ANTHC 101 00 03: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology // Professor Coleman
Spring 2015 – Hunter College
REVIEW for FINAL
The final exam only covers material from Weeks 9-15 in depth. However, there are a few questions that
require familiarity with earlier discussions of “culture” and anthropological fieldwork methods and
principles. Note, also, that Ilana Gershon’s analysis of media, and the work discussed at the end of
Chapter 17: Art & Media both return to core anthropological concepts of culture and cultural specificity
to analyze contemporary virtual lives and communities—culture’s still relevant!
In your studying, focus on key themes and arguments—you will be tested on your ability to recognize
and respond to anthropological arguments more than your knowledge of specific dates or historical
events. You should have a good knowledge of key examples (e.g., the Triangle Trade, examples of
ethnomedicine or of global systems of medicine, Facebook as a medium for intimate relationships) and
be able to write about them specifically and in detail. Don’t waste time trying to memorize everything.
Focus on relationships between events and patterns which repeat between eras!
In addition to the specific resources listed on the other side of this page, you may wish to review ALL the
lecture notes available on Blackboard in Course Information (From Week 9: Religion and Ritual to Week
15: Art & Media), relevant quizzes, and to revisit your own course notes from the first half of the
semester.
The exam will consist of three parts:
Part One: 25 multiple-choice questions, some of which were included on previous quizzes and all of
which are drawn from the course readings (not from lecture notes).
Part Two: Four short-answer/paragraph length questions tied to specific examples from the readings.
Part Three: one essay which asks you to think/write more broadly about an anthropological theme.
You will have a choice of questions to answer in parts TWO and THREE.
There will be no extra credit questions. However, grading of this exam will include an automatic 2.5%
bonus calculated into your final grade for the semester.
ANTHC 101
REVIEW FOR FINAL
p. 2
REVIEW GUIDE: Key Topics and Readings for Final Review
This Review Guide outlines the core resources for studying: e.g., particular textbook discussions to
review, and course themes or lecture-notes you may want to revisit. It also indicates which readings
were cancelled or will not be included in the final exam (indicated by strikethrough).
In the list below, CA indicate readings in the textbook, “Cultural Anthropology” and BB indicates
resources available on Blackboard in Course Materials. Lecture notes and films we watched in class are
noted separately, and those which are available can be found in “Course Information” on Blackboard.
Religion, Ritual, and Embodiment
CA: Ch. 15, “Religion,” pp. 573-586 AND 598-616.
BB: Marcel Mauss, “Body Techniques”
BB: Mary Douglas, “Purity and Danger”
Lecture Notes: Week 10: Douglas & Mauss Review
Medical Anthropology, Ethnomedicine, and Global Medicine
CA: Chapter 16, “Health and Illness,” pp. 619-642
BB: Ethan Watters, “The Organ Detective,” Pacific Standard 2014
CA: Chapter 16, “Health and Illness,” pp. 642-653
CA: Chapter 3, pp. 73-77 (Re-read)
YOUR NOTES: IN CLASS FILM: Drugs or Prayers? (Helene Basu, 2010)
IN CLASS FILM: Unnatural Causes (unnaturalcauses.org).
The Global Economy, Migration, Labor
CA: Chapter 12, “Global Economy” pp. 452-460 AND 462-479
Lecture Notes: Weeks 13-14: Sweetness & Power; Colonialism and the Global Economy
BOOK: Xiang Biao, Global Body Shopping: Introduction (pp. 1-11); Chapters 2-3 (pp. 24-52);
Chapter 5 (pp. 70-81); Chapter 7 (pp. 100-128)
BB: Isabelle Clark-Deces, “The Remainders of Right Marriages’
and “The Wrongness of Kin,” from The Right Spouse
Conclusion: Culture, Art & Media
CA: Chapter 17, “Art and Media,” Esp. 667-675 AND 685-693
BB: Ilana Gershon, “When we type goodbye: Heartbreak American Style.”
REVIEW WELL AND GOOD LUCK!