ANTH 114.003 -- Introduction to Cultural Anthropology – Fall 2009
Mondays and Wednesdays: 3:00-4:15 p.m.; Enterprise 178
Professor: David Haines
Office hours: Mondays and Wednesdays: 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Office:Robinson B-322 (703-993-3600)
;gunston.gmu.edu/dhaines1
Teaching assistant:Norris Thigpen
Office hours: Tuesday and Thursdays: 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Office: Robinson B-322 (703-993-3600)
Course overview
This course provides an introduction to cultural and social anthropology, with an emphasis on basic human adaptations to the environment, core social institutions (economics, politics, kinship, religion), and the construction of meaning. The emphasis is on non-Western societies, although there will also be discussion of the contemporary United States for purposes of comparison.
Course requirements
1.Two during-semester examinations and the final examination. Exams will be multiple choice and short essay. Bring Scantron sheets (882 ES or equivalent). Make-up tests by prior arrangement only.
2.Small group ethnography project: With your assigned group: identity something worth looking at ethnographically, look at it, and figure out what it means. Project is due as a short joint report to the class of about ten minutes (week of October 26 & 28).
3.Individual ethnography project: Ditto, but you do it alone. Project is due as a four-page paper at the time of the final exam (December 14).
Grading
20% for each of two tests during the semester
30% for the final exam
15% for each of the two ethnography projects (group and individual)
Texts
David Haines, Cultural Anthropology
Colin Turnbull, The Forest People
Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Girl from the Coast
Helie Lee, Still Life with Rice
Remember:Last day to drop with no tuition penalty is September 15
Elective withdrawal is fromOctober 5 - 30
On week of October 13, class meets on Tuesday and Wednesday
Bookshop sends books back BEFORE the end of the semester
DRC Note
If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, you should see me and also contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) at 993-2474. All academic accommodations must be arranged through the DRC.
Schedule
Notes:“Read” means read by the beginning of that week; list of films is provisional.
1. August31September 2Course introduction; the nature of anthropology
Read:Text: Chapter 1
2.September 7HOLIDAY
September 9Biology, culture, and environment; adaptation
Read:Turnbull: Chapters 1 through 4
Text: Chapter 2
Film:Margaret Mead (Strangers Abroad)
3.September 14 & 16Foraging, hunting, and horticulture
Read:Turnbull: Chapters 5 through 10
Text: Chapters 34
Film:Sherpas (Disappearing World)
4.September2123Agriculture and pastoral nomadism
Read:Turnbull: Chapters 11 through 15
Text: Chapters 5 & 6
5.September 28Industrialism
Read:Text: Chapter 7
September 30First examination
6. October 57Kinship: General structures and terminology
Read:Text: Chapters 8 & 9
7.October 13 & 14Kinship: Family and household
Read:Text: Chapter 10
Toer: First third or so
Film:Trobriand Islanders (Disappearing World)
8.October 1921Economics
Read:Text: Chapter 11
Toer: Second third or so
Film:Ongka=s Big Moka (The Kawelka)
9.October 26 & 28Ethnography week
October 26 & 28Group project presentations
10.November 2 & 4Politics
Read:Text: Chapter 12
Toer: The remainder
11.November 9Catch up and review
November 11Second examination
12.November 1618Religion
Read:Text: Chapter 13
Lee: “Rotten Fruit” to “Matron Bride”
Film:Kataragama
13.November 23Cognition
Read:Text: Chapters 14 & 15
Lee: “Red Pepper” to “Chiryo”
November 25HOLIDAY
14.November 30 & December 2Language
Read:Text: Chapter 16
Lee: “Eight Years” to “Broken Heart”
15.December 7Anthropology and the “modern” world
Read:Text: Chapters 17 & 18
Lee: “Boat” to “America”
December 9Review for final exam
December 14FINAL EXAM:
1:30 – 4:15 p.m. in the regular classroom
December 14Individual ethnography paper due
(at time of final exam)
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