CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
CLASS INFORMATION SHEET
Spring 2009
Marcy Williams
(mwilliams@deltacollege.edu)
Office: Shima 234; 954-5587
Office Hrs: Monday-Friday 2-3 or
by appointment
REQUIRED TEXTS:
1. Miller, Barbara. 2008. Cultural Anthropology in a
Globalizing World. Boston: Pearson.
(Custom Edition for Delta College—-must be shrink-wrapped
with the “Student Access Code.”)
2. Kris Holloway. 2007. Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with
a Midwife in Mali. Waveland Press.
COURSE GOALS: Students will examine anthropological concepts related to
present-day societies. Students will be able to apply anthropological concepts to
their own lives and the world around them.
STUDENTS' OBLIGATIONS:
1. Students should attend classes without excessive absences. I will drop
students who have excessive absences within the first four weeks of the
semester. AFTER THE FIRST 4 WEEKS, STUDENTS ARE RESPON-SIBLE
FOR DROPPING THE COURSE THEMSELVES.
2. The two midterms and final exam will consist of multiple-choice and essay
questions. I provide study guides that present the due dates for readings , key
terms, and essay questions. I will construct the exams from these study guides.
While I offer two midterm exams, only one midterm grade counts toward the
course grade (you get two chances to perfect your grade or can opt to not take
the 2nd midterm; there are no make-up exams).
3. Most quizzes and many assignments will be “online” with the “Course
Compass—My Anthro Lab.” However, since some students may not be able
to buy the Miller book right away, I will offer the first two quizzes in class. For
these you will need to purchase the “15-item” quiz strip (you will also need one
of these for each midterm & will need the “50-item” quiz strip for the final exam).
Also, bring some 3x5 index cards to each class as you will use them for inclass writing.
4. Students will be placed in small groups of 6-8 students near the beginning
of the semester. These groups will “create” a culture that follows the
holistic framework covered in class. Each student will be responsible for
writing a paper describing a certain “part” of the culture. In week 16 (May
4-8) we will have class sessions devoted to a “World Simulation Game” where
the “cultures” created in the class will interact in order to recreate world history,
including colonialism and globalization.
5. Plagiarism/Cheating Policy: I WILL FOLLOW SCHOOL POLICY which is to
file an "ACADEMIC DISHONESTY FORM" WITH THE DEAN AND GIVE YOU
A "Zero" FOR THE ASSIGNMENT ON WHICH YOU CHEATED OR
PLAGIARIZED.
6. Classroom etiquette: At our second class meeting, we will discuss the “norms”
for polite, productive classroom conduct. Students will decide what “rules” they
want enforced and “how” they will be enforced.
7. The last day to drop the course without a "W" notation on your transcript is
February 6th. The last day to drop the course with a "W" is Aprill 22nd. After
April 22nd, you must receive a letter grade.
COURSE CONTENT:
Unit 1:
Defining Anthropology & Anthropological Method
Unit 2: Economic & Political Connections Worldwide
Unit 3:
Kinship: Family & Marriage
Unit 4:
Symbolic Organization (religion, ritual, folklore, etc.)
Unit 5:
Inequality & Global Issues
METHOD OF EVALUATION:
Midterm #1 (Units 1 & 2 =Feb. 19/20)
OR
--50 points
Midterm #2 (Unit 3=March 17/18)
Paper (individual part on the “Culture”)
--50 points
Group Work (wiki threaded discussion & peer grade) --40 points
Quizzes (10 quizzes)
--40 points
Participation (exercises, 2 study plans, etc.)
--40 points Final Exam
(units 1-5)
--80 points
--300 points