Anthropology 101- Section 701

Cultural Diversity: Anthropology

Drexel University

Winter Quarter 2011

Jeffrey Ratcliffe

Class Schedule: M 7:00 – 9:50

Class Location: 4011 McAllister

Course Website: http://web.mac.com/jay.are

Office Hours: by appointment

Office Location: TBA

E-mail:

Course Description: This course presents an introductory look at the study of culture and society. Throughout the semester, we will explore the intellectual tools used in anthropology in order to better understand the link between local level events and the global community in which these events play out. From a holistic perspective, we will examine key facets of society cross-culturally. An introductory text exposes the student to key anthropological areas of inquiry. We also use a variety of anthropological readings that engage these themes as they play out in various parts of the world among many different societies. Specifically, this course addresses anthropological fieldwork, the ‘culture’ concept, language, social structure, economics, politics, gender, race, religion, modernity and globalization. We will also look at the subdisciplines of medical anthropology, the anthropology of food and nutrition, and urban anthropology. The goals of this course include: 1) Providing the student with an understanding of the key concepts and theories in cultural anthropology. 2) Encouraging the student to look critically at the study of world cultures while examining social issues cross culturally. 3) Developing the student’s critical reading and writing skills.

Required Books:

1. Spradly, James and David W. McCurdy. 2010. Conformity and Conflict: Readings in Cultural Anthropology. Allyn and Bacon.

2. Lavenda, Robert H. and Emily A. Schultz. 2007. Core Concepts in Cultural Anthropology. McGraw-Hill.

Expectations/Grades: Students must regularly attend class, and actively participate in class. Active participation requires the student to be current on his or her reading assignments. Furthermore, the student should be able to apply this knowledge in the classroom setting. The grading criterion for the semester breaks down in the following:

60% - Exams

20% - In-class

20% - Homework

Students can find their grades beginning after the first exam on the course website. A pdf grade book will be posted for this section that displays all class grades and an overall course average. Note: because this is an uploaded pdf file, this is not a constantly updated total. Updated grade books will be uploaded periodically throughout the semester. When final grades are calculated, the instructor will use the following grade scale:

100–97 = A+

96-93 = A

92–90 = A-

89–87 = B+

86–83 = B

83–80 = B-

79–77 = C+

76–73 = C

72-70 = C-

69–67 = D+

66-60 = D

59–0 = F

What is an A? An A grade is not the default grade for this course. Students who receive an A have produced high quality work and have excelled on exams. To achieve this grade level, students will need to complete all of the assigned readings, put ample time into studying, and attend class regularly. An A- grade is still an above average grade that will require diligent work from the student.

What is a B? At the college level, the B grade is the average grade and should be where all students shoot to be at or above. This grade indicates that the student performed average on assignments and exams, and is very much reflective of the work the student put into the class. A grade of B+ is a little above average, and a grade of B- is a little below average.

What is a C? The C grade is the official pass/fail line in college grading systems. Though many believe the C to be the average grade, this thinking is incorrect. If a student receives below a 2.0 they likely won’t get credit for the course, and a GPA of below 2.0 will land a student on academic probation. To receive a C grade, the student will likely not complete their readings, will miss several classes, and will do the bare minimum in studying for exams (ie. cramming).

What is a D? The D is a very rare grade at the college level. This grade reflects very poor attendance and little or no work (reading and studying) done by the student outside of class.

What is an F? An F is obviously a failing grade, but what does it mean to fail? Well, the student will miss a majority of classes, will not prepare for class at all, and will not study for exams. You want to avoid these grades at all cost, as the have a hugely negative impact on your cumulative GPA.

Exams: The semester is divided into two sections that each culminate in an exam. Exams will be Scantron format and will consist of a variety of questions (multiple choice, true/false, matching, etc.). A review for each exam can be found on the course website. Exams will be graded within one week of the exam date. Please do not contact the instructor regarding exam grades before this time span. The exam schedule is as follows:

Exam #1 – Monday July 18, 2011

Exam #2 – Monday August 29, 2011

In-Class: For in-class points, the student will have several opportunities to accumulate points. These include, but are not limited to: 1) Bonus points for engaging discussions, 2) Participate in activities that involve concepts covered in class lectures, 3) Short written responses to class lectures, reading materials, and/or films, or 4) Quizzes. These exercises can only be handed in/completed in class and cannot be made up in case of an unexcused absence.

Paper: The paper topic and criteria will be distributed at a later point in the quarter.

Quizzes: Though there are no schedule quizzes, the instructor reserves the right to give unannounced quizzes. These pop-quizzes will be based on reading assignments.

Homework: At three points in the semester, the student will be asked to complete a homework assignment that is designed to contribute to the in-class lecture. These assignments are not a collaborative effort. The student must individually complete each assignment. All assignments must be typed. In a heading, please indicate the student’s name, the date, the University name and section, and the assignment number. Each assignment is worth 10 points and will be reduce by 1 point for every day the assignment is late. The assignments are detailed below. All due dates are listed in the course schedule.

Assignment #1 – The Power of Language (due 7/11/2011)

Part A – Chose a product that you can find in a grocery store. Then provide five different brand names for that product. For example, if you were to choose “laundry detergent,” you would then list – All, Cheer, Tide, Surf, and Purex.

Part B – Find two celebrities who have changed their name. Provide both their original name and their new name. For example, if you were to choose “John Wayne,” you would indicate that his birth name was Marrion Morrison.

Part C – Find two jobs that have been given a more prestigious name. Provide both names for the job. For example, if you were to choose “janitor,” you would indicate that the job has also been called the more prestigious “custodial engineer.”

Part D – Pick an expletive, any expletive. Then find five words that mean the same thing but are seen as more appropriate words to say. By appropriate, I mean words that are perfectly fine to say in public or on television.

Assignment #2 – The Many Hats we Wear (due 7/25/2011)

Provide a definition for the following two terms – “ascribed status” and “achieved status.” Next, make a list of ten statuses (see the definition in Core Concepts) that you currently hold. Divide the list into ascribed statuses and achieved status. Place a star/asterisk next to the one status that is the most important to you.

Assignment #3 – Toys R Us (due 8/8/2011)

Provide a list of ten toys that you played with as a child. By toys, I mean anything that you would find at a toy store. One example that I personally would use would be GI Joe. Next, provide a list of five toys that children of the opposite sex play with.

Extra Credit: If you plan to do extra credit papers, please closely read the following instructions.

The student has the opportunity to raise his/her grade through extra credit papers. To receive extra credit the student must submit a research paper that meets the following criteria:

. Papers must be at least 2 full pages (not including heading) and no more than 8 full pages

. All papers must be double-spaced, 12 pt. font, Times New Roman

. All margins must remain standard and no spacing in between paragraphs

. Papers must cite all sources both in the body of the paper and on a works cited page. Use APA format.

. Papers cannot use www.wikipedia.org as a source.

. DO NOT PLAGIARIZE!!

. Papers that do not meet these criteria will be returned with no credit.

The instructor awards extra credit in percentage form, and grades each paper for its own merit. For example, you write a 2 ½ page paper on a holiday and receive a + .5%. That .5% is then added to your final grade for the course. Please note that not all papers will receive the same grade.

The instructor establishes grades based on the quality of the material. So you will be rewarded if you write an insightful, thoroughly researched paper. On the other hand, you will not receive much extra credit if you simply splice together a few paragraphs of disjointed sentences from various links you found on the Internet. The moral is that you get out of this exercise what you put into it.

You may do up to 15%, and you can submit up papers during any class period up until the final exam period. Extra credit will not be accepted after the final exam. Papers can be on the following topics:

1) The student may research any of the holidays listed in the syllabus, and write an informational report on the history and cultural significance of the holiday. In your paper, you should also link the holiday to topics covered in class and in the course readings. Only holidays listed in the syllabus are eligible for this assignment. You can choose any of the holidays regardless of the date you submit the paper.

2) Students attending cultural events or anything else that pertain to anthropology may write papers that both describe the event and connect it to our course work using our text books. This is a field-based project – meaning that you must attend, observe, and/or participate. Please submit a 1-paragraph proposal to verify your topic with the instructor previous to submitting the paper.

Academic Honesty: From the Drexel University web site:

Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct includes other academically dishonest acts such as tampering with grades or taking part in obtaining or distributing any part of an administered or unadministered test. Examples include, but are not limited to:

. Stealing, buying, or otherwise obtaining all or part of an administered or unadministered test

. Selling or giving away all or part of an administered or unadministered test including questions and/or answers

. Bribing any other person to obtain an administered or unadministered test or any information about the test

. Entering a building or office for the purpose of changing a grade in a grade book, on a test, or on other work for which a grade is given

. Changing, altering, or being an accessory to the changing and/or altering of a grade in a grade book, on a test, a "change of grade" form, or other official academic records of the University that relate to grades

. Entering a building or office for the purpose of obtaining an administered or unadministered test

. Continuing to work on an examination or project after the specified allotted time has elapsed

. Any buying or otherwise acquiring any theme report, term paper, essay, computer software, other written work, painting, drawing, sculpture, or other scholastic art work, and handing it in as your own to fulfill academic requirements

. Any selling, giving, or otherwise supplying to another student for use in fulfilling academic requirements, any theme, report, term paper, essay, computer software, other written work, painting, drawing, sculpture, or other scholastic art work

Cheating

Cheating is an act or an attempted act of deception by which a student seeks to misrepresent that he or she has mastered information on an academic exercise that he/she has not mastered. Examples include, but are not limited to:

. Copying from another student’s test paper

. Allowing another student to copy from a test paper

. Unauthorized use of course textbook or other materials, such as a notebook to complete a test or other assignment from the faculty member

. Collaborating on a test, quiz, or other project with any other person(s) without authorization

. Using or processing specifically prepared materials during a test such as notes, formula lists, notes written on the students clothing, etc. that are not authorized