10413 001 Academic Cooperative in Anthropology 2389

10413 – 001 Academic Cooperative in Anthropology 2389

TENTATIVE SYLLABUS

Fall 2012

Academic Cooperative

ANTH 2389 – Section 10413_001

09/24/12 – 12/16/12

W 6:30 – 9:30

RGC, Rm 110

Instructor: Mary H. Chipley, Ph.D.

Office Hours: RGC: room 010 MW 10:00 – 11:30; 2:45-3:45

Mobile phone: 413-4868

Messages: Texting is best; I check voice mail messages throughout the day

E-mail: : I check e-mail about once a day.

use this subject line: 10413 (I will NOT open emails that do NOT contain the

correct subject line)

Webpage: austincc.edu/mchipley

Course Description:

Academic Cooperative: Integrates on-campus study with practical hands-on experience in anthropology. In conjunction with class seminars, the student will set specific goals and objectives in the study of anthropology. The student may focus the semester’s work on any of the subfields of anthropology: archaeoloy, cultural, or physical.

Course Rational:

Academic Cooperative: This course is designed to provide the student with an understanding of research methods, the opportunity to practice these research methods, including an anthropological analysis of your data, and to produce an anthropological product. This course enables you to conduct research, to apply the course towards an associate degree at Austin Community College, and to prepare for success in upper division courses in anthropology at other institutions.

Course Objective:

This is an introductory course in methods used to develop an anthropological understanding of the human experience, past and/or present. You will learn how anthropologists employ anthropological research methods to analyze culture, past or present, and produce research findings. You will select a topic of your own interest and under the direction of the professor design a research project. You will.

ü  select a research topic

ü  investigate, select, and practice basic data collection methods

ü  study the role of theorizing and interpreting data

ü  present an anthropological report of your findings

The concept of culture, which provides the lens through which anthropologists conduct their research, will provide the primary theoretical focus for the course. You will learn how anthropologists conduct research and how to do it yourself. By the end of the semester, you will have produced an anthropological product of a human experience of your choosing.

Course Goals:

Students who complete this course will be able to:

• select and use relevant existing research

• organize and manage a personal research project

• employ field method to collect data

• search existing literature to collect data

• identify and incorporate a theoretical perspective

• analyze and interpret collected data

• write or produce a basic anthropological text or product

• work both independently and with the support of colleagues

• practice peer review with colleagues

Required Texts:

This text will be useful to you in planning and conducting your research. Wolcott deals with issues such as organizing your work and dealing with procrastination and other things that we can do to keep ourselves from completing our projects.

Wolcott, Harry F.

2009 Writing Up Qualitative Research. Edition 3. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

ISBN: 9781412970112

Collecting your data:

You will need a some small notebooks for taking notes. The type will depend largely upon your project.

• for content data that you collect

-  for your pocket: to jot down things as you think of them

-  for your fieldnotes: to complete fieldnotes on observations and interviews

• for journaling about your project

Instructional Method:

This is a course in which students are learning the practice of anthropological research. Consequently, much of the instruction will occur through guided practice of anthropological methods; students will conduct anthropological research. You will meet weekly with your instructor to discuss progress and to receive guidance and feedback. There will be approximately five mini-mini-lectures throughout the course. In addition to private conferences with the instructor you will meet with other students taking the class to engage each other in problem solving around your research projects. You will produce your own product and serve as peer reviewers for your colleagues. Finally, you will present their projects in the moderated panel format used by the American Anthropological Association. We will use the final class period for presentations; all are required to participate both as presenter and as audience.

Project and Product Ideas:

You will be selecting a project based upon a personal interest that you have developed in your preliminary studies of anthropology. Here are some ideas:

§  archaeology: Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican pottery making

§  cultural: life-history of an individual

§  physical: primate behavior study

You need to define your interests and be prepared to begin your project the 1st week of the brief 12 week semester.

Your product will be a formal research paper that you might give at the American Anthropological Association annual meetings. This means that you will write a formal paper including a bibliography and appropriate citations.

On the last day of class we conduct an anthropology paper session. We will model it on the session hosted by the American Anthropological Association at its annual meetings. This will give you an opportunity both to share your research and to practice giving papers.

Blackboard Contents:

ü  syllabus

ü  mini-lecture notes

ü  assignments

ü  resources and links to relevant websites

ü  discussion board for collaborating with colleagues long-distance

Course Requirements and Grading.

100 points are distributed across 10 weeks of the course. The only two weeks of the 12 week course that do not count points are week 1 and week 9 when we will NOT meet the night before Thanksgiving.

NOTE: To make an A in the course, turn in assignments each week in class. If you are going to be absent, E-mail them before class. You will receive ½ credit both for attendance and for the Grading

Scale: A = 90-100; B = 80-89; C = 70-79; D = 60-69; F = 59-0

Course Policies:

Ø  Scholastic Dishonesty: Acts prohibited by the college for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work. Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research, or self-expression. Academic work is defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, ether individual or group; classroom presentations, and homework.

Ø  Students with Disabilities: Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes. Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester.

Ø  Academic Freedom: Each student is strongly encouraged to participate in class discussions. In each classroom situation that includes discussion and critical thinking, there are bound to be many differing viewpoints. Students may not only disagree with each other at times, but the students and instructor may also find that they have disparate views on sensitive and volatile topics. It is my hope that these differences will enhance class discussion and create an atmosphere where students and instructor alike will be encouraged to think and learn. Therefore, be assured that your grades will not be adversely affected by any beliefs or ideas expressed in class or in assignments. Rather, we will all respect the views of others when expressed in classroom discussions.

Ø  Safety Statement: Austin Community College is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for study and work. Students are expected to learn and comply with ACC environmental, health, and safety procedures and to agree to follow ACC safety policies. Additional information on these can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/ehs . Because some health and safety circumstances are beyond our control, we ask that you become familiar with the Emergency Procedures poster and Campus Safety Plan map in each classroom. Additional information about emergency procedures and how to sign up for ACC Emergency Alerts to be notified in the event of a serious emergency can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/emergency/ . Please note that students are expected to conduct themselves professionally with respect and courtesy to all. Anyone who thoughtlessly or intentionally jeopardizes the health or safety of another individual will be dismissed from the day’s class activity, may be withdrawn form the class, and/or barred rom attending future activities.

Ø  Use of ACC Email: All College e-mail communication to students well be sent to the student’s ACCmail account, with the expectation that such communications will be read in a timely fashion. ACC will send important information and will notify you of any college related emergencies using this account. Students should only expect to receive email communication from their instructor using this account. Likewise, students should use their ACCmail account when communicating with instructors and staff. Instructions for activating an ACCmail account can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/acccmail/index.php . [Chipley’s clarification for this course: This boilerplate statement explains the administration’s policy. I, personally, return email to the email account you write from. BE AWARE: all broadcast announcements got to your ACC Email account. There is no way to change this, so be sure to check it frequently. Also, as specified above, email me at That means, don’t hit return on an announcement PLEASE]

Ø  Student and Instructional Services: ACC strives to provide exemplary support to its students and offers a broad variety of opportunities and services. Information on these services and support systems is available at: http://www.austincc.edu/s4/ . Links to many student services and other information can be found at: http://www.austincc.edu/current/ . ACC Learning Labs provide FREE tutorial services to all ACC students currently enrolled in the course to be tutored. The tutor schedule for each Learn Lab may be found at: http://www.austincc.edu/tutor/students/tutoring.php . For help setting up your ACCeID, ACC Email, or ACC Blackboard, see a Learning Lab Technician at any ACC Learning Lab. [Chipley’s clarification for this course: the Learning Labs can be very helpful. I used them for a math course, so I do recommend them. However, there is seldom a tutor for anthropology in the lab. Consequently, I turn out to be your best tutor. Email your questions to me; I will answer via return email.]

Additional Practices:

1.  Log into Blackboard regularly to check for announcements. Although the primary out-of-class method for communication will be via email, Blackboard will be the primary medium for the instructor to make announcements including schedule changes. You ARE responsible for knowing what is in these messages.

2.  Finish by the end of the semester -- no incompletes will be given.

3.  Maintain progress. If you fall behind in your work plan, call your professor immediately to recover so that you can proceed -- and succeed.

4.  I will NOT accept late work. Work that is submitted late will receive a ZERO. No exceptions -- don’t ask. If, by 10.17 (week 4) you are falling behind and not making progress, I will make an executive decision about whether to drop you from the course.

5.  Withdrawal is your responsibility. If you decide to withdraw from the course, go to Campus Admissions and Records Office and complete the necessary paperwork. Failure to drop the course will result in an “F” on your transcript. Last day to drop: 11.26

assignments.

Due Weekly

Due by Week