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Anthropology 257-80 [Online course]
Sex and Culture – Winter Session 2009-10
Student Syllabus
Required Texts: (1) Exotics and Erotics: Human Cultural and Sexual Diversity by DeWight
Middleton, Waveland Press, Illinois, 2002. ISBN: 1-57766-200-8; (2) Women and Men:
Cultural Constructs of Gender by Nancy Bonvillain, 2007, 4th Edition, Prentice Hall, Upper
Saddle River, NJ. ISBN: 0-13-111476-X.
Date of Last Course Revision: Fall 2009
Instructor: Professor Glenn Alcalay
“Anthropology is the most scientific of the humanities and the most
humanistic of the sciences" – Anthropologist Eric Wolf [1923-1999]
Course Description:
This course explores human sexuality in cross-cultural perspective. Students will consider the ever-present
inter-play between biology and culture that underlies human behavior, the emphasis will be on culture. A
variety of ethnographic materials will be used to demonstrate the significant role played by culture in the
patterning of sexual ideas and behavior in western and non-western societies.
Course Objectives:
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To illustrate the range of human sexual beliefs and behaviors;
To help students to distinguish between biological universals and cultural variation in human
sexuality;
To examine culture’s impact on shaping and defining human sexuality;
To explicate and compare the cultural assumptions underlying sexual behavior in both western and
non-western societies;
To stimulate a consideration/explication of students’ own cultural assumptions about sex,
sexuality and gender;
To foster understanding of the assumptions key to other groups;
To demonstrate the usefulness of anthropological theory and concepts in the study of human
sexuality;
To provide students with the opportunity to utilize research methods/modes of inquiry unique to
anthropology;
To enhance basic learning skills with an emphasis on hypothesis guided research and the analysis
of data.
Student Learning Outcomes: By the end of this course students should
be able to:
William Paterson University Outcomes:
 Effectively express themselves in written form;
 Present information to varied audiences in an organized and effective manner;
 Demonstrate ability to think critically;
 Locate, organize and use information from a variety of traditional and electronic sources;
 Demonstrate ability to integrate knowledge in a coherent and meaningful manner;
 Demonstrate an awareness of various cultural traditions and commitment to diversity and equity
in society;
 Work effectively with others in a collaborative setting.
Anthropology Program Outcomes:
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Demonstrate understanding of a broad range of concepts in the fields of Anthropology;
Demonstrate understanding of theoretical frameworks;
Conduct appropriate research in the literature of the discipline;
Formulate thesis statements and argue particular positions;
Be aware of issues related to race, gender, class, age and ethnicity.
Course Specific Outcomes:
• Apply anthropological theories and concepts to the study of human sexuality;
• Identify the contributions of leading scholars and researchers to the understanding of human
sexuality;
• Distinguish between the terms sex, sexuality and gender;
• Evaluate the arguments offered by cultural and biological determinists relevant to human
sexuality;
• Explain the biological/evolutionary basis of sex and sexuality;
• Provide a comprehensive definition of the term culture;
• Discuss the enculturation process and its consequences relevant to human sexuality;
• Discuss the real world consequences of assigning cultural meanings;
• Provide examples of the ways in which cultural meanings relevant to human sexuality may
conflict and/or change;
• Plan ethnographic experiences;
• Demonstrate awareness of various cultural traditions and commitment to diversity and equity in
society;
• Analyze information and data and demonstrate competence in the attendant skills.
Assignments and Deadlines:
I. There will be daily reading and writing assignments which will be due on a strict deadline.
These daily assignments consist of critically assessing the assigned readings and writing a short
precis [summary] about each of the readings assigned for that day. These wrtitten summaries will
be posted to our Discussion Board on BlackBoard so that the entire class may participate in these
weekly discussions. Although you will complete your daily assignments in an asynchronous
fashion during the week, you will be penalized if the written assignment is not punctual. Three late
daily assignments [counted as absences] will result in the lowering of your final grade by a full
grade [e.g., a grade of B+ will result in a final grade of C+].
II. There will be periodic Response Papers [3] assigned during the semester based on articles to be
linked in the “Assignments” folder/tab. The Response Papers will be 2-3 pages in length [no
longer, and double-spaced in MS Word format] and shall consist of an original and critical essay
on an assigned reading. I am looking for original, terse, and creative responses to the assigned
articles concerning human sexuality in a cross-cultural perspective. Think haiku [17 syllables only
in this Japanese poetic format]. For the Response Papers, less is more, and I am looking for written
responses that succinctly and critically assess the assigned material. These Response Papers will
be dropped into the Digital Drop Box link and will be read and graded by your professor
anonymously.
III. Two Exams – a Mid-Term and a Final – will be given during the Winter Session semester. These
Exams will be administered online through BlackBoard. Unless a majority of students perform
inadequately on the Mid-Term Exam, the Final Exam will not be cumulative.
Topical Outline of the Course Content:
Topic 1: An Introduction to Basic Concepts:
This section will serve as a review of /introduction to anthropological concepts, theoretical frameworks
and methodology relevant to the semester’s investigation of human sexuality.
Topic 2: Sex and Gender and Sexuality:
This section deals with information, issues and questions fundamental to the study of human sexuality.
Following an introduction to the distinctions between sex, gender and sexuality, students will evaluate
explanations of human sexuality offered by both sociobiology and proponents of cultural determinism.
Topic 3: Crossing Borders, Culture and Sexual Orientation:
Claude Levi-Strauss claims that human cognition is universally binary in nature.
This topic will test Levi-Strauss’ theory by comparing the gender categories recognized by western and
non-western groups. Students will be asked to consider contrasting meanings assigned to homosexual
behavior, the response to hermaphrodites evident in a number of different societies and the relevance
of the term “compulsory heterosexuality.”
Topic 4: Doing the Deed, Culturally Speaking:
Students will be introduced to the powerful impact of culture on biological universals. Specifically,
students will discover that the meanings assigned to basic human sexuality vary from culture to
culture, from social group to social group and historically within a single society. Students will be
asked to consider how alternative meanings affect sexual behavior.
Topic 5: Coming of Age:
Following an introduction to ritual theory, students will compare and contrast a variety of puberty
rituals practiced in non-western cultures. Armed with this cross-cultural perspective, they will, then,
be asked to analyze mainstream North American rituals and cultural assumptions surrounding
adolescence.
Topic 6: Body Parts and Body Image:
It has been said that every society inscribes cultural meaning on the human body. This section will
evaluate this statement by looking at the different cultural definitions assigned to the breast, the vagina
and the penis cross culturally and historically. Students will also consider the impact of these changing
definitions on behavior and self-image.
Topic 7: The Meaning of Rape:
Much of this course has been devoted to investigating variation in the cultural meanings and
assumptions relevant to human sexuality. The question central to this section is do these meanings
matter? After an introduction to several conflicting explanations of/definitions of rape, students will
consider how each might have real-world impact on social life and social groups.
Topic 8: New Sexualities
What are the cultural and social implications of civil unions and gay marriage in the United States and
abroad? In the post-Stonewall era of increasing public tolerance of bi- and homosexuality [“Queer
Eye for the Straight Guy”], how has the issue of alternative sexual lifestyles materialized in U.S.
popular culture and changing representations of human sexuality?
Teaching Methods & Student Learning Activities:
This is an online course designed to spur an open-ended dialogue about human sexuality from a crosscultural perspective. Students should always read the assigned material and be prepared to critique and
write about the issues raised in the assigned readings by the stated deadlines. Asynchronous
communication will allow each student to participate on one’s own clock, with the advantage that we
will cross-fertilize our ideas and critical assessments about the readings on our Discussion Board and
other venues. The completion of all reading and writing assignments – plus the robustness of your
participation on the Discussion Board – will constitute your final grade for this course.
Methods of Student Assessment:
Daily reading/written assignments ……………. 35%
Periodic Response Papers ………………………….. 25%
Midterm……………………………………………... 20%
Final…………………………………………………. 20%
As indicated, each weekly reading/writing assignment, Response Papers, etc. will be assigned a point
value. By the end of the semester you will have accumulated some percentage of the total points
offered. To calculate your grade at any time during the semester, divide the points that you have
accumulated by the total number of points possible:
90%-100%
80%- 89%
70%- 79%
60%- 69%
=A
=B
=C
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Class Policies:
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Students are expected to complete all written assignments on or before the date established on
the calendar. No exceptions;
The instructor reserves the right to schedule additional assignments, quizzes and tests;
Please let me know if you are having any problems:
Email:
[email protected]
Suggested/Relevant Bibliography:
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