Fall 2012
SDSU
ANTH 102
INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
ANTHROPOLOGY 102 (SECTION 1; 3 units)
San Diego State University, Fall 2012
Schedule # 20090
Professor Seth Mallios
smallios@mail.sdsu.edu
http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~mallios/
Lecture:
M/W/F 11:00-11:50AM in Hardy Tower 140
Office Hours: M 12:00-1:00PM or by appointment in Arts and Letters 448A
Office Phone: (619) 594-4748
Overview:
Anthropology is the study of the human condition. The discipline is both
a humanity and a social science. Anthropologists devote themselves to observing
and explaining what it means to be a member of Homo sapiens. In an attempt at
understanding specific contemporary human societies and underlying patterns of
humanity, cultural anthropologists embark on intricate analyses of modern
individuals from different parts of the world. This introductory course provides
an overview of the histories, theories, and methods of cultural anthropology.
With the goal of offering a balanced perspective of anthropological techniques
and philosophies, this course simultaneously showcases a general introduction to
the field and detailed case studies that demonstrate its practical applications.
2012 SDSU General Catalog description:
Cross-cultural survey of systems of social, political, and economic
organization, language, gender, kinship, religion, and subsistence; culture change
and intercultural connections; ethnographic field methods and theories of culture;
contemporary applications.
Required readings (approximately 80 pages a week):
1) Benedict, Ruth, Patterns of Culture. (Any edition)
2) Evans-Pritchard, E. E., The Nuer. (Any edition)
3) Deetz, James, In Small Things Forgotten. (1996 Expanded and Revised Edition)
4) Mauss, Marcel, The Gift. (Any edition)
5) Mallios, Seth, Hail Montezuma!: The Hidden Treasures of San Diego State.
(2012)
Three of the books (#1, 2, and 4) are available as .pdfs on the course
Blackboard site; the other two (#3 and 5) are available at the SDSU Bookstore as
well as at amazon.com.
Professor Mallios
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ANTH 102
Required films (shown in class):
1) Trobriand Cricket
2) Planet of the Apes (the 1967 version)
3) Cool Hand Luke
4) Ongka’s Big Moka
Some of these films, especially Trobriand Cricket and Ongka’s Big Moka, are
relatively obscure and may not be found at local video stores. If you miss the
classroom showing of these films, it is your responsibility to watch them on your
own. Do not ask Professor Mallios for his personal copies of the film.
Assignments:
1) THREE TESTS
The three tests consist of objective fill-in-the-blank, short-answer,
sequence, matching, and true/false questions. Sample tests from Professor
Mallios’s previous ANTH 102 classes are online at the Blackboard course site. It
is strongly recommended that students review these old tests when preparing for
these exams. Graded out of 250 points, each test constitutes 25% of the student’s
final grade for the course.
The first test is Friday, September 21, 2012.
The second test is Monday, October 15, 2012.
The third test is Friday, November 16, 2012.
Make-up tests must be arranged and approved by the professor at least a
week before the mid-term date or must be substantiated by a signed note from the
appropriate authority (physician, police officer, etc.). No exceptions.
2) FINAL EXAM
The final examination is comprehensive and consists of essay questions.
These questions are accessible through the web via Blackboard throughout the
semester beginning on the first day of class. They are also listed in the syllabus.
The final exam is an opportunity for students to show Professor Mallios the depth
of their newfound anthropological understanding. Since they have all semester to
prepare for this examination, it is expected that students will go into detail from
lecture, the readings, the films, and everyday life to answer the essay questions.
Graded out of 250 points, the final constitutes 25% of the student’s final grade for
the course.
The final exam is Wednesday, December 12, 2012 from 10:30AM –
12:30 PM in Hardy Tower 140. Bring two blank bluebooks. Make sure they
are blank.
Professor Mallios
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SDSU
ANTH 102
The final examination consists of some combination of the following questions. For the
test, make sure to answer each part of every question asked on the exam.
1) Describe the opening scene of Cool Hand Luke. Why is Lucas Jackson incarcerated?
How does he reflect on Western society? How is his rebellion analogous to post-modern
critiques of anthropology? How could Luke be seen as the "Other"? Why or why not is
post-modernism a “cool hand”? Is it a theory or is it anti-theory?
2) Define, list an anthropologist who defined or defended the concept, and place on a
continuum of Universality and Relativity three of the following theories of Cultural
Anthropology: Social Evolutionism, American Historical Particularism, Functionalism,
Cultural Ecology, Structuralism, and Post-Modernism.
3) Define (include when) and discuss (include a description of each period) the 3 stages
in James Deetz's In Small Things Forgotten. Describe two sets of structural oppositions
(natural/artificial, asymmetrical/symmetrical, public/private, etc.) and how they were
mediated in at least two aspects of early Anglo-American life (ceramics, gravestones,
houses, etc.) through the three periods.
4) What is a gift-exchange system? What is a commodity-exchange system? Discuss
their differences in terms of exchange form, interaction relationships, and good
alienation. Give examples to demonstrate the differences.
5) How can differential killing by native Algonquians of European colonists at Ajacan be
explained by gift-exchange violations and punishments? Define differential killing and
list two historical European violations of native gift economic rules and their consequent
punishments and ramifications. What is symbolic violence? Give an historical and a
contemporary example.
6) Is universalism ethnocentric? Are there such things as universal human rights that
should be recognized in every culture? Do you think that Franz Boas and Amnesty
International (an international human rights organization) would agree on this matter?
7) How is San Diego State University symbolic? Describe how history, economics, and
politics each play a role in shaping local culture at the institution.
8) Which group of people did you get to know best through the books you read in this
course and why? How did the particular theoretical approach the author used strengthen
or weaken his or her case? How did the particular methodological approach the author
used strengthen his or her case? Were there other mitigating factors? If so, what were
they and how did they influence your understanding of the Other?
9) What is our social idiom and why? In your answer, define social idiom, give two
examples of social idioms in other cultures, and then make a case for our social idiom.
Make sure you define the group you are discussing.
Professor Mallios
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ANTH 102
10) Make up your own question and answer it. You will be graded on the quality of the
question and the response.
Assignment breakdown:
Assignment
Points
Percent of total
grade
Date of exam or
Due date
Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
Final exam
250
250
250
250
25%
25%
25%
25%
9/21/12
10/15/12
11/16/12
12/12/12
Total
1000
100%
Grading breakdown:
Assuming student performance in the course is as expected and follows
trends established by those who have previously taken this class, letter grades will
correspond with the following percentages and performance descriptions.
Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Percent range
92.6%-100%
90%-92.5%
87.5%-89.9%
82.6%-87.4%
80%-82.5%
77.5%-79.9%
72.6%-77.4%
70%-72.5%
67.5%-69.9%
62.6%-67.4%
60%-62.5%
0-59.9%
Qualitative description
Outstanding
Above Average
Average
Below Average
Failure
The professor reserves the right to alter this grading scale in an appropriate
manner should the class perform in a way that does not correspond to his
expectations.
Students taking this course on a credit/no-credit basis need to receive over
70% to pass the class.
Cheating policy
Anyone caught cheating in any manner in this class will receive an "F" for
the course and be removed from the classroom immediately. Cheating is the most
egregious crime in academia, and Professor Mallios will not tolerate it in any
capacity. If students have any questions about cheating, they should consult San
Professor Mallios
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ANTH 102
Diego State University’s official policy, which can be viewed at:
<http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/srr/statement/sectionV.html>.
The website offers the following examples:
"Examples of cheating include unauthorized sharing of answers during an
exam, use of unauthorized notes or study materials during an exam, altering an
exam and resubmitting it for regrading, having another student take an exam for
you or submit assignments in your name, participating in unauthorized
collaboration on coursework to be graded, providing false data for a research
paper, or creating/citing false or fictitious references for a term paper. (Submitting
the same paper for multiple classes may also be considered cheating if not
authorized by the instructors involved). Examples of plagiarism include any
attempt to take credit for work that is not your own, such as using direct quotes
from an author without using quotation marks or indentation in a paper,
paraphrasing work that is not your own without giving credit to the original
source of the idea, or failing to properly cite all sources in the body of your
work."
For more information on the University’s policy regarding cheating and
plagiarism, refer to the Schedule of Courses (“Legal Notices on Cheating and
Plagiarism”) or the University Catalog (“Policies and Regulations”).
Students with disabilities
University policy: “Americans with Disabilities Act (DA)
Accommodation: The University is committed to providing reasonable academic
accommodation to students with disabilities. The Student Disability Services
Office provides university academic support services and specialized assistance to
students with disabilities. Individuals with physical, perceptual, or learning
disabilities as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact
Student Disability Services for information regarding accommodations. Please
notify your instructor so that reasonable efforts can be made to accommodate you.
If you expect accommodation through the Act, contact the Student Disability
Services Office <http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/dss/dss_home.html> at (619) 5946473.”
If you need accommodation for a disability, please contact me privately to
discuss specific accommodations for which you have received authorization. If
you need accommodation due to a disability but have not registered with
Student Disability Services at 619-594-6473 (Calpulli Center, Suite 3101), do so
before making an appointment with me. You may access more information about
available services for SDSU student by visiting: <http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/sds/sdsmain/students.html>.
Religious observances
University Policy on Absence for Religious Observances includes the
following statements: “By the end of the second week of classes, students should
notify the instructors of affected courses of planned absences for religious
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ANTH 102
observances. Instructors shall reasonably accommodate students who notify them
in advance of planned absences for religious observances.”
Statement that syllabus is subject to change
This syllabus and schedule are subject to change in the event of
extenuating circumstances. If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to
check on announcements made while you were absent.
Graduate student instructors/graders
This course has a very important resource that all students should use. It
is the two graduate student graders:
Hailee Hove <hhove11@gmail.com> and
Ben Nugent <bennuge@gmail.com>
In addition to grading all materials for this course, Hailee and Ben are aspiring
anthropologists in the SDSU graduate program whose enthusiasm about the field
is boundless. Furthermore, they are a direct conduit to the professor. Treat them
respectfully and tap their knowledge of anthropology, undergraduate and graduate
studies, and San Diego State University.
If students dispute any part of any assignment that is graded in this course,
they should first e-mail the grader to discuss the matter. If the students are
dissatisfied with the resolution of the matter through consultation with the grader,
they should then e-mail Professor Mallios (smallios@mail.sdsu.edu). Mallios
will then collect the assignment and review it in its entirety, not just the question
or questions that the student highlights. Grades can be raised or lowered during
this review.
Blackboard
Professor Mallios uses Blackboard, a web-based course aid that enables
students to access important course information from any terminal. Blackboard
also allows students to check their grades and contact other individuals in the
course. In addition, Blackboard contains an announcement page that the
professor will use for last-second changes in regular protocol. For example, if
class were to be canceled, students would likely be able to find out about it first
through Blackboard.
Only students who are officially enrolled in the course can access the
Blackboard site for Professor Mallios’s SDSU Fall 2012 ANTH 102 class. The
site will be routinely updated. It, however, should never be used as a substitute
for attending the actual lecture. To access the site, go to <http://www.sdsu.edu>,
access the undergraduate student menu and select the Blackboard option. Then
navigate to Professor Mallios’s SDSU Fall 2012 ANTH 102 blackboard page and
log on. Any questions regarding Blackboard in general should be directed to
Professor Mallios
Syllabus
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ANTH 102
SDSU’s Instructional Technology Services department. Their e-mail is
scc@rohan.sdsu.edu and their website is: http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/its
Frequently Asked Questions (And Their Answers)
1) Is this class hard?
There are two answers to this question. They depend on you.
A) This class is easy if you do the readings when they are assigned, attend
the lectures and take notes, watch the assigned films, and download and study the
practice tests.
B) This class is hard if you do not do the readings when they are assigned,
attend the lectures and take notes, watch the assigned films, and download and
study the practice tests.
2) How should I take notes on the readings and lectures? (i.e., Do I need
to know this?, Is this going to be on the test?, etc.)
You should note the main themes and key details. The main themes are
those ideas that are central to the discussion and pop up repeatedly. For example,
if a philosopher, a physicist, an anthropologist, and a poet are all invoked when
discussing a singular concept, then that concept is an important theme. The key
details are those items that the author or speaker emphasizes. When an author
uses italics, bold-faced type, or additional illustrative techniques to enhance a
particular detail, or when the speaker goes out of his way to emphasize a date or
title, then you should know it.
Professor Mallios discourages students from trying to write down every
word of lecture from his powerpoint presentations. Instead, students should focus
on comprehension of the topics being covered.
3) What should I do if I miss a lecture?
Ask to borrow a classmate's notes. Professor Mallios does not give out his
lecture notes or powerpoint presentations. Attendance at lecture is mandatory.
4) Can I record lecture?
Yes. However, you may not publish or reproduce any part of Professor
Mallios's lectures without his explicit written consent.
5) Can I bring a friend or relative to class?
Yes. However, it is your responsibility to ensure that your friend or
relative does not disrupt class, and that your friend or relative gives up the seat if
the room is filled to capacity.
6) Can I join Professor Mallios on his other anthropological endeavors
outside of the classroom?
Yes. Send him an e-mail (smallios@mail.sdsu.edu) if you are interested
in learning how to dig up at Palomar Mountain or at the Whaley House in Old
Town (no experience is required and the summer field class is geared toward
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ANTH 102
SDSU undergraduates), joining the gravestone analysis team, processing and
researching historical artifacts, or learning about historic preservation at the South
Coastal Information Center. Professor Mallios accept volunteers, and some
internships are available.
8) Should I major in Anthropology?
Yes. San Diego State University has a young and energized Anthropology
Department with multiple active field programs. Furthermore, Anthropology
majors are very employable in such fields as Urban Planning, Cultural Resource
Management (Contract Archaeology), Museum Studies, Education, Park Rangers,
and International Business. An Anthropology minor is worth the time as well; it
perfectly complements many other SDSU majors.
9) Does Professor Mallios have any publications that I can check out?
Yes. There are two on-line archaeological journals that he edits and a
couple of on-line books he wrote that can be viewed or downloaded for free at:
http://www.apva.org/resource/jjrc/index.html
http://www.apva.org/resource/other/buckrep.html
http://www.apva.org/resource/other/sandy.html
http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~histarch/
http://soap.sdsu.edu/
In addition, he has three other books that can be purchased at most local
book stores: The Deadly Politics of Giving (2006), Cemeteries of San Diego
(2007), and Cemeteries of San Diego County (2008).
10) What other courses does Professor Mallios teach?
Besides ANTH 102, the undergraduate courses that Mallios has taught at
SDSU are: ANTH 302 (Principles of Archaeology), ANTH 312 (Archaeological
Field Techniques), and ANTH 496 (Historical Archaeology). His graduate
courses, which are also open to undergraduates but are tougher classes, are:
ANTH 522 (Economic Anthropology), ANTH 560 (Advanced Archaeological
Field Techniques), ANTH 580 (Anthropological Data Analysis), ANTH 583 (The
Archaeology of Nate Harrison), and ANTH 602 (Seminar in Archaeology).
Essential General Education capacities developed through this course:
1. Construct, analyze, and communicate arguments
2. Apply theoretical models to the real world
3. Contextualize phenomena
4. Negotiate differences
5. Integrate global and local perspectives
6. Illustrate relevance of concepts across boundaries
7. Evaluate consequences of actions
Essential General Education goals in the Social and Behavioral Sciences developed
through this course:
Professor Mallios
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ANTH 102
1. Recognize and explore basic terms, concepts, and domains of the social and
behavioral sciences.
2. Comprehend diverse theories and methods of the social and behavioral
sciences.
3. Identify human behavioral patterns across space and time and discuss their
interrelatedness and distinctiveness.
4. Enhance understanding of the social world through the application of
conceptual frameworks from the social and behavioral sciences to first-hand
engagement with contemporary issues.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Analyze the link between exchange and violence in culture contact situations.
2. Assess the importance of evolutionary thinking in cultural anthropology.
3. Compare different economic systems across the globe.
4. Create kinship diagrams and assess family roles in different societies.
5. Critique the history of theoretical movements in cultural anthropology.
6. Depict how mortuary rituals and displays change over space and time across
the globe.
7. Elucidate how emic and etic perspectives can be used to enhance
understandings of the Other.
8. Analyze the role of the gift in modern Western Capitalism and the emerging
global economy.
9. Predict how different descent systems impact daily life.
10. Assess whether Post-Modern thought is theory or anti-theory.
Class schedule
There are five parts to this course.
1) Introduction (Weeks 1-4)
2) History of Evolutionary Thought (Weeks 5-7)
3) Modern Anthropological Theory (Weeks 8-12)
4) Anthropology and Everyday Life (Weeks 13-14)
5) Conclusion (Week 15)
Professor Mallios
Syllabus
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WEEK: MONDAY
DATE TOPIC
ANTH 102
WEDNESDAY
TOPIC
FRIDAY
TOPIC
REQUIRED
READINGS
1:
8/27
8/29
8/31
2:
9/3
9/5
9/7
3:
9/10
9/12
9/14
4:
9/17
9/19
9/21
5:
9/24
9/26
9/28
6:
10/1
10/3
10/5
7:
10/8
10/10
10/12
8:
10/15
10/17
10/19
9:
10/22
10/24
10/26
Orientation
Introduction
Cultural
Relativism
Benedict, pp. 161
NO CLASS
(Labor Day)
Case study 1: The
Vanishing
Hitchhiker
Case study 2:
Portraits of the
“Whiteman”
Benedict, pp.
62-155
Case Study 3:
Death without
Weeping
Case Study 4:
Saints, Scholars,
and Schizophrenics
Film: “Trobriand
Cricket”
Benedict,
pp. 156-195
Patterns of
Culture
More Patterns of
Culture
TEST 1
Benedict,
pp. 196-240
Early
evolutionary
thinking
Middle
evolutionary
thinking
Darwin and
beyond
EvansPritchard,
pp. 1-50
Rise of social
evolution
Kinship
Film: “Planet of
the Apes,” part I
EvansPritchard,
pp. 51-93
The Nuer
EvansPritchard,
pp. 94-138
10:
10/29
10/31
11/2
11:
11/5
11/7,11/9
Film: “Planet of Film: “Planet of the
the Apes,” part II Apes,” part III
TEST 2
Boas and
Relativism
Functionalism
and Cultural
Ecology
Deetz, pp. 1-37
Structuralism
In Small Things
Forgotten
Deetz, pp. 3888
San Diego
County
Cemeteries
San Diego County
Gravestones
Symbolic
Anthropology
and SDSU’s
hidden WPA-era
murals
Historical
Anthropology
and PostModernism
Film: “Cool
Hand Luke,” part
III
Film: “Cool
Film: “Cool Hand
Hand Luke,” part Luke,” part II
I
Professor Mallios
Syllabus
Deetz, pp. 89164
Deetz, pp. 165211
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ANTH 102
12:
11/12
11/14
11/16
13:
11/19
11/21
11/23
14:
11/26
11/28
11/30
NO CLASS
(Veteran’s Day)
Cool Hand
Anthropology,
Universality, and
Relativity
Film: “Ongka’s
In-class potlatch:
Big Moka”
Gain status by
bringing something
to destroy
Gift exchange
Gifts and
and everyday life bloodshed; Postcolonial thought
TEST 3
Deetz, pp. 212260
NO CLASS
(Thanskgiving)
Mauss, pp. 1-81
Historical
anthropology of
San Diego State
Mallios, pp. 1125
15:
12/3
12/5
12/7
Professionalism
in Anthropology
Anthropology
and the future of
humanity
Mallios, pp.
126-250
Final review
The final exam is Wednesday, December 12, 2012 from 10:30AM-12:30PM in
Hardy Tower 140. Bring two blank bluebooks. Make sure they are blank.
Three final notes:
1) Professor Mallios enjoys teaching big classes and will allow the room to be
filled to capacity (234). He will take crashers on a first-come/first-serve basis up to the
September 12, 2012 add deadline. Pass word of this on to your colleagues who are in
need of a class.
2) There will be up to 234 people in this class. Please do your best to answer your
own questions when possible and avoid inundating Professor Mallios with e-mails, voicemails, etc.
3) If someone or something is making you feel uncomfortable in class at any time,
bring it to Professor Mallios's attention immediately.
Professor Mallios
Syllabus
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