment
Tel: 780-492-0225, email: michaelf@ualberta.ca

Goals

Ethnomusicology is "the meaningful social practice of studying music as a meaningful social practice" (Frishkopf 2011) This course aims to catalyze your critical understanding of the field of ethnomusicology, considered as a practice, a discourse, a literature, an intellectual history, and a shifting social network, by cultivating familiarity with its issues, sources, theories, methods, and seminal figures, and its self-positioning in relation to other scholarly domains (especially anthropology and musicology). Together we’ll explore the ways in which ethnomusicology has formulated itself by drawing upon related fields of the human sciences, such as anthropology, folklore, linguistics, psychology, sociology, economics, history, political science, and literary studies, applying a variety of theoretical models to ethnomusicological data. The course also aims to introduce you to ethnomusicology's principal scholarly sources, rapidly traversing a wide array of ethnomusicological literature, while pausing to consider landmark works in greater depth. Finally, this course encourages development of your own research directions in ethnomusicology, and a deeper understanding of the research process, through preparation of an original research proposal.

Requirements and mechanics

This is a seminar course, structured to facilitate critically engaged discussions. Each week we’ll meet for approximately three hours to discuss ideas. It is imperative that you have completed the week’s readings before coming to class. Sometimes readings will be assigned to particular individuals; everyone can expect to receive at least one assignment of this type. When you are assigned a reading, come to class ready to present and critique that reading, and to kindle and facilitate its discussion among your peers.

The following is required of each student:

  • Regular attendance and active participation in class.
  • Using Zotero to manage and format all your citations, using a shared research group for the class
  • Using the wiki to compile information (here's how).
  • Completion of assignments as listed on this course website, by the listed submission date. Except as noted (e.g. if you're to edit the wiki), all assignments are to be prepared in a word processor, then emailed to the instructor as an attachment, with the subject line "ISEM12". Please ensure that each file contains one and only one assignment, and that your last name appears at the top of the document, and at the start of the filename. Please send all submissions attached to a single email if possible (this will not be possible if you're submitting something late...but hopefully you won't!). All page counts refer to Times New Roman font, 1" margins, single spaced, 8.5 x 11 pages. Please cite references as needed, using Zotero to do so.
  • Completion of all assignments on time. All assignments are to be emailed before class on the due date. Thereafter, one quarter point will be deducted, and an additional quarter point for each subsequent day of lateness. (In other words, an assignment due by 9 am that is submitted later that day is downgraded by a quarter point. If it's submitted after 9 am the following day, it's downgraded by a half point.)
  • Coming to class prepared to discuss readings. Often you will have prepared a reading review, but also take notes, mark the (printed or electronic) document, or both.
  • If you are assigned to present a particular reading or topic, coming to class prepared to lead a discussion by writing down a few questions for debate.
  • During weeks 7,8,9,10,11,12, preparation of a reading review for each assigned reading (article, book chapter, or book)
  • Preparation of reading reviews (as noted) which both convey the scope and content of a reading (treated as "reference"), and provide some critical analysis of the reading (treated as "source") by noting its limitations as judged against a broader context (e.g. the author's life, the historical period, contemporary ideologies and debates, etc.) Reading reviews are thus typically in two parts: (a) tell the reader what it's about; (b) show the reader you've thought about what it's about.
  • Research proposal, including a bibliographic essay or annotated bibliography treating theoretical, methodological, topical, and areal sources relevant to your proposed research (10-15 pages), using the template for Research Proposals in Ethnomusicology as a guide. The bibliographic portion should review at least a dozen well-selected, relevant works beyond those explicitly assigned for the course. You may string a set of individual reviews together, or combine them in a review essay if you prefer. Your research proposal is submitted in three stages: (a) one-paragraph concept (due in Week 2); (b) draft version (due in Week 10); (c) final version (due in Week 14).

Resources

Schedule

Overview

Week 1 : 10-Sep. Introduction.
Week 2 : 17-Sep. Defining ethnomusicology.
Week 3 : 24-Sep. Meta-ethnomusicology.
Week 4 : 01-Oct. Roots.
Week 5 : 08-Oct. No class (Thanksgiving)
Week 6 : 15-Oct. Music-centric approaches.
Week 7 : 22-Oct. No class (instructor away). Basic models (paradigms) for ethnomusicology.
Week 8 : 29-Oct. Model 1
Week 9 : 05-Nov. Model 2
Week 10 : 12-Nov. Model 3
Week 11 : 19-Nov. Model 4
Week 12 : 26-Nov. Model 5
Week 13 : 03-Dec. Proposal presentations
Week 14 : 10-Dec. Proposal due

Schedule details and assignments

Evaluation and grading

General participation and class presentations: 25%
Weekly assignments due in weeks 2,3,4,6,7,8,9,10,11,12: 5% per week (50% total)
Research proposal: 25%

All weekly assignments are to be emailed to the instructor before class on the due date. Thereafter, one quarter point will be deducted, and an additional quarter point for each subsequent day of lateness. The research proposal must be submitted by the end of the day on its due date; thereafter, one quarter point will be deducted for each day of lateness.

All course components are evaluated using a scale from 0-4. These numbers are combined in a weighted average (as given to the left), then rounded to the nearest GPA value and converted to a letter grade, according to the following table:
A: 4.0
A-: 3.7
B+: 3.3
B: 3.0
B-: 2.7
C+: 2.3
C: 2.0
C-: 1.7
D+: 1.3
D: 1.0
F: 0.0

Official statements

Course prerequisites: none
Course-based ethics approval, Community service learning: NA
Past or representative evaluative course material: see instructor
Additional mandatory instruction fees: No

Policy about course outlines can be found in Section 23.4(2) of the University Calendar. (GFC 29 SEP 2003).

Academic Integrity
The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behavior (online at http://www.governance.ualberta.ca/en/CodesofConductandResidenceCommunityStandards/CodeofStudentBehaviour.aspx ) and avoid any behavior that could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.

Learning and working environment
The Faculty of Arts is committed to ensuring that all students, faculty and staff are able to work and study in an environment that is safe and free from discrimination and harassment. It does not tolerate behavior that undermines that environment. The department urges anyone who feels that this policy is being violated to: • Discuss the matter with the person whose behaviour is causing concern; or • If that discussion is unsatisfactory, or there is concern that direct discussion is inappropriate or threatening, discuss it with the Chair of the Department. For additional advice or assistance regarding this policy you may contact the student ombudservice: (http://www.ombudservice.ualberta.ca/ ). Information about the University of Alberta Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Procedures can be found in the GFC Policy Manual, section 44 available at http://gfcpolicymanual.ualberta.ca/ .

Plagiarism and Cheating:
All students should consult the “Truth-In-Education” handbook or Website (http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/TIE/ ) regarding the definitions of plagiarism and its consequences when detected. Students involved in language courses and translation courses should be aware that on-line “translation engines” produce very dubious and unreliable “translations.” Students in language courses should be aware that, while seeking the advice of native or expert speakers is often helpful, excessive editorial and creative help in assignments is considered a form of “cheating” that violates the code of student conduct with dire consequences. An instructor or coordinator who is convinced that a student has handed in work that he or she could not possibly reproduce without outside assistance is obliged, out of consideration of fairness to other students, to report the case to the Associate Dean of the Faculty. Before unpleasantness occurs consult http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/TIE/; also discuss this matter with any tutor(s) and with your instructor.

Recording of Lectures:
Audio or video recording of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan. Recorded material is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the instructor.

Attendance, Absences, and Missed Grade Components:
Regular attendance is essential for optimal performance in any course. In cases of potentially excusable absences due to illness or domestic affliction, notify the instructor by e-mail within two days. Regarding absences that may be excusable and procedures for addressing course components missed as a result, consult sections 23.3(1) and 23.5.6 of the University Calendar. Be aware that unexcused absences will result in partial or total loss of the grade for the “attendance and participation” component(s) of a course, as well as for any assignments that are not handed-in or completed as a result. In this course, 10% of your grade depends on regular attendance and energetic participation.

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