Social Science Course Syllabus
ANTH 102: CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
3 credits, Spring 2012
Instructor: Ronald James
Phone: (208) 735-8162
Email: rjames@csi.edu
Cultural Anthropology 102 Course Description
This course is a cross-cultural examination of the wide variety of ways of life which humans have
created around the world and an analysis of the similarities and differences which exist among
them. Primary topics include origins of human culture, subsistence and adaptations, economic
and political systems, sex and marriage, family, kinship, religion and the supernatural, the arts
and cultural change
Course Methodology
This course will provide an introduction to the field of cultural anthropology which attempts to
observe, understand, and interpret the diversity of the human species. This will be a useful
course for you as it will provide an understanding of people from other lands that you will surely
encounter throughout your future travels, studies, and employment. The primary textbook is
divided into five sections subdivided into 17 chapters. Each week, the instructor will provide a
review of important chapter concepts. While reading the assigned chapters, students will learn
new terms introduced in the readings because a basic understanding of the vocabulary unique to
cultural anthropology is critical to successful completion of the course. The instructor will
encourage frequent in-class discussions. As a result, some variance in the course schedule
provided below may occur. Videos and other audio-visual aids will be used when
appropriate.
Classroom Rules
Visitors: Lecture topics will not be adjusted for guests and some topics may be
unsuitable for children.
Videos: Ethnographic videos will be presented and some contain occasional nudity,
violence, and other images that be unsuitable for young visitors.
Electronic gadgets: All Cell phones, pagers,i-Pods, and beepers must be turned off during
class. Texting also not allowed in class. If you anticipate an important call, you need to
inform me before class. Otherwise leaving class to take calls will count as an absence.
Please turn off cell phones and keep them off while class is in-session.
Recording lectures: No permission required to record lectures.
Behavior: Students are expected to follow all rules of classroom and campus behavior as
described in the current CSI Catalog.
Required Textbook
Haviland, William A.; et al. 2007, Cultural Anthropology, Thirteenth Ed., Harcourt, Brace College
Publishers.
Films-Documentaries
The class will view at least most of the following documentaries:
Guns, Germs, and Steel, The Family That Walks on All Fours, National Geographic Genographic
Project, Ongka’s Big Moka, Masai Women, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and A Crude Awakening
Short answer/essay questions pertaining to film clips/documentaries shown in class will be part of
quizzes and final exam.
GRADING
Final grades are derived from total points earned from attendance, quizzes, final test, and report
project. Points will be assigned as follows: Quizzes (3 @ 100 = 300 pts.), an essay (50 points) ,
Final Exam (200 pts.), Class Report (200 pts.), Attendance (100 pts), .
Attendance (100 points)
Attendance during class is critical. 10 points will be deducted for each absence whether excused
or unexcused. Also, leaving class early or arriving late will result in proportionate point
deductions. Attendance is required for this course and roll will be taken regularly. If your
attendance falls below 60%, or if you miss more than 5 consecutive classes, the Records and
Admissions office will be notified and you may be dropped from this course. In the event that
absences are required for legitimate reason(s), promptly contact the instructor. In accordance
with CSI policies, school-sanctioned absences will not count against you.
It is the student’s responsibility to drop the course.
A student may drop a course or all courses prior to the end of late registration (first
Friday of the term) without it being recorded on the student’s official transcript. A
student initiated drop after the late registration period is considered a withdrawal,
and results in the grade of W.
(Students may drop courses online until the end of the late registration period. In
order to withdraw from one or more courses following late registration, a completed
registration form is required. Instructions on the form indicate when a signature of
instructor and/or Financial Aid advisor is required. The completed form may be
submitted to Admissions & Records or any off-campus center.)
NOTE: Students may withdraw from courses until 75% of the course meetings have
elapsed. No course may be withdrawn from after 75% of the course has elapsed.
Quizzes (300 points)
Four 100 point quizzes will be assigned. Quizzes may vary in format including a mixture of
matching, multiple choice, and essay questions. The lowest of the four quiz scores will be
dropped. Quizzes are due the following class session, no exceptions.
Final Exam (200 points)
A comprehensive final exam worth 200 points will be given during finals week. This exam is
designed to assess your knowledge of basic anthropological themes and issues.
Report Project (200 points)
Investigate a topic or subject that is of interest to you.
A final written report project will provide you with a closer look at : a) a specific culture or society
or b) a view of how cultural anthropologists conduct fieldwork and report results of their research.
Your written report will be graded using the following rubric:
Completeness: is the topic adequately summarized?
Structure: is there a clearly stated thesis, an introduction, supporting in-text documentation,
A conclusion, and a works cited page?
Analysis: how does this relates to what you learned in this course?
Quality of Information: Information and sources clearly relate to topic and
includes several supporting details and/or examples.
Anthropological Perspective: the report topic is presented from an anthropological point of
view including relevant terminology and correlations.
Papers should be no more than six pages in length including a title page but not counting
illustrations or the mandatory bibliography/works cited page. Papers must be typed and doublespaced. I prefer MLA format. Please bind with a staple (do not use paper clips or plastic covers).
Reports may also be submitted electronically in Word.doc format and as attachments. This is a
formal report not a text message or an email.
Resources for Readings and Final Papers
An excellent assortment of related readings and sources for final papers are available for student
use at the CSI library.
Additional readings are available at the Eccles Library in the Herrett Center, though the Eccles
sources can only be used at the Herrett Center.
CSI Meyerhoeffer Library Hours
The Meyerhoeffer Library is open during the school year Monday through Thursday 7:30 am - 9
pm, Friday 7:30 am - 6 pm, and Saturdays and Sundays 1 pm - 5 pm .
Eccles Library Hours
The Eccles Library is located in the Herrett Center which is open during the school year from 9:30
am - 9 pm, Tue, Fri, and Sat; and 9:30 am - 4:30 pm Wed and Thur. Students wishing to use the
Eccles Library can check in at the reception desk without appointment during those hours.
Honesty Policy
Plagiarism and other forms of cheating are violations of the honesty policy found in the CSI
General Catalog. Violators will receive a zero for the work in question.
On-line course evaluation statement:
Students are strongly encouraged to complete evaluations at the end of the
course. Evaluations are very important to assist the teaching staff to continually
improve the course. Evaluations are available online at: http://evaluation.csi.edu.
Evaluations open up two weeks prior to the end of the course. The last day to
complete an evaluation is the last day of the course. During the time the
evaluations are open, students can complete the course evaluations at their
convenience from any computer with Internet access, including in the open lab in
the Library and in the SUB. When students log in they should see the evaluations
for the courses in which they are enrolled. Evaluations are anonymous. Filling out
the evaluation should only take a few minutes. Your honest feedback is greatly
appreciated!
Disabilities:
Any student with a documented disability may be eligible for related
accommodations. To determine eligibility and secure services, students should
contact the coordinator of Disability Services at their first opportunity after
registration for a class. Student Disability Services is located on the second floor
of the Taylor Building on the Twin Falls Campus. 208.732.6250 (voice) or
208.734.9929 (TTY), or e-mail aflannery@csi.edu .
CSI E-mail
E-mail is the primary source of written communication with all CSI
students. Students automatically get a CSI e-mail account when they register for
courses. Messages from instructors and various offices such as Admission and
Records, Advising, Financial Aid, Scholarships, etc. will be sent to the students’
CSI accounts (NOT their personal e-mail accounts). It is the students’
responsibility to check their CSI e-mail accounts regularly. Failing to do so
will result in missing important messages and deadlines. Students can check
their CSI e-mail online at http://students.csi.edu. Student e-mail addresses have
the following format: username@students.csi.edu. At the beginning of each
semester free training sessions will be offered to students who need help using
their CSI e-mail accounts.
CSI MISSION STATEMENT
The College of Southern Idaho, a comprehensive community college, provides educational, social and
cultural opportunities for the diverse population of South Central Idaho. In this rapidly changing
world, CSI encourages our students to lead enriched, productive and responsible lives.
CSI General Education Goals
1) Help you develop as a discerning individual.
2) Teach you to use critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
3) Increase your awareness of the balance between individual needs and demands of our society.
4) Encourage you to be a life-long learner.
5) Encourage your creativity.
CSI SOCIAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Social Science Department is to provide educational, social, and cultural
opportunities which encourage enriched, productive and responsible lives primarily by instructing
students to understand, interpret, and apply Social Science discipline coursework.
CSI Social Science Department Goals
1) Learn important facts, concepts, and theories of Social Science.
2) Acquire new techniques and methods used to gain new knowledge.
3) Learn to distinguish between fact and opinion.
4) Use evaluation, analysis, and synthesis to interpret and solve problems.
5) Use social sciences to make better-informed decisions.
CSI ANTHROPOLOGY PROGRAM MISSION STATEMENT
The Anthropology Program will provide students with a basic introduction to the sub-disciplines of
anthropology, familiarize students with major theories and contributors, and prepare students for
transfer to upper division anthropology programs elsewhere.
CSI Anthropology Program Goals
1) Provide you with a survey of the history of anthropology and its major contributors.
2) Provide you with an overview of the sub-disciplines of anthropology, its current trends, and
specialized terminology used by anthropologists.
3) Instill in you an awareness of worldwide cultural diversity to help you appreciate the
commonality of mankind.
4) Introduce you to the methodology used by anthropologists.
5) Reinforce your reading, writing, and speaking skills to help prepare you for transfer to a fouryear college
Spring 2012
WEEK
DATES
Course Calendar
CHAPTER
TOPICS
1
Jan 19
1
The Essence of Anthropology
2
Jan 26
2
Characteristics of Culture
3
Feb 2
3
Ethnographic Research, Methods
and Theories/
Quiz 1, Chapters 1-3
4
Feb 9
4
Human Origins
5
Feb 16
5
Language and Communication
6
Feb 23
6
Social Identity
7
March 1
7
Patterns of Subsistence
8
March 8
8
Economic Systems
Quiz 2, Chapters 4-8
9
March 15
9
Sex, Marriage and Family
10
March 22
10
Week of March 26
Kinship and Descent
Spring Break
11
April 5
11
12
April 12
12
Political Organization
13
April 19
13
Religion and the Supernatural
14
April 26
14
The Arts
Quiz 4, Chapters 12-14
15
May 3
15 & 16
Grouping by Sex, Age, Common Interest,
and Class
Quiz 3, Chapters 9-11
Cultural Change/Global Challenges and
the Role of Anthropology
Reports Due/Final Exam handed out
16
Week of May 7
Final Comprehensive Exam due