Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Anthropology 101-1006 (Carson, CED 317); 101-1007 (Fallon, VRGH 302); 101-1008
(Fernley, FCH 2); 101-1009 (Yerington, YCC Green); 101-1010 (Douglas, DC 123)
Fall 2014
Tuesday 7-9:45 PM
Teacher: Emily “Eddie” Dale
Email: Emily.Dale@wnc.edu (DO NOT CONTACT ME THROUGH CANVAS!!!!)
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 and matching questions that will be administered
during class time. An essay question will be assigned and submitted through SafeAssign
on Canvas (see guidelines below).
• 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 (see expectations and instructions below). Each submission is worth
up to 3 points. Extra credit articles will also be posted to this section of Canvas, as will links to
films available on-line. Extra credit is to be turned into me in class or e-mailed to me within two
weeks of the extra credit being assigned. No extra credit will be accepted after April 30.
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, a grade
of 93.52 will be bumped up to an A for the class, while a grade of 93.46 will stay 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
Sept 2
Syllabus Overview and
Introduction to
Anthropology
Film:
NO CLASS
Sept 9
Culture
Sept 16
Doing Anthropology
Film: The Language You
Cry In
Sept 23
Language and
Communication
Film: The Linguists
Aug 26
Sept 30
Making a Living
Readings
Assignments
Extra
Credit
TB: Chapter 1
None
None
NO CLASS
TB: Chapter 2
CA: Body Ritual
among the Nacirema
TB: Chapter 3
CA: Eating Christmas
in the Kalahari
TB: Chapter 4
CA: How Language
Shapes Thought and
Rapport-talk and
Report-talk
NO CLASS
Updated
Nacirema,
Due Sept 13
Methods
Practice, Due
Sept 20
NO CLASS
Film:
Merchants
of Cool
Article:
Shakespeare
in the Bush
None
None
TB: Chapter 5
CA: The Inuit Paradox
Food
Journal, Due
Oct 4
None
Date
Topic
Oct 7
EXAM ONE
Social Stratification &
Political Systems
Oct 14
Oct 21
Oct 28
Ethnicity and Race
Film: Race: The Power of
an Illusion
Families, Kinship, and
Marriage
Film: The Women’s
Kingdom
EXAM TWO
Gender
Nov 4
Religion
Film: Maasai: A Warrior’s
Rite of Passage
Nov 11
VETERAN’S DAY
Nov 18
Art and Culture
Nov 25
Colonialism and
Globalization
Film: T-Shirt Travels
Dec 2
Applying Anthropology
Film: Milking the Rhino
Dec 11
FINAL EXAM
Readings
EXAM ONE
TB: Chapter 11
CA: Cell Phones […]
in an African Society
TB: Chapter 11
CA: Can White Men
Jump?
Assignments
Extra
Credit
EXAM ONE Article: The
None
Kpelle Moot
None
None
TB: Chapter 7
CA: Arranging a
Marriage in India
Kinship
Activity, Due
Oct 21 (inclass)
Article:
Death
without
Weeping
EXAM TWO
TB: Chapter 8
CA: The Berdache
Tradition
EXAM
TWO
None
Film:
Taboo: The
Third Sex
TB: Chapter 9
CA: Baseball Magic
VETERAN’S DAY
CA: Where Fat is a
Mark of Beauty
TB: Skim Chapter 10,
Read Chapter 13
CA: The Price of
Progress
TB: Chapter 12
CA: The
Americanization of
Mental Illness
FINAL EXAM
NO CLASS
Article: The
Notion of
Witchcraft
Explains
Unfortunate
Events
NO CLASS
None
None
Your
Globalized
Self; Due
Nov 29
None
None
None
FINAL
EXAM
None
EXTRA CREDIT GUIDELINES:
Over the course of the semester, you can earn up to ten (10) extra credit points by watching
films, reading extra articles, or other activities I announce in class. Each individual assignment is
worth up to 3 points.
Each assignment should be 1½ to 2 pages long and should contain two parts. The first
part should summarize the piece of extra credit. What was the lecture/film/article about? What
were the key points? What did you learn? The second part should tie the lecture/film/article to
class? Why did I have you read or watch this? What terms from class does it tie in with? Don’t
forget to define those terms. This section should demonstrate that you understand the material
and how it ties back into what you’ve learned (and it will also help you study for the tests!). The
point system, therefore, works thusly:
1 point: you turned something in that is vaguely related to the assignment (if it’s really
bad, I will give you a zero)
2 points: you’re close, but you’re missing a key element of the assignment
3 points: you clearly understood the material and how it relates to class
You can turn in as many assignments as is necessary until you get the 10 points (see below for a
detailed description of when they are due, etc…). Turn these into me in class! The on-line
portion of the class has a tab labeled “Extra Credit Opportunities” where I will document and
record all the opportunities for you to receive extra credit. I will also announce them in class and
some are listed on your syllabus.
Readings: Due within two weeks after the class for which they’re listed!! You can do as many
extra readings as you want until you reach 10 points. These readings are listed on your syllabus
as “EC Readings” under specific days. This should make it easy to tie them to class.
Films: Due within two weeks after the class for which they’re listed!! You can watch as many
extra films as you want until you reach 10 points. These films are listed on your syllabus as “EC
Films” under specific days. This should make it easy to tie them to class. Have a film party with
your classmates. Eat popcorn. Impress your friends with your classy college activity.
Personal Experience: You can do one of these for extra credit. It is due before the end of the
semester by April 30. Do you play a sport? Act in plays? Did you spend your vacation doing
something fun? What sort of extra-curricular activities do you participate in? In the same format
as the other extra credit assignments, pick something you do or have done and summarize your
activity or experience, and then tie it to class and a specific topic we discussed. How does
anthropology tie in with your everyday life?
EXAM ESSAY QUESTION GUIDELINES
Answer the question providing as much relevant information as you can. Be as specific as
possible. An appropriate length for the answer is at least 1-1½ pages long, but of course you may
write as much as you like. The goal is to answer the question as fully as possible. REMEMBER:
This essay is open-book/open-note, so be sure to take your time and craft a well-thought out and
well-constructed response. Also be sure to USE YOUR OWN WORDS whenever possible (i.e.,
do not copy directly from your book, the internet, etc…). If you do wish to use direct quotes,
give the authors credit by citing your sources. Take this opportunity to show off how much you
know!!!
1) Basics: Your essay should be Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced, with 1-inch
margins. I spend enough time writing documents to be able to tell when you’ve tweaked the
margins. Don’t try to trick me. I can download your assignments and check. Failure to follow
these guidelines will result in a loss of 1 point.
2) Grammar: As you have time and spell/grammar check, I expect low amounts of errors. While
I will not deduct points for a few errors, a large amount of errors will result in a loss of 1
point.
3) Format: This is an essay test. Treat it as one. This means your answer should contain an
introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs. It should also be written in full sentences (no
bullet points). Failure to do this will result in a loss of 1 point.
4) Citations: As this is an open-note, open-book essay, I expect you to use your textbook and
assigned articles. Additionally, you should get the names and authors correct (they are all
listed on the syllabus). If you mention these sources, you should cite them, especially if you
quote them. This includes both in-text citations and end-of-the essay citations. For the films,
mentioning the title is sufficient. Failure to use these sources will result in a loss of 1 point.
Failure to cite them properly will also result in a loss of 1 point. In order to be helpful, here
are the citations:
Textbook:
Gezon, Lisa and Conrad Kottak. Culture. New York: McGraw Hill Publishing, 2012
Rapport-talk and Report talk:
Tannen, Deborah. "Rapport-talk and Report talk." Classical Readings in Cultural
Anthropology. New York: Wadsworth Cengage, 2009. 11-15.
Other Articles:
AUTHOR HERE. "TITLE HERE." Annual Editions: Anthropology 12/13 (Annual Editions:
Anthropology). New York: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 2012. PAGES HERE.
5) Plagiarism: PLAGIARISM IS NOT ACCEPTABLE! IT WILL RESULT IN A DEFINITE
ZERO (0) FOR THE ESSAY (WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 20% OF THE TEST
SCORE) AND A POSSIBLE ZERO (0) FOR THE ENTIRE TEST! TURNITIN WILL
CATCH YOU! THERE IS NO REASON FOR YOU TO CHEAT! THIS ESSAY IS OPENNOTE AND OPEN-BOOK. NOT CITING SOURCES DOES COUNT AS PLAGIARISM.
REMEMBER, CITING MAKES YOU LOOK SMART!
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:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Why did you decide to take this class? (Please be honest!)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What topics in anthropology interest you in particular? Any from the syllabus or book?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Do you have any concerns or questions about the class?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________