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NEW YORK CITY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
The City University of New York
School of Arts & Sciences
Department of Social Science
Course Outline
Course code: ANTH 1101
Course title: Introductory Anthropology
Class hours/credits: 3 class hours, 3 credits
Prerequisite: CUNY Proficiency in Reading and Writing
Pathways: World Cultures and Global Issues
Catalog Description: Physical and cultural components of humanity’s evolution. Included are
discussions of cultural universals such as marriage, religion, kinships and economic and political
systems. Ethnographic data from Africa, Meso-America, Australia and Asia are presented.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course introduces the students to the discipline of
Anthropology. The major conclusions and evidence of cultural anthropology, physical
anthropology, scientific linguistics and archaeology are presented. The course presents both
physical and cultural components of man's evolution. Included in the course are discussions of
cultural universals such as marriage, religion, kinships, economics and political systems. The
course includes ethnographic data from Africa, Meso-America, Australia, and Asia.
RECOMMENDED/TYPICAL/REQUIRED TEXTBOOK (S) and/or MATERIALS1
BOOK TITLE: The Essence of Anthropology
EDITION: ISBN13: #978-1-111-83344-2 or ISBN10: #1-111-83344-3
AUTHOR: William Haviland, Harald Prins, Dana Walrath, Bunny McBride
PUBLISHER: Wadsworth
Or
BOOK TITLE: Window on Humanity: A Concise Introduction to Anthropology
EDITION: ISBN13: #9780078035081 or ISBN10: #0078035082
AUTHOR: Kottak, Conrad
PUBLISHER: McGraw Hill,
Additional Materials: Selected articles related to the weekly topics to supplement the textbook
and expose students to academic scholarly peer reviewed articles.
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Instructor Choice. The textbook should cover the four fields of anthropology (Biological,
Archeological, Linguistic, and Cultural).
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COURSE INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES/ASSESSMENT METHODS
LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Have an understanding of the four fields of
Anthropology (Biological, Archeological, Linguistic,
Culture).
2. Have an understanding of 4 fields Anthropological
theories, their methods, and fieldwork.
3. Have an understanding of basic Anthropological
concepts (i.e. emic/etic, culture, cultural
relativism/ethnocentrism, Kinship, etc.)
4. Have an understanding of a variety of cultures and
societies (Foragers, Pastoralists, Horticultural,
Agricultural, Post Industrial forms; Africa, Asia, Europe,
South America, etc.)
ASSESSMENT METHODS*
1. Project and questions on exams.
2. Project, Final Exam Essay question and Multiple
choice questions.
3. Questions on exams and Project
4. Questions on exams and essay question on final.
GENRAL EDCUATION LEARNING OUTCOMES/ASSESSMENT METHODS
LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. KNOWLEDGE: Students develop a knowledge of the
concepts and theories deployed by anthropologists in
their analysis of cultural and social issues.
2 SKILLS: Students develop and use the tools needed for
communication, inquiry, analysis and productive work.
3. INTEGRATION:
Students work productively within and across
disciplines.
4. VALUES, ETHICS, AND RELATIONSHIPS:
Students understand and apply values, ethics,
particularly in terms of research methodology but also in
terms of cultural relativism.
* may vary slightly per instructor to suit their own needs
ASSESSMENT METHODS*
1. Research poster project and exams.
2. Research poster project and exams.
3. Research poster project and exams.
4. Research poster project and exams.
METHOD OF GRADING* – elements and weight of factors determining the students’ grade
Two Exams (30%), class attendance and participation (10%), a group poster project
(30%), and a final exam (30%).
*Suggested allocation; instructors may modify these at their discretion.
CITYTECH GRADE POINTS:
A
AB+
93-100
90-92.9
87-89.9
B
BC+
83-86.9
80-82.9
77-79.9
D
F
WU
60-69.9
59.9 below
Unofficial Withdrawal –More than 3 absents
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY STATEMENT
Students and all others who work with information, ideas, texts, images, music, inventions, and
other intellectual property owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in using,
crediting, and citing sources. As a community of intellectual and professional workers, the
College recognizes its responsibility for providing instruction in information literacy and
academic integrity, offering models of good practice, and responding vigilantly and
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appropriately to infractions of academic integrity. Accordingly, academic dishonesty is
prohibited in The City University of New York and at New York City College of Technology
and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion. The complete
text of the College policy on Academic Integrity may be found in the catalog.
COLLEGE POLICY ON ABSENCE/LATENESS
A student may be absent without penalty for 10% of the number of scheduled class meetings
during the semester as follows:
Class Meets
1 time/week
2 times/week
3 times/week
Allowable Absence
2 classes
3 classes
4 classes
It is the responsibility of the instructor to keep accurate records of every student’s attendance and
to inform each class orally and in writing of the applicable attendance policy during the first two
weeks of class meetings each semester.
Excessive Absence
If a student’s class absences exceed the limit established for a given course or component, the
instructor will alert the student that a grade of “WU” may be assigned. If a student remains
officially registered for a course and never attends that course, a final grade of “*WN” will be
assigned. If the student withdraws officially from the course, he/she will be assigned a grade in
accordance with the existing withdrawal policy of the College.
Appeals
A student wishing to appeal the excessive absence status and the impending grade should request
a meeting with the chairperson of the department in which the course is offered. The chairperson
will consult with the instructor to render a decision. A student wishing to appeal a “WU” grade
may do so through the Committee on Course and Standards.
Lateness
It is the responsibility of the instructor to keep a record of lateness and to inform each class
orally and in writing of the lateness policy during the first two weeks of class meetings of each
semester.
SAMPLE SEQUENCE OF TOPICS AND TIME ALLOCATIONS *
I.
INTRODUCTION (WEEK 1-3)
A.
Anthropology
1.
Definition
2.
Anthropology and the other sciences
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3.
4.
5.
B.
The focus of Anthropology
The history of Anthropology as a social science
The uses of Anthropology today
The Schools of Anthropological Investigation
1.
The historical approach
2.
The Evolutionary approach
3.
The Functionalist approach
4.
The Culture and Personality approach
5.
Major contributors and their theoretical positions
6.
Differences in method and technique
THE 4 FIELDS OF ANTHROPOLOGY
II.
PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
II. .
A.
The Early Primates
1.
The classification system
2.
The morphological comparisons of the tree shrews, lemurs, tarsiers
3.
The classificatory system of organisms from Kingdom to Species and the position of
Homo Sapiens in that system
4.
The Chordates and Mammals
5.
The Old World and New World monkeys
6.
The Anthropoid Apes and their relationship to other forms on the evolutionary scale.
B.
Hominid Forms
I.
The Australopithecinae
2.
Homo Erectus
3.
The Neanderthals
4.
Cro-Magnon culture
5.
Dating the fossil remains and assessing the evidence
C.
Races of Mankind
1.
The definition of race
2.
Racial fallacies
3.
Racist theorists and their nonscientific frame of reference
4.
The morphological evidence
a.
cephalic index
b.
prognathism
c.
dentition
d.
cranial capacity
e.
color of skin
f.
height
g.
blood groups
5.
The genetic basis of racial differences
6.
The effects of natural selection, mutation, and adaptation of genetic characters
7.
Classification Schema
ARCHEOLOGY
A.
The Methods of Archeological Research
1.
Classical versus Prehistoric archeology
2.
Dating techniques and their value
a.
relative dating
b.
absolute dating
c.
Carbon 14
d.
dendrochronology (tree ring dating)
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3.
III.
e.
Potassium Argon-40
f.
geological evidence
g.
glacial periods
Time scale: The geological and cultural eras.
LINGUISTIC
A. The methods of Linguistic research
1.
Theoretical approaches (Sapir Whorf, Structural Linguistics, Discourse, etc.)
2.
Real world application
3.
Issues of social inequality as expressed in language
IV. CULTURE
A.
The Nature of Culture
1.
Learning and socialization
2.
Culture areas of North America, Africa, Asia, South America
3.
Diffusion versus independent invention
4.
Culture complex, theme, trait, center, focus
B.
The Physical and Intellectual Requirements of Culture
1.
Culture as a self-perpetuating yet changing phenomenon
2.
The integrating and cohesive aspect of culture
V. METHODOLOGY
A. Fieldwork Methods
1. Working in the field
a. field site
b. gaining rapport
c. Exchanges & Gift Giving
d. Microcultures and fieldwork
e. Culture shock
2. Fieldwork Techniques
a. Interview techniques
b. Participant observation
c. Life History Interviews
3. Recording Culture
a. Tools and technology
b. fieldnotes
4. Ethics and Responsibility
a. Human subjects Protection
b. Informed consent
c. Pseudonym
d. Code of ethics
ANALYZING SOCIETIES: (Economic Systems, Demography, Family/Kinship, Political Systems,
Ideology/Worldview, Artistic Expression, etc.)
VI.
ECONOMY AND CULTURE (WEEKS 4)
A.
B.
Technological Levels
1.
Hunters and Gatherers
2.
Pastoralists
3.
Agriculturalists and Horticulturalists
4.
Machine Cultures
5.
The Concept of Energy as related to Culture
Influence of Economy on Culture
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
C.
Social Organization
Political Organization
Religious Institutions
Art
Population Density
Economic Institutions
1.
Division of Labor, simple and complex (Tiwi of Australia)
2.
Trade and symbiosis (e.g., The Kula of the Trobriand Islands)
3.
All purpose money as a concept
4.
Markets (e.g., Africa Dahomey, etc.)
5.
Collecting, Producing and Redistributing Principles
6.
Cooperation and competition at each level of economic pursuit
7.
Wealth and Prestige (e.g., The Northwest Coast Potlatch)
VII. DEMOGRAPHICS (WEEK 5)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
VIII.
Mode of Reproduction and Human Development
A. Look at differences in different forms of societies:
a. Foragers
b. Horticultural
c. Pastoral
d. Agricultural
e. Post Industrial
Birth rates
Death rates (Mortality)
Migration
Ethnic variation and composition of groups
SOCIAL ORGANIZATION (WEEK 6)
A.
Units of Social Organization
1.
Family (nuclear, extended)
2.
Lineage (Clan Moiety)
3.
Village, band, tribe, nation
B.
Lineality and Locality
1.
Matrilineality, patrilineality, bilineality
2.
Matrilocality; patrilocality, unxorilocality, virilocality, neolocality, avunculocal residence
3.
Effects of residence patterns on social life
C.
Comparisons of Kinship Systems
1.
Eskimo
2.
Hawaiian
3.
Iroquois Dakota
4.
Omaha
5.
Crow
D.
The Effects of Social Organization on Culture
1.
Marriage, incest, taboos, inheritance, territoriality
2.
Political Organization
3.
Caste and class, ascribed and achieved status (e.g., Natchez India, etc.).
4.
Role of male and female
a.
social
b.
economic
5.
Religion
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6.
7.
8.
IX.
X.
Bride Price, Dowry
Monogamy, Polygny, Polyandry, Levirate, Sororate, other forms
Divorce (cross-cultural comparisons)
POLITICAL ORGANIZATION (WEEKS 7-8)
A.
The Levels of SocioCultural Integration
1.
Leadership based upon personality (e.g., Australia)
2.
Chiefs and councils (e.g., Polynesia, N.A. Indian)
3.
Confederacy (e.g., Iroguoise)
4.
Kingdom (e.g., Africa)
5.
States and Control (e.g., Aztec, Inca)
B.
The Influence of Politics on Culture
1.
Land
a.
natural resources
b.
territoriality
2.
Status and prestige
3.
Centralized versus non centralized authority
4.
Law and precedent
5.
Wealth and Politics
6.
Religion and Politics
RELIGION (WEEKS 9-10)
A.
B.
The Basic Aspects of Religion
1.
Concepts of Power
a.
the Supernatural
b.
Shamans
c.
Priests
d.
Religious practioners
2.
Ritual and its functions
3.
Codes and taboos
4.
Mana and orenda
5.
Mythology and its relationship to Ritual
6.
Medicine, health and curing, ethnobotany and faith
Theories of the Origin of Religion
1.
Animism, the concept of the soul, (Tyler)
2.
Ancestor Worship and Totemism (Spencer)
3.
Collective Representations (Durkheim)
4.
High God (Schmidt)
5.
Mystic Experience (Hauer)
6.
The relationship between magic and religion. Functions and types of magic.
The Influence of Religion on Other Social Spheres
1.
Economy
2.
Politics
3.
Social Organization
XI. Art and Expression (Week 11-12)
1. Dance
2. Material arts
3. Oral arts & Music
4. Folklore and Popular Culture
5. Architecture
6. Play, games, and leisure
7. Art and Religion
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8.
Art and Health
XII. Medical Anthropology (Week 13)
1. Disease & Illness
2. Forms of Healing
3. Medical Practitioners
4. Ethnomedicine
5. Applied anthropology
6. Theoretical approaches to medical anthropology
XIII. Psychological Anthropology (Week 14)
1. Identity
2. Roles
3. Groups
4. Cross cultural studies and perspectives
XIV. Contemporary Cultural Change (Week 15)
1. Developmental anthropology
2. Globalization and Transnationalism
3. Immigration
*guidelines from which instructors may select or adapt
Written by: Dr. Steven Gerardi, Ph.D., spring 2010
Reviewed/Revised by: Dr. Lisa Pope Fischer, fall 2015
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