We tend to see our own way of life – our food,
our habits of cleanliness, our way of organizing families as
“natural” . . .as reflecting some kind of universal human nature.
That is, we are accustomed to seeing the world through our own eyes
and ears often taking for granted the way in which we go about
"living" on a daily basis. Social and cultural insights lead us to
question these assumptions and analyze the ways in which our values
and behaviour are determined by historical events and the
organization of society. Through various reading materials,
documentaries, lectures, and class discussions, this course aims to
provide you with alternative ways of viewing the world; that is,
this course hopes to provide you with the skills to develop (or at
least recognize) various perspectives with regard to everyday life.
We will explore how people in other places go about daily life (how
family is defined, what kinds of foods are consumed, how food is
eaten, how space is divided up and divvied out, and so on); we will
do so in order to interrogate and reflect on our lives. One of the
main goals of this course is to encourage each other to think
consciously about our own ways of life – or in a re-wording of Taco
Bell© to "think inside the bun" –not only inside
of it, but also about the bun.
Learning Objectives:
This course will enable you to engage with
knowledge that is cross-culturally critical. You will practice
differentiating among the inner-workings of both simple and complex
societies. You will be able to demonstrate both particular and
generalized knowledge of various World Cultures upon completion of the
course.
View the
course schedule.
View
a sample online module.
Objectives :: Assignments
:: Grading :: Technology :: Text and Materials
Broad Questions to be Considered in this Course:
1) What is the role of universal human needs in
shaping particular sociocultural phenomenon?
2) What are the diverse ways in which cultures
address these human needs?
3) How are the societies structured such that
inequalities are maintained?
4) What are the causes and consequences of
chance in our society and in the contemporary world?
Assignments
SECTION 01: 9-9:50
Texts:
There are two
main textbooks for this course; they can be purchased at the Hornet
Bookstore. There are also some readings on reserve at the library.
Please read the syllabus carefully to make sure you have the
correct reading materials during the semester.
SHULTZ, Emily &
Robert LAVENDA. 2005. Cultural Anthropology: A Perspective on
the Human Condition. 6th Edition. Oxford University
Press. Designated as CA on the syllabus.
SPRADLEY, James,
& David McCURDY. 2006. Conformity & Conflict: Readings in
Cultural Anthropology. 12th Edition. AB Longman.
Designated as CC on the syllabus.
Reserve
Reading: Designated on
syllabus as RR.
#1:
SAHLINS, Marshall. 1972. "The original affluent society." In
Stone Age Economics. Chicago: Aldine-Atherton. Reprinted
in Carol Delaney Investigating Culture: An Experiential
Introduction to Anthropology. Blackwell Publishing: 110-133.
#2: POLLAN,
Michael . 2001. "Desire: Control/Plant: The Potato." Chapter 4
out of The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World.
Random House Publishers: 181-238.
Cell Phone
Policy:
Please be
sure to turn off all cell phones when you arrive in class. I
reserve the right to answer your cell phone in class should it go
off. One further note: for some reason I can usually hear the
phones even when set to "vibrate" so please, turn them off
completely. Thanks!
COURSE DETAILS
Course
Requirements and Evaluation:
Quizzes
20% (6 quizzes total)
Online
Discussion Questions/Responses 20%
Exam I
30%
Exam
II 30%
Exam III
30%
Total:
100%
Quizzes:
Over the course of the semester, there will
be six (6) pop quizzes given. These can not be made up.
They will typically be given in the first 5 minutes of class; thus,
if you are late, you will miss the quiz (you can not make up the
quiz even if you are merely late for class). The quizzes are meant
to encourage you to keep up with the reading assignments. Thus, the
day a quiz is given will cover the reading assignment(s) for that
day.
Online Discussions:
This course utilizes WebCT for online
discussions. If you are registered for this course, then you have
already been registered to be able to access WebCT via the
internet. We will go over how to do this in class. Throughout the
course of the semester, you are required to submit five (5)
separate discussion questions (which cover course readings, lecture,
and/or video materials). You may not submit both
questions at once. They must be "spread out" over 5 separate
reading materials. You will submit your questions via the course
WebCT group discussion forum. We will go over how to do this in
class. You must also respond to at least five (5) discussion
questions. Your questions and responses will be PUBLIC so that
the entire class can read (and respond to) the discussions. When
appropriate, I will bring to class some of these questions for a
general in-class discussion. At the end of each section as defined
on the syllabus (i.e. Anthropology: What is it? How do you do
it? Why do it?, Cultural Resources and the Resources of
Culture, The Organization of Everyday Life,
Relationships, Global and Local), the discussion
question/response access for that section will be disabled on WebCT.
So, over the course of the semester, you will see diminishing
chances to pose a question and a response.
Exams:
There will be three exams over the course of
the semester. All of these will be in-class exams. They can not
be made up without officially documented illness or other
traditionally recognized emergency. Make-up exams will only be
given via the testing center in Lassen Hall (after 5:00 PM only);
please keep this in mind. Exams will cover readings, lectures,
discussions, and videos; most typically the exams will be a
combination of short answer, fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, and
essay questions. The final (Exam III) is not cumulative but
it will be solely multiple choice.
TOPICS TO BE COVERED AND READING
SCHEDULE
Please note: All
Readings are to be Completed by Class Time on the Date Listed
WK |
Date |
Topic |
Reading
Assignment |
1 |
8/29 |
Introduction |
|
Anthropology: What is
it? How do you do it? Why do it? |
|
8/31 |
What is
Anthropology |
CA:
Ch 1 |
|
9/2 |
What is
Anthropology Continued |
|
2 |
9/5 |
HOLIDAY – NO CLASS |
|
|
9/7 |
Culture |
CA:
Ch 2
CC:
Ch 3 |
|
9/9 |
No
Class: Conference, Professor out of town |
|
3 |
9/12 |
Fieldwork |
CA:
Ch 3 |
|
9/14 |
Fieldwork Cont. |
CC:
Ch 4, 5 |
|
9/16 |
Video |
|
4 |
9/19 |
Anthropology & History |
CA:
Ch. 4 |
|
9/21 |
Roots of
Anthropology |
|
|
9/23 |
Where we
were and where we are |
RR #1 |
5 |
9/26 |
Exam
1 |
|
Cultural Resources and the
Resources of Culture |
|
9/28 |
Language |
CA:
Ch. 5 |
|
9/30 |
Language
II: How it works; |
CC:
58 - 62 |
6 |
10/3 |
Language
III |
CC:
Ch 7 |
|
10/5 |
Video
|
|
|
10/7 |
Emotion |
CA:
Ch 6 |
7 |
10/10 |
Emotion
and Symbols |
CC:
Ch. 8 |
|
10/12 |
Emotion
Continued |
|
|
10/14 |
Worldview |
CA:
Ch. 8 |
8 |
10/17 |
Worldview and Language |
|
|
10/19 |
Worldview and Religion |
CC:
Ch 27, 28 |
|
10/21 |
Video:
Postville |
|
The Organization of
Everyday Life |
9 |
10/24 |
Social
Organization and Power |
CA:
Ch. 9 |
|
10/26 |
Who's in
Charge? |
CC:
26 |
|
10/28 |
Discussion/Catch-up |
|
10 |
10/31 |
Making
your own living |
CA:
10 |
|
11/2 |
Choices,
Culture, and Limitations |
CC:
12, 14 |
|
11/4 |
A
present day case |
RR #
2 |
11 |
11/7 |
Video: Nomads of the Rainforest |
|
|
11/9 |
Exam
2 |
|
Relationships |
|
11/11 |
Kinship
and Gender |
CA:
Ch 11 |
12 |
11/14 |
Kin
Alliances |
CC:
17, 19 |
|
11/16 |
What do
you call them? And, does it matter? |
|
|
11/18 |
Video: The Language you Cry In |
|
13 |
11/21 |
Marriage
and Family |
CA:
Ch. 12 |
|
11/23 |
Mothers |
CC:
16, 21 |
|
11/25 |
HOLIDAY – NO CLASS |
|
14 |
11/28 |
(No)
Fathers; Video |
CC:
18 |
Global and Local
|
|
11/30 |
Inequality |
CA:
Ch. 14 |
|
12/2 |
Kinds of
Inequality |
CC:
23, 32 |
15 |
12/5 |
Global
World |
CA:
Ch. 15 |
|
12/7 |
Some
Results of it . . . |
CC:
33, 34 |
|
12/9 |
Last Day
Stuff! |
|
|
|
|
|
FRI |
12/16 |
EXAM
III IN CLASS: 8 – 10 AM; OR, you may take Exam III on
December 12 (Monday)10:15 – 12:15 but you MUST let me know
in advance. Location is the same: MND 4008 |
|
SECTION 02 (LCOM 16):
10-10:50 (there is much overlap with the above but they are
not identical).
Texts:
There are two
main textbooks for this course; they can be purchased at the Hornet
Bookstore. There are also some readings on reserve at the library.
Please read the syllabus carefully to make sure you have the correct
reading materials during the semester.
SHULTZ, Emily &
Robert LAVENDA. 2005. Cultural Anthropology: A Perspective on
the Human Condition. 6th Edition. Oxford University
Press. Designated as CA on the syllabus.
SPRADLEY, James,
& David McCURDY. 2006. Conformity & Conflict: Readings in
Cultural Anthropology. 12th Edition. AB Longman.
Designated as CC on the syllabus.
Reserve
Reading: Designated on
syllabus as RR.
RR#1: SAHLINS,
Marshall. 1972. "The original affluent society." In Stone Age
Economics. Chicago: Aldine-Atherton. Reprinted in Carol
Delaney Investigating Culture: An Experiential Introduction to
Anthropology. Blackwell Publishing: 110-133.
RR#2:
POLLAN, Michael . 2001. "Desire: Control/Plant: The
Potato." Chapter 4 out of The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye
View of the World. Random House Publishers: 181-238.
Cell Phone
Policy:
Please be
sure to turn off all cell phones when you arrive in class. I
reserve the right to answer your cell phone in class should it go
off. One further note: for some reason I can usually hear the
phones even when set to "vibrate" so please, turn them off
completely. Thanks!
COURSE DETAILS
Course
Requirements and Evaluation:
Quizzes
20% (6 quizzes total)
Online
Discussion Questions/Responses 20%
Exam I
30%
Exam
II 30%
Exam III
30%
Total:
100%
Quizzes:
Over the course of the semester, there will
be six (6) pop quizzes given. These can not be made up.
They will typically be given in the first 5 minutes of class; thus,
if you are late, you will miss the quiz (you can not make up the
quiz even if you are merely late for class). The quizzes are meant
to encourage you to keep up with the reading assignments. Thus, the
day a quiz is given will cover the reading assignment(s) for that
day.
Online Discussions:
This course utilizes WebCT for online
discussions. If you are registered for this course, then you have
already been registered to be able to access WebCT via the
internet. We will go over how to do this in class. Throughout the
course of the semester, you are required to submit five (5)
separate discussion questions (which cover course readings, lecture,
and/or video materials). You may not submit both
questions at once. They must be "spread out" over 5 separate
reading materials. You will submit your questions via the course
WebCT group discussion forum. We will go over how to do this in
class. You must also respond to at least five (5) discussion
questions. Your questions and responses will be PUBLIC so that
the entire class can read (and respond to) the discussions. When
appropriate, I will bring to class some of these questions for a
general in-class discussion. At the end of each section as defined
on the syllabus (i.e. Anthropology: What is it? How do you do
it? Why do it?, Cultural Resources and the Resources of
Culture, The Organization of Everyday Life,
Relationships, Global and Local), the discussion
question/response access for that section will be disabled on WebCT.
So, over the course of the semester, you will see diminishing
chances to pose a question and a response.
Exams:
There will be
three exams over the course of the semester; you must take two of
the exams. All of these will be in-class exams. They can not be
made up without officially documented illness or other traditionally
recognized emergency. Make-up exams will only be given via the
testing center in Lassen Hall (after 5:00 PM only); please keep this
in mind. Exams will cover readings, lectures, discussions, and
videos; most typically the exams will be a combination of short
answer, fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, and essay questions.
The final (Exam III) is not cumulative but it will be
solely multiple choice.
Essay in lieu
of exam: You may turn in
the Essay 3 that you write for Professor Rodgers as a substitute for
one of the exams. In order to do this, however, you will need to
somewhat modify your essay to fit some specific needs of this course
– I will make this clear when once you have received the essay
prompt from Professor Rodgers in mid-November. Like one of the
exams, the Essay will be worth 30 points. The essay will be due on
Dec. 9, in class.
TOPICS TO BE COVERED AND READING
SCHEDULE
Please note: All
Readings are to be Completed by Class Time on the Date Listed
WK |
Date |
Topic |
Reading
Assignment |
1 |
8/29 |
Introduction |
|
Anthropology: What is
it? How do you do it? Why do it? |
|
8/31 |
What is
Anthropology |
CA:
Ch 1 |
|
9/2 |
What is
Anthropology Continued |
|
2 |
9/5 |
HOLIDAY – NO CLASS |
|
|
9/7 |
Culture |
CA:
Ch 2
CC:
Ch 3 |
|
9/9 |
No
Class: Conference, Professor out of town |
|
3 |
9/12 |
Fieldwork |
CA:
Ch 3 |
|
9/14 |
Fieldwork Cont. |
CC:
Ch 4, 5 |
|
9/16 |
LCOM
ACTIVITY: MEET IN LIBRARY AT 10 |
|
4 |
9/19 |
Anthropology & History |
CA:
Ch. 4 |
|
9/21 |
Roots of
Anthropology |
|
|
9/23 |
Where we
were and where we are |
RR #1 |
5 |
9/26 |
Exam
1 |
|
Cultural Resources and the
Resources of Culture |
|
9/28 |
Language |
CA:
Ch. 5 |
|
9/30 |
Language
II: How it works; |
CC:
58 - 62 |
6 |
10/3 |
Language
III |
CC:
Ch 7 |
|
10/5 |
Video
|
|
|
10/7 |
Emotion |
CA:
Ch 6 |
7 |
10/10 |
Emotion
and Symbols |
CC:
Ch. 8 |
|
10/12 |
Emotion
Continued |
|
|
10/14 |
Worldview |
CA:
Ch. 8 |
8 |
10/17 |
Worldview and Language |
|
|
10/19 |
Worldview and Religion |
CC:
Ch 27, 28 |
|
10/21 |
Video:
Postville |
|
The Organization of
Everyday Life |
9 |
10/24 |
Social
Organization and Power |
CA:
Ch. 9 |
|
10/26 |
Who's in
Charge? |
CC:
26 |
|
10/28 |
Discussion/Catch-up |
|
10 |
10/31 |
Making
your own living |
CA:
10 |
|
11/2 |
Choices,
Culture, and Limitations |
CC:
12, 14 |
|
11/4 |
A
present day case |
RR #
2 |
11 |
11/7 |
Video: Nomads of the Rainforest |
|
|
11/9 |
Exam
2 |
|
Relationships |
|
11/11 |
Kinship
and Gender |
CA:
Ch 11 |
12 |
11/14 |
Kin
Alliances |
CC:
17, 19 |
|
11/16 |
What do
you call them? And, does it matter? |
|
|
11/18 |
Video: The Language you Cry In |
|
13 |
11/21 |
Marriage
and Family |
CA:
Ch. 12 |
|
11/23 |
Mothers |
CC:
16, 21 |
|
11/25 |
HOLIDAY – NO CLASS |
|
14 |
11/28 |
(No)
Fathers; Video |
CC:
18 |
Global and Local
|
|
11/30 |
Inequality |
CA:
Ch. 14 |
|
12/2 |
Kinds of
Inequality |
CC:
23, 32 |
15 |
12/5 |
Global
World |
CA:
Ch. 15 |
|
12/7 |
Some
Results of it . . . |
CC:
33, 34 |
|
12/9 |
Last Day
Stuff! |
|
|
|
|
|
FRI |
12/16 |
EXAM
III IN CLASS: 8 – 10 AM; OR, you may take Exam III on
December 12 (Monday)10:15 – 12:15 but you MUST let me know
in advance. Location is the same: MND 4008 |
|
Special Notes:
Technology
Requirements
Students will need an electronic
mail account and computer access to the Web. All CSUS students enrolled in
one or more units can create a SacLink
account for electronic mail and Internet services. Although a home computer
with a high speed modem running Netscape or Internet Explorer would be beneficial,
students can use the Web from one of the campus student labs.
Computing Recommendations
You should be comfortable using
a computer and willing to browse the Web. This class requires online class
participation on the Web assignments and electronic discussions.
You need:
- Macintosh compatible with System
10 (OS X) or higher or Windows compatible Pentium running Windows 98 or XP.
- 128 MB of RAM
- 56K modem or faster connection
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 5
or Netscape 6 (or higher)
- SacLink or other Internet Account
- Word processing skills
Text
and Materials
Required: The texts
for the course this semester are:
There are three main textbooks for this course;
they can be purchased at the Hornet Bookstore.
Delaney, Carol. 2004. Investigating
Culture: An Experiential Introduction to Anthropology.
Blackwell Publishing. This text is
designated as IC in the syllabus.
Fadiman, Anne. 1997. The Spirit Catches
You and You Fall Down. Farrar, Straus, & Giroux.
This text is designated as SC
in the syllabus.
Spradley, James & McCurdy David. 2003.
Conformity & Conflict. 11th Edition. AB Longman.
This text is designated as CC
in the syllabus.
You can purchase books through
the Hornet Bookstore. Check their
Online Textbook Sales page at http://www.foundation.csus.edu/bookstore/textbooks/
for ordering information.
|