Recognize the applicability and relevance of anthropology. Required Texts.
Ember and Ember. (2011). Cultural Anthropology. (13th ed.). Upper Saddle River
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ANT 102: Intro Cultural Anthropology Fall 2011 3 Credit Hours Lecture: M/W 11-11:50am in tH 30 (Section 001) Discussion/Study Groups: Friday (Sections 002-011) Core Designation: Social and Behavioral Sciences Instructor: Office: Office Hours: Office phone: Email:
Elizabeth Elliott Cooper, PhD, MPH 16 ten Hoor M 1-4, T 10:30-12:30 and by appointment (205) 348-4173
[email protected]
Contact Instructions: Email is the preferred form of communication for the class, both for its convenience and accuracy. To minimize the possibility of miscommunication, students are encouraged to maintain copies of all correspondence. Keep in mind that your first point of contact is the teaching assistant assigned to your discussion section. Please contact this individual first and be sure to include the course number and your full name in the subject line. Following this procedure will ensure that you receive a prompt reply and will keep your GTA apprised of your concerns. My door is open, and I welcome the opportunity to speak with you directly about the course content and anthropology more generally. I do not expect (or enjoy) fielding questions about housekeeping matters such as submission deadlines and scheduling concerns. Contacting Your GTA Section Teaching Assistant 002, 006 Joe Anderson (
[email protected]) 003, 009 Sarah Morrow (
[email protected]) 004, 011 Erik Porth (
[email protected]) 005, 010 Hillary Burt (
[email protected]) 007, 008 Max Stein (
[email protected])
Office Hours T 8-10; R 9-10 R 11-2 M/T/W 12-1 M 12-3 M/W 9:30-11
Room tH 24A tH 24A tH 23A tH 24A tH 24A
Section Times and Locations ALL sections meet on Friday Section 002 Section 003 Section 004 Section 005 Section 006
8-8:50am 11-11:50am 11-11:50am 11-11:50am 11-11:50am
tH 23 tH 118 tH 23 tH 353 tH 250
Section 007 Section 008 Section 009 Section 010 Section 011
11-11:50am 12-12:50pm 12-12:50pm 12-12:50pm 12-12:50pm
tH 119 tH 119 tH 346 tH 353 tH 23
Course Description: ANT 102 is a focused introduction to cultural anthropology that aims to (1) explain culture as our species’ primary response to the challenges of survival and (2) instill an appreciation for the complexity and breadth of the human condition. This course is mandatory for majors, fulfills a requirement for minors, and is open to all students with no prerequisites. With its systematic approach to the behaviors and practices of living peoples, ANT 102 is a social science and fulfills this requirement (SS or SB) in the Arts and Sciences Core Curriculum. Anthropology students are advised to sit this course within their first two years in the major as it provides an essential background for higher level courses.
Student Learning Outcomes: The goal of ANT 102 is to enable students to: (1) Critically evaluate the culture concept as both a theory and a tool for interpreting human behavior, (2) Learn from the experiences of others while avoiding stereotypes and oversimplifications (3) Understand the purpose and methodology underlying ethnography and ethnology (4) Enhance comparative and analytic skills (5) Enjoy learning. Student grades will be determined by the first four objectives. It is entirely possible to hate anthropology (and this class) and still receive an acceptable grade. However, enjoying the process will make the semester far less painful for all involved, and I hope that you will be inspired to work with me and your TA to create a positive learning environment. Over the course of the semester, we will discuss the formation of social bonds, group interaction, identity, environmental adaptation, historical change, language, spirituality, and power as we attempt to understand our own beliefs more objectively and gain a closer understanding of seemingly “exotic” cultures. Essentially, we’ll be using the culture concept to ask what it means to be human. By the end of this course, you will be able to:
Define key terms and identify the major theories and theorists of sociocultural anthropology Intelligently discuss controversial issues such as race, gender, and poverty Recognize the applicability and relevance of anthropology
Required Texts Ember and Ember. (2011). Cultural Anthropology. (13th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. (ISBN: 0-205-71120-0, ISBN-13: 978-0-205-71120-8). Additional articles may be assigned at the instructor’s discretion and will be uploaded to the course eLearning site. All readings are to be completed by the date indicated on the course schedule. Exams and Assignments: All students will sit three non-cumulative exams based on the general course material as presented in class lectures, films, activities and the textbook (25% each). The final exam is optional and will consist of a randomized selection of test questions from the previous three exams. For those students who choose to participate in this assessment, the cumulative final will take the place of their lowest exam score. The exam format is primarily multiple choice with some true/false and matching items. Please be aware that while lecture attendance is not mandatory a significant proportion of the test material will draw directly on these sessions. It is essential that you attend and participate in your discussion section. You will submit an informal 1-2 page reading response each week along with three questions based on either the reading or in-class presentations. These materials must meet a minimum quality standard. GTAs will assign extra credit for truly exceptional responses at their discretion. Taken together, the informal response paper/question sets represent 15% of your final course grade. These items will allow for the assessment of your understanding prior to the formal exams and are an essential part of the learning process. In addition, you will participate in a cross-cultural simulation, observing and attempting to interact with an unknown cultural group. Your analysis of this experience represents 10% of the final grade.
To reiterate, the course grade will be computed as follows: Component Percentage of Final Grade 75 Three Exams @ 25% each (Option to replace one of the above with cumulative final) Discussion Section Response Paper/Question Set 15 Analysis of Cross-Cultural Simulation 10 Total 100 Grading Policy 100-90% = A 89-87% = B+ 86-83% = B 82-80% = B-
79-77% = C+ 76-73% = C 72-70% = C69-67% = D+
66-63% = D 62-60% = D
