Anthropology 1100

This course introduces cultural anthropology as a subfield of anthropology that studies contemporary societies. It focuses on patterns in human behavior and on culture as the way people live and adapt to their various situations. The emphasis is on the diversity of cultural patterns throughout the world and the essential humanity of all people. Examples from a wide variety of cultures are presented in written and film formats. (3 lecture hours)

Anthropology—the study of human beings—is divided into four rather distinct subfields: Archaeology (the study of human behavior through the things that they make or leave behind), Biological or Physical Anthropology (the study of the human body, including its relation to behavior), Linguistics (the study of that very specialized behavior called language), and Ethnology (the study of behavior in terms of culture and society). Typically, Ethnology is what people mean when they use the terms Social Anthropology or Cultural Anthropology.

Anthropology 1100: Cultural Anthropology is designed to provide students with a general introduction to the principles and findings of cultural anthropology, including treatments of language, social structure, technology, worldview, values, and the relationships between these phenomena.

Required Readings

Course Objectives

· Describe and discuss the process of enculturation (socialization) and identify the intermingling roles of hereditary and cultural influences on human behavior

· Explain and discuss the similarities and difference among human social systems, especially with regard to kinship, rank, leadership, and subsistence

· Assess the role of technology in shaping and limiting behavior and social forms in various societies

· Explain similarities and differences among human value systems and their relationship to social structure and technology

· Demonstrate critical thinking and communication skills in the context of the theory of cultural anthropology

Class attendance is not required, but it is highly recommended. There is a rough correspondence between doing well in the course and attending virtually every class meeting.[2] I want you to do well in the course. Therefore I want you to attend class as much as possible. See the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list at the end of this syllabus for more information about attendance.

Being up-to-date on the course reading is required. To this end, a quiz on the day’s reading will be administered at the beginning[3] of each class period. Quizzes are of the open-note variety (not including notes in the margins of the book). Students’ ten best quiz scores will be calculated for grading purposes. Quizzes can be made up in the event of an absence only if completed prior to the beginning of the next class meeting (see the FAQ). Some class meetings will involve a film/video. Written analyses of five of these presentations will be required. Video analyses not completed on the standard form (see the last page of this syllabus) will lose one point (out of ten points possible). It is your responsibility to make copies of this form. If you need another copy, email me and I will send it to you electronically; or, you can find it at the end of the syllabi on my website. See the FAQ.

Three in-class examinations will be administered during the semester, including a Final Exam (21 July). In addition to a geography component, each exam will consist of a set of multiple choice questions and an essay question. All of the exam essay questions can be found toward the end of this syllabus. Some of the multiple choice questions on each exam will be previous quiz questions.[4] Essay answers should be based on reading as well as on material covered in class. The mid-term exams will be given 16 June and 2 July.

As noted above, if you miss a quiz, you can make it up, as long as you do so before I return the graded quizzes to the rest of the class. If you arrive late while the rest of the class is taking the quiz, you have the option of trying to finish the quiz in the allotted time, or of making up the quiz within the make-up window. All make-up quizzes will be assessed a two-point (out of ten possible) late penalty. All late video analyses will also be assessed a two-point late penalty. Late exams will be assessed a 10% late penalty. All extraordinarily late work (video analyses and exams turned in more than two weeks late) will receive doubled late penalties. See the FAQ.

In the event of an anticipated absence, all work (exams, quizzes, and video analyses) can be completed prior to the scheduled date without the imposition of a late penalty. See me in order to make these arrangements.

Your grade for the course will be calculated according to the following formula:

I utilize a “user-friendly” curve (for details on the curve, see the FAQ). By this I mean that the traditional idea that 90% = A, 80% = B, 70% = C, and so on works for you, but not against you. So if, for example, the highest percentage in the class at the end of the term is 89%, that person gets an A because that total is close to 90% and is the highest in the class. If, on the other hand, the lowest percentage in the entire class at the end of the term is 90%, that person would get an A because it is in the A range. In principle, then, it is possible for each person in the class to get an A. I do not, by the way, offer opportunities for “extra credit.”

Statement on Academic Integrity

Both the College and I regard academic integrity as a matter of profound importance. Students have an obligation to exhibit honesty in carrying out their academic assignments. Students may be found to have violated this obligation if they plagiarize or cheat. Plagiarism and cheating will be considered serious ethical breaches. Plagiarism is defined as “presenting the work of others as one’s own.” Cheating is defined as “giving, taking, or accepting any illicit advantage for any course work inside or outside of the classroom.” A violation of academic integrity will result in zero credit for the assignment in question.

ADA Statement

All students with disabilities who need accommodations should alert me within the first week of the term and contact the Office of Special Student Services Coordinator in Room 2001 or by telephone at 630.942.2154 or 942.2155. These accommodations and services are offered in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.

Readings scheduled for a particular day should be completed before that day’s class meeting. Topics are subject to change without notice.

2 Jun Reading: Haviland, et al., Chapter 1 “The Essence of Anthropology”: Pages 2–22

4 Jun Reading: Haviland, et al., Chapter 2 “Characteristics of Culture”: Pages 24–41

Week 2 Topic(s): Culture: Structure & Function; Cultural Relativism; Video: Off the Verandah; Anthropological Field Methods; Language Structures and Functions; Language and Society

9 Jun Reading: Haviland, et al., Chapter 3 “Ethnographic Research: Its History, Methods, and Theories”: Pages 42–67

11 Jun Reading: Haviland, et al., Chapter 5 “Language and Communication”: Pages 98–122

Week 3 Topic(s): The Behavioral Environment; Psychological Anthropology and the TAT; First Exam; Social Status and Social Structure; Subsistence Strategies and Personality

16 Jun Reading: Haviland, et al., Chapter 6 “Social Identity, Personality, and Gender”: Pages 124–148

18 Jun Reading: Haviland, et al., Chapter 7 “Patterns of Subsistence”: Pages 150–175

Week 4 Topic(s): Video: The Kawelka; Reciprocity; Video: Kinship & Descent; Functions of Marriage

23 Jun Reading: Haviland, et al., Chapter 8 “Economic Systems”: Pages 176–198

25 Jun Reading: Haviland, et al., Chapter 9 “Sex, Marriage, and Family”: Pages 200–225

Week 5 Topic(s): Kinterms and Kintypes; Descent; Video: A Question of Identity; Race & Ethnicity; Second Exam

30 Jun Reading: Haviland, et al., Chapter 10 “Kinship and Descent”: Pages 226–247

2 Jul Reading: Haviland, et al., Chapter 11 “Grouping by Gender, Age, Common Interest, and Class”: Pages 248–266

Week 6 Topic(s): Legitimacy & Coercion; The Patrilineal-Patrilocal Complex; Religion and the Individual; Religion and Society

7 Jul Reading: Haviland, et al., Chapter 12: “Politics, Power, and Violence”: Pages 268–295

9 Jul Reading: Haviland, et al., Chapter 13: “Spirituality, Religion, and the Supernatural”: Pages 298–320

Week 7 Topic(s): Mortuary Feasting on New Ireland; Video: First Contact: Europe at the Core of the Modern World System; The Modern World System and Anthropology

14 Jul Reading: Haviland, et al., Chapter 15: “Processes of Change”: Pages 344–367

16 Jul Reading: Haviland, et al., Chapter 16: “Global Challenges, Local Responses, and the Role of Anthropology”: Pages 368–394

Exams

All potential essay questions for the exams are below. Questions for the exam will be randomly selected (using a thrown die): one for each exam. Each exam will also include 25 multiple choice questions (ten of which you will have seen before and will be randomly selected), as well as require you to identify 20 of the locations referred to either in the reading, or during class.

1. Recapitulate the definition of culture given in class. Discuss the implications of this definition in contrast to other definitions, such as those found in the book.

2. Based on what you know about Anthropology so far, what are some of the most striking differences between it and other disciplines/courses with which you are familiar? Keep particularly in mind Anthropology’s holism, its comparative perspective, and its focus on ordinary people.

3. What is the behavioral environment? Provide an example of how the behavioral environment functions to orient a person to her or his world.

4. Recapitulate the emic-etic distinction and the materialist-idealist distinction. Which of these approaches provides the most fruitful approach to understanding why people do what they do and why people do things differently? Why do you advocate the particular view that you have?

5. What is the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis? Do you find the evidence to be more persuasive in favor of or against it? Which evidence is especially compelling? Why?

6. Describe the three types of cultural relativism. Which one of these implications of cultural variability most closely characterizes your view? Why?

1. Compare and contrast the idea “racial” similarities and differences in Japan, Brazil, and the U.S. Be sure also to take account of the Goodman reading and the A Question of Identity video.

2. Describe the patterns found in each of the four “blueprints” of kinship terminology covered in class. Then, explain why Eskimo and Iroquois systems tend to be associated with particular subsistence/economic patterns.

3. Potlatch, moka, and gomgom were identified as forms of “giving with a purpose.” In your view, are these three forms of giving the same kind of phenomenon, or are they different? Explain your answer.

4. Recapitulate the concepts of social structure, social status, role, and multiplex and simplex relationships.

5. Describe and discuss the interrelation between the concepts of alienation and inalienation, gifts and commodities, generalized, balanced, and negative reciprocity, and how they are related to multiplex and simplex relationships.

6. What are the functions of bride-wealth? Be sure to include a discussion of the sororate and levirate institutions.

1. Recapitulate the cases of innovation among the Kayapó, the Saami, and the Shuar. What elements of “Jihad” and “McWorld” can be identified in these cases?

2. Describe legitimacy and coercion and provide two examples from the text that illustrate this way of understanding power.

3. Chapter 16 describes a number of examples of structural violence and structural power. Recapitulate in detail one of those examples.

4. Consider a religious behavior or ritual with which you are familiar. Using the approach demonstrated in class, suggest why people might engage in this behavior and some of the functions of the behavior.

5. Recapitulate Diamond’s argument for the ascendancy of Europe. Do you agree or disagree with his argument? Why?

6. Describe the patrilineal-patrilocal complex. What are some of its causes? What are some of its effects?

1. Do you count attendance? I do not count absences against your final course grade, although I do keep track. To this end, I will ask you to fill in the number of days you’ve missed the previous week on each quiz. If our numbers are not in accord, I will write in the space what I believe to be the accurate number. If you believe there is a discrepancy, you should come see me.

2. If attendance doesn’t count, why do you keep track? Two reasons: (1) I am required by the state of Illinois to turn in this information; and (2) in the event that you end up with a final grade in this course that you think is unwarranted, and you choose to appeal your grade, one of the bits of information that the administration will ask for is how much in-class material you missed through absences and lateness, and I will be required to provide that information.

4. If I miss a class, can I make up the work? As a general rule, yes (but see #7 below).

5. It sounds like there is an exception to this general rule; what is it? You cannot make up a quiz after it has been returned to the rest of the class. Missed videos and exam can be made up, but there will be late penalties.

6. What if I know in advance that I will have to miss some class time? You should inform me if it will be an extended absence. My contact information appears at the beginning of the syllabus. All course work can be done ahead of time without penalty.

7. Are there penalties for late work? Yes. As a courtesy to the other students who had less time to prepare for the same task, I will penalize 10% for late exams and 20% for all other late work (i.e., two points out of ten possible for quizzes and video analyses). This penalty is doubled for extraordinarily late (i.e., more than two weeks late) work.

8. I had a legitimate reason for missing an exam; why should I have to suffer the late penalty when I make it up? The issue is that you had more time than your colleagues did to prepare for the exam. In spite of its name, the late penalty functions much more as a reward to those who took the exam on time than as a penalty for those who take it late. Recall that an exam, as with all other coursework, can be completed prior to the scheduled date with no penalty.

9. Why the emphasis on geography? In this course, as in most courses in anthropology, you will be reading about and hearing about people who live in many different parts of the world. I want you to know where the folks about whom you are learning live. You may have heard that students in the United States are reported to have relatively little awareness about the rest of the world; I expect that my emphasis on geography will mitigate that.

10. What is your policy for withdrawing from the course? Until the middle of the semester, you can withdraw from the course on your own. After that, the College policy is that my permission is required. I am happy to withdraw you from the course if you wish at any time before grades are due. Once I have submitted the final course grades, however, I cannot withdraw you from the course.

11. What about a faculty-initiated withdrawal? The College has a procedure that allows me to drop a student from the class at the middle of the term. If I conclude that a student is not genuinely pursuing an academic goal (such as missing three classes in a row), I will drop her or him. (This is another reason why you should inform me in advance of a lengthy absence.) I am even more likely to drop a student in the event that there are people waiting to add the class.

12. Why do the video analyses have to be on the specified form? The form facilitates a structured response by you that allows me to assess what you got out of the presentation.

13. The syllabus states that course grades are curved. How does that work? The curve I utilize at the end of the semester has the following guidelines. Scores over one standard deviation above the class mean will generally get an A. Scores below that but above the class median will typically be assigned a grade of B. Scores above one half standard deviation below the mean but below the median will normally receive a C. Scores one standard deviation or more below the mean will get an F. Note that these are guidelines; exceptions will be made under extraordinary circumstances. For example, regardless of the averages, a cumulative total of, say, 69% would never result in a course grade of B. See the diagram below.

(1) A concise review or recapitulation of the video. What is the main point of the film/video? Tell what is explained or what ideas are espoused, as well as what special methods (if any) were used? What might a suitable, descriptive subtitle for the film/video be? What makes your suggested subtitle an appropriate one?

(2) A critique of the material. What did you like in what you saw? Why? What did you not like? Why? What concepts do you believe are especially important? Why? Do you notice any problems in the reasoning? From the perspective of your own interests, what concepts are useful and good (or not)?

(3) Relevance/Application. How does the film/video fit into the course? What implications or connections does it have to recent readings? If it were your film, what would you do differently?

[1] These are not the only times that I am available. You should feel free to drop in at other times, but you may want to call first, and you should be aware that I may have to cut things short if I have other things to attend to.

[2] I do, however, keep track of attendance. See the FAQ.

[3] Try to be on time for class; quizzes taken late, as with all late work, will be assessed with late penalties. See the FAQ.

[4] I will make an effort to return your quizzes and video analyses in a timely fashion so that you can have them to study for exams. I typically do this at the beginning of class, so if you are late or absent, I cannot give them to you, making it your responsibility to ask me for your materials.