Course Syllabus
Course Prefix / Number: ANT 3212
Course Title: Peoples and Cultures of the World
Course Credit Hours: 3
Instructor Name and Contact Information: Dr. Robert Philen, rphilen@uwf.edu
Course Description
In a sentence: We will encounter and learn about the peoples and cultures of the
world. In slightly longer form: We will encounter and explore the major forms that
culture has taken around the world and through the course of human cultural history.
We will explore the ways in which all the cultures of the world are currently
integrated into a single political, economic, and sociocultural system, including the
dangers this poses for many cultures. Finally, we will consider the possibilities for a
more sustainable world system and consider the possible future of culture.
Required text:
John H. Bodley, Cultural Anthropology: Tribes, States, and the Global System,
5th Edition, Altamira Press, 2011, ISBN: 978-0-7591-1866-9.
Required Materials:
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Internet Access (broadband is recommended)
Activated UWF ArgoNet E-mail Account
Grading / Evaluation
There will be two types of assignments for which you will receive grades in the
course: Exams and Discussion Topics. The Final Grade will be the average of 3
grades: The Mid-Term Exam, The Final Exam, and the Overall Discussion Grade.
Exams (1/3 of the Final Grade each):
There are two exams. Exams will be open book and time limited. For each, you will
have a three day period during which to complete the exam. The Mid-Term exam will
take place immediately after Module 3; the Final Exam will take place immediately
after the 6th and last module of the course.
Make-up exams will only be allowed in the case of highly unusual, highly serious, and
well documented cases. It would only be in very unusual and very serious
circumstances that you would not reasonably be able to complete the exam within an
allowed 3 day period, so in most cases, make-ups will not be allowed. Be sure to take
the exams on time.
Discussion Topics (Overall Discussion Grade is 1/3 of the Final Grade):
In the 1st introductory module, you will participate in the "Meet Your Classmates"
Discussion Topic. You should examine the grading rubric for discussion topics
carefully - it is also included with "Important Course Information." The grading rubric
gives a clear overview of the expectations for your full participation in each
discussion topic, including the very first "Meet Your Classmates" discussion." The
grading rubric will be used to determine your grade for each discussion topic. After
the 1st module, you will participate in 3 discussion topics during each module. Thus,
beginning with Module 2, you will receive 3 discussion topic grades per module.
There will be a total of 16 discussion topic grades throughout the term (3 each for
Modules 2 - 6, plus 1 in the 1st introductory module).
The lowest of the 16 discussion topic grades will be dropped, and the remaining 15
will be averaged to form your Overall Discussion Grade.
Each discussion topic will open the day before the module to which it pertains. Once
everyone gets the hang of how the discussion topics work, this will allow a little more
flexibility in start times for everyone, while still keeping everyone focused on the
current discussions.
I will not close discussion topics at the end of each module, just in case anyone wants
to keep a discussion going. However, only contributions made before the end of the
relevant module will count toward that topic's grade.
In this course, Letter grades will be assigned as follows:
A: 94 – 100
A-: 90 – 93
B+: 87 – 89
B: 84 – 86
B-: 80 – 83
C+: 77 – 79
C: 74 – 76
C-:70 – 73
D+: 67 – 69
D: 60 – 66
F: 0 - 59
Attendance Policy
Since this course is fully online, with no face to face meetings to attend, there is no
"Attendance Policy." However, very regular participation in class discussions is
crucial to success in the course. Again, read the rubric for grading discussion topics
carefully. A number of points are laid out there, but one thing to emphasize here is
that grading is absolutely not based just on quantity of contributions, or even quantity
and quality of contributions. Those are both key elements of the expections, but so are
things like regularity and timeliness of participation.
Minimum Technical Skills and Special Technology Utilized
by Students
This course is totally online. All instructional content and interaction takes place over
the WWW. In addition to baseline word processing skills and sending/receiving email
with attachments, students will be expected to search the internet and upload /
download files. In addition, students may need one or more of the following plug-ins:
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Adobe Acrobat
Reader: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
PowerPoint Viewer: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?Family
ID=048DC840-14E1-467D-8DCA-19D2A8FD7485&displaylang=en
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Windows Media Player: http://windows.microsoft.com/enUS/windows/download-windows-media-player
QuickTime Player: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
Real Player: http://www.real.com/realplayer/search
Adobe Flash Player: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
Configure your computer for Online Room
(Collaborate) sessions: http://support.blackboardcollaborate.com/ics/support/d
efault.asp?deptID=8336&task=knowledge&questionID=1279
Expectations for Academic Conduct / Plagiarism Policy
Academic Conduct Policy: (Web Site) | (PDF Format) |
UWF Library Online Tutorial: Plagiarism |
Assistance for Students with Disabilities
The University of West Florida supports an inclusive learning environment for all
students. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that hinder your
full participation, such as time-limited exams, inaccessible web content, or the use of
non-captioned videos and podcasts, reasonable accommodations can be arranged.
Prior to receiving accommodations, you must register with the Student Disability
Resource Center (SDRC) athttp://uwf.edu/sdrc/internal/. Appropriate academic
accommodations will be determined based on the documented needs of the individual.
For information regarding the registration process, e-mail sdrc@uwf.edu or
call 850.474.2387.
Accessibility Resources
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Follow this link for information on accessibility features in eLearning.
Follow this link for information on accessibility features in UWF's Learning
Management System (LMS), Desire2Learn.
ASSISTANCE FOR MILITARY AND VETERANS:
The University of West Florida (UWF) is excited to have a center dedicated to
supporting our military and veteran students. With the growing number of veterans
returning to school, UWF will continue to grow support through additions such as this
Military & Veteran Resource Center. The goal of this center is to provide a “one-stop”
location for all military and veteran students to simplify the transition process from
the military to an academic environment. You may contact the MVRC at
850.474.2550 or visit uwf.edu/mvrc.
TurnItIn
UWF maintains a university license agreement for an online text matching service
called TurnItIn. At my discretion, I will use the TurnItIn service to determine the
originality of student papers. If I submit your paper to TurnItIn, it will be stored in a
TurnItIn database for as long as the service remains in existence. If you object to this
storage of your paper:
1. You must let me know no later than two weeks after the start of this class.
2. I will utilize other services and techniques to evaluate your work for evidence
of appropriate authorship practices.
Weather Emergency Information
In the case of severe weather or other emergency, the campus might be closed and
classes cancelled. Official closures and delays are announced on the UWF website
and broadcast on WUWF-FM.
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WUWF-FM (88.1MHz) is the official information source for the university.
Any pertinent information regarding closings, cancellations, and the re-opening
of campus will be broadcast.
In the event that hurricane preparation procedures are initiated, the UWF Home
Web Page and Argus will both provide current information regarding hurricane
preparation procedures, the status of classes and the closing of the university.
Emergency plans for the University of West Florida related to weather or other
emergencies are available on the following UWF web pages:
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Information about hurricane preparedness plans is available on the UWF web
site:
http://uwfemergency.org/hurricaneprep.cfm
Information about other emergency procedures is available on the UWF web
site:
http://uwfemergency.org/