Anthropology 101
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Sections 1002
Wednesday 7:00-9:45 pm
Cedar 317
Teacher: Emily “Eddie” Dale
Email: emily.dale@wnc.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This is a 3 unit introductory course. It is transferable to any college
or university in Nevada as Anthropology 101, and is accepted at colleges and universities outside
of Nevada as the introductory course to cultural anthropology. It will fulfill the SOCIAL
SCIENCES requirements for all WNC degrees, and will count toward the Anthropology major at
UNR, UNLV, and elsewhere.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this class is to provide an introduction to the
scientific discipline of Cultural Anthropology. Throughout the semester we will examine the
major concepts, theoretical perspectives, and research methods of cultural anthropology, with a
brief examination of the sub-disciplines of anthropology. A major goal of the course is to provide
an awareness of the wide spectrum of cultural and social variation throughout the world, while at
the same time appreciating those characteristics that are shared by all human beings. The class
includes lectures, discussions, ethnographic films, and student presentations. Students will
exercise academic skills in reading, writing, research, critical thinking, and oral communication.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
1. Gezon & Kottak: Culture; McGraw Hill Publishing (Textbook)
2. Angeloni, ed. ANNUAL EDITIONS: ANTHROPOLOGY 12/13 (Reader)
COURSE STRUCTURE:
1. READING RESPONSES
• Ten (10) writing assignments based on articles in the Annual Editions reader and
submitted by midnight of the Friday after the reading was assigned to the website
Turnitin.com (see last page for instructions).
• These are 1-2 page, double-spaced, 12-inch-font, responses to ten (out of the total
fifteen) assigned readings. The responses will consist of a short (100-word) summary of
the article, then short discussion and application of a term from class to the article. Terms
are provided below in the schedule.
• See the attached paper to see how your response should look
• Questions from all readings will appear in the exams.
• Points: Each response is worth 10 points
2. EXAMS
• Four, non-cumulative exams administered throughout the semester will cover lectures,
text material, films, and reading assignments.
• Exams will consist of fill-in-the-blank and short answer (short essay) questions.
• Make-up exams must be scheduled with me at least one week before the exam and will
require a doctor’s note or equivalent proof for absence.
• Points: Each exam is worth 25 points
3. RESEARCH PAPER
• In this assignment, you will choose a popular culture movie or TV series and a major
theme from our course and discuss how that theme was illustrated in the movie. Topics
must be approved, either by e-mail or in person, by April 10.
• Research paper is due May 6 by midnight to Turnitin.com
• 3-5 minute presentation
• Points: 40 points for paper, 5 points for bibliography, 5 points for presentation
4. PARTICIPATION
• Do the readings prior to class so that you can contribute to the discussions
• Attendance is a factor in this grade.
• Points: Participation and attendance are worth 25 points
EXTRA CREDIT:
• Five additional reading responses for two points each may be written for extra credit (10
points total).
LATE ASSIGNMENTS
• Late assignments will not be accepted.
POINT BREAKDOWN:
Responses (10)
100
Exams (4)
100
Paper
50
Participation
25
Total possible
275
“W” GRADES: I will not assign a “W” grade for you. If you choose to withdraw from the
course, it is your responsibility to do this yourself online before the last week of class. Otherwise
I will give you the grade you have earned by the date of the final.
For all graded assignments:
94-100 = A; 90-93 = A-; 87-89 = B+; 84-86 = B; 80-83 = B-; 77-79 = C+; 74-76 = C;
70-73 = C-; 67-69 = D+; 64-66 = D; 60-63 = D-; 0-59 = F
ETHICS:
Plagiarism on any assignment is not acceptable and will result in an "F" (0) for that assignment
and may result in failing the course.
ACADEMIC DISABILITY:
Any student with a disability needing academic adjustments or accommodations is requested to
speak with me or contact the Disability Support Coordinator (445-3275; Bristlecone building,
room 103), as soon as possible to arrange for appropriate accommodations.
PLEASE TURN OFF CELL PHONES & OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES DURING
CLASS AND NO TALKING. THESE ARE ALL DISRUPTIVE AND INCONSIDERATE
TO YOUR FELLOW CLASSMATES.
The following class schedule is subject to change. All readings should be completed before the
class for which they are assigned.
Week One: January 24
Topic: Syllabus Overview and Introduction to Anthropology
Readings: Textbook: Chapter 1
Film:
Week Two: January 30
Topic: Culture
Film: Merchants of Cool
Readings: Textbook: Chapter 2; Reader: Article 31 (Body Ritual among the Nacirema)
Reading Response due Feb 1; Terms-Ethnocentrism, Cultural Relativism
Week Three: February 6
Topic: Ethics and Methods
Film: The Language You Cry In
Readings: Textbook: Chapter 3; Reader: Article 2 (Eating Christmas in the Kalahari)
Reading Response due Feb 8; Terms-Participant-Observation
Week Four: February 13
Topic: Language and Communication
Film: American Tongues
Readings: Textbook: Chapter 5; Reader: Article 5 (How Language Shapes Thought)
Reading Response due Feb 15; Terms-Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
Week Five: February 20
Exam One (at beginning of class)
Topic: Making a Living
Readings: Textbook: Chapter 6; Reader: Article 11 (The Inuit Paradox)
Reading Response due Feb 22; Terms-Foraging
Week Six: February 27
Topic: Social Stratification
Film: Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Readings: Reader: Article 13 (Cell Phones, Sharing and Social Status in an African Society)
Reading Response due Mar 1; Terms-Prestige
Week Seven: March 6
Topic: Ethnicity and Race
Film: Race: The Power of an Illusion
Readings: Textbook: Chapter 12; Reader: Article 4 (Can White Men Jump?)
Reading Response due Mar 8; Terms-Race; Race as a Cultural Construct
Week Eight: March 13
Topic: Political Systems
Film: Ongka’s Big Moka
Readings: Textbook: Chapter 7; Article: The Kpelle Moot by James L. Gibbs (available on-line)
Reading Response due Mar 15; Terms-Chiefdom, Mediation
Week Nine: March 20
NO CLASS SPRING BREAK!!
Week Ten: March 27
Exam Two (at beginning of class)
Topic: Families, Kinship, and Marriage
Film: The Women’s Kingdom
Readings: Textbook: Chapter 8; Reader: Article 15 (Death Without Weeping) and Article 16
(Arranging a Marriage in India)
Reading Response due Mar 29; Article 15 Terms-Family; Article 16 Terms-Marriage
Week Eleven: April 3
Topic: Gender
Film: Taboo: Sexuality
Readings: Textbook: Chapter 9; Reader: Article 18 (The Berdache Tradition), Article 26 (Is
Islam Misogynistic?)
Reading Response due Apr 5; Article 18 Terms-Third Gender, Gender Roles; Article 26
Terms-Gender Discrimination, Patriarchy
Week Twelve: April 10
Topic: Religion
Film: Maasai: A Warrior’s Rite of Passage
Readings: Textbook: Chapter 10; Reader: Article 32 (Baseball Magic)
Reading Response due Apr 12; Terms-Magic, Ritual
Week Thirteen: April 17
Exam Three (at beginning of class)
Topic: Art and Culture
Film:
Readings: Reader: Article 21 (Where Fat is a Mark of Beauty)
Reading Response due Apr 19; Terms-Body Arts
Week Fourteen: April 24
Topic: Colonialism and Globalization
Film: Milking the Rhino
Readings: Textbook: Skim Chapter 11, Read Chapter 13; Reader: Article 36 (The Price of
Progress)
Reading Response due Apr 26; Terms-Globalization, Global Issues
Week Fifteen: May 1
Topic: Applying Anthropology
Film: T-Shirt Travels
Readings: Textbook: Chapter 4; Reader: Article 35 (The Americanization of Mental Illness)
Reading Response due May 3; Terms-Ethnomedicine, Biomedicine
Week Sixteen: May 8
Paper Presentations
Week Seventeen: May 15
Final Exam (at beginning of class)
Film: The Gods Must Be Crazy
TURNITIN.COM: The written Responses for this class will be submitted through the website
“Turnitin.com” Below are the directions for creating your user account and submitting your
work:
1. Write the assignment and save as a document to your hard drive. Most word processing
programs work to upload to the website. If you are using Microsoft Works, however, save your
document as an .rtf or .pdf before uploading it to Turnitin.
2. Go to the website www.turnitin.com and click on the “Create Account” button (top left).
3. Under “Create a User Profile” and “Create a New Account,” select “student” (or sign in with
your Email Address and Password if you’ve used Turnitin.com before).
4. Use the following info to create your new student account:
Class ID:
Class Enrollment Password: dale
(you will use this info only once—the first time you set up your account)
5. Fill out the rest of the form. Remember to write down your email account and new password
for later.
6. Click “I agree—create profile”
7. Finish. “Log in to Turnitin”
Welcome—ready to submit a Response.
8. Click on the class (Anthro 101) and go to the appropriate assignment and click “submit.” Find
your assignment on your hard drive (browse) and send it. That’s it! You will get an instant email
receipt for your work from Turnitin if your submission was accepted.
9. If you do not get an email receipt: try resaving your response as an rtf or txt file and resubmit.
11. Your scores on all your class work will be posted here so you can keep track of how you’re
doing during the semester.
TURNITIN.COM CHECKS ALL SUBMITTED DOCUMENTS FOR ORIGINALITY. IF
YOU SUBMIT A PLAGIARIZED DOCUMENT, I WILL IMMEDIATELY KNOW.
PLEASE DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND PRACTICE ACADEMIC DISHONESTY.
Reading Response Format:
Your Name
Date
Article Number/Name
Summary:
Briefly, in around 100-150 words, summarize the main points of the article. Ask yourself: What
is it about? What are the conclusions? What did I learn from reading this?
Term One:
Define the term, using the book or notes from class. Then give two or three specific examples
from the article that coincide with this term. This should be around 150-200 words.
Term Two:
Same as above, but for the other term.
Other
If you feel another term from class fits with the article, feel free to mention that as well,
following the same format as the assigned terms.