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TIBETAN SHEPHERD, WESTERN SICHUAN, CHINA
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
ANTH101-010
Dr. Donna Budani
Class Time: 11: OOam to 12:15pm
Classroom: Kirkbride 004
Office and Phone: 138 Munroe Hall and Phone (x1859)
Email: budani@udel.edu
Web Page: http://www.udel.edu/anthro/budani
Office Hours:
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Most of you will enter this course with little or no prior experience with the subject matter of
Anthropology. This course will introduce you to the diverse subject of anthropology; will inform you
as to what different kinds of anthropologists do, and will familiarize you with the key methods of
cultural anthropology—ethnography. You will learn why culture is the means by which people in
different societies have organized their living, and the ways members of culture create meaning in their
lives. This learning process involves a fascinating experience in which our western assumptions are
revealed to us and thwarted when we examine various facets of belief, behavior and traditions of non-
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western societies. By studying different cultures, it is hoped that you will begin to think about the
nature and characteristics of your own culture.
Course Objectives
1. To create a greater degree of cross-cultural awareness by attempting to promote an understanding of
and appreciation for richness and diversity of human culture.
2. To correct cultural biases and ethnocentric assumptions concerning the superiority of one’s own
culture, the alleged biological basis of race and the existence of so called “primitive” peoples.
3. To instill a fundamental respect for peoples of other cultures, their ways of living and their ways of
making sense of their own experiences
Course Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able:
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To compose an anthropological framework for understanding the complexities of the world today
and in particular American culture.
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To plan the ethnographic field study of a culture different from one’s own culture.
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To identify the primary universal components of culture and distinguish there particular
anthropological issues
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To compose a framework for understanding the complexities of the world today through the
concept of culture and its many manifestations.
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To judge the applicability of anthropological knowledge as a tool for analyzing world wide
problems and issues.
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To judge the difference between cultural relativism and ethnocentrism
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To analyze the cultural construction of violence
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To be knowledgeable about the cultural construction of meaning
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PART I
Course Requirements
Books
Books are available at UDEL bookstore, bookstores on Main Street and on line at
Amazon.com, and Barnes and Noble.com. You should also do a Google search for used
text books and used books to find Nanda and Warms, Robbins and some of the other
required books.
1. Cultural Anthropology 9th Edition. Serna Nanda and Richard Warms, authors.
2. Cultural Anthropology-A Problem Based Approach. Richard Robbins, author
3. Field Projects in Anthropology: A Student Handbook. Julia G. Crane and Michael V.
Angrosino, authors.
4. My Freshman Year Rebekah Nathan
5. Flat Broke with Children Sharon Hays
6. Bridges to Humanity: Narratives on Fieldwork and Friendship Bruce T. Grindal and
Frank A Salamone, editors
7. Dancing Skeletons Katherine Dettwyler
8. Looking for Chengdu: A Woman’s Adventure in China. Hill Gates, author
Too Many Books?
At first glance, you might say that the readings assigned for this class are excessive and I might agree
with you. However, I have selected books with reader-friendly prose and most of the assigned readings
from Robbins and Nanda and Warms can be done in under an hour. Some of the assigned ethnography
will take longer to read but most of the assigned ethnographies are very short. If you check the course
syllabus, you will find that readings are spread throughout the semester and are realistic reading load
for the average college student. More importantly, I picked books that are about interesting topics. For
Example, Bridges to Humanity: Narratives on Fieldwork and Friendship contains short essays written
by anthropologists who reflect on their fieldwork, especially the important relationships they have
maintained through time.
Email
UD email: I use email often for a variety of reasons including but not limited to, sending information
about changes in the weeks agenda, notifying students about an exercise on the Internet, maintaining
contact with students (I encourage students to use email if they want more information about
something mentioned in lecture, if they have a question about lecture material and assignments or if
they have something to say about the day’s lecture or film). I respond quickly to your emails. I will use
only UD designated email. If you have another email account, it is your responsibility to see to it that
the mail in your other mailbox is forward to your UD mailbox. Instructions for forwarding email are
posted on the UD Network Page [www.udel.edu/network I suggest you check your email mailbox at
least three times a week.
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Course Format
While lecture is the primary instructional tool, nearly all lectures will integrate other learning strategies
that support more active learning activities. Such activities will include overheads, quizzes on
overheads, power point presentations, on the spot Q&A, written or oral, and exercises designed to
assess student learning. Also, students will be given short writing exercises before, during and after
lecture is completed. Often, students will be asked to bring to class lists of things generated by their
reading assignment. Class Discussion is encouraged. Just raise your hand and ask a question.
Remember there are no stupid questions. Argue with me! Question what I have to say! Frequent
assessment of your learning will be made by assigning a one minute paper and by beginning a class by
asking you to comment on something specific from the reading assigned or asking you to identify the
major point of the previous lectures.
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Class Supplies
Bring to class a package of 4x6 index cards. You will also need a stapler and use a black
ink printing cartridge.
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Reading
Contained below are two guides (First guide follows below and the second guide is in PART III of the
syllabus) for reading for quality and for speed. Read the guides and try them out.
In general, here are a few hints for reading Nanda & Warms, Cultural Anthropology and Robbins
Cultural Anthropology-A Problem Based Approach. For reading Nanda & Warms Cultural
Anthropology, First, turn all headings in bold script and terms in the text into questions. Make a list of
these questions Second, the very first part of the chapter you should read is the summary of the
chapter and the listed key terms. List, define and study the key terms. Know how to define the terms,
explain them, give an example and know how the term is used in the context of the chapter. Third, go to
the beginning of the chapter and Skim read the chapter. Pay special attention to the introduction of the
chapter and any questions posed by the authors for that specific chapter. Fourth, take your lists of
questions and answer them paying particular attention to cultural examples used for the term or concept.
Fifth, write short summarized of material contained in boxes or otherwise set off from the chapter’s text.
Sixth, re-read the summaries and check your notes to ensure you have covered the summary point.
Robbins divides his chapter into questions. He discusses possible answers, mentioning the cultural
complexity involved. Be sure you can answer all the questions in a chapter and you include all the
relevant cultural examples he discusses. Note the important details, subject, and findings in the case
study with which Robbins ends the chapter
* How to Work Through Long Reading Assignments. *Source: MIT University
Please note: Do follow this guide and the guide for reading strategies found in
PART III of this syllabus for it will save you much time in reading.
Reading extensively as well as intensively; it is rarely practical to read everything word
for word and line for line. Although close textual reading and interpretation is part of
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social science tradition, it is often not possible, especially for introductory and
intermediate level survey courses. Instead of trying to read every line and word,
consider the following suggestions for more efficient and effective course reading.
HOW TO MANGE READING LOAD FOR THE COURSE
I. *Organize Reading over the Weeks and Months
Look over the material to be covered (syllabus and tables of contents in assigned books).
Estimate the amount of reading for the semester and try to divide the work on a weekly
basis. Some weeks may have more reading assigned while other weeks less. Although
the assignments vary, try to keep your work and pace steady. It will become less
burdensome and easier to manage. Make sure to build into your schedule time for
written assignments (including first, second and third drafts with time in between for
other people's comments, rethinking and revision).
II. Begin Any Reading Assignment by Reading the Abstract, Preface, Introductions, and
Conclusions
These are often the most important parts of any text because the author often signals his or her major
themes and arguments. It is necessary, however, to look over, sometimes very carefully and
completely, the central portions of the text to identify the evidence provided for the major
themes/theses. Often, the topic (first) sentences of paragraphs provide the links in the author's
argument.
Inspectional reading (of a book or article):
Look at the title page and the preface.
1. Study the table of contents to obtain a general sense of a book's structure.
2. Check the index.
3. Read the publisher's blurb.
4. Skim the summary statements in the opening and closing paragraphs of pivotal chapters.
5. Formulate what you think you know about this issue. What do you consider the essential points and
key explanatory factors? You may know nothing about the topic; use this ignorance to devise a list
of what you need the author to tell you in order to become informed.
6. Look at the title page and the preface.
7. Study the table of contents to obtain a general sense of a book's structure.
8. Check the index. Make two lists. First list are entries with many categories. This list
should reflect the major argument and subjects of the book. Your second list should be
shorter; it comprises a listing of entries for theoretical, abstract, conceptual and idea
terms. Look up the entries of your lists. Be sure you read the paragraph preceding the
index entry, the paragraph in which the term(s) is embedded and the paragraph
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following the previous paragraph. The lists should generate notes that give you a good
basic understanding of the text.
a) Read the publisher's blurb.
b) Skim the summary statements in the opening and closing paragraphs of pivotal chapters.
c) Formulate what you think you know about this issue. What do you consider the essential points and
key explanatory factors? You may know nothing about the topic; use this ignorance to devise a list
of what you need the author to tell you in order to become informed.
Mechanics of Reading and Note Taking
Read the text and make marginal notes (on post-its or separate piece of paper) indicating what seemed
like the strongest parts of the text. When you read, think of it as a conversation between you and the
author. What is the author saying? Is it important? Why? Is this something I should know? Write on
the margins of the page. Underlying and highlighting a text is a passive activity. All you accomplish is
coloring the page. Before you reach for a highlight pen ask yourself: Is this section important? Why?
Then write about it in the margins. As with any conversation, you will interrupt with questions and
want explanations. Write these kinds of things in the margins and make them the basis of your
questions.
When you have completed reading once through the text, go back and take notes in outline form, by
paraphrasing sentences or paragraphs until you have reduced the many pages of text to a few pages.
(Make sure to keep an accurate citation to the work so that any future use of these notes and
paraphrases can be appropriately cited. You do not want to find yourself engaged in plagiarism.) Do
not rely on underlining. This is insufficient. In order to "know" a text, you need to convert it into your
own words, or your own organization of the text. The text needs to be processed in several different
ways in your brain. Underlining is passive and does not help you learn the material.
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Analytical Reading:
1.
Classify the book or article according to kind and subject matter. Into what
paradigm or research program (genre) does that work fit? What is the book about as a
whole?
2.
Enumerate the major parts in their order and relations, outline these as you have
outlined the whole.
3.
Define the specific problem or problems the author has tried to solve. What
question does the author claim to address? You might also want to think about how this
reading fits into the course. Why did the instructor place the reading at this point in the
course? What is the topic on the syllabus? How does this reading provide an answer or
information for this topic?
4.
What theoretical statements does the author make? A theoretical statement
proposes a relationship. For example, structural theories of deviance suggest that
deviance (that which is to be explained) is a consequence of the structure (organization
of the parts) of a society. In other words, social structure produces deviance.
5.
What are the concepts and variables used? Become familiar with the author by
defining key words. Know the details of the argument. In the example above: what is
social structure? What is meant by deviance? Do structural theorists/writers assume the
reader knows what is meant by social structure? Do you need to find out what this
means in order to understand the reading.
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6. How does the author's argument/position compare with that of others who address
the same question or related questions? Where are the points of similarity and difference?
7. What normative statements (value judgments) does the author make? What values does the
author assume readers will share? What assumptions do the author make that may be
contestable?
8. What is the author's methodology? (Here you should be concerned not only with the methods
used but the kinds of arguments implied or given about what methods are more or less
appropriate.) What constitutes evidence in this reading? Know the author's arguments by
finding them in, or constructing them out of, sequences of sentences.
9. Determine which of the problems the author has solved and which s/he has not; and of those
not solved, decide which the author knows s/he has failed to solve. If you disagree with the
author, on what basis do you rest your disagreement? Is the author uninformed, misinformed,
illogical, imprecise, or incomplete? Criticize fairly; do not pass judgment based on personal
opinion, taste, or preference. Is the argument internally consistent? Does the evidence (both that
presented by the author and other evidence in the field) support the argument?
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PART II
Graded Performance Requirements
1. Class Participation
Students are expected to come to class having read the assignment and prepared to comment on the
readings if called upon. Students are responsible for all readings and exercises assigned for a particular
day (see course syllabus) even if all reading material is not covered in class. Students should to come to
class prepared to ask questions based on the readings, when called upon. Students be asked to make list of
issues, concepts and ideas and terms generated from the assigned reading. Students will be asked to
summaries points made in lecture from the previous lecture as well as at the end of lecture. In addition,
students will be asked to assess a lecture by writing a One Minute Essay in which students identify the
clearest point made in lecture as well as the muddiest or unclear point made in lecture. Pop quizzes will
cover material assigned for the week when the quiz takes place; therefore students should read the
materials assigned in advanced of class. Good attendance is counted in Class Participation grade.
Participation in Class is worth 250 points
2. Essays
Four take home essays are assigned for each ethnography: My Freshmen Year, Flat Broke with Children
Looking For Chengdu: A Woman’s Adventure in China and Dancing Skeleton. For each assigned essay,
students will receive written instructions including a selection of questions or statements to respond to in
essay form. See Course Syllabus for due days for each essay. Each essay is worth 150 points for a total of
600points.
Grading Standards for Written Assignment
Grading for written assignment will be based on three considerations: First, the quality of your analysis
and interpretation makes evident that you understand the important issues and concepts covered in class
and in the assigned readings. Second, I will evaluate the thorough scope of your answer and the manner
in which you express your ideas and your points of view. Third, you make evident in your discussion
that you understand core concepts and assigned readings. Be sure to use spell check, grammar check and
proof read your paper before turning in your paper. I urge you to pay a visit to the writing center to see
what resources are available to make yourselves better writers.
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3. Exercises in Robbins’s Cultural Anthropology-A Problem Based Approach
The chapters in Robbins, Cultural Anthropology-A Problem Based Approach, contain exercises based on
the topic of the specific chapter. Specific exercises will be assigned as both in-class and take home
exercises. These exercises are not time consuming but they are designed so that you reflect and think
about the issues raised in the reading and the implications of what you have read. See the course syllabus
for the dates for which specific Robbin’s exercises are due and whether they are either take home or an
in class activity. Exercises are to be typed on one page and with your name in the upper left corner.
Under your name please place the number of exercise, i.e., Robbins Exercise 1.b page 40 and due date.
Please Note: After you have written your response to the exercise, you must ask and answer two
questions: What I learned about myself as a result of doing this exercise and What I learned about my
culture as a result of doing this exercise. Full credit will not be given unless these two questions are
answered. Each exercise is worth 25 points for each exercise.
4. Field Projects
A series of four specific field exercises will be assigned from Field Projects in Anthropology: A Student
Handbook. The purpose of these exercises is to give you some practical experience of what ethnographers
do. An ethnographer is a cultural anthropologist who is conducting research in a specific cultural setting.
Ethnography is the written description, analysis and interpretation of the completed culture-based
research.
Field projects are worth 100 each for a total of 400 points.
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5. Exams
Two take home essay exams will be given during the course. See course syllabus for specific dates. Essay
questions for these exams will be drawn from lecture and readings in Nanda & Warms, Cultural
Anthropology and Robbin’s Cultural Anthropology-A Problem Based Approach. Study guides for the
exams will be distributed before the exams. In addition, to study guides, I will distribute a list of the
major terms for which you should be able to define, explain their significance, and give an example from
your reading of Nanda &Warms and Robbins. Exams are worth 150 points each for a total of 300 points.
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6. Ethnographic Film Report
A review of the syllabus will show that ethnographic films are an important part of this
course. Select any four of the films shown and write roughly a five page paper
discussing and comparing the videos, touching on the issues mentioned below. Take
notes as you watch the video. Each video mentioned in the syllabus is titled and its
Morris Library Media call number is given. It is a good idea to see the film twice. Use the
call number (VHS or DVD) to view the video in the Media Resource Room in Morris
Library. Taking notes each time you view the film will provide you with material to
refer to as you write your paper. Taking notes will also keep you intellectually engaged
and active as you watch, since you constantly have to decide what the point is, and what
observation might be relevant or interesting. Detailed instructions will be distributed in
class. Ethnographic Film Report is worth 200 points
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*Please note that during the semester course changes may be made to assignments listed above. Also,
I give you notice that I may add a graded exercise during the term or reduce the number of graded and
non-graded assignments. Prior notice will be given for any deletions or additions.
Credit for Doing but Not Graded
Writing during lecture
Please bring a pack of 4X6 index cards with you to class for the semester. Writing exercises will be
written on these index cards. During lecture, I may ask you to summarize a point I made or give an
example of a point made or comment on something in the assigned readings.
Writing at the beginning and ending of class
On a fairly frequent basis, at the end of class, I will ask you to write a “One Minute Essay” in which
you identify one aspect of the lecture you understood and one point that remains “muddy” or unclear.
At the beginning of class, I may ask you to mention one important point made in the previous lecture
or at the end of lecture, I may ask you to define a term or concept mentioned.
No Extra Credit
It seems to me that this course gives students ample opportunity to gain points toward
their final grade. No opportunities for extra credit will be given.
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Bookstore in London after Bombing 1941
PART III
HOW TO READ A (GOOD) BOOK IN AN HOUR: STRATEGIES FOR GETTING
THE MOST OUT OF READING ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEORY AND OTHER
ANTHROPOLOGICAL BOOKS.
Use to aided heavy reading load Source: http://savageminds.org/2007/10/01/how-toread-a-good-book-in-one-hour//
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1.
Skim read the whole book at once. Start by flipping through it, read the Table of
Contents, the Preface and Foreword, and, if there are any, look for subheadings and for
a general sense of whether the book has an internal division (parts, chapters,
subheadings that do not appear in the Table of Contents) and whether it has a
conclusion or other kinds of sections or breaks in the text. Browse the notes to see if they
contain merely references or extended parts of the argument. If the book does not
contain an index, you can stop here. The only thing to be done is to sit down and read
the book from cover to cover.
a.
Turn to the Index
b.
You will make two lists. Begin by looking for the largest entries, those indented
with sub-headings and lots of page references. Write them all down in the order in
which they appear in the index. Examples would include, people, concepts, terms/ideas
and things. In a normal academic book, this list can range from 5 long entries to 100 or
more. It is important that you start with the longest and most detailed which should
yield a good list. This is your list of the main subjects/topics/problems of the book.
2.
Now go through the index again and look for the entries that do not have
subheadings but have more than three or four page entries. Some authors go crazy with
subheadings, so the first list might be a lot longer than the second. Other authors are
content to list every thing once, with page references. You have to exercise some
judgment here. If your first list is very long, then for your second list, pick out those
entries which are not people, institutions, or events but are analytic or conceptual
designators—i.e., look for listings that are analytic sounding—“evolutionism” or
“psychic unity” or “culture/cultural”. If your first list is very short, it may be either
incomplete or might already contain the terms and the second list will be a list of people,
places, or things that reappear through out the book. Note at this point you have two
lists of terms, concepts and facts which you can use in class to remind you of the details,
even if you haven’t read all the entries on your two lists.
3.
With your lists in hand, turn to the Introduction but do not start to read at the
beginning. Instead, read the last few paragraphs deciding what the content is for the
following chapters. Read carefully, noting which chapters relate to which entries on
your lists. If your author has chosen to express their individuality here and forgo such a
chapter list, you can wing it by carefully reading the beginning and end of each of the
chapters to see whether the author gives you a hint. Note that you still haven’t “read”
very much yet but that you should already have a deepening sense of the main themes
of the book and a “map” (subjects/topics with page numbers) of where to find what you
need to know about the main subjects of the book.
4.
Now read the introduction carefully. Make sure you are clear about what the
author thinks the main argument and sub arguments are, and that you could reconstruct
them if asked, even if you can’t offer any details behind them.
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5.
If there is a conclusion, read it carefully. I know this feels like cheating but it
isn’t. It is a rare scholarly book that demands of its reader that they wait until the end for
the argument to make sense. Read the conclusion for how it tries to tie up the argument
presented in the text (which you haven’t read yet) with the promises made in the
introduction. Note especially, if the author makes clear what the significance of the
argument is beyond the text which will help you in case you care about the details.
6.
Now turn to your two lists. The shorter of the two lists—the one with the
analytic entries of the book—should now give you a very good guide to where the
theoretical meat of the book lays. Read the entries paying particular attention to analytic
and conceptual terms and make notes from the text. Be sure to cite each entry to avoid
occasions for potential plagiarism. Having read the introduction and conclusion, you
can now turn to each of the entries and read from “the inside out”. The longer list in turn
gives you a good sense of where the data is and how it is distributed across the chapters
(evident if you go back an look at all the subheadings in the index). Read the entries
from the “inside out” and take notes. Again, be sure to cite these references to avoid
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plagiarism. Reading from the “inside out” means you are identifying the precise place
where the author has made it a point to connect theory and data. Read paragraph(s)
leading up to the entry you have noted from the index. When you make a note from the
index entry, situated it in the context provided by the preceding paragraphs and the
paragraph in which the entry is embedded. Reading the paragraph leading up to the
index entry and text following the entry, note the details/concepts mentioned and
decide which of data you need to read more
About—i.e., turn to list two and find the place where you can follow up.
After running through the entries of the shorter list, you will have read a fair amount of
the most important part of the book. But do read and make notations of every entry on
each list and remember to read preceding paragraph(s) and the paragraph in which the
entry referenced appears.
7.
Please Note that this approach is factual in nature: with a good index you can
make progressively longer and more focused lists that give you “random access” to
the text and allow you to dig deeper and deeper until you approximate the actual
cover to cover manner in which a text (wrongly I hope I’ve convinced you) that it was
meant to be read.
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Class Etiquette
The University is a place for adults. I expect that students will act accordingly.
1. Turn off Cell Phones and Other Electronic Devices before Class begins. If a phone rings during class, I
will confiscate the phone
2.Sitting in class doing work for another class or being otherwise engaged [sending or receiving text
messages]will result in the loss of 10 points toward your final grade for each time one is doing work that
is not related to this course.
3. Once the class has started, I expect quiet and your attention. You may think you are whispering but
your whispering is loud and I can hear you. It is distracting.
4. I expect that once you enter class you intend to stay. If you think you really do not want to be in class
or that you could use the time for studying for an upcoming exam or any other excuse, DO NOT COME
TO CLASS.
5. If you leave class while I am lecturing, I will identify you and deduct 15 points from your final
grade. It is rude to leave class while I am lecturing and it is sneaky and immature to leave class when
my back is turned. If for good reasons you must leave class early, please notify me before the being of
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class. Please sit near the door, and when you leave please take care so that the door does not slam. If you
must leave class for a few minutes during class, please leave and re-enter class as quietly as possible
5. There is no talking/ socializing permitted during class.
6. Important matters, such as missing classes, or missed assignments must be discussed with me in
person, either after class or during office hours NOT VIA EMAIL OR PHONE
Course Attendance Policy
Consistent consecutive attendance is required. Class starts on time and excessive tardiness will result in a
loss of points toward your final grade. Attendance will be taken regularly at each class session and
recorded per student for the class session. Attendance will also be taken on those days I collect and return
student work. I assume that if a student has not either turned in their work or picked up their work then
they are absent. The material presented in lecture is not easily learned from someone else's notes. To do
well in this course, you will need to attend class regularly. See above for procedure to follow if class is
missed or if you know you will miss class in the future. For an absence to be excused, students must
inform me of the absence and obtain my permission for the absence.
All un-excused absences will count toward a deficit in points towards your final grade. Each un-excused
absence will result in the loss of 10 points. Reasons for excused absence include religious observance;
illness (a medical doctor’s note or copy of prescriptions must be given to me); family emergency that are
verifiable; required absence due to university participation, i.e., conferences, actual sports events but not
practice and court appearances (lawyer’s note or legal documentation is required) cars breaking down,
children sick but not roommate sick.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s work, information, or ideas without giving that person credit.
Plagiarism is fraud, since the plagiarist gets credit for someone else’s work. The work may be ideas or
the particular way they are expressed. Plagiarism is dishonest and it is equivalent to stealing. If I detect
what I consider to be intentional plagiarism in any assignment, the assignment will receive zero credit.
Repeated offenses of plagiarism will result in an F in the course. Plagiarism includes copying words,
information, ideas from books, course readings, web pages, prepared lecture notes, another student’s
work, the internet web pages and so on without giving credit to the source. Please note that even if the
wording in a paper is completely original, if it contains information that is not common knowledge
and not something that the author knows from personal experience and the source is not given, it is
plagiarism
Policy Concerning Make Up Exams
It is not my policy to give make-up exams or extensions for hand-in assignment. However, I do
approve students’ request for a make-up in special cases such as physician documented illness, family
emergency documented, religious observance and for those students who are absent due to university
activity. If you are unable to take an exam on the day scheduled or hand-in an assignment, you are
required to notify me in person. If your absence is due to university activities i.e., conferences, sport
activities etc., I expect prior notice. If illness prevents you from taking an exam on the scheduled date,
a Medical Doctor's note or a copy of a prescription is required. If given permission for make-up exams
and/or exercises, the extension is limited to seven days. Make-up exams must be taken within seven
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days after the in- class exam.. No make-up exam or extension for assignment will be given after the 7th
day.
Active Learning
I follow the teaching philosophy that makes learning students’ responsibility. I am responsible for
proving quality teaching that facilitates your learning. It is your responsibility as much as mine to make
this course stimulating, and that requires your attendance and active participation. If, during lecture,
you have a question, need clarification or just do not understand what I say in lecture, please interrupt
me and ask a question and/or make comments. Anthropology is an engaging subject. I look forward to
your comments and questions concerning lectures and reading materials.
Total Available Course Points
Class Participation
Four Ethnographic Essays
Ten Exercises in Robbins
Four Field Projects
Three Take Home Essay Exam
Film Report
Total Points
250
600
250
400
300
200
2000
Grade Distribution
A = 93%+ of 2000
A-= 88% to 93% of 2000
B+=87% to 85% of 2000
B=84% to 82% of 2000
B- =81% to 79% of 2000
C+ = 78% to 75% of 2000
C= 74% to 72% of 2000
C- = 71% to 69% of 2000
D+ = 68% to 65% of 2000
D = 64% to 62% of 2000
D- =61% to 60% of 2000
F= 59% or below
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Anthropology 101-010
Spring 2008
**Course Schedule and Reading Assignments
**Please Note: This schedule is approximate. Discussion of some topics may take longer than planned.
Assignments may change. Changes will be announced in class and sent to students via Email. In some
cases a film may replace a lecture. However, students are still responsible for assignment specified for
class session even if the material is not covered in class. Keep up on these changes! Assignments from
the Internet will be sent via Email.
Tuesday, February 12
Introduction to Course
Syllabus Review
First Day Assessment
Thursday, February 14
Ethnocentrism and Colonialism
Film: First Contact
Tuesday, February 19
Lecture Topic: Basics of Anthropology
Reading Assignment:
In Nanda and Warm, Chapter 1 Anthropology and Human Diversity
Begin Reading “My Freshman Year”
Do First Field Project. Due Date For First Field Assignment is Tuesday, February 26th
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Thursday, February 21
Lecture Topic: Human Evolution
Reading Assignment:
In Nanda and Warms, Chapter 2 Human Evolution
Film: Hominid Evolution VHS 8546
Tuesday, February 26
Lecture Topic: Cultural Meaning and Doing Fieldwork
Reading Assignment:
In Nanda and Warms, Chapter 3 Doing Cultural Anthropology
In Robbin’s Chapter 1 Cultural Meaning
In Bridges to Humanity, Introduction and Three Essays about Mexico
Do Exercise 1.2c and Exercise 1.3 in Robbin’s “Cultural Anthropology”. Robbins
Exercises are due in class on February, 28
First Field Exercise Due in Class today.
Thursday, February 28
Lecture Topic: “My Freshman Year”
Think about these questions:
If you had the opportunity to speak with Rebekah Nathan before she started fieldwork,
what would be your advice? Suppose Dr. Nathan asked you to give your insights about
the “college culture” at the UDEL, what would you say?
Do any of her experiences ring familiar to you? Do you have adult students in any of
your classes? What do you imagine their experience is compared to your own? What
would you change about the way Dr. Nathan did her research?
If Dr. Nathan conducted her research at UDEL what would change? What would stay
pretty much the same? What do you think faculty of UDEL could learn by reading “My
Freshman Year” that is very important to know? If you had to explain this book—why
your professor assigned it for a course in anthropology—to your parents, what would
you say? Suppose you had to write a letter to the Dean of Arts and Sciences at UDEL
about this book, what would you say? Would you recommend it? If so, why? If not, then
why not?
Exercise 1.2c and Exercise 1.3 in Robbin’s Cultural Anthropology-A Problem Based
Approach are due in class today.
Tuesday, March 4
Film: Muslims in America
VHS 8958
Begin Reading “Flat Broke with Children”
Essay on My Freshmen Year is distributed in class
Thursday, March 6
Key Concept in Anthropology: Culture
Reading Assignment:
In Nanda and Warms, Chapter 4 The Idea of Culture
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Tuesday, March 11
Lecture Topic: Friendships in the Field
Reading Assignment:
In Nanda and Warms, Chapter 5 Language.
Chapter 5 Language will not be covered in class. However you are still responsible for
information in the chapter
In Bridges to Humanity: Three Essays Native North America
Film: Homeland: One reservation, four families, three years.
DVD 2702
Essay on “My Freshmen Year” is due in class
Begin Field Project 2
Thursday, March 13
Topic: Social Construction of Reality
Reading Assignment:
In Robbin’s, Chapter 4 The Social and Cultural Construction of Reality
Film: Oaxacalifornia VHS 9002
Do Exercise 4.6 in Robbins Chapter 4. Exercise 4.6 is due in Class on Tuesday, March
18.
Tuesday March 18
Topic: Women, Children and Poverty
Reading Assignment
“Flat Broke With Children”
Home Work Assignment to be completed for today’s class
Do a Google Search and then a Scholar Google search on the following:
“Single women with children” “Wages Single Parent Household” “Poverty and Single
women with children” “Social Service and Single Women with children”
“Income and Single Women with Children” and what may come to mind as you search.
Bring the results of your search to class.
Suppose you had to list the three most important facts you learned from reading the
book. What are they? Are you surprised or offended by anything in the book?
Exercise 4.6 in Robbins Chapter 4 is due in class today
Thursday, March 20
Topic: Women, Children and Poverty
Reading Assignment:
“Flat Broke With Children”
Film: Waging and Working DVD 1953
Essay on “Flat Broke with Children” distributed in class
Field Project 2 Due in Class
Tuesday, March 25
Lecture Topic: Patterns of Subsistence and Economics
Reading Assignment:
In Nanda and Warms, Chapter 6 Making a Living and Chapter 7 Economics
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Thursday, March 28
Lecture Topic: Pattern of Subsistence--Pastoralism
Reading Assignment:
In Nanda and Warms, Chapter 6 Making a Living and Chapter 8 Economics
Film: People of the Wind DVD 346
Essay on “Flat Broke with Children” Due in class
SPRING BREAK
Tuesday, April 8
Lecture Topic: Marriage, Family and Domestic Group
Reading Assignment:
In Nanda and Warms, Chapter 8 Marriage, Family and Domestic Groups
In Robbins, Chapter 5 Patterns of Family Relationships
Film: A wife Among Wives VHS 4914
Do Exercise 5.1 and Exercise 5.3 in Robbin’s Chapter 5
Thursday, April 10
Lecture Topic: Race, Racism and Racialism.
Film: Understanding Race DVD1803
First Take Home Essay Exam Distributed In Class
Tuesday, April 15
Lecture Topic: Culture, Kinship and Gender
Reading Assignment:
In Nanda and Warms, read Chapter 10 Gender
In Bridges to Humanity, read essays by Kevin Narayan, Ernestine McHugh, Patricia
D. Beaver
Film: Small Happiness: Women of a Chinese Village VHS1124
First Take Home Essay Exam Due in Class
Thursday, April 17
Lecture Topic: Kinship
Reading Assignment
In Nanda and Warms, read Chapter 9 Kinship
Internet Tutorial on Kinship
Film: The Heart of the Dragon Series Episode 2 Caring
Field Project 3 Due in Class
Tuesday, April 22
Lecture Topic: Progress? Development?
Reading Assignment:
In Robbin’s Chapter 2 The Meaning of Progress and Development
Film: A Legacy of lifestyles Part 2 VHS 1312
Do Exercise 2.1a and Exercise 2.1b in Robbins Chapter 2. Exercises are due in class on
Thursday, April 24
Begin Reading Dancing Skeletons
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Thursday, April 24
Lecture Topic: Cultural Construction of Inequality
Reading Assignment:
In Nanda and Warms, Chapter 12 Stratification
In Robbins, Chapter 7 The Cultural Construction of Social Hierarchy
Do Exercise 7.4 in Robbins. Exercise 7.4 is due in class on Tuesday, April 29
Exercise 2.1a and Exercise 2.1b in Robbins Chapter 2 are due in class today
Tuesday, April 29
Reading Assignment: Dancing Skeletons
Guest Lecture: Dr. Katherine Dettwyler
Lecture: Dr. Dettwyler’s Research and Field Experience.
Dr. Dettwyler will briefly address the class speaking about her research as discussed
in the book and her fieldwork experience. The rest of the lecture time is devoted to
student questions. Questions can be about anything i.e., has she gone back to Mali?
What is her current research interest? What was most uncomfortable about fieldwork?
And so on.
Field Project 3 Due in Class to day
Robbins Exercise 7.4 Due in Class today
Thursday, May 1
Lecture Topic: Culture and Religion
Reading Assignment
Film: The Art of Living DVD 2081
In Nanda and Warms, Read Chapter 14
In Bridges to Humanity, Read pages 203 - 234
Begin to Read “Looking for Chengdu”
Essay on “Dancing Skeletons” distributed in Class
Tuesday, May 6
Lecture: Culture Change/Globalization
Reading Assignment:
In Nanda and Warms, Chapter 16
In Bridges to Humanity, Read pages 235 - 274
Film: Hidden Face of Globalization VHS 9589
Film: Whose Agenda is it Anyway? DVD 2032
Essay on Dancing Skeletons Due in Class
Second Take Home Essay Exam distributed in Class
Thursday, May 8
Lecture Topic Cultural Construction of Violent Conflict
Reading Assignment:
In Robbins, Chapter 8
Do Exercise 8.4 in Robbins. Exercise 8.4 is due in class on Tuesday, May 13
Film Essay Due in Class
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Tuesday, May 13
Lecture Topic: Looking For Chengdu
Reading Assignment
Looking For Chengdu
Essay on “Looking for Chengdu” distributed in Class
Thursday, May 15
Reading Assignment:
Looking for Chengdu
Second Take Home Essay Exam due in class
Tuesday, May 20
Reading Assignment:
Topic: Human Rights and Forensic Anthropology
Film: Following Antigone DVD 2476
Essay on “Looking For Chengdu” due in Class
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