Anthropology 310 – Cultural Anthropology
Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-4:20pm
Professor: Dr. Pamela Lindell
Office: RN 217
Office phone: 558-2316
Email: lindelp@scc.losrios.edu
Office hours: MW 12:20-1:20,
TR 10:30-11:30, and by appointment
Course Description: This course is an introduction to the variety of customs, traditions,
and forms of social organization in a variety of western and non-western societies. The
main goal of the course is to understand the importance of culture for both the individual
and societies. Anthropological concepts that will be stressed include human culture and
language, cultural relativism, holism, ethnocentrism, cross-cultural comparisons, field
work and theory. Topics include the nature of culture, subsistence methods, religion,
linguistics, trade and economic systems, arts, kinship, marriage and family systems,
technology, and change.
Textbooks: Cultural Anthropology 4th edition by Barbara Miller, packaged with
Conformity and Conflict special edition by Spradley and McCurdy. You will not be able
to get a C or higher in this class without reading the books. If you are unable to buy the
books, please read them on reserve in the library and/or speak with me in order to make
other arrangements.
Student learning outcomes and objectives: Upon completion of this course, the
student should be able to
 consider the complexity of other societies and assess the relevance of cultural
diversity in the U.S. and abroad
 question ethnocentric behaviors and opinions
 analyze cultural similarities and differences through anthropological theories
 describe the methods used in anthropological fieldwork
 appraise the role of language in learning, enculturation and cross-cultural
communication
 evaluate the relevance of kinship, subsistence techniques, social stratification,
domestic groups, political organization, the arts, religion, and culture change
in the lives of individuals and the functioning of societies
Prerequisite: ENGWR 50 and ENGWR 59 or ESLW 310 and ESLR 310 with grades of
“C” or better. This prerequisite is necessary due to the amount of writing that will
completed in this class.
Attendance: Attendance is mandatory in order to stay enrolled in and pass this class. In
accordance with college policy, any student who has missed 10% or more of the total
class hours (5.4 hours for a 54-hour class) may be failed or dropped without prior
notification, regardless of performance in other aspects of the course. Illness, car
problems, family emergencies, etc. DO NOT qualify for excused absences. Excused
absences are only provided for college-sponsored activities. It is the student’s
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responsibility to get notes for missed lecture material. The professor does not supply
copies of lecture notes.
Special needs: If you take exams through Learning Disabilities, please notify the
professor as soon as possible so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
Cheating and plagiarism: Cheating and/or plagiarism (direct copying of sources
without quotations or citations) is a serious violation of college policy and will result in
the following: 1) The student will fail the exam on which s/he cheats or the assignment
that was plagiarized. 2) The student will sit in the front row for all remaining exams. 3)
The event will be reported to the administration. Repeated administrative reports result
in expulsion from the college.
If you are aware that a fellow student is cheating, please report it to the professor. A
student who cheats is robbing other students of their hard work, and is cheating
him/herself out of an education.
A note on appropriate classroom behavior: All participants in this class will behave
respectfully toward each other, the professor, and themselves. Be attentive and take
notes. Students are encouraged to ask questions. Hate speech and disrespectful remarks
will not be tolerated. Do not sleep in class, come in late or leave early, use cell phones
during class, pass notes, or otherwise engage in disruptive or rude behaviors. Repeated
engagement in such behaviors will result in a grade penalty and/or administrative
interference as appropriate.
Grading method: Your grade in this class will be based on your total point
accumulation as follows:
A – 360 to 400 points
B – 359 to 320 points
C – 280 to 319 points
D – 240 to 318 points
F – less than 240 points
The class is divided into four sections, as such:
Term 1: January 23 to February 13
Term 2: February 20 to March 12
Term 3: March 24 to April 16
Term 4: April 21 to May 14
It is possible to accumulate a maximum of 100 points per section. These points may be
earned by completing any of the following:
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One 100-point exam at the end of the section, which will be a combination of
true/false, multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions.
Four 25-point homework assignments, one due at the end of each week.
One 75-point fieldwork paper, due at the end of the section.
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One 50-point Powerpoint presentation submitted on cd-r, due at the end of the
section.
Perfect attendance without tardiness or leaving early, for 25 points per section.
Extra points accumulated in one section may not be carried over into the following
section.
Exams - Exams will be comprised of true/false, multiple choice, short answer, and essay
questions. They will be based on information from assigned readings in both textbooks,
class lectures, and films. Study guides for the exams are available on my website at
wserver.scc.losrios.edu/~lindelp
Homework Assignments – Homework papers must
* be at least 2.5 pages in length
* be typed using 12-point Times New Roman font
* be double spaced, but must not have extra spaces between paragraphs or
elsewhere
* have 1” margins at the top and bottom and 1.25 margins on the right and left
* have page numbers in the bottom right-hand corner
* have a title page with your name and the assignment title/number (your name
and the title of the essay will appear only on this title page and not on following
pages)
* be stapled
* have indented paragraphs
* have correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
* be comprised of an introduction, the body of the essay, and a conclusion
* include appropriate citations when a passage is quoted. Uncited quotes are
considered as plagiarized and may result in a failing grade. Quotes must appear
in quotation marks and be cited in the following manner if, for example, the
quote is on page 11 of the Miller textbook: (Miller 2007:11).
Homework assignments will be graded based on the extent to which they meet the criteria
listed above, and the quality and thoroughness of the answers to the questions below.
1A. Within the microculture of SCC campus, what are the smaller microcultures within
it? What are the cultural characteristics that make these groups identifiable as
microcultures? What are the relationships among these smaller microcultures?
2A. Complete both “Connection Questions” on page 18 of Spradley and McCurdy.
3A. What are the five modes of production and what are some of their characteristics?
What are examples of each that are currently being practiced in the United States? With
which of these are you familiar on a personal level?
4A. How important are food taboos in contemporary North America? What are your
personal food taboos and do you think these are common food taboos in the U.S.A.? Try
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to explain one or some of your food taboos using a cultural materialist or interpretivist
perspective.
1B. Complete all of the “Connection Questions” on page 54 of Spradley and McCurdy.
2B. What is the “image of limited good”? Think of an example of people behaving as if
they were guided by the "image of the limited good" in a contemporary cultural context-real or fictional. Do you think the image of limited good is really the way the world
works, all the time? Explain your answer.
3B. In the West, many beliefs about how to change one's diet to make it healthier are
said to be based on scientific evidence. Yet diet is an area where remarkable variation
occurs in belief about what is a healthy diet. What are your views on a healthy diet and
how they do relate to your microculture?
4B. Should medical pluralism be promoted more widely around the world? What
medical systems should be involved in such pluralism? Should anthropologists be
involved in such an effort? If so, how? If not, why not?
1C. Consider your current living situation. How would an anthropologist describe your
household? Do you have experience, personally or from an acquaintance, with any other
household form? In comparing the forms, what do you think are the benefits and
drawbacks of each?
2C. Answer all of the “Connection Questions” on page 94 of Spradley and McCurdy.
3C. What are some of the possible reasons as to why the state evolved? What are some
of the benefits and drawbacks of a state-level society? Do you think the invention of the
state was “a terrible mistake”? Explain your answer.
4C. What kinds of social control systems are in operation at SCC? Consider both
norms and laws. How are they made known to you? What happens to violators? Do you
think that any of these are unique to the SCC microculture?
1D. Answer all of the “Connection Questions” on page 125 of Spradley and McCurdy.
2D. Think of life-cycle ceremonies that you have attended, such as weddings or baptisms
or funerals, and apply Victor Turner's three stages to them. How well do his three stages
work in this example?
3D. Provide some examples of how different modes of production shape religious beliefs
and practices and consider others where a fit between production and religion does not
exist.
4D. Identify a sport with which you are familiar. In what way(s) is this sport a model of
a culture and a model for culture? Is religion, spirituality, or sacrifice tied to this sport in
any way?
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Fieldwork Papers - Fieldwork papers must
* include at least 5 pages of typed essay, and at least three pages of fieldnotes
(except for the kinship assignment)
* be typed using 12-point Times New Roman font
* be double spaced, but must not have extra spaces between paragraphs or
elsewhere
* have 1” margins at the top and bottom and 1.25 margins on the right and left
* have page numbers in the bottom right-hand corner
* have a title page with your name and the assignment title/number (your name
and the title of the essay will appear only on this title page and not on following
pages)
* be stapled
* have correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
* have indented paragraphs
* be comprised of an introduction, the body of the essay, and a conclusion
* include a thesis statement
* include appropriate citations if a passage is quoted. Uncited quotes are
considered as plagiarized and may result in a failing grade. Quotes must appear
in quotation marks and be cited in the following manner if, for example, the
quote is on page 11 of the Miller textbook: (Miller 2007:11).
* include a “works cited” page if you include citations in your essay
Fieldwork papers will be graded based on the extent to which they meet the criteria listed
above, the cohesiveness between the thesis statement and the information presented to
support it, the description of activities and results, the interpretation of results, and the
quality and quantity of information presented in the paper.
Fieldwork paper, section 1: “The Impact of the Observer: Holding the Door” (read
chapters 1 and 2 before conducting this exercise)
In this exercise you will observe patterned behavior under two conditions. You’ll
compose an ethnography – that is, you’ll describe the pattern and infer the cultural rules.
You’ll also comment on the effect of the two conditions of observation.
Observe door-opening behavior in a public place with lots of foot traffic. For
several minutes at a busy time and again at a slower time, pick out individuals
(“Observed1”) and watch them pass through the doorway. Observe the etiquette during
individual events of door behavior. That is, does Observed1 passing through the door
hold the door for the next person (“Observed2”)? In what manner does Observed1 hold
the door, for whom, how long is the door held, how far away from the door can
Observed2 be and still motivate Observed1 to hold? Is there any visual or verbal
communication between Observed1 and Observed2 during the event? How often does
Observed2 become a holder for the next person? Do gender and age appear to have any
influence in these behaviors? As a guide to what to watch for, an observation protocol
template follows below.
You will conduct this exercise under two conditions. The first time you do it,
take no notes in public, make no attempt to stand out. Take notes on your protocol sheet
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only after you witness a transaction, then put the sheet away again before you witness the
next transaction. After observing for several minutes, ask someone emerging from the
doors about the rules of door etiquette. Are door holders aware of what they’re doing?
Can they describe the shared understanding between holder/holdee? Write down these
responses in your fieldnotes.
Repeat this observation with a new protocol sheet, so that the door users will
notice that a person with a notebook/clipboard is observing them. Watch for evidence
that your activity influences the door holding. Experiment with your location until you’re
clearly being noticed by many people using the door. Compare what you’re observing
now with what you observed the first time. How does self-consciousness alter their
behavior?
Your typed essay should include a description of your tactics including the date,
time, and location. Summarize and discuss the events that transpired in both the
“blending in” and “standing out” phases of the experiment. Infer cultural rules of door
holding behavior based on your observations, as well as the effects of self-consciousness.
Protocol template: (Replace “etc.” with as many events/interactions as you witness.
Observe at least four events in the “blending in” phase and at least four events in the
“standing out” phase. Events will always involve two people – Observed1 will either
hold the door or not; Observed2 will be the one for whom the door is held, or not.) Label
your template as that which you used in “blending in” or “standing out.” Turn these in as
your notes, along with any other notes you may have taken.
Event
Event 1 (example)
etc.
Observed1
male(M)/female(F)?
M
entering(E)/exiting(X)?
X
approx. age
middle aged
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Held door?
yes(Y)/no(N)
Y
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Holding technique:
with shoulder
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Observed2
male(M)/female(F)?
F
entering(E)/exiting(X)?
X
approx. age
teenager
Distance when door held
less than 10 feet
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Interaction
Eye contact (Y/N)?
Y
Thanks?
Y
Other (describe)
O1 smiles and nods
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Additional notes on event
O2’s arms full of packages
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Fieldwork paper, section 2: “Comparison of Illness Etiologies and Healing Systems”
(read chapter 7 before conducting this exercise)
In this exercise you will interview three people concerning their beliefs about and
experiences with illness and healing. At least one consultant should be over the age of
fifty. Attempt to find consultants with different cultural backgrounds from one another.
Explain to the consultants that you are doing a project for your anthropology class, and
ask permission to take notes or record the interview. In your paper, include the
consultants’ ages, genders, cultural backgrounds, and any other information that you or
they think may be relevant.
You will describe two sets of symptoms to your consultants. It is important that
you do not name the illness itself (such as “the flu” or “a cold”) as you must let your
consultants describe how they would classify the illness. For example, the symptoms of
illness 1 might be “a runny nose, sore throat, sneezing, and cough.” Ask your consultant
what they would call this illness, beliefs about how one gets this illness, and how it is
healed. Have the consultant describe one or more healing techniques in detail. What
medicines/herbs are used, if any? Are there any rituals that go along with the healing
process? What should the patient do during this time? Does one go to a specialist for the
cure, can it be cured at home, or both? Try to get as much information as possible. Next,
present your second set of symptoms (for example, one feels lazy, weak, distracted, and
has lost interest in social activities). Go through the same process with this set of
symptoms.
Repeat the process with two more consultants. When you are finished with all
three interviews, compare notes. Are there any differences in which illnesses were
identified, explanations of their etiologies (how one gets the illness), or how they are
healed? Were the explanations biomedical, humoral, or communal in nature? How do
you account for the sameness or differences in the explanations presented by your
consultants? Do your results make a case for medical pluralism? Why or why not?
Fieldwork paper, section 3: “Charting and Interpreting Kinship” (read chapter 8 before
beginning this exercise)
In this exercise you will chart your own kinship diagram, using the symbols on
page 203 of Miller’s text. If you are adopted, use your adopted family. If you do not
know your family, do a friend’s kinship chart. The appropriate kin abbreviation, also
found on page 203, will go underneath the symbol. You may want to seek the assistance
of a family member for this project. Go as far back as you can, and as far out laterally as
you can. It will probably be easier for you to draw your chart than to try to do it on a
computer, but you can try if you want. If you try to use a genealogy program, be wary
because it may not use the same symbols that you are required to use for this assignment.
You may use any size paper as long as you can fold it. Do not use poster board or any
other unwieldy material.
An essay of at least three pages in length will accompany your chart. In the essay,
note which of your relations are most important to you (or your friend), and why.
Describe an incident in which kinship roles were significant and explain what this reveals
about kinship ideas in your family and community.
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Lastly, identify the descent system used by your family. Also, compare your
kinship naming system to the Eskimo and Iroquois ones found on page 204. Is yours
exactly like one of these? If not, to which is it closest, and how does yours differ?
Fieldwork paper, section 4: “Expressive Culture” (read chapter 14 before beginning this
exercise)
In this exercise you will interview at least one consultant in order to gain
information about expressive culture in a microculture. For example, consider the role(s)
of music, poetry, graffiti, dress, hairstyles, theater, etc. in the punk, hip hop, military,
cowboy, GLBT, etc. microcultures.
Begin with basic information about your consultant, including age, gender, and
how long s/he has been a member of said microculture. You must convince the reader
that your consultant is an expert in this microculture. Via information from your
consultant, explain the microculture, who belongs to it, and its general qualities. You
might ask your informant “What does it mean to be a member of the ______ culture?”
Now delve into the role of expressive culture in this microculture. How do
members of this microculture express themselves and identify themselves as members?
What are the most significant forms of expressive culture in this microculture? Explain
them in some detail; for example, how do Goths dress, and why? What message are they
trying to get across? What are the common messages in country music, and how do these
correlate with individual values and beliefs? You may concentrate on just one form of
expressive culture in a microculture, or on several, depending on the depth of information
that your consultant can provide.
As with your other papers, this one must center around a thesis statement.
Powerpoint Presentations – Powerpoint presentations must
* be submitted to the instructor on a cd-r disc labeled with your name, the title of
the presentation, and the page reference (see next)
* be an informative presentation, centered around a thesis statement, about a
culture or a topic discussed in one of your texts during the assigned section,
with the page reference of the culture/topic noted on the disc
* include at least 20 Powerpoint slides
* have correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, though bullet points can be
used
* include the thesis statement on the first slide
* include text on every slide
* include at least 10 slides with photos or graphics illustrating the text
Powerpoint presentations need not be presented to the class. Think of the
professor as your audience.
If you are in doubt of your topic, please consult with the professor.
Powerpoint presentations will be graded based on the extent to which they meet
the criteria listed above, the relevance of the thesis statement to material covered in the
appropriate section of the class, ability of the presentation to support the thesis statement,
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information content of the presentation, and the relevance of photos and graphics to the
information content.
What is a thesis statement? (quoted from the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill Writing Center website, at http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/thesis.html)
“A thesis statement:
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tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under
discussion.
is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from
the rest of the paper.
directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a
question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might
be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the
war or the novel.
makes a claim that others might dispute.
is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your
argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and
organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your
interpretation”
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The last day to drop full-semester classes is April 20.
Class Schedule:
Reading assignments must be read prior to the class for which they are assigned. All of
the articles are to be found in the Spradley and McCurdy text.
Class Section 1
Week 1: 1/23 – Anthropology and the Study of Culture
Miller chapter 1
Week 2: 1/28 & 1/30 – Methods in Cultural Anthropology
Miller chapter 2 & “Eating Christmas in the Kalahari” by Richard Lee
Homework 1A due on 1/28 by 1:10pm and no later.
Homework 2A due on 1/30 by 1:10pm and no later.
Week 3: 2/4 & 2/6 – Economies and Their Modes of Production
Miller chapter 3
Homework 3A due on 2/6 by 1:10pm and no later.
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Week 4: 2/11 – Consumption and Exchange
Miller chapter 4
2/13 – Exam; all assignments due by 1:10pm and no later (those not taking the
exam may leave after submitting assignments)
Class Section 2
Week 5: 2/20 – Birth and Death
Miller chapter 5; “Mother’s Love: Death without Weeping” by Scheper-Hughes
Homework 1B due on 2/20 by 1:10pm and no later.
Week 6: 2/25 & 2/27 – Personality and Identity Over the Life Cycle
Miller chapter 6
Homework 2B due on 2/27 by 1:10pm and no later.
Week 7: 3/3 & 3/5 – Disease, Illness, and Healing
Miller chapter 7
Homework 3B due on 3/5 by 1:10pm and no later.
Week 8: 3/10 – Disease, Illness, and Healing, cont.
3/12 – Exam; all assignments due by 1:10pm and no later (those not taking the
exam may leave after submitting assignments)
Spring Break: 3/17 & 3/29
Class Section 3
Week 9: 3/24 & 3/26 – Kinship and Domestic Life
Miller chapter 8
Homework 1C due on 3/26 by 1:10pm and no later
Week 10: 3/31 & 4/2 – Social Groups and Social Stratification
Miller chapter 9; “Mixed Blood” by Jeffrey M. Fish
Homework 2C due on 4/2 by 1:10pm and no later
Week 11: 4/7 & 4/9 – Politics and Leadership
Miller chapter 10
Homework 3C due on 4/9 by 1:10pm and no later
Week 12: 4/14 – Social Order and Social Conflict
Miller chapter 11
4/16 – Exam; all assignments due by 1:10pm and no later (those not taking the
exam may leave after submitting assignments)
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Class Section 4
Week 13: 4/21 & 4/23 – Communication
Miller chapter 12; “The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis: Worlds Shaped by Words” by
Thompson
Homework 1D due on 4/23 by 1:10pm and no later
Week 14: 4/28 & 4/30 – Religion
Miller chapter 13
Homework 2D due on 4/30 by 1:10pm and no later
Week 15: 5/5 & 5/7 – Religion, cont.
Homework 3D due on 5/7 by 1:10pm and no later
Week 16: 5/12 & 5/14 – Expressive Culture
Miller chapter 14
All assignments due on 5/14 by 1:10pm and no later.
Final Exam: Monday, May 19 at 3pm (those not taking the final need not come to class)
KEEP TRACK OF YOUR POINTS
SECTION 1 POINT TOTAL _________________ (100 POSSIBLE)
SECTION 2 POINT TOTAL _________________ (200 POSSIBLE)
SECTION 3 POINT TOTAL _________________ (300 POSSIBLE)
SECTION 4 POINT TOTAL _________________ (400 POSSIBLE)
To calculate your grade at any given time, add your total number of points and divide it
into the total number of points possible in the class so far. For example, if you have 160
total points at the end of section 2, 160/200 = 80, which is a B.
90 to 100% = A
80 to 89% = B
70 to 79% = C
60 to 69% = D
59% and below = F
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