ANTH 101: General Anthropology
The course syllabus will cover the following topics:
Course Overview
Note About Online Courses
Required Texts
Internet Resources
Course Requirements
Grading
Academic Policies
Course Schedule
Course Overview
In this course, we will try to answer the question: What is it to be human?
ANTH 101 is an introduction to the discipline of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of human
diversity. Anthropologists study humans from around the world in the past and present. They make
biological and cultural comparisons between groups of people. Anthropology provides a unique
perspective on issues that impact our daily lives: race, class, ethnicity, medicine, civilization,
emotion, belief, and human rights.
In the course, we will look at the four major fields of anthropological inquiry (physical/biological
anthropology, archaeology, linguistic anthropology, and cultural anthropology and ethnology).
By the time you have completed the course, you should be able to:
define key concepts and fields of inquiry from the four fields of anthropology:
physical/biological anthropology, archaeology, linguistic anthropology, and cultural
anthropology and ethnology
evaluate and critique anthropological subject matter and arguments encountered in popular
media
describe the main research techniques and methodologies employed in the discipline of
anthropology
take additional anthropological courses.
The course consists of lecture notes available on the course Web site, discussion forums about the
issues raised in the lectures, readings, and films. On your own, you will read assigned texts, conduct
ethnographic research, and watch some films that address anthropological topics. If viewing films will
present a hardship for you, contact me as soon as possible to discuss alternatives.
I'm your instructor, Erik Johannesson and I welcome you to the course! To learn more about me,
please read my introduction in the Lesson 1 discussion forum.
Note About Online Courses
Online courses are not any easier than traditional courses that meet several times per week. This
particular online course has the same assignments and readings as when I teach this course in a
classroom.
The lesson notes and discussion forums simulate and replace the three hours of class meeting time
that we would otherwise have. In order to do well in this course, you need to be highly motivated to
log on to the course several times per week, read all of the course material, and submit the
assignments on time.
Required Texts
See course description for an up‐to‐date list of materials.
Internet Resources
You are encouraged to make use of the following Internet resources and to find additional online
resources on your own. You are also invited to share these resources with your classmates via the
discussion forum or course listserv.
Textbook Web site: This Web site provides outlines of each chapter in the Park textbook, plus
online quizzes, online videos, readings for the course, and related materials on current
anthropological research trends.
American Anthropological Association: This is the official Web site of the American
Anthropological Association, the largest professional organization of anthropologists in the
world. On this site you can access recent news stories about anthropology, policies and
statements on anthropological topics, and information about undergraduate and graduate
programs in anthropology.
American Association of Physical Anthropology: This is the official Web site of the American
Association of Physical Anthropology, professional association for physical and biological
anthropologists. On this site you can access recent news stories about anthropology, policies
and statements on anthropological topics, and information about undergraduate and graduate
programs in anthropology.
Perry‐Castañeda Library Map Collection: This Web site is an archive of maps from all over the
world available through the University of Texas‐Austin. You should visit this site when you are
unsure of the location of a place discussed in class.
Evolution: A great online resource from WBGH‐Boston, this site is full of educational and
informational materials about evolution. I strongly recommend you take the entire online course
for Teaching Evolution.
UNC‐Chapel Hill Department of Anthropology and UNC‐Chapel Hill Research Labs of Archaeology:
These Web sites will provide you with information about upcoming events related to
anthropology as well as information about anthropology courses, faculty publications, and more.
Human Origins Program of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: This Web site
provides additional information about human origins and paleoanthropology. You probably will
want to visit the Hall of Human Origins to view pictures and 3D images of fossils of our human
ancestors. You may find the interactive Early Human Phylogeny especially helpful in
understanding the relationships between the various human predecessors and ancestors.
Race: Are We So Different? Web site of the American Anthropological Association. This Web site
presents historical, scientific, and social views of race and ethnicity.
Course Requirements
E‐mail and Internet Communications
Effective e‐mail communication and use of the Internet are vital to this course. Please remember that
I cannot grade assignments or respond to e‐mails that I have not received. In order to ensure effective
e‐mail communication, please observe the following guidelines:
1. Add my e‐mail address (erikjoh@email.unc.edu) to the address book of whatever e‐mail system
you use. This way, you will not misaddress your e‐mail.
2. Always send me e‐mail from your UNC e‐mail address or via the e‐mail function of Sakai. This
procedure will help ensure that the UNC spam filter does not reject your message.
3. Begin the subject of any e‐mail you send me about this course with “CCO ANTH 101.” For
example:
CCO ANTH 101 Midterm exam
CCO ANTH 101 Homework assignment #1
CCO ANTH 101 Question about the ethnographic research assignment
4. If you send me something by e‐mail and I do not acknowledge that I have received it, assume
that I have not received it and send it to me again indicating that it is your second attempt.
5. Arrange access to a backup computer. Do not wait until the last minute to submit your
assignments. Backup, backup, BACKUP your work! This is a computer‐based course. I will not
accept explanations about the lack of computer or computer failure as excuses for work turned
in late.
Be sure to familiarize yourself during the first week of class with e‐mail, Sakai, the discussion forums,
submitting files via Sakai's Assignment feature, and using the Electronic Databases and Indexes of the
UNC‐Chapel Hill Library.
Participation in Discussion Forums/Homework
Your participation in the online discussion forums is a requirement for this course. The online
discussion forums simulate the three fifty‐minute class meetings each week of a traditional course.
Discussions in this course are the primary teaching and learning activity and will be student‐led. The
instructor will only make postings where necessary to correct false information or to nudge discussion
in a different direction. Nonetheless, I will be closely monitoring discussions. If you are skeptical that
you can learn anything from engaging with your peers in online discussions, please read this article:
The Role of Questions in Teaching, Thinking and Learning, by Richard Paul and Linda Elder.
Please note: You are unlikely to pass this course if you do not participate regularly.
For each lesson, the discussion leaders (see below for more details on the assignment of discussion
leaders) will post a critical thinking question based on an important issue from the course materials
(readings, lecture notes, Web site, or video) for the lesson. A high‐quality question (one that will earn
4 points, the most points possible for a posting) will consist of a short paragraph contextualizing the
question and will reference assigned reading from the lesson by citing a specific idea, paragraph, or
page. Discussion participants are also expected to engage in critical thinking in their responses (see
below for more details on critical thinking).
Discussion Leaders. For each lesson, the discussion leaders will post a critical thinking question
based on an important issue from the course materials. Leaders must post their discussion questions
by the second day of the lesson, and they must follow their discussion thread closely as well as
participate in other discussion threads for the lesson. All discussion leaders must also participate in at
least one other discussion.
Students whose last names begin with the letters A‐L are the discussion leaders for the odd‐numbered
lessons (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11). Students whose last names begin with the letters M‐Z are the discussion
leaders for the even‐numbered lessons (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12). Students not assigned to be discussion
leaders may also post questions and earn points for their postings.
Discussion Participants. For each lesson, every student (even a discussion leader) is expected to
participate substantively in at least two discussion threads. A substantive posting will consist of at
least one well‐crafted paragraph that engages in critical thinking (see below for more on critical
thinking) about the course materials and adds something new to the discussion. A high quality posting
will also reference assigned reading from the lesson by citing a specific idea, paragraph, or page as
evidence to support the ideas presented in the posting. It may be helpful to think of your responses to
questions as responses to essay questions on exams.
When you are participating in a discussion, each response you post will have two fields that you must
complete in order to get credit for your response: the comment field and the subject field. For the
subject field, you are required to create a “subject” for your posting that conveys the main point of
your comment. It is not enough to post a few key words; you must create a short summary of your
main point. This requirement accomplishes three goals:
It requires the author to think about and clearly state the main point of his or her comment. This exercise aids in memory and learning.
It provides the reader with information that is helpful in organizing and learning the content of
the comments.
It helps all of us to keep track of and go back to comments that we want to read again.
Critical Thinking. Richard Paul and Linda Elder define critical thinking as “the art of analyzing and
evaluating thinking with a view to improving it.” A great deal of the material in this course will
challenge some of your fundamental beliefs in the world. For instance, maybe you do not believe in
evolution, or maybe you believe that race is a biologically meaningful category in humans. It is often
very hard for humans to give up their fundamental beliefs about the world even when scientific
evidence does not support them. While I do not ask you to give up your fundamental beliefs, I do ask
you to engage in unbiased critical thinking about the material in this course. Unbiased critical thinking
conforms to universal intellectual standards; these standards are: clarity, accuracy, precision,
relevance, depth, breadth, logic, significance, and fairness (taken from Paul and Elder).
Questions to ask yourself about your posting to assess it for critical thinking:
Is it accurate?
Is it relevant to the issue under discussion?
Does it add anything new to the discussion? Does it teach us anything new?
Have you added to the academic atmosphere of this course?
Please keep the following in mind when composing your postings:
I recommend that you compose your posting first, then write your subject heading. Due to the
many variables involved in using Web‐based software like Sakai, I also recommend that you
compose your posting in a word‐processing program and then copy and paste it into the text box
on Sakai to avoid losing your work.
Develop discussion questions that can be discussed. Do not ask a question that can be answered
with a simple “yes” or “no.” A high‐quality question will include a paragraph of
contextualization and make specific reference to course materials. It will reflect critical
thinking about the course materials and encourage discussion participants to engage in critical
thinking themselves.
Think of your responses to questions as responses to essay questions on exams. They should
consist of at least one solid, well‐crafted paragraph.
Use specific quotations and illustrations from the reading (that is, demonstrate to your
classmates and me that you've read the material) in your postings.
Give page number citations so the rest of the class can see where you found your ideas and
quotations. Do NOT plagiarize ideas or text from other places. If you would like to cite from
sources other than those assigned for the course, please give complete citations. This includes
Web pages. Please note: The most common form of plagiarism is cutting and pasting from the
Internet without quotation marks and proper citations. Remember, your postings to the
discussion forums are governed by the UNC Honor Code. Any suspected plagiarism will be
reported to the Student Attorney General and the Honor Court.
You should respond thoughtfully to discussion initiated by other students. Simply saying you
agree with someone's posting is not enough. You should say something that will be valuable to
the entire class.
Although several of your postings each week should be thoughtfully composed, you do not need to be
overly formal with all your postings. Short responses or words of encouragement to your peers can
provide important social presence in the course. As you are reading, you may think of a simple
question, and you can post it immediately to the discussion forum.
Grading of Homework. There are several homework assignments throughout the course. These are
graded according to the rubric in Grading for written assignments and then converted to a 10‐point
scale for inclusion in the participation portion of your grade.
Grading of Participation. You are required to participate in discussion or complete the homework
assignment(s) for all lessons in this course. In each lesson, you may earn a maximum of 11 points.
There is an optional kinship assignment (worth 10 points) that can count as extra credit. Participation
points accrue cumulatively throughout the semester. Your final participation grade will be assessed as
follows.
Participation Grade Scale
A
110‐120 points
B
100‐110 points
C
80‐99 points
D
70‐79 points
F
0‐69 points
You earn points for each posting you make to a discussion forum during the lesson. You will not
receive any points for postings made after a lesson is over. Each posting you make to the discussion
forums will be graded with the following rubric:
Discussion Posting Rubric
Points Interpretation Grading Criteria
4
Excellent (A)
The comment is accurate, original, relevant, teaches
us something new, and is well written. Four‐point
comments demonstrate critical thinking and
stimulate additional thought on the issue under
discussion. Four‐point comments cite specific ideas
or passages from the assigned reading for the lesson
as evidence to support your ideas.
3
Above
Average (B)
The comment lacks one of the above qualities, but is
above average in quality. A three‐point comment
makes a significant contribution to our understanding
of the issue being discussed.
2
Average (C)
The comment lacks two or three of the required
qualities. Comments which are based upon personal
opinion or personal experience often fall within this
category.
1
Minimal (D)
The comment presents little or no new information.
However, one‐point comments may provide
important social presence and contribute to a
collegial atmosphere.
‐1
Discussion leaders will have one point deducted for
each 24 hour period their discussion question is late.
Subject Field Rubric
Points
Interpretation
Comments
No penalty
Excellent
The subject field conveys the main point
of the comment. The reader clearly
understands the main point of the
comment before reading it.
1‐point penalty Average
The subject field provides key word(s)
only. The reader knows the general area
that comment deals with.
2‐point penalty Inadequate
The subject field provides little or no
information about the comment.
For each lesson, your total points earned correspond to the following grade scale.
Lesson Grade Scale
A
9‐10 points
B
7‐8 points
C
5‐6 points
D
3‐4 points
F
0‐2 points
You can earn a maximum of five points per lesson from one‐point postings. To earn an “A” for a
discussion forum, a student must make a minimum of three high‐quality postings. To earn a “B,” a
student must make at least two four‐point postings to the discussion forum for the lesson. In Lesson 1,
your introduction is graded separately from your participation in the discussion.
This discussion assignment and grading rubric have been adapted from Bill Pelz (2004) “(My) Three
Principles of Effective Online Pedagogy” JALN 8(3)33‐46. Note: Participation constitutes 20 percent of your grade. Thus, your participation can raise or lower
your grade a full letter grade!
Can I make up my discussion forum postings? No, only postings made during the lesson will be
graded.
I'm confused. How do I get an “A” for participation? Each posting you make to the lesson discussion
forum will receive a grade according to the rubric above. To earn all 10 points for a lesson, you need
to make at least three postings (assuming you earn four points per posting: 4+4+2 = 10 or 4+3+3 = 10).
You may also earn all 10 points for a lesson by making more than three postings (for example: 3+3+3+1
= 10 or 2+2+3+3 = 10). You can also earn additional participation points by completing an optional
assignment.
Readings
Weekly readings will consist of selections from the required books, Internet sites, peer‐review journal
articles, news stories, and excerpts from books and articles. Some readings will provide general
background, while others will relate specifically to the topic we are studying. I strongly urge you to
complete all required reading during the week for which it is assigned so that you can participate
effectively in the discussion forums. I suggest that you take notes when you read, including passages
or ideas that you deem worthy of further comment in our discussion forums.
You will be responsible for all information covered in the readings whether or not they are
covered in the lesson notes or the discussion forums.
Quizzes
Four graded, multiple‐choice quizzes are scheduled during the semester (along with a Practice Quiz
which will be graded as homework). These quizzes are not cumulative and will cover material from
the preceding lessons since the last quiz or exam.
The purpose of these multiple‐choice quizzes is to help you measure your progress between exams, to
encourage you to keep up with course readings, and to help you study for the midterm and final
exams. To help you check your progress throughout the semester, I recommend that you complete the
quizzes for each chapter of the Park textbook on the textbook Web site. These quizzes are listed
under assignments for each lesson, but they are not graded work and you do not need to submit
quizzes from the textbook Web site to me. Since the quiz questions on the textbook Web site are
designed to check your reading comprehension, you will find that they are considerably easier than
the quiz questions on the quizzes and exams.
The quizzes become available at 12:01 am on the first day listed and are due by 11:30 p.m. on the last
day listed. There is a time limit on each quiz; you must complete the quiz in one sitting. Do not start a
quiz unless you have time to finish it.
Quizzes will constitute 10 percent of your grade. The lowest quiz grade of the four quizzes will be
dropped in computing your final grade.
Exams
The midterm and final exams are cumulative. The format of these exams will be a combination of
multiple‐choice, fill‐in‐the‐blank, short answer, and essay questions. The multiple‐choice and fill‐in‐
the‐blank portions are closed book. You are not authorized to consult anything but your own brain to
respond to these portions of the exams. The essay portions of the exam are open book and open note.
Midterm Exam
A link to the midterm exam study guide will appear two weeks before the midterm exam. The
midterm exam consists of two parts:
Essay Portion. The Essay Portion is open book and will be available on June 20. The Essay Portion
must be submitted as an attachment in MS Word (.doc/docx) file using the Assignments folder no later
than 11:30 p.m. on June 21.
Please set up your file so that it is double‐spaced and in a 12‐point font on 8 1/2 x 11 paper with one‐
inch margins. Be sure to include your name and PID number on the first page (and if you like, in the
header of subsequent pages.) Please insert page numbers into the header or footer of the document.
The Essay Portion will cover all material from Lessons 1 through 6. You are expected to consult your
books, course notes, and the discussion forums in order to answer the questions. Please be sure to
give citations for any close paraphrasing or direct quotations. When in doubt, give a citation!
REMEMBER: The UNC Honor Code applies to all your work for this course.
Multiple‐Choice Portion: Multiple‐choice portion will be available in the Quizzes and Exams folder on
June 20. You must complete it in a single sitting and submit it no later than 11:30 p.m. on June 21.
The Multiple‐Choice Portion is closed books and will cover all material from Lessons 1 through 6.
Questions will be similar to those from previous quizzes and some questions may even be repeated. You must complete the Multiple‐Choice Portion and submit it within the time allotted. Once you have
accessed the exam, the timer continues to count. You are expected to complete it in a single sitting.
Your instructor will be notified of the time you access the exam as well as the time you submit it. You
are not authorized to use any materials other than your own brain to answer the questions.
REMEMBER: The UNC Honor Code applies to all work for this course.
Final Exam
A link to the final exam study guide will appear two weeks before the final exam. The final exam will
consist of two parts:
Essay Portion. The Essay Portion of your exam will be posted in the Assignments folder on July 27.
The Essay Portion is open book and must be submitted as an MS Word (.doc) or Rich Text Format (.rtf)
file using the Assignments folder no later than Julyl 28 at 11:30 p.m.
Please set up your file so that it is double‐spaced and in a 12‐point font on 8 1/2 x 11 paper with one‐
inch margins. Be sure to include your name and PID number on the first page (and if you like, in the
header of subsequent pages.) Please insert page numbers into the header or footer of the document.
The Essay Portion will cover material from the entire course. You are expected to consult your books,
course notes, and the discussion forums in order to answer the questions. Please be sure to give
citations for any close paraphrasing or direct quotations. When in doubt, give a citation! REMEMBER:
The UNC Honor Code applies to all your work for this course.
Multiple‐Choice Portion. Multiple‐choice portion will be available in the Quizzes and Exams folder
July 27. You have one hour to complete the multiple‐choice portion once you start it. You must
complete it no later than 11:30 p.m. on July 28.
The Multiple‐Choice Portion will cover all material from Lessons 7 through 11. Questions will be similar
to those from previous quizzes and some questions may even be repeated. You must complete the Multiple‐Choice Portion and submit it within the time allotted. Once your have
accessed the exam, the timer continues to count. You are expected to complete it in a single sitting.
Your instructor will be notified of the time you access the exam as well as the time you submit it. You
are not authorized to use any materials other than your own brain to answer the questions.
REMEMBER: The UNC Honor Code applies to all work for this course.
Can I turn my exam in late or take it at a different time? No, except in dire circumstances (a serious
illness, a death in the family, trouble with the law, and so forth) and with documentation of said
circumstances (a copy of your hospital admittance, an obituary, or your arrest papers). Any make‐up
exams will be in essay format and considerably more challenging than the original exam. Note: Make‐
up final exams are governed by the rules and regulations of the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill.
Ethnographic Research Project
Each student will carry out independent, ethnographic research as part of this course. This project
will be conducted in two phases over the course of the semester. The first phase will be the selection
and proposal of your topic; the second phase is a research paper. See the link to the Ethnographic
Research Project in the sidebar for more details.
Assignment
Due Date
Topic Proposal
June 2nd by 11:30 p.m.
Final Paper
July 27 by 11:30 p.m.
For assistance in understanding and completing your assignment, I recommend that you take a look at
the Writing Center Web site for excellent advice on preparing, writing, and polishing assignments. You
may also want to schedule a consultation with the Writing Center before turning in your final paper.
Can I turn a part of my ethnographic research project in late? No. For each twenty‐four‐hour period
a part is turned in late, a full letter grade will be deducted from your grade. You will submit your
Topic Proposal and Final Paper in the Assignments folder.
Grading
Your grade in this course should reflect how well you have learned the material. The only way for me
to know what you have learned is if you communicate it to me. Even if you have thoroughly read,
studied, and understood all the material in the class, you will not receive a good grade if you do not
communicate what you have learned through the discussion forums, quizzes, exams, and written
assignments.
I will assign grades on a 100‐point scale to exams in this course and letter grades to the written
assignments.
Written project grades have the following expectations:
A
Excellent. A well‐conceived and well‐argued paper with an introduction, thesis
statement, body, and conclusion. Well written with no spelling or grammatical
errors.
B
Very Good. Exceeds the minimum requirements for the assignment. A well
argued paper with an introduction, thesis statement, body, and conclusion. Fairly
well written with few spelling or grammatical errors.
C
Fair. Meets the minimum requirements for the assignment, but lacks an argument
and/or critical analysis. Several spelling or grammatical errors.
D
Unsatisfactory. Barely meets the minimum requirements for the assignment.
Poorly written.
F
Does not meet the minimum requirements for the assignment.
Your course grade will be determined as follows:
Quizzes
10 percent
Midterm Exam
25 percent
Final Exam
25 percent
Ethnographic Research Project
20 percent
Participation
20 percent
Letter Grade­Point Conversion Scale
A+
96.5 ‐ 100
C+
76.5 ‐ 79.9
A
93.5 ‐ 96.4
C
73.5 ‐ 76.4
A‐
90.0 ‐ 93.4
C‐
70.0 ‐ 73.4
B+
86.5 ‐ 89.9
D+
66.5 ‐ 69.9
B
83.5 ‐ 86.4
D
63.5 ‐ 66.4
B‐
80.0 ‐ 83.4
D‐
60.0 ‐ 63.4
F
below 60.0
Academic Policies
By enrolling as a student in this course, you agree to abide by the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill policies related to the acceptable use of online resources. Please consult the Acceptable
Use Policy on topics such as copyright, net‐etiquette, and privacy protection.
As part of this course, you may be asked to participate in online discussions or other online activities
that may include personal information about you or other students in the course. Please be respectful
of the rights and protection of other participants under the UNC‐Chapel Hill Information Security
Policies when participating in online classes.
When using online resources offered by organizations not affiliated with UNC‐Chapel Hill, such as
Google or YouTube, please note that the terms and conditions of these companies and not the
University’s Terms and Conditions apply. These third parties may offer different degrees of privacy
protection and access rights to online content. You should be well aware of this when posting content
to sites not managed by UNC‐Chapel Hill.
When links to sites outside of the unc.edu domain are inserted in class discussions, please be
mindful that clicking on sites not affiliated with UNC‐Chapel Hill may pose a risk for your computer
due to the possible presence of malware on such sites.
Honor Code
Remember that as a student of UNC‐Chapel Hill, you are bound by the University's Honor Code, which
states that “It shall be the responsibility of every student at The University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill to obey and support the enforcement of the Honor Code, which prohibits lying, cheating,
or stealing when these actions involve academic processes or University students or academic
personnel acting in an official capacity.”
All graded academic work must include a pledge comprised of the following: “No unauthorized
assistance has been received or given in the completion of this work.”
An especially serious Honor Code violation is plagiarism. If you are uncertain about what constitutes
plagiarism, contact me and/or familiarize yourself with this plagiarism tutorial, courtesy of UNC
Libraries.
Course Schedule
Lesson
Topics/Reading Assignments
Lesson 1
Introduction and Precolonial Political Economy
Lesson 2
European Imperialism and its Legacies
Lesson 3
African Nationalism
Lesson 4
Kenyan Nationalism and A Grain of Wheat
Exam 1
Exam 1, will be available in the Exams section in Sakai.
Lesson 5
A New World Order: Third World Theories of Development and Geopolitics of the Cold
War
Lesson 6
Politics After Independence
Lesson 7
Political issues: Ethnicity, Social Class, and Africa's Political Economy
Lesson 8
Economic Neo‐liberal Globalization (Structural Adjustment Policies)
Exam 2
Exam 2, will be available in the Exams section in Sakai.
Lesson 9
Critical Reflections on the Role of Art in the Political Economy; African Literature and
Popular Culture
Lesson 10
Neo‐liberal Economic Restructuring and Political Globalization: African Politics in the
Era of Global Democratic Reforms
Lesson 11
Rise of China and Africa‐China Relations
Lesson 12
Neo‐liberalism and Health in Africa: The Case of HIV/AIDS
Exam 3
Final Exam, will be available in the Exams section in Sakai.
Please complete the course evaluation.