ANTH 102 Syllabus, Page 1
COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN IDAHO
SYLLABUSFOR ANTH 102-P01,Fall 2006
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Aspen 108, 8:00-9:30 AM, Tuesdays and Thursdays
CONTACT INFORMATION
Instructor: James C. Woods, Associate Professor of Anthropology
and Director of the Herrett Center for Arts & Science
Office hours: Aspen 128B, 10:00 – 11:50 AM, M-W-F
Mail: Social Science and Education Department, College of Southern Idaho
PO Box 1238, 315 Falls Avenue, Twin FallsID 83303-1238
Phone: (208)732-6862 Email:
Webpage: click on “directories”, click on “W”, click on “Woods”
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is a cross-cultural examination of the diverse lifeways that humans have created around the world, and an analysis of the similarities and differences that exist among them. Primary topics include the nature and beginnings of human culture, language, growth and development, subsistence, economic systems, sex and marriage, family and household, kinship and descent, social groupings, political organization, religion and the supernatural, the arts, and cultural change. This section is being offered simultaneously to students on the CSI campus as well as students at the Blaine, Mini-Cassia, and NorthsideCenters. There are no pre-requisites for this course.
TEXT & READINGS
Textbook:Cultural Anthropology, by William A. Haviland, 11th ed., Harcourt Brace. Supplementary readings may be assigned.
CLASSROOM & ETIQUETTE
Location:This course is broadcast from CSI Evergreen C76. About half of the
class will be at this location; the remainder will be located in Burley,
Gooding, and Bellevue.
Visitors:Lecture topics will not be adjusted for young guests.
Cell phone:Please silence the ringer on your phones before class.
Recorders:Permission to record lectures is not required. If you need to record a
class due to an absence, please ask a fellow student to assist.
Behavior:Students will be expected to follow all rules of classroom and campus
behavior as described in the current CSI Catalog. Personal musical
devices are not to be used during class. 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.
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 as it will provide an understanding of people from other lands that you will surely encounter throughout your future travels, studies, and employment. The textbook is divided into five sections subdivided into 16 chapters. Each week, we will review of one chapter highlighting important concepts. While reading the assigned chapters, you will learn new terms as a basic understanding of the vocabulary unique to cultural anthropology is critical to successful completion of the course. In-class discussions will be encouraged. As a result, some variance in the course schedule provided below may occur. Videos and other audio-visual aids will be used when appropriate.
GRADING
Your grade will be derived from total points earned during in-class assessments, a class project, your attendance, anda final exam, for a possible total of 600 pts. Final letter grades will be awarded on the following basis: A (over 540 pts), B (480-539 pts), C (420-479 pts), D (360-419 pts), F (less than 359 pts).
a) In-class Assessments (200 points)
In-class assessmentswill be in a variety of formats to include short essay quizzes, writing exercises, etc. These will be assigned on an irregular basis will be awarded variable points for a total of 200 semester points. These cannot be made up if you miss class since many will coincide with in-class discussions.
b) Class Presentation (100 points)
You are required to select one society from anywhere in the world and present a 5-10 minute in-class presentation on that group to the class. Your presentation may be a PowerPoint presentation, poster, or format of your choosing (feel free to ask the instructor for assistance). Given the limited presentation time, look for something UNIQUE and INTERESTING about the society to share with the class to enhance the textbook. Points will be awarded for creativity, presentation style, and anthropological content.
c) Attendance (100 points)
Attendance is required for this course and ill count for 100 points toward your final grade. If your attendance falls below 60%, or if you miss more than 5 consecutive classes, 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.
d) Final Exam (200 points)
A comprehensive final exam will be given during finals week as shown on the class schedule. This exam is designed to assess your knowledge of basic anthropological themes and issues and to determine you ability to satisfy CSI Social Science Department and Anthropology Program goals as shown on the last pages of this syllabus. This exam will require you to write essay responses to a number of general questions about cultural anthropology.
CLASS EVALUATION
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: 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 theyshould see the evaluations for the courses in which they are enrolled. Evaluations are anonymous.Filling out the e valuation 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 TaylorBuilding on the Twin Falls Campus. 208.732.6250 (voice) or 208.734.9929 (TTY), or email .
CLASS SCHEDULE
The following schedule is provided as a general guide only. Some adjustments will be made to accommodate special class interests. It will be your responsibility to keep current with the readings. Please be aware that you are expected to read the assigned pages BEFORE the class meets so you can participate in discussions. In instances where a student’s final grade is borderline between two letter grades, class participation will determine the earned grade.
Dates / Ch. / Topics (follows outline of the text )Aug 22, 24 / 1 / The Nature of Anthropology
Aug 29, 31 / 2 / The Nature of Culture
Sept 5, 7 / 3 / The Beginnings of Human Culture
Sept 12, 14 / 4 / Language and Communication
Sept 19, 21 / 5 / Growing Up Human
Sept 26, 28 / 6 / Patterns of Subsistence
Oct 3, 5 / 7 / Economic Systems
Oct 10, 12 / 8 / Sex and Marriage
Oct 17, 19 / 9 / Family and Household
Oct 24, 26 / 10 / Kinship and Descent
Oct 31, Nov 2 / 11 / Grouping by Sex, Age, Common Interest, and Class
Nov 7, 9 / 12 / Political Organization and Social Control
Nov 14, 16 / 13 / Religion and the Supernatural
Nov 21 / 14 / The Arts (first half of chapter)
Nov 23 / No school, Thanksgiving
Nov 28 / 14 / The Arts (second half of chapter)
Nov 30, Dec 5 / 15 / Cultural Change
Dec 7 / 16 / The Future of Humanity
Dec 14 / Final Exam, 8am, regular classrooms
ASSESSING LEARNING/BEHAVIORAL OUTCOMES FOR ANTH102
The College of Southern Idaho, CSI Social Science Department, and CSI Anthropology Program have specific goals for you as a student enrolled in this General Education course. Below is a summary of how the instructor will determine if you these goals are being fulfilled.
Goal / How we will measure course success in achieving these goalsAnthropology Program / Provide you with a survey of the history of anthropology and its major contributors. / Your successful response to essay questions on quizzes and the final exam.
Provide you with an overview of the sub-disciplines of anthropology, its current trends, and specialized terminology. / Your successful response to questions on quizzes and the final exam.
Instill in you an awareness of worldwide cultural diversity to help you appreciate the commonality of mankind. / Your oral and written reviews of several ethnographic videos shown in class.
Introduce you to the methodology used by anthropologists. / Your response to essay questions on quizzes and final exam; and your written reviews of in-class demonstrations.
Reinforcing your reading, writing, and speaking skills to help prepare you for transfer to a four-year college. / Your response to essay questions on quizzes and final exam; and participation in discussions and student in-class presentations.
General Education Course / Help you develop as a discerning individual. / Your participation in class discussions and responses to specific essay questions about cross-cultural comparisons.
Teach you to use critical thinking and problem-solving skills. / Your participation in class discussions and written responses to in-class questions about ethical issues in cultural studies.
Increase your awareness of the balance between individual needs and demands of our society. / Your participation in class discussions and written responses to essay questions regarding ethnocentrism.
Encourage you to be a life-long learner. / Your successful completion of a web-based research project which directly relates to a topic of special interest to you.
Encourage your creativity. / Your completion of a project to create a visual mandala image of your religious beliefs.
Social Science Department / Help you learn important facts, concepts, and theories of Social Science. / Your participation in class discussions and responses to in-class essays.
Help you acquire new techniques and methods used to gain new knowledge. / Your written evaluation of in-class demonstrations and student presentations.
Help you learn to distinguish between fact and opinion. / Your participation in class discussions and successful response to specific essay questions on quizzes.
Teach you to use evaluation, analysis, and synthesis to interpret and solve problems. / Your participation in class discussions.
Show you how to use social sciences to make better-informed decisions. / Your participation in class discussions.
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