Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Anthropology 101 Section 1001
Fall 2013
Monday and Wednesday 5:30-6:45 pm
Cedar Building Room 317
Teacher: Emily “Eddie” Dale
Email: Emily.Dale@wnc.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Cultural anthropology is a discipline that can be applied to many
courses of study, as anthropologists are interested in people throughout time and all over the
world. Through this introductory course, we will explore topics relevant to anthropology,
including its history, theory, and research methods. We will attempt, in the words of Melford
Spiro, to “make the strange familiar, and the familiar strange.” By employing anthropological
theory to what people do and why, we will learn to think like anthropologists, analyzing our own
culture(s) and those of others. We will consider human diversity through comparative studies of
topics including gender, religion, economics, food, and kinship; we will also consider culture
change and globalization. Students will learn to think critically about themselves and others, an
important skill in this ever-increasingly connected (and possibly disconnected) world.
A Note on the Core Curriculum
This is a 3 unit introductory course. It is transferable to any college or university in Nevada as
Anthropology 101, and is accepted at colleges and universities outside of Nevada as the
introductory course to cultural anthropology. It will fulfill the SOCIAL SCIENCES requirements
for all WNC degrees, and will count toward the Anthropology major at UNR, UNLV, and
elsewhere.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
• Gezon & Kottak: Culture; McGraw Hill Publishing
• Articles will be available for download and reading on Canvas
CANVAS:
There is a Canvas page for this class, on which you can find an up-to-date syllabus, copies of
assignments, Powerpoint slides, reading materials, grades, and relevant course materials.
Assignments will also be due through Canvas. For first time users, go to
www.wnc.edu/wnconline, and click on “Access WNC Online (Canvas)” under “Online
Instruction.” Assignments will be listed under the “Assignments” tab. Extra Credit
Opportunities, Lectures, and Readings are under the “Files” tab.
1. EXAMS
• Three, non-cumulative exams administered throughout the semester will cover lectures,
text material, films, and assigned articles.
• Exams will consist of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and short answer (short essay)
questions.
• Make-up exams must be scheduled with me and will require a doctor’s note or equivalent
proof for absence. If you are aware ahead of time that you will miss an exam, please try
to schedule a make up with me at least a week in advance of the scheduled test.
•
Points: Each exam is worth 50 points
2. WRITING
• In lieu of a formal research paper, your writing requirement for the class will be fulfilled
through a series of five critical thinking and response assignments, due throughout the
semester, as shown on the schedule below. These assignments will test your
understanding of certain concepts and require you to apply them to your everyday life.
• The assignments will be posted to Canvas and will be submitted in digital format (Safe
Assign) to Canvas. They are due at 11:59 pm on the night listed on the schedule below.
• Points: Each writing assignment is worth 10 points
3. ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION
• Do the readings prior to class so that you can contribute to the discussions. (They will
also show up on the tests, hint hint).
• Attendance and participation are a factor in this grade and will be calculated based off
daily roll call. Excused absences and documented emergencies do NOT count toward a
missed class. Please inform me if you will miss or have missed a class where attendance
was taken and you missed for a legitimate reason (family death, illness, etc… (sleeping in
past your alarm does not count). Documentation is required.).
• Points: Participation and attendance are worth 15 points
Extra credit will be offered during the semester, but will be limited to 10 points per student in
total. Extra credit opportunities, mostly in the form of attending lectures, reading extra articles,
or watching additional films and writing a 1-2 page summary and reflection of what you learned,
will be announced in class. Each submission is worth up to 3 points. A sheet detailing how to get
extra credit is posted to Canvas under “Files”, then “Extra Credit Opportunities.” Extra credit
articles will also be posted to this section of Canvas, as will links to films available on-line.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS
• Late assignments will not be accepted.
POINT BREAKDOWN:
Exams (3)
150
Assignments (5)
50
Participation
15
Total possible
215
For all graded assignments:
94-100 = A; 90-93 = A-; 87-89 = B+; 84-86 = B; 80-83 = B-; 77-79 = C+; 74-76 = C;
70-73 = C-; 67-69 = D+; 64-66 = D; 60-63 = D-; 0-59 = F
For those who fall in between two of these grade categories, people with .5 or higher will receive
the higher grade, while those with .4 or lower will receive the lower grade. For example,
someone with a 93.52 will receive an A for the class, while someone with a 93.46 will receive an
A-.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY POLICY
Students are expected to adhere to the ethical code as described in the WNC Student Handbook.
This code specifies that with enrollment, an individual commits to the principles embodied in the
code. Academic dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, etc.), in any form is unacceptable. Any student
engaging in academic dishonesty in this course will receive a 0 on the exam/assignment in
question, and the case will be reported to the proper university authorities.
ACADEMIC DISABILITY:
WNC supports providing equal access for students with disabilities. Susan Trist (DSS
coordinator) is available to discuss appropriate academic accommodations that students may
require. Please contact Susan(774-445-3268) at your earliest convenience.
ACADEMIC SUCCESS SERVICES
Your student fees cover usage of the WNC Academic Skills Center, which offers tutoring, both
walk-in and by appointment, computer use, and workshops. For more information, visit
www.wnc.edu/studentservices/asc or in person on the Carson City Campus in Bristlecone
Building, room 330.
PLEASE TURN OFF CELL PHONES & OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES DURING
CLASS AND NO TALKING. THESE ARE ALL DISRUPTIVE AND INCONSIDERATE
TO YOUR FELLOW CLASSMATES.
SCHEDULE: The following class schedule is subject to change. All readings should be
completed before the class for which they are assigned. Under readings, TB=Textbook Chapter
and CA=Canvas Article.
Date
Topic
Readings
Assignments
Extra
Credit
Aug 26
Syllabus Overview and
Introduction to
Anthropology
TB: Chapter 1
None
None
Aug 28
Culture
SEPT 3
LABOR DAY
Sept 4
Culture
TB: Chapter 2
CA: Body Ritual
among the Nacirema
NO CLASS
TB: Chapter 2
CA: Body Ritual
among the Nacirema
Updated
Nacirema,
Due Sept 4
NO CLASS
Updated
Nacirema,
Due Sept 4
Methods
Practice, Due
Sept 11
Film:
Merchants
of Cool
CLASS
Film:
Merchants
of Cool
Article:
Shakespeare
in the Bush
Sept 16
& Sept
18
Doing Anthropology
Film: The Language You
Cry In
Language and
Communication
Film: The Linguists
TB: Chapter 4
CA: How Language
Shapes Thought
None
None
Sept 23
EXAM ONE
EXAM ONE
EXAM ONE
EXAM
ONE
Sept 9 &
Sept 11
TB: Chapter 3
CA: TBA
Sept Le
& Sept
30
Oct 2 &
Oct 7
Making a Living
Social Stratification
TB: Chapter 5
CA: The Inuit Paradox
CA: Cell Phones […]
in an African Society
TB: Chapter 11
CA: Can White Men
Jump?
TB: Chapter 6
CA: Eating Christmas
in the Kalahari
Food
Journal, Due
Sept 30
None
None
None
None
None
None
Article: The
Kpelle Moot
Oct 9 &
Oct 14
Ethnicity and Race
Film: Race: The Power of
an Illusion
Oct 16
& Oct
21
Political Systems
Oct 23
& Oct
28
Familes, Kinship, and
Marriage
Film: The Women’s
Kingdom
TB: Chapter 7
CA: Arranging a
Marriage in India
Kinship
Activity, Due
Oct 28
Oct 30
EXAM TWO
EXAM TWO
EXAM
TWO
Nov 4 &
Nov 6
Gender
Film: Two Spirits
NOV 11
VETERAN’S DAY
Nov 13
& Nov
18
Religion
Film: Maasai: A Warrior’s
Rite of Passage
TB: Chapter 9
CA: Baseball Magic
None
Nov 20
& Nov
25
Art and Culture
CA: Where Fat is a
Mark of Beauty
None
None
Nov 27
& Dec 2
Colonialism and
Globalization
Film: T-Shirt Travels
Your
Globalized
Self; Due
Dec 2
None
Dec 4 &
9
Applying Anthropology
Film: Milking the Rhino
None
None
Dec 11
FINAL EXAM
FINAL
EXAM
FINAL
EXAM
TB: Chapter 8
CA: The Berdache
Tradition and Is Islam
Misogynistic?
NO CLASS
TB: Skim Chapter 10,
Read Chapter 13
CA: The Price of
Progress
TB: Chapter 12
CA: The
Americanization of
Mental Illness
FINAL EXAM
None
NO CLASS
Article:
Death
without
Weeping
EXAM
TWO
Film:
Taboo: The
Third Sex
CLASS
Article: The
Notion of
Witchcraft
Explains
Unfortunate
Events
Please complete this form, tear off the page, and turn it in to me by the end of class. This is the
first attendance sign-in. It is brief survey; it is kept confidential. I will use it to create a class
roster and to help me to assist students and accommodate their interests wherever possible.
Tell me about yourself…
Name: ________________________________________________________________________
Preferred nickname:____________________________________________________________
Year in school: _____________________________
Academic major (minors):________________________________________________________
Have you taken any anthropology or related classes, perhaps in the social sciences? List them:
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Why did you decide to take this class? (Please be honest!)
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What topics in anthropology interest you in particular? Any from the syllabus or book?
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Do you have any concerns or questions about the class?
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