Spring 2015
ANT121: Peoples and Cultures of the World
Dr. A. Peter Castro
Email: ahcastro@syr.edu
Office: 411B Maxwell Hall
Office Hour: Mon/Wed 4:15-5:05, and by appointment
Office Phone: 443-1971
Teaching Assistants:
Hamza Khalil [hkhalil@syr.edu], Andy Korn [ankorn@syr.edu], Fabiola Ortiz Valdez [fortizva@syr.edu],
and Taapsi Ramchandani [taramcha@syr.edu]
Class Meetings: 10:35-11:40, Mon/Wed, Watson Theater.
You will also meet once a week with a teaching assistant in discussion section.
Course Description: This course explores global cultural diversity. We use the holistic and comparative
perspective of anthropology to examine patterns of livelihoods, social relations, values, and rituals. Our
focus is on how and why cultures differ, as well as describing and explaining cultural universals. We are
also concerned with examining the role of anthropological knowledge and skills in addressing
environmental and social problems from the global to local levels. In particular, we will deal with the
challenges posed by climate change and other major threats to human security and sustainability.
The learning objectives are to:
o Introduce key concepts in cultural anthropology
o Increase your understanding of human diversity
o Examine the relevance of anthropology for addressing environmental and social issues
o Foster development of critical thinking and writing skills
Required Readings: There are two required texts, available at the University Book Store in Schine
Student Center:
A. P. Castro, D. Taylor & D. W. Brokensha (Eds.), Climate Change and Threatened Communities, Rugby:
Practical Action, 2012.
Carol Ember and Melvin Ember, Human Culture, 3rd edition Boston: Pearson, 2015.
Additional required readings are available on our course’s Blackboard website:
https://bbgroupa.syr.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp
Course Requirements: Grades will be based on the following:
Three tests @ 100 points each
Three quizzes @ 20 points each
Three response papers @ 30 points each
Participation @50 points total
Total points
300 points
60 points
90 points
50 points
500 points
Please note: a violation of Syracuse University's Academic Integrity policy regarding tests, quizzes, or
response papers will result in a failing grade for the entire course, as well as other sanctions determined
by university authorities.
Tests: An in-class test will be given at the end of each of the course’s three units. The tests, which are
not cumulative, will consist of multiple-choice questions. No early or make-up examinations will be
given. There is no final examination.
Quizzes: You will have a quiz in discussion section during each of the course’s three units. The format for
the quiz will be announced by your teaching assistant.
Response Papers: At the end of each unit, you will be required in section to turn in a short essay
(minimum 600 words; please include a word count in your paper). Details about the questions and
paper requirements will be given in section.
Class participation: Please note that 10 percent of your grade is based on overall participation.
Attendance in both lecture and discussion section is a fundamental requirement of this class. If you do
not attend regularly, you will not pass, regardless of your academic performance. Promptness is also
required. You should come to class prepared to discuss assigned readings.
Classroom Rules: Everyone is expected to uphold Syracuse University's "Code of Student Conduct,"
which is available online at: http://supolicies.syr.edu/studs/std_code_conduct.htm
In addition, please follow these simple rules of courtesy: To avoid disrupting class, be in your seat at the
beginning of the class period. When class begins, personal conversations must cease and extraneous
reading materials must be set aside. Turn off and put away all cell phones and other electronic items.
The use of laptop computers in class will be by permission only.
Academic Integrity Statement: The Syracuse University Academic Integrity Policy holds students
accountable for the integrity of the work they submit. Students should be familiar with the Policy and
know that it is their responsibility to learn about instructor and general academic expectations with
regard to proper citation of sources in written work. The policy also governs the integrity of work
submitted in exams and assignments as well as the veracity of signatures on attendance sheets and
other verifications of participation in class activities. Serious sanctions can result from academic
dishonesty of any sort. For more information and the complete policy, see:
http://supolicies.syr.edu/ethics/acad_integrity.htm
Disability-Related Accommodations: If you believe that you need accommodations for a disability,
please contact the Office of Disability Services(ODS), http://disabilityservices.syr.edu, located in Room
309 of 804 University Avenue, or call (315) 443-4498 or TDD: (315) 443-1371 for an appointment to
discuss your needs and the process for requesting accommodations. ODS is responsible for coordinating
disability-related accommodations and will issue students with documented Disabilities Accommodation
Authorization Letters, as appropriate. Since accommodations may require early planning and generally
are not provided retroactively, please contact ODS as soon as possible.
Faith Tradition Observances: Syracuse University does not have non-instructional days for any religious
holiday. Students must notify instructors by the end of the second week of classes when they will be
observing their religious holiday(s). You will find the notification form on MySlice inside of Student
Services under Enrollment, click on “My Religious Observances.” SU’s religious observances policy, found
at: http://supolicies.syr.edu/studs/religious_observance.htm
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COURSE OUTLINE
Daily reading assignments are given below:
 'Ember' refers to readings from Ember & Ember's Human Culture, 3rd ed.
 'CCTC' refers to readings from Climate Change and Threatened Communities
 'Blackboard' -- from our Blackboard website
Please note: the Course Outline may be subject to change
Part 1: January 12-February 11
Week 1
January 12: Introduction: What Is Anthropology?
January 14: Culture and Cultural Change
Ember: Chapters 1 & 2
Week 2
January 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
January 21: Explanation & Experience: Cultural Anthropology as Science, Humanity, and Politics
Required Readings:
Ember: Chapter 3
Blackboard: Astone, “A Village of Gardens”
Blackboard: Myhre, “The Bookseller of Kabul and the Anthropologists of Norway”
Week 3
January 26: Economics
Required Readings:
Ember: Chapter 5
January 28: Climate Change and Livelihoods in Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia
Required Readings:
CCTC: Introduction (Castro et al.) & Chapter 3 (Castro)
Week 4
February 2: Social Stratification
Required Readings:
Ember: Chapter 6
February 4: The Mayas Past and Present
Required Readings:
Blackboard: Leventhal et al., “The Modern Maya and Recent History”
CCTC: Chapter 12 (Faust et al.)
Week 5
1st Response Paper Due This Week in Section
February 9: Continuation of Social Stratification & Review for the Test
Required Readings:
Review the prior reading assignments
February 11: First In-Class Test
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Part II: February 16-March 25
Week 6
February 16: Political Life
Required Readings:
Ember: Chapter 9
February 18: Planning and Policy in Bangladesh
Required Readings:
CCTC: Chapter 13 (Lewis)
Week 7
February 23: Gender
Required Readings:
Ember: Chapter 7
February 25: Gender Case Studies
Required Readings:
Blackboard: Cheney, “A Debate beyond Sexuality”
Blackboard: Parsons, “The Zuñi Ła'mana”
Week 8
March 2: Marriage, Family & Kinship
Required Readings:
Ember, Chapter 8
March 4: Cree Families: Dealing with Change
Required Readings:
CCTC: Chapter 9 (Ettenger)
Week 9
March 9 & March 11: Spring Break!
Week 10
March 16: Violence, Gender & Families
Required Readings:
Ember, Chapter 12, only pages 286-300
March 18: Sexual Violence, Darfur, and Climate Change
Required Readings:
Blackboard: Patrick, “Sexual Violence and Firewood Collection”
CCTC: Chapter 7 (Satti and Castro)
Week 11
2nd Response Paper Due This Week in Section
March 23: Continuation of Darfur Case Study & Review for the Test
March 25: Second In-Class Test
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Part III: March 30-April 27
Week 12
March 30: Religion and Magic
Required Readings:
Ember, Chapter 10
April 1: Cosmology and Climate Change in the Western Andes
Required Readings:
CCTC: Chapter 10 (Skarbø et al.)
Week 13
April 6: The Arts
Required Readings:
Ember, Chapter 11
April 8: Cultural and Climate Change in East Sumba, Indonesia
Required Readings:
CCTC: Chapter 15 (Orr et al.)
Week 14
April 13: Global Problems and Applied Anthropology
Required Readings:
Ember, Chapter 12, only pages 284-286; Chapter 13 (all)
April 15: Glaciers Worldwide & Climate Change
Required Readings:
CCTC: Chapter 8 (Dunbar et al.)
Week 15
3rd Response Paper Due This Week in Section
April 20: American Indians, Culture Change, and Climate Change
Required Readings:
CCTC: Chapter 11 (Orr and Anderson)
April 22: Further Reflections on Applied Anthropology & Review for the 3rd Test
Required Readings:
CCTC: Chapter 17 (Taylor et al.)
Week 16
April 27: Third In-Class Test
Please note: there is no final examination.
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