FRS 001C — Sec. 001 — (1 unit) — CRN 76129 — T 9:00-9:50am — 25 Wellman
Human Nature, Animal Culture

Instructor: Bruce Winterhalder, Department of Anthropology, College of Letters and Science

Description: Mark Twain once claimed that humans are the only animal that tells lies or needs to, but he was wrong. We know from recent studies that other primates regularly, and quite skillfully, deceive one another. In this seminar, we will examine definitions of humans that take the form of Twain's assertion, "Humans are the only animals that. . ." We will focus especially on recent evidence that some non-human primate behavior is socially transmitted and thus represents a kind of animal culture. Our primary reading will be Franz de Waal's book, The Ape and the Shushi Master. We will focus our discussion at two levels: (i) close reading and discussion of de Waal's argument and (ii) critical examination of selected articles from the primary scientific literature on which he bases his case. Examples of the latter include: Gallup, GG, Jr. 1982 Self-awareness and the emergence of mind in primates. American Journal of Primatology 2: 237-248; McGrew, WC, Marchant, LF, Scott, SE and Tutin, CEG 2001 Intergroup differences in a social custom of wild chimpanzees: The grooming hand-clasp of the Mahale Mountains. Current Anthropology 42: 148-153; de Waal, FBM 1992 Intentional deception in primates. Evolutionary Anthropology 1: 86-92.

Fundamentally, this seminar is about careful, disciplined reading, and the informed and exploratory conversation it can provoke. We will ask of each reading assignment: what did the author say? and, how was the argument made? We will then discuss the implications of de Waal's observations for understanding human nature and animal behavior. We also will explore the scholarly bases of de Waal's book by going behind the text to read a selection of the original research articles de Waal cites in support of his case. We will evaluate the quality of the original research and the degree to which it supports de Waal's claims.

Format: The format for the course is straightforward. After an introductory class featuring instructor and student biographies, along with a description of course mechanics and goals, we will read through de Waal at the rate of two chapters per week, for six weeks. We will devote class sessions to discussion and interpretation. In weeks eight and nine, students will make short presentations on original research articles which they have located using library research tools or de Waal's bibliography asking, in each case, how well the observational or experimental materials in the article support de Waal's broader argument. A final class will be devoted to summary reflections on the differences, or lack of them, between humans and non-human primates. Throughout, I will distribute and lead mini-discussions on short "tools of the trade" articles on reading, writing and thinking, chosen for their relevance to the undergraduate experience. Two examples: Orwell, G. 1968 Politics and the English language. In The Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters of George Orwell, Vol. 4 edited by S. Orwell and I. Angus, pp. 127-140. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, New York; and, Boyer, P. 1995 Ceteris paribus (All else being equal). In How Things Are: A Science Tool-Kit for the Mind edited by J. Brockman and K. Matson, pp. 169-175. William Morrow and Company, New York.

There are no required activities outside of regularly scheduled contact hours, except for reading. Readings include de Waal, one article from the primary research literature, and selected short writings distributed by the instructor.

There are several short written assignments associated with this Freshman Seminar. For each of the six discussion classes, students will be required to bring a one-page, reading response sheet. It consists of two, paragraph-long observations, followed by three to four written discussion questions. The observation paragraphs are open-ended. They might describe in detail a particularly striking point made by the author, summarize and speculate on a question provoked by the text, or outline an argument with the material. The goal is to clearly and succinctly express an intellectual reaction that reflects careful reading of the assigned materials. The questions will be of a form that initiates discussion. Students will make two copies; one to hand in at the beginning of class.

In addition, students will be required to write a two-page summary of the journal article they read and describe to the class, for distribution to fellow students. They also will write one short essay (4-6 pages), which must be submitted for editing by the instructor before the final version is graded. This essay will evaluate de Waal's argument in light of the primary journal article that the student has read.

Grading: Grades will be a weighted combination of: reading responses (30%), two-page summary (10%); short essay (20%) and oral participation (40%). There will be no quizzes or final exam.

About the Instructor: As an undergraduate, I did an Independent Study major in evolutionary biology, anthropology and the history of science through the U. of Oregon Honors College. I went on the Cornell University for graduate work in ecological and economic anthropology, population genetics, and behavioral ecology, eventually doing extended fieldwork with Cree hunter-gatherers in northern Ontario and Andean farmer-pastoralists living in high altitude in southern Peru. I taught in the Department of Anthropology and Curriculum in Ecology at UNC – Chapel Hill for 22 years before moving to UC - Davis in 2002. I recently was invited to write a somewhat longer biography for the electronic journal, Before Farming, titled “The Half of It.” You can find in on my website (http://www.anthro.ucdavis.edu/winterweb/) under “Research” and then “Recent Publications.”