\Intro to Anthropology Syllabus

COURSE INFORMATION SHEET

Instructor: Ms. Kayla Cunnngha! "#$$%&&#' (o))c*+,
E!al: -ayla.cunnngha!'/012hot!al.co!
O))c* hours: 3*)or* an4 a)t*r school.
Welcome to Anthropology, Introduction to Archaeology. Anthropology is a
lot more than Indiana Jones or Lara Croft. Anthropologists work in fortune
5 companies, for go!ernments at all le!els, and with all kinds of
communities and organi"ations. Anthropologists are pro#lem$sol!ers who
focus on human culture, and we work to increase understanding across
cultures. %a!e you e!er wanted to know why someone from another state or
country &or gender' sees things differently from you( Anthropology is a
great place to start)
In addition to anthropology, this class will gi!e you an o!er!iew of how
archaeologists work and of the ma*or de!elopments in human history o!er
the last +.5 million years. I hope that, when we are done, you will understand
#oth the #asics of what we know a#out history and something a#out how we
know it. We will #egin #y looking at the practice of archaeology and the
historical de!elopment of the field. We will then turn to the earliest
archaeological e!idence for human ancestors &different from osteological, or
skeletal, e!idence' and trace that e!idence up into the period of written
records and the de!elopment of comple, state$le!el societies, ending with
aspects of the archaeology of the -nited .tates in the /0th and early +th
centuries. 1he sections of the class that focus on human history emphasi"e
fi!e ma*or topics2 the archaeology of human e!olution, the spread of human
#eings across the world, the de!elopment of plant and animal domestication,
the rise of comple,3stratified societies, and the ways in which archaeological
data inform our understanding of periods of time when we ha!e written
records.
Whene!er you take a trip, do you people$watch and wonder a#out these
interesting humans that surround you( Why they look the way they do( %ow
they know how to #eha!e in different situations( Why they eat really weird
foods( Anthropology is the study of human e!olution and culture4 answers
these 5uestions using a holistic, #io$cultural framework. 1his semester, we
will e,plore the relationship #etween human #odies and human culture,
using the four fields of anthropological in5uiry. Anthropology can #e
defined in many ways, #ut #roadly defined it is the study of culture and the
human condition in the past, present, and future.
%ow and why did our physi5ues e!ol!e into the form we see today( What
cultural and en!ironmental influences affect human !ariation throughout the
world( What effects do religion, law, and societies ha!e on the way people
think a#out, discuss, and use their #odies today(
Intro to A6C%78L89: A;< A;1%68=8L89: is designated as an
electi!e course. 1his electi!e is designed as an introductory sur!ey of
general anthropology, the study of all aspects of humankind in all places and
times. It presents and synthesi"es approaches and findings of anthropology>s
four su#fields to present a holistic account of humanity. ?iological
anthropology concentrates on the physical and e!olutionary characteristics
of humans as mem#ers of the animal kingdom. Archaeological anthropology
studies the human past through material remains and the conte,t in which
they are found. Cultural anthropology documents and compares customs and
traditions among contemporary peoples. Linguistic anthropology focuses on
the characteristics, de!elopment, and use of languages. In addition, this
course will pro!ide a comprehensi!e program of study that promotes the
de!elopment of #roadly educated person and pro!ides the knowledge and
skills needed to succeed in other studies.
1ogether, we will demonstrate an awareness and appreciation of cultural
di!ersity enhanced #y a holistic perspecti!e on culture as integrated,
dynamic, and em#edded in #roader processes of intercultural connection and
glo#ali"ation. 1hroughout the semester we will discuss their own cultural
#iases, as well as the #iases of others, e,plaining why these #iases e,ist
while retaining the a#ility to put said #iases aside in order to e!aluate the
cultural syntheses of others in ethnographies, films, news and media.
A primary goal of the course is to help students de!elop skills that will
encourage them to #etter understand and respond to the di!ersity of human
possi#ilities !ia anthropological approaches aimed at understanding the
human condition and the relationships3intersections3connections #etween
culture, #iology, and en!ironmental influences. In addition,
the ma*or learning outcomes for this course are Writing and <i!ersity and
we will articulate the importance of ethics in Anthropology, specifically the
fundamental o#ligations of anthropologists to mem#ers of the societies they
study.
1ogether we will act anthropologist, speciali"ing in the analysis of human
cultures and remains from archaeological sites around the world)
IN C5ASS ACTI6ITIES 7 ASSI8NMENT 9ESCRI:TIONS
5*ctur*s
1he lecture portion of the class will present #asic course material through
lectures, =owerpoint images, and !ideos. All of the material co!ered in
lecture meetings &including !ideos' is fair game on the tests &see #elow'.
=lease feel free to ask 5uestions or re5uest clarification during lecture2 I will
make a point periodically of asking for 5uestions, #ut I can@t always tell if
you are wondering a#out something if you don@t ask a#out it. ?esides, if
something is not clear to you, it is pro#a#ly also not clear to other people, all
of whom are counting on you to ask a#out it. Lecture material often o!erlaps
with the #ook, #ut I do not *ust repeat what is in the #ook. :ou cannot do
well in this class if you try to rely only on the #ookA attendance and taking
lecture notes is essential. 1he #ook also co!ers material that I do not co!er in
lecture. :ou need to #e familiar with #oth the readings and the lectures to do
well on the e,ams.
In addition, you will need to attend 8;7 archaeological lecture or
Anthropology lecture offered #y a -ni!ersity Anthropology <epartment, &I
will announce 5ualifying lectures as I hear a#out them, and you are welcome
to let us know a#out lectures that you think might 5ualify as archaeological
if you hear a#out them'.
If you are not a#le to attend a lecture, you can watch a tele!ision program on
archaeology &such programs are often on the %istory and <isco!ery
channels, although they are not all e5ually good'.
In order to recei!e credit for the lecture or tele!ision program, you will write
a short essay a#out the lecture, which will #e worth a total of B points and
should #e from one to two pages long.
;our *ssay shoul4 4scuss:
&/' the arguments presented, &+' whether the e!idence presented supports the
conclusions, and &B' your thoughts on the content of the lecture. :ou cannot
recei!e the full B points for any essay that does not do all three of these4
*ust summari"ing what a speaker or a documentary said is ;81 enough.
<rtt*n Assgn!*nts
:ou are also responsi#le for a series of written assignments that will #e
presented throughout the semester. 1hese assignments will #e geared
towards researching a culture, people, society, or religion, from around the
world. Cor e,ample, you could chose to research a specific Indian tri#e in
the Ama"on rainforest.
7!ery month, you will do Internet research on a culture of your choice and
will write a #rief essay &a#out / page' on it. :our goals will #e to &/' see
what you can find out on the we#, &+' wonder a#out how relia#le what you
are finding out really is, and &B' <emonstrate #asic knowledge of the holistic
nature of the culture you chose to research and apply anthropological
concepts when discussing the culture you are researching.
Cor this class, and for life in general, you need to remem#er that there are no
standards of any kind for what goes up on the we#, e!en in Wikipedia, and
that arguments that sound con!incing and knowledgea#le are not necessarily
the same as arguments that are actually correct. Cor e,ample, some
Creationist we#sites will tell you that radiocar#on dating is unrelia#le
#ecause of the residual effects of !olcanic e,plosions, and they can sound
!ery serious and well$informed when they do this. %owe!er, this is
completely false2 !olcanic e,plosions do not affect radiocar#on dating, we
know this, and people who actually work on radiocar#on dating can e,plain
why.
In4ana =on*s Assgn!*nt
7ach student will write an essay on the classic archaeological documentary
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. :our essay must address the following
5uestions2 &/' did <r. Jones &either or #oth of them' ha!e a hypothesis, &+'
if so, what was it and how did he3they test it, &B' did he3they use any
archaeological methods or theories &for e,ample, sampling techni5ues,
Diddle 6ange arguments, etc.' in his work or was3were he3they *ust treasure
hunting( 1here is no definite right answer to these 5uestions &really'2 I want
to hear your perspecti!e on them. 1his assignment will #e worth a total of /5
points.
Fl!s
1he films we will see are an integral part of the class, and we will e,plain
the key topics in each film that you should pay attention to. 1hey !ary in
length, with some as long or longer than a full class period and some taking
only part of a class period. We will show all of them during class time, and
there will #e additional lecture on the days when we show either a short film
or only part of a film.
R*a4ngs
1he readings are an integral part of the class, and I will assume in lecture
that you are keeping up with them. Again, lectures will not simply repeat the
material in the readings, although they will o!erlap with them. 1he e,ams
will co!er all of the material in the readings, whether I ha!e specifically
co!ered it in lecture or not.
1here is one re5uired te,t for this class2 1he Cultural Anthropology2 1he
%uman Challenge &=aper#ack' #y %arald 7. L. =rins, et al. 1he schedule
for the readings is on the last page of this sylla#us.
In addition to the main te,t, I am re5uiring students to purchase2
/. EIshi, In Two Worlds, by Theodora Kroeber. 1his #ook is a
#iography of the last wild Indian in ;orth America.F 1he #ook is
a!aila#le for purchase in ?arnes or ;o#les or you can find it used at
online stores such as Ama"on.
+. Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul ar!er, a
Man Who Would "ure the World, by Tra#y Kidder . 1he #ook is
a!aila#le for purchase in ?arnes or ;o#les or you can find it used at
online stores such as Ama"on.
Syllab
I will only gi!e you one copy of the class sylla#us. 1his needs to remain in
your note#ook. If you lose your copy, please ask me for another copy.
Stu4yng )or E>a!s n ths Class
:ou will get a re!iew sheet for each e,am and we will ha!e re!iew sessions
#efore each e,amA you should go into re!iew that day with any 5uestions
you ha!e a#out the material that will #e on the test. 1he #est way to prepare
yourself for the re!iew and the e,am is #y #eing in class, doing the readings,
and thinking a#out the material in two ways.
1he first way to think a#out the material is in terms of ma*or
5uestions. 1here are central points3arguments in each chapter in
the #ook and in each lecture or film. :ou should know what
they are2 read the summary at the end of each chapter #efore
studying the chapters themsel!es so that you ha!e the main
points in mind as you study and look o!er your notes to decide
what the main points of the lectures are. We will tell you in
class specifically what to focus on as you watch the films.
6esearch indicates that the physical act of writing helps you to
remem#er what you are writing a#out. 1his means that writing
your own notes during lecture can actually help you to learn the
course material. :ou will #e re5uired to take notes, ha!e a
note#ook for this class and study the material in your note#ook.
Contro?*rsal Topcs
1his class will sometimes co!er contro!ersial topics such as gender,
ethnicity, and race. All efforts will #e made to present information in a social
scientific manner as well as to encourage producti!e dialogue and
discussion. I e,pect all students to tr*at *ach oth*r an4 !* @th r*sp*ct at
all times. ;o opinions or speech that discriminate against or are derogatory
towards others on the #asis of race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, se,ual
orientation, political affiliation, or disa#ility will #e tolerated.
El*ctroncs
Laptop use in class is permitted, #ut students engaging in o!ert and constant
we# surfing will #e asked to close their computers, as this distracts the entire
class, and such #eha!iors will result in the student>s #eing asked to lea!e the
classroom. .tudents should also refrain from unaccepta#le #eha!ior such as
sleeping, using their cell phones, or talking with classmates at inappropriate
times. If cell phones #ecome an issue, I will take the cell phone away from
the student, and they will not #e a#le to ha!e it #ack until the end of the day.
Stu4*nts @th 9sablt*s
If you ha!e specific physical, psychiatric or learning disa#ilities and re5uire
accommodations, please let me know early in the semester so that we can
meet your learning needs appropriately.
Oth*r O))cal Issu*s
1he Academy has asked all faculty to remind all of our students that you are
re5uired to a#ide #y the school policies regarding classroom and course$
related #eha!ior. 1he issues co!ered #y these policies that are most
important for this class are &/' cheating and &+' classroom disruption.
?asically, you need to turn in your own original work and take tests on your
own without notes or other help, and you need to act in lecture and recitation
in ways that do not interfere with the conduct of the course. In e,treme
cases, sanctions can include remo!ing pro#lem students from the classroom
and failing students on a test or assignment who cheat or plagiari"e. =lease
don>t make me do either of these unpleasant thingsA I don>t like them either.
8ra4ng
:our grade in the class will #e #ased on -nit e,ams that mi, o#*ecti!e
&multiple choice3true$false' and short$answer3essay 5uestions, along with
your recitations, assignments, note#ooks, attendance, participation, and
pro*ect grades.
1he e,ams co!er all material presented in lectures, films, recitations, and the
readings. 1hese first tests are not cumulati!e and are worth G5 points eachA
that is, each of the first two tests will co!er one third of the class and neither
test will repeat material from an earlier section of the class. 1he final e,am
is cumulati!e2 it will #e worth /5 points, with material co!ering the entire
class. 1he tests will #e multiple choice and short answer 5uestions that
address important points from the class.
:our final grade in the class will #e #ased on the total of your scores on the
e,ams and the pro*ects, plus your recitation attendance3participation points.
Grading Scale:
A = 93 - 100%
A - = 92 - 90%
B+ = 89 87%
B = 86 83%
B- = 82 80%
C+ = 79 77%
C = 76 73%
C- = 72 70%
D+ = 69 67%
D = 66 64%
D- = 63 60%
F = 59 0%
E>tra Cr*4t Opportunt*s "'&%/A :onts possbl*,:
Opton B'
Frst hal) o) th* s*!*st*rC R*a4ngD @rtng assgn!*nt "EA ponts,:
?eginning in the Call of +/H, I am going to #egin offering an ongoing e,tra
credit assignment for any of my students in Anthropology3Archeology class.
1he goals of this are...
...to get students reading something other than their main te,t #ook
...to see connections #etween the world and what we are learning in
class
:our purpose for this assignment is pro#a#ly to get the ma,imum thirty
e,tra credit points &in the homework category', #ut the reading3writing has
to #e done and turned in #efore the last week of the first semester. I won>t
accept any of these e,tra credit assignments late.
=urchase the #ook2 $ nthro%olo&y of 'eli&ion, Ma&i#, and Wit#h#raft ()nd
*dition+. 1his concise introductory te,t#ook emphasi"es the ma*or concepts
of #oth anthropology and the anthropology of religion. It is aimed at
students encountering anthropology for the first time. 6e!iewers descri#e
the te,t as !i!id, rich, user$friendly, accessi#le, and well$organi"ed. It
e,amines religious e,pression from a cross$cultural perspecti!e while still
incorporating the key theoretical concepts. In addition to pro!iding a #asic
o!er!iew of anthropology, including definitions of key terms and e,posure
to ethnographies, the te,t e,poses students to the !arying comple,ity of
world religions. 1his #ook accomplishes one of the main ideas of #eing an
anthropologist2 #e informati!e without *udging. 1hey present a wide !ariety
of cultures and customs while also pro!iding interesting history and stories.
It was one of the more interesting te,t#ooks that I@!e had to read and it did a
decent *o# of keeping my attention. :ou can find this #ook used at online
stores such as Ama"on.
8nce you ha!e finished reading this te,t, write a one$page paper on how this
te,t applies to Anthropology.
B# S*con4 hal) o) th* s*!*st*rC
R*a4ngD @rtng assgn!*nt "'& ponts,:
In case you want to get started early, the second half of the year, the #ook
e,tra credit report will #e on2 The Inno#ent $nthro%olo&ist: ,otes fro! a
Mud -ut . By: ,i&el Barley.
Again, your purpose for this assignment is pro#a#ly to get the ma,imum
fifteen e,tra credit points, #ut the reading3writing has to #e done and turned
in #efore the last week of the second semester. I won>t accept any of these
e,tra credit assignments late.
8nce you ha!e finished reading this te,t, write a one$page paper on how this
te,t applies to Anthropology.
E>tra Cr*4t Opton B#
F*l4 Trps "'& ponts *ach )*l4 trp,:
In addition to lectures, it is important for you to attend our class field trips. I
do not take attendance and the field trips are not re5uired, #ut they are highly
recommended and e,tra credit points will #e awarded for each time you are
present. 1he field trips will pro!ide opportunities for discussion, e,am
re!iews, and hands$on e,posure to fossils and artifactsA you will learn more
and do #etter in the class if you are there.
:ou can recei!e up to a ma,imum of H5 points of e,tra credit &/5 points
each field trip' #y attending the two designated class field trips.
:lann*4 F*l4 Trps:
/. Duseum of ;atural %istory2 1his course will pro!ide an introduction
to the history, purposes, transformations, and internal workings of
museums from an anthropological perspecti!e. .tudents will #e taken
too a museum where we will focus on natural and cultural history
related to anthropological studies of archeology, human e!olution, and
world ethnography.
+. -$<I9 C8..IL.2 At some point during the year we will tra!el to
<elta region of -tah &B hours away', and we will #e !isiting the 1opa"
Duseum and then going to dig for trilo#ites in one of the world>s
richest deposits of trilo#ites. -$<I9 C8..IL., offers the e,perience
and thrill of finding your own fossil trilo#ites. 1his field trip will
allow you to dig for fossils like an archeologist3paleontologist.
B. 1he Irishna 1emple and Cultural Center in .panish Cork2 1his is a
#eautiful edifice that allows us to e,amine a different culture and
religion within our own state, with an anthropological !iew. =art of
the course will e,amine ancient ci!ili"ations and this field trip will
allow us to understand Indian philosophy and religion, traditional
%indu society, death and transmigration of the soul, %indu culture in
the west, !egetarianism and the law of Iarma, and we will learn a#out
folklore, mythology, heroes, and %indu thought. Learning a#out
di!erse cultures is a ma*or portion of anthropology.
Chap*ron* In)or!aton
Well$prepared chaperones are essential for a successful !isit. I encourage
help and support of chaperones during field trips, so that together, we can
accomplish my class goals of keeping students engaged in learning while
practicing safe and respectful #eha!ior.