Howard University 18140-110-03 and 10048-110-04 INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY (3 credits) Spring 2010 Tuesdays and Thursdays 10048: 9:40- 11:00 am, DGH 239 18140: 2:10-3:30 pm Professor: Dr. Eleanor King Office Hours: T/Th 9:00 – 9:30 am 11:10 am – 12:00 pm 3:40 – 4:10 pm and by appointment Telephone: 202-806-5255 Office: DGH 234 E-mail: emking@howard.edu Course Overview: Description: We will explore the nature of human culture in its many manifestations around the world. Through lectures, readings, videos, class discussions, and handson assignments we will look at similarities and differences in human lifeways and their implications for contemporary life. Among the topics covered will be social and political organization, economic practices, family living, religion, and language. We will pay special attention to the development of an "anthropological perspective," a way of looking at the world that helps us recognize the meanings we impose on our own experiences and understand the points of view of others who do not necessarily share the same beliefs and behaviors. We will also examine the theory and methodology behind current anthropological practice and its historical context. NEW for Spring 2010: This semester Introduction to Cultural Anthropology will be part of a group of COAS classes involved in interdisciplinary research. We will be focusing on four broad topics that we will explore through the perspective of anthropology and of other disciplines: (1) global warming, climate change, and the environment; (2) global population movements and their effect on individuals and society; (3) race, ethnicity, and national identity; and (4) the effects of domestic policy on social, economic, and/or cultural sub-groups among the citizenry. To help achieve an interdisciplinary approach, we will be partnering with three sections of English 003 taught by Dr. Carolyn Shuttlesworth (10487-003-04, 10488-03-05, and 10595-0372). Students from all five sections (two in Anthropology, three in English) will have the opportunity to partner together in four virtual learning communities, each focused around one of the topics, to do both independent and group research. Details follow within this syllabus. Prerequisites: none 1 Course Objectives: 1. To develop an appreciation of human cultural diversity and of the role of culture in framing human experience. 2. To understand the insights anthropology can offer us into cultural change, ethnic conflict, and other global and national issues in our increasingly interlinked world. 3. To be able to bring an anthropological perspective to daily life and everyday activities. 4. To engage students in interdisciplinary ways of thinking critically about research. 5. To empower students, through information literacy, to become self-directed lifelong learners. 6. To educate students to conduct, write about, and present research. Required Reading: (1) Bonvillain, Nancy, Cultural Anthropology (2nd edition).Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall (2010). ISBN-13: 978-0-205-68509-7 (2) Holly Peters-Golden, Culture Sketches. Case Studies in Anthropology, 5th Edition. McGraw Hill (2009). ISBN: 978-0-07-340530-8 (3) Additional readings as assigned in the syllabus; you are required to take notes on them. Course Format: Lectures: The 1 h 20' classes will include the presentation of materials discussed in your text as well as the introduction of additional material complementing the session's topic. Different formats will be used to present the information, with videos and in-class exercises supplementing the lectures. The lecture section will include time for informal discussion and questions. Student-led Discussions: Formal class discussions on the readings assigned and on in-class materials will be used on an average of once every 7-10 days to clear up any questions you might have about what you have read and to allow you to explore how anthropological concepts are applied in real-life situations. The objective of this learning format is to encourage you to come to class prepared (i.e., do the readings before class time) and to think both broadly and critically about the application of the anthropological perspective to a variety of issues. The technique of student-led discussions will be explained in class. Course Requirements: General This is an interactive course. That means that you are expected to be present and to participate in classroom discussions and activities. Bear in mind, too, that materials presented in class may not be in your text, and that films, exercises, etc., will not be repeated. You are graded on participation and so attendance will be 2 taken to see who is there, participating. If you arrive late, your presence will not be recorded. All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day they are due. That means that readings should be done by the date listed beside them. Some days no readings are assigned. Pace yourself so you can keep up. All written assignments should be typed and handed in as you walk into class, unless they are notes to be used in class discussion. Notes include both those you will take for the Darfur Project (see below) and for the two articles assigned in the Tentative Schedule (Horace Miner and Robert Kohls). Electronic submissions are not accepted, unless pre-arranged and no notes may be turned in late. Any papers that come in late will be dropped a full grade (10 points) the first day and one point every day thereafter. Note: It is better to turn in your assignment late and get a lesser grade than not to turn it in at all and lose all those points. However, no assignment will be accepted 10 days after its due date. You must be present for all exams and oral presentations, particularly the group reports at the end of the semester. If you see you will miss an exam or a presentation, you must contact me beforehand. There are no provisions for making up your exam or your group's presentation unless arranged ahead of time. If something truly unexpected happens at the last minute, such as a serious illness or a death in the family, you must bring a written excuse from the appropriate authority (doctor, funeral director) indicating the problem. Similarly, if you anticipate any problems completing any part of the assignments or taking any of the exams in the allotted time due to a disability, either suspected or documented, you must contact me ahead of time. Howard University is committed to providing an educational environment that is accessible to all students. In accordance with this policy, students in need of accommodations due to a disability should contact the Office of the dean for Special Student Services (201-238-2420 bwilliams@howard.edu) for verification and determination of reasonable accommodations as soon as possible after admission and at the beginning of each semester as needed. Failure to notify me of a disability will mean that you will have to complete the assignments as required, no exceptions. There may also be occasional in-class writing assignments to help you monitor your own progress. These will not be graded. Finally, syllabi, handouts, and important class announcements will be posted in Blackboard. In an effort to decrease paper waste, only limited copies of these materials will be available as handouts. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have access to Blackboard to download them. Please make sure, too, that you have registered the correct email address with the university to receive class emails for reminders about assignments, etc. 3 Specific During the course of the semester, in addition to the readings and the student-led discussions, you will be required to conduct research both individually and in a group on one of the four interdisciplinary topics, which you will both write up and present, participate in an in-class project on Darfur, and take four exams for a total of 100 points (100%). Please remember that all written assignment must be typed. They should also follow the Citation Guide posted on Blackboard and the Writing Guide in this syllabus. Interdisciplinary research: Linking concepts learned in class to critical contemporary issues is key to your mastery of anthropology. Many of these issues, however, are best approached through an interdisciplinary perspective. You will therefore use both anthropology and other disciplines to approach one particular topic of your choosing. Your interdisciplinary research will be broken down into several components. As an individual, you will be required to research a topic, come up with a hypothesis, write an abstract describing your research, and write that research up in a short research paper. You will conduct these activities, however, with the support of a learning community—a group of your fellow students with whom you can exchange ideas and questions in specially set-up Blackboard groups. Initially, you will belong to a larger group—a Learning Community—comprising everyone interested in a specific topic. By mid-February you will be assigned to a smaller “working group” with whom you will continue to work during the rest of the semester. The group you belong to will be drawn from all five classes participating in this overarching project (see class description for Spring 2010 above). Each working group will continue to do interdisciplinary research on the topic under investigation and may at any time continue to exchange ideas and information with other working groups forming the larger Learning Community on this topic. On Wednesday, March 31, we will have a Learning Community Summit, so that all groups can exchange information on where they are at in their research. Finally, at the end of the semester, working group members who are in the same section will present a report on their research in class. Here is a breakdown of these various research components: 1. Research review and hypothesis (5% of overall grade): During the first few weeks of class, you will browse the information on the four different topics posted on Blackboard and select the one that appeals to you the most. Sign up for the Blackboard Discussion Group on that topic as soon as you have decided. Spaces will be limited in each discussion group, so the sooner you make your selection, the more likely you will be able to participate in researching the topic that most interests you. If the Discussion Group is already full, you must select another topic. You will then conduct research on the topic you have signed up for, using both books and articles, including newspaper articles from reputable national newspapers such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, or the paper from your own hometown, whether that be in the United States or abroad. You will write up 4 a brief (2 pages) summary of that research and generate a hypothesis you would like to test or a question you would like to explore (see “Research Steps” handout posted on Blackboard). Here are some additional guidelines for this assignment: Your paper must be at least two full pages, including the hypothesis, and no more than three. You should use at least 6-8 sources for your research and these should be contemporary (within the last 5 years, as the topics we are considering have generated a lot of recent study). If you find an older source you think is particularly valuable, you may use that, but justify your decision in your annotation (see below). Electronic as well as paper media are allowed. Your 2-page paper should have a full bibliography attached, in proper social science citation format (see Citation Guide on Blackboard). This bibliography should be annotated, meaning that you must describe in 1-2 sentences beneath the citation what the article/book is about and what information you found useful in it. The bibliography does not count as part of your two pages. Any references in your summary to information found in one specific source must be cited, using the proper in-text citation format for the social sciences (see Citation Guide on Blackboard). Your hypothesis/question should be at least one full sentence and no more than one paragraph. Again, it counts as part of your two pages. If you find the topic does not interest you as much as you thought, you are allowed to change research topics once you have handed this assignment in, depending on the room available in the on-line discussion groups. This assignment is due on Thursday, January 21. 2. Research abstract and paper (10% of grade): Based on your research hypothesis, you will conduct individual interdisciplinary research on the topic you have chosen, with the help and support of the learning community you join. You are required to use an anthropological perspective, to be discussed in class, as one approach to the topic. You may also use an approach typical of your own major, if it is not anthropology. You will then write up that research in two stages. First, you will write an abstract suitable for submission to the Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS), summarizing the research you are conducting. For guidelines on how to write an abstract, look at the College of Arts and Sciences webpage under “Undergraduate Research Symposium.” Abstracts should be at least 100 words and no more than 200. You are not required to participate in the URS. However, those of you who would like to do so and would like me to sponsor them should submit the proper forms to be signed along with their abstract. The abstract is due on Tuesday, February 9. You will then write a paper about your research, based on that abstract. This paper is due on 5 Tuesday, March 9, and must be at least 6 full pages, and no more than seven, not counting the bibliography. Your bibliography, as usual, should be proper social science citation format (see Citation Guide on Blackboard) but it need NOT be annotated. The abstract is worth 2% of your grade and the research paper is worth 8%, for a total together of 8%. When you hand in your abstract, you should indicate a preference, if any, for a working group among the people you have been communicating on-line with (see no. 3 below). 3. Group report (12% of grade): Throughout the semester, as noted above, you will participate in a Blackboard Discussion Group (BDG) focused around one of the four interdisciplinary topics. As part of your group participation, you will be required to engage actively with your on-line BDG by posting, responding to posts, and completing specific activities. You will share your research with your group and get ideas from other members. When you hand in your abstracts (February 9), you may also express a preference for working with specific members of the larger BDG group in a smaller “working group” that will continue to work together during the course of the semester. Some members of this group will be in your class; others will be in separate sections. You will continue to “meet” virtually on-line, refining your ideas. You will then do an in-class group presentation on the topic you have been researching with other members of your working group who are in your particular class and section at the end of the semester. Together, you may elect to pursue the research topic one of you has engaged in or you may combine research topics to give a more general overview of the issue you are exploring. In other words, your individual paper should form the basis of your contribution to the group interdisciplinary report, but you should also expect to do additional research to create a coherent and comprehensive presentation on the issue. Note that while the presentations perforce have to be in the class you are attending, you may use information generated by working group members in other sections, as long as you give them proper credit. A detailed instruction sheet on the group report will be provided in March. Here are additional guidelines for this assignment: You must write two postings of at least 100 words each to your BDG and respond to two postings by your colleagues in at least 50 words by Tuesday, January 26. On Tuesday, February 9 you should hand in a list of people you would prefer to work with from within the larger BDG along with your abstract. On February 17 Dr. Shuttlesworth and I will post the working groups. By Tuesday, March 2, you should have posted two more postings of at least 100 words each, as well as two responses of at least 50 words to your working group. By Tuesday, March 23, you must have completed a pre-summit activity in your group on-line, to be posted. 6 A Learning Community Summit will take place in the evening (time to be determined) of Wednesday, March 31, so all groups can see what the others are up to. By Tuesday, April 6, you must have completed an evaluation your research experience on-line. Details on this evaluation will be forthcoming during the semester. All on-line postings, responses, activities, and evaluations must be printed out in hard copy and turned in on their respective due dates. All on-line communications must be written in proper English, including full sentences, proper grammar and spelling, etc. Points will be deducted for text-messaging or blogging style. Group research reports will be scheduled for Tuesday, April 20, and Thursday, April 22. Groups with graduating seniors should expect to present on Tuesday and all graduating seniors should notify me as soon as possible of their status. The on-line postings and activities are worth 4% of your grade and the group report is worth 8%, for a total of 12%. Other activities: While the main focus of your assignments will be on interdisciplinary research, other assignments will be focused more specifically on anthropological knowledge and approaches. These include: 4. Darfur Project: Students will have the opportunity to learn about the anthropological perspective and how to apply it by examining in depth an issue critical to the role of the U.S. abroad: the current humanitarian crisis in Darfur, a region of the Sudan. Work on the Darfur Project will take place mostly in class, though you will also be required to do some background research and turn in your notes. We will cover 5 topics, dealing in Darfur with some of the anthropological issues we are covering in class. You must be present for the five class discussions. Your grade on this project will be based on your participation in the class discussions (1/2) and on your notes (1/2); the Darfur Project counts as 15% of your total grade, so each of the 5 sessions counts for 3% (1.5% for notes, 1.5% for class participation). Notes may not be turned in late. If you think you will be absent for one or more of the 5 discussion sessions, please see me ahead of time to make alternative arrangements. A rubric on the Darfur Project will be posted on Blackboard by January 21. Darfur discussion days are tentatively scheduled for January 28, February 2, February 16, February 23, and April 13. 5. Exams: There will be four partial (i.e., non-cumulative) exams over the course the semester covering readings, films, lectures, and exercises done in class. The tentative dates for these exams and the materials they will cover are listed below. Please note that there is no final in this course. If we need more class time, though, the last exam (4) will be given at the time scheduled for the final, but you will only be given the equivalent of class time (1h 20’) to 7 do it. Graduating seniors must take exam 4 by Tuesday, April 20, by arrangement with the professor. Study guides will be given out prior to each exam. If you know of a conflict ahead of time for any of the exams, let me know as soon as possible so we can work out a makeup time. The format will be a combination of short identifications, multiple choice, and short answers. Each exam counts for 12% of your total grade and the 4 exams together count for 48%. Thursday, February 4: Exam 1 Readings: Bonvillain, Ch. 1-3 and Ch. 11, pp. 275-278 and 287-299; PetersGolden, Ch. 2 (Aztec), 5 (Hmong), and 14 (Trobriand Islanders); Robert Kohls and Horace Miner articles Thursday, February 25: Exam 2 Readings: Bonvillain, Ch. 4-7; Peters-Golden, Ch. 3 (Basseri) and 6 (Ju/’hoansi) Films: American Tongues Thursday, March 25: Exam 3 Readings: Bonvillain , Ch. 8-10; Ch. 11, pp. 278-287; Ch. 12; Peters-Golden, cha. 8 (Minangkabau), 9 (Nuer), and 13 (Tiwi) Films: Asante Market Women Thursday, May 3 and May 4* (see Tentative Schedule below): Exam 4 Readings: Bonvillain, Chapters 13-15, Chapter 16, pp. 407-418 and pp. 428430; Chapter 17, pp. 433-443 and 447-457; Peters-Golden, Ch. 1 (Azande), 4 (Haiti), 7 (Kaluli), and 10 (Ojibwa), * Except for graduating seniors who should plan to take it by Tuesday, April 20. Grading: General Grades will be based on a combination of the assignments and class participation as outlined below. Please remember that you are responsible for all the information presented in the course, with no exceptions, so if you find yourself absent for whatever reason, you need to contact your classmates to find out what was covered. If you know ahead of time that you will miss a class (e.g., compulsory athletic event) or if some problem comes up regularly affecting your attendance, please contact me so that we can deal with the situation BEFORE your grade suffers. Remember that a great percentage of this class relies on your presence. If you feel at any time that your grade needs help, please come to see me during the course of the semester. DO NOT come in at the end of the term and try to bargain for a grade. 8 Extra credit: A few opportunities for extra credit will be offered during the course of the semester. You may earn up to 3 points total of extra credit (or 3% to be added to your final grade). Breakdown of Final Grade: Class discussions & exercises/weekly readings Research summary and hypothesis Abstract and research paper Discussion board and group report Darfur project 4 Exams @ 12.5% each TOTAL Grading Scheme: 90-100 A 80-89 B 70-79 C 60-69 > 60 10% 5% 10% 12% 15% 48% 100% D F Writing Guide Grammar and Vocabulary: a list of common problems You should make certain you write complete sentences with a subject and a verb in each. Be careful not to split infinitives. Contractions (“isn’t” instead of “is not,” “can’t” instead of “cannot”) are not allowed in formal writing. Do not use them. If you are unsure whether to write “its” (the possessive form of “it,” meaning something belongs to “it”) or it’s, remember first that you cannot use a contraction, and, second, that “it’s” with the apostrophe means “it is,” two separate words. On the other hand, “cannot” is written as one word, not two. Finally, to “effect” something means to cause to happen; to “affect” something is to influence it. Citations 1. Plagiarism: It is both unethical and illegal to plagiarize, that is, to use someone else’s work without citation, presenting it as your own. In ANY research that you do you must take care to cite your sources. If you are merely synthesizing information from a number of sources, you may list those sources at the end of a paragraph or a page summarizing a set of ideas. For example, in your news reviews, you may just list the articles in a separate bibliography, as the summary is to be short and general. However, if you quote directly from a specific article, using the exact same words, you MUST put those words in quotation marks and immediately reference the article. Failure to cite the source(s) of your ideas constitutes plagiarism and is serious academic offense. University regulations stipulate that anyone caught plagiarizing can be expelled. 9 2. Format for in-text citations and bibliography: See Citation Guide on Blackboard. OVERVIEW OF DUE DATES (N.B.: subject to change) 1/19 1/21 1/26 1/28 2/2 2/4 2/9 2/16 2/23 2/25 3/2 3/9 3/25 3/31 4/6 4/13 4/20-22 5/3 & 5/4 Article notes on Robert Kohls Research summary and hypothesis First of BDG postings and responses Article notes on Horace Miner Article notes for Darfur Project #1 Article notes for Darfur Project #2 Exam 1 Research abstract and group preference Article notes for Darfur Project #3 Article notes for Darfur Project #4 Exam 2 Second of BDG postings and responses, to working group Research paper Exam 3 Learning Community Summit On-line BDG evaluation Article notes for Darfur Project #5 Group reports Exam 4 for 10048-110-04 (5/3) & 18140-110-03 (5/4)* * Except for graduating seniors, who must arrange to take it earlier 10 Tentative Course Schedule and Assignments: Please note that readings assigned in Bonvillain may not necessarily be sequential; pay attention to chapter numbers and page numbers. January 12-14 1/14 Readings: What is Anthropology? Anthropology and Interdisciplinary Research THIS SYLLABUS! Please read information carefully Bonvillain, Chapter, 1, “What Is Anthropology?” Peters-Golden, Chapter 2, “The Aztecs” January 19 1/19 Readings: The Concept of Culture January 21-26 1/21 Written work: In-class: Studying Culture 1/26 Readings: Written work: In class: Jan. 28 – Feb. 2 1/28 Readings: In class: Bonvillain, Chapter 2, “The Nature of Culture” Robert Kohls, “The Values Americans Live By” http://www.uku.fi/~paganuzz/xcult/values/Amer_values.htm OR just search on the author or article title and you will find a number of internet listings Reminder: You must bring your typed notes on the article to class and turn them in. Do NOT hand in the article itself. Research summary and hypothesis Introduction to Darfur Project Bonvillain, Chapter 3, “Studying Culture” First of two postings and two responses on initial Blackboard Discussion Group (BDG) due; remember to print out and hand in Horace Miner, “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema” www.msu.edu/~jdowell/miner.html OR just search on the article title and you will find a number of internet listings Reminder: You must bring your typed notes on the article to class and turn them in. Do NOT hand in the article itself. Ethnicity and Race Bonvillain, Chapter 11, “Equality and Inequality,” pp. 275-278 (from beginning up to but not including “Egalitarian Societies”) and pp. 287-299 (From “Race and Ethnicity” to end of chapter) Darfur Project. Discussion #1: human rights 11 Reminder: You must bring your typed notes on two articles to class and turn them in. Do NOT hand in the articles themselves. 2/2 Readings: In class: Peters-Golden, Ch. 5, “The Hmong,” and Ch. 14, “The Trobriand Islanders” Darfur Project. Discussion #2: ethnicity and race Reminder: You must bring your typed notes on two articles to class and turn them in. Do NOT hand in the articles themselves. February 4 Exam 1 February 9-11 2/9 Readings: Written work: Language and Culture 2/11 Readings: In class: Bonvillain, Chapter 4, “Language and Culture” Research abstract and group preference due Peters-Golden, Ch. 3 “The Basseri,” and Ch. 6, “The Ju/’hoansi” Film: American Tongues February 16 2/16 Readings: In class: Enculturation February 18-23 2/18 Readings: The Economics of Everyday 2/23 Readings: In class: Bonvillain, Chapter 5, “Learning One’s Culture” Darfur Project. Discussion #3: language Reminder: You must bring your typed notes on two articles to class and turn them in. Do NOT hand in the articles themselves. Bonvillain, Chapter 6, “Making a Living” Bonvillain, Chapter 7, “Economic Systems” Darfur Project. Discussion #4: adaptive strategies Reminder: You must bring your typed notes on two articles to class and turn them in. Do NOT hand in the articles themselves. February 25 Exam 2 March 2 Marriage, Family, and Domestic Life 12 3/2 Readings: Written work: March 4 3/4 Readings: In class: March 9-11 3/9 Written work: Bonvillain, Chapter 9, “Marriage and the Family” Peters-Golden, Ch. 9, “The Nuer” Second of two postings and two responses due, this time to BDG working group; remember to print out and hand in Kinship and Descent Bonvillain, Chapter 8, “Kinship and Descent” Peters-Golden, Ch. 8, “The Minangkabau,” and Ch. 13, “The Tiwi” Introduction to group projects Gender Research paper due 3/11 Readings: In class: Bonvillain, Chapter 10, “Gender” Film: Asante Market Women March 13-21 SPRING BREAK March 23 3/23 Readings: Power and Political Systems Written work: Bonvillain, Chapter 11, “Equality and Inequality,” pp. 278 (beginning with “Egalitarian Societies”) – 287; Chapter 12, “Political Systems” Pre-summit BDG activity on-line due; remember to print out and hand in March 25 Exam 3 March 30 3/30 Readings: Conflict and Conflict Resolution March 31 LEARNING COMMUNITY SUMMIT April 1 4/1 Readings Religion Bonvillain, Chapter 13, “Conflict and Conflict Resolution” Bonvillain, Chapter 14, “Religion” Peters-Golden, Ch. 1, “The Azande,” and Ch. 10, "The Ojibwa” 13 April 6 4/6 Readings: Written work: April 8-13 4/8 Readings: 4/13 Readings: In class: Art Bonvillain, Chapter 15, “The Arts” Peters-Golden, Ch. 7, “The Kaluli” On-line BDG evaluation; remember to print out and hand in The Modern World Bonvillain, Chapter 16, “Colonialism and Cultural Transformations,” pp. 407-418 (beginning up to but not including “Agents of Directed Cultural Change”) and pp. 428230 (“Globalization in the Postcolonial Era” to end of chapter) Bonvillain, Chapter 17, “Living in a Global World,” pp. 433-443 (beginning up to but not including “Culture Change. Impacts of Indonesian State Expansion”) and pp. 447-457 (beginning with “Cultural Minorities in a Global World”) Peters-Golden, Chapter 4, “Haiti” Darfur Project. Discussion #5: globalization Reminder: You must bring your typed notes on two articles to class and turn them in. Do NOT hand in the articles themselves. April 15 NO CLASS; work on group report April 20-22 GROUP REPORTS; ATTENDANCE MANDATORY [seniors should expect to present with their group on April 20] [April 20-21 Graduating seniors schedule Exam 4 with professor] May 3 Exam 4 for non-graduating students in 10048-110-04, from 9:00 – 10:00 am Exam 4 for non-graduating students in 18140-110-03, from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm May 4 14