First Syllabus of the Year

I just got an e-mail with my first syllabus from Cornell - the Anthropology pro-seminar that everyone takes. Here's a sample grab:

"By refracting social theory through its own social life and intellectual history, I hope for something more than conceptual clarification. Methodologically, by profaning the claim of theory to transcend context, I hope that we (students and instructors alike) will develop a more unsettled and healthy relationship to anthropological professionalism and expertise.

"As befits a program of radical professionalization...students should read as much as possible and then feel anxious for not having read everything" [ok, I've got that part down pat]...

Etc.
Then follows a list of nineteen (19) texts. For one class. Plus another 15 essays on reserve at Uris. We are encouraged to start reading as soon as possible. I just dropped $400 at Powell's Books. While I wait for the books to get here, though, I suppose I ought to see if I can check the first ones due out of the JMU library...

It's exhilerating, and frightening - I will soon learn to speak like... that... hopefully without giggling or rolling my eyes too much. Seriously - "profaning the claim"? Yeah, I agree, on principle, but this use of language will take some getting used to.

It's just another language. Like knitting.