Course Information

Course Description: This course is an introduction to cultural anthropology. In the first few weeks of the course we will cover what cultural anthropologists do, what culture is, and how language and symbols are important parts of culture. Then we will discuss what cultural anthropologists have learned about the great variety of human kinship systems, religions, economies, and social and political organizations. The last part of the course will cover issues of culture contact, change, and development and how cultural anthropology can contribute to understanding current world problems. 

Student Learning Outcomes: After you have finished this course you will be able to: (1) identify and analyze cross-cultural variations in the diverse ways of life around the world, (2) compare the field of cultural anthropology to the other subfields of anthropology, (3) apply the methods of anthropological research and cultural description while applying ethics-based principles, (4) analyze the major theoretical perspectives and concepts of cultural anthropology. 

If you want to register for this class please do so in the CCSF online registration system. If the class is full please go onto the wait list. If you want to add after the class has started please use the online registration system to make a "Class Add Request". I try to allow as many students as possible into the class, but if you are on the wait list or submit an add request there is no guarantee that you will be able to take the class. 

Important Dates and Schedule Information

Anthropology 3 starts on September 3 and ends on December 20. There is no midterm exam or final exam in this class, but each week there will be a forum/discussion, written assignment to complete, and a multiple choice quiz consisting of 5 questions that you have 15 minutes to finish. I will put new material and new activities on the course page on Sunday evening by 8 PM. Your work is due the following Sunday by 6 PM. 

Syllabus

Schedule of Topics

Week 1: Culture and cultural anthropology

Week 2: Methods and field work

Week 3: Language

Week 4: Kinship 

Week 5: Kinship continued

Week 6: Age, gender, and identity

Week 7: Personality + social control

Week 8: Political organization

Week 9: Distribution

Week 10: Subsistence

Week 11: Subsistence continued

Week 12: Religion

Week 13: THANKSGIVING BREAK

Week 14: Culture change 

Week 15: Culture change continued

Week 16: Finishing up

Reading

Conformity and Conflict, 16th edition, edited by David W. McCurdy, Dianna Shandy, and James Spradley, Pearson Publishers, ISBN 1-4786-5155-5 or ISBN 978-1-4786-5155-0

How This Class is Organized: The class contains 15 weeks or units. For each week there are materials to read and/or videos to watch. Almost every week has a quiz, an assignment, and a forum. In the forum you will be sharing ideas and opinions with other students.

 Grading: Your final grade will be based on your total number of points at the end of the course. If you have earned 90% or more of the points you will earn an B, if you have earned 80-89% you will earn a B, 70-79% a C, 60-69% a D, and less than 60% F. 

I will have your work graded within one week of the due date. For example, if your work is due on Sunday evening I will have it graded before the following Sunday. 

Attendance: If you do not log into the course for two weeks OR if you do not submit any work for two weeks you can be dropped from the class. If you are having problems keeping up with the class please contact me right away. 

If you stop attending after the drop deadline of November 20 you can no longer drop and I can no longer drop you. Your final grade will be FW which means that you failed the class because you stopped attending. 

A grade of incomplete (I) will be given only if you have missed a specific piece of work after the drop deadline (like the last assignment). You need to make up the missing work the next semester. 

Late Work: If you cannot finish the week's work on time please contact me before the deadline so we can  work something out. If I do not hear from you before the deadline it is not possible to make up missing work.