Download Hankuk University of Foreign Studies 2017 Summer Session ANTH

Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
2017 Summer Session
ANTH 105 Introduction to Anthropology
Course Outline
Course Code: ANTH 105
Instructor: Greg Thompson, Ph.D.
Home Institution: Brigham Young University
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: TBA
Class Hours: 12:00-14:00; Mon. to Fri.; 26 Jun. to 28 Jul.
“Doing anthropology is like doing Geology in a landslide” Anthropologist Roy D’Andrade
Course Description:
This course covers the central concepts of anthropology and of anthropological thinking. Anthropology is
an enigmatic science that is both different from other social sciences and integral to those other sciences.
As the "science of man," Anthropology incorporates all other disciplines into it, but also expands their
analyses by asking: How is it done differently in other cultures? Thus, for example, whereas the discipline
of Economics primarily involves the study of Western capitalist economic systems, Anthropology
includes the study of economic systems in all cultures, present and past. This inherently comparative
dimension of Anthropology means that it is a discipline that seeks to get to the very bottom of things, the
first principles and assumptions of a group of people that make everything else make sense. These first
principles and assumptions are what we call “culture”.
Course Requirements/Grading:
Your grade will be determined by the following.
TOTAL
19
24
16
20
23
TOTAL
100*
*One quiz grade will be dropped making the total 2 points less
1 midterm exam
6 abstracts
8 reading quizzes
1 large ethnographic exposure paper
1 final exam
EACH
17 pts.
4
2
20
23
The grading scale is as follows: A=100-94; A-=93.9 -90; B+=89.9-87.0; B=86.9-84; B-=83.9-80;
C+=79.9-77.0; C=76.9- 74; C-=73.9-70; D+=69.9-67; D=69.9-60; F=less than 60.
Required Text:


Culture, Second Edition, by Lisa Gezon and Conrad Kottak (2013)
Additional readings – These will be provided throughout the course as pdf files on the course’s
website.
Exams/Quizzes:
There will be two exams given throughout the semester that will cover material from lectures, films,
discussions, and the text. The mid-term and final exams must be taken by all students and will be
comprehensive, covering main topics discussed throughout the semester.
Eight quizzes will be given at various times during the semester. The grading will be as follows: 1 point
for signing your name and 2 points for correctly answering a simple question about the reading due for
that day. There are no make-up quizzes, but I will allow you to drop your lowest quiz grade at the end of
the semester.
Ethnographic Exposure Assignments:
There will be three assignments in which you will conduct original ethnographic research projects. Two
of these will be smaller ethnographic research projects (5 points each) and one will be larger (10 points).
The first will be a group project that will look at burial, death, and remembrance practices of a group of
people that you designate. This project will be graded based on a group in-class presentation. The second
small ethnographic research project will be a virtual ethnography in which you choose a topic and
conduct original research on that topic in some kind of “virtual” space – blogs, twitter, facebook, myspace
(jk, nobody uses myspace anymore!), youtube posts, tumblr, etc. The large ethnographic project is one in
which you will go out and conduct an extended ethnography of an actual place. Details on these projects
can be found on Learning Suite.
Abstracts:
Students are expected to be able to write concise, cohesive abstracts of articles on various topics of
anthropology. Abstracts are to be typed, 12 pt., Times New Roman font, black ink, on 8.5 x 11 inch white
paper, double-spaced. Essentially, the abstract should reflect the overall point of the article. This must at
least include the following two elements. First, it must describe the author’s main argument. Second, it
must describe the data or evidence or theoretical position that the author used to make their argument.
This should appear as, at most, one page of blissful reading. An instruction sheet on how to write an
abstract will be provided. For each day late 0.5 points will be deducted from the grade (each abstract is
worth 4 points total).
Additional Info:
Course Website Content: Along with this syllabus is the Content that contains all of the readings except
for the book. Please regularly refer to the schedule for upcoming assignments and quizzes. The schedule
is subject to change, so be sure to check regularly for any such changes.
Correspondence: There may be a number of times when I need to contact you about assignments or
grades. I will be using the email addresses you have provided. Managing your email accounts is your
responsibility. If you are not receiving emails about important updates for the course, you will be held
accountable for any work missed. You may contact me by email if you need assistance or have any type
of question, and always feel free to talk with me before or after class.
Late Penalties: Remember that every point counts and everyone forgets from time to time. I will accept
late assignments, and these are some rules associated with abstract assignments. If you turn in an
assignment late, it must be sent to me by email or dropped off to me at my office. The following
deductions apply:
1 day late
2 days late
3 days late
Abstracts
-0.5 pts
-1 pts
No credit given on 3rd day
As for quizzes, those will be given during class and cannot be made up. If you perhaps miss a quiz, don’t
fret because I will be dropping the lowest two quiz grades at the end of the semester.
Extra Credit: I do not normally give extra credit. The quiz grades that I drop at the end of the semester
will account for any problems or oversights that you may have made throughout the semester. Be sure to
be on top of things and always keep up with assignments.
Course Schedule
Week 1
1.1 – First day of class. Review syllabus. Anthropological activity.
1.2 – Introduction to anthropology – Four field approach
 Read Chapter 1 – What is Anthropology? in Kottak 2011.
 Shweder, Richard. Anthropology’s Romantic Rebellion (Learning Suite article).
1.3 – Defining culture
 Read “Body Ritual among the Nacirema” by Miner (Learning Suite article);
 Chapter 2 – Culture in Kottak 2011.
 Abstract #1 DUE– Write a one-page reaction to the article above stating what you think about the
Nacirema, perhaps what is strange about their rituals and cultural practices. Follow the same
formatting rules as described in the syllabus for abstracts.
1.4 – Culture continued
 Read “One Hundred Percent American” by Ralph Linton (Learning Suite article).
 Durkheim, Emile – “What is a Social Fact?” (Learning Suite article).
 Geertz – Anti-anti Relativism
 Due – Nacirema follow-up assignment
1.5 – Discussion
Week 2
2.1 – Ethnographic Methods
 Read Chapter 3 – Doing Anthropology in Kottak 2011;
 Chagnon, Napoleon. Doing Fieldwork Among the Yanomamo
 Abstract #2 – Read the article Doing Fieldwork among the Yanomamöby Napoleon Chagnon
(Learning Suite article). Write your first abstract of this article following the instructions for
writing abstracts found in the “Course Resources” folder on Learning Suite.
2.2 – Complicating Ethnographic Methods
 Read Tierney’s response to Chagnon
 Sahlins, Marshall. Jungle Fever (Learning Suite).
2.3 – How Cultures are Studied
 Read Chapter 12 – Applying Anthropology in Kottak 2011;
 Malinowski – Argonauts of the Western Pacific, 1-26 (Learning Suite article).
2.4 – Language and Sociolinguistics
 Read Chapter 4 – Language and Communication in Kottak 2011
 “Do You Speak American?” by Robert MacNeil (Learning Suite article).
2.4 – DUE GROUP PRESENTATIONS - Group presentations on practices and beliefs regarding burial,
death, and remembrance
2.5 – Discussion
Week 3
3.1 – Linguistic Relativity
 Read Whorf, Benjamin. “Science and Linguistics” and “Logic and Language” (Learning Suite
articles).
3.2 – Midterm Exam
3.3 – Adaptive Strategies for human survival – Midterm review.
 Read Chapter 5 – Making a Living in Kottak 2011.
 Sahlins, Marshall. The Original Affluent Society.
 Abstract #3 – Read the article “The Original Affluent Society” by Marshall Sahlins.
Write an
abstract of this article following the instructions for writing abstracts found in the “Course
Resources” folder on Learning Suite.
3.4 – Sociopolitical Organization
 Read Chapter 6 – Political Systems in Kottak 2011.
3.5 – Discussion
Week 4
4.1 – Kinship
 Read Chapter 7 – Families, Kinship, and Marriage in Kottak 2011.
 Sahlins, Marshall. What is Kinship?
 Abstract #4 – Read the article “What is Kinship?” by Marshall Sahlins. Write an abstract of this
article following the instructions for writing abstracts found in the “Course Resources” folder on
Learning Suite.
4.2 – Gender and Relativism
 Ahmadhu, Fuambai. Rites and Wrongs
 Abstract #5 - Read “Rites and Wrongs” by Fuambai Ahmadhu. Write an abstract of this article
following the instructions for writing abstracts found in the “Course Resources” folder on
Learning Suite..
4.3 – Anthropology and Selfhood/Subjectivity/Personhood
 Read “Personhood” by Jean and John Comaroff
 Shweder, Richard “Are People the Same Wherever You Go?”
4.4 – Gender
 Read Chapter 8 – Gender 2011.
 Read “The Berdache Tradition” Walter Williams (Learning Suite article).
4.5 – Discussion
Week 5
5.1 – Magic and Religion
 Read Chapter 9 – Religion in Kottak 2011;
 “Baseball Magic” by George Gmelch.
 Evans-Pritchard, E. Witchraft, Oracles, and Magic
 Abstract #6 – Read selection from “Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic among the Azande” by
Evans-Pritchard. Write your third abstract on this article following the instructions for writing
abstracts found in the “Course Resources” folder on Learning Suite.
5.2 – World Systems and Globalism
 Read Chapter 10 – World System and Colonialism in Kottak 2011;
5.3 – Ethnicity and Race
 Read Chapter 11 – Ethnicity and Race in Kottak 2011.
5.4 – Final Discussion
5.5 – Final Exam
Academic Integrity:
When completing an assignment for this course, students are expected to do original work
for the assignment and to not reuse work they may have done in previous courses or other settings
unless the instructor grants specific prior approval. Cheating is defined as the giving or receiving of
aid (written, oral, or otherwise) in order for a student to receive undeserved credit on class work,
homework, tests or any other assignment that is his or her own responsibility. Plagiarism violates the
central core of education philosophy. It involves stealing another person’s work and claiming it as
one’s own. It occurs whenever one directly copies another person`s intellectual effort and integrates it
into his/her class work without giving proper credit to the author. Paraphrasing is defined as “a
restatement of a text or passage fiving the meaning in another form” (Webster’s New Universal
Unabridged Dictionary, 1996). When one paraphrases but intentionally omits authorship of the work,
this, too is a serious violation of academic honesty. All students have an individual responsibility to
understand what cheating, plagiarism, and paraphrasing are. The student must also be aware that the
consequences for doing the above listed offences are severe. Whenever you have doubt about what
constitutes cheating, plagiarism, or paraphrasing, contact your instructor. With the advent of the
Internet, the potential for cheating by simply cutting and pasting information into a paper is tempting.
Be aware that these dishonest activities will not be tolerated and instructors have access to increasingly
sophisticated search engines to “test” the validity of student work.