ANTH A100: Cultural Anthropology
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Curriculum Committee Approval Date | 11/03/2021 |
| Top Code | 220200 - Anthropology |
| Units | 3 Total Units |
| Hours | 54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54) |
| Total Outside of Class Hours | 0 |
| Course Credit Status | Credit: Degree Applicable (D) |
| Material Fee | No |
| Basic Skills | Not Basic Skills (N) |
| Repeatable | No |
| Grading Policy | Standard Letter (S) |
| Associate Arts Local General Education (GE) |
|
| Associate Science Local General Education (GE) |
|
| Global and Multicultural Requirement (OGM) | Yes |
| California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) |
|
| Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) |
|
| California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth) |
|
Course Description
The analysis of social structure, family, kinship, belief, and rite. The determinants of culture and personality. The social analysis of three societies. The methods and perspectives of anthropology. Enrollment Limitation: ANTH A100H; students who complete ANTH A100 may not enroll in or receive credit for ANTH A100H. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC. C-ID: ANTH 120.C-ID: ANTH 120.
Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)
- Compare and contrast anthropology with other social sciences and describe anthropological fieldwork methodologies, emphasizing participant observation, interviewing strategies, and related ethical issues.
- Describe the component parts of culture and their integration including economic systems, modes of subsistence, marriage and kinship, social organization, political systems, language, religion, and art.
- Identify the underlying similarities as well as the wide range of variability of human cultures as valid approaches to universal human challenges, and relate this to your personal experiences.
- Describe the process of globalization and the ways they shape, and are shaped by different aspects of culture in human communities throughout the world and critically comment on some of the ethical issues and how anthropology addresses them.
Course Objectives
- 1. Describe the culture of various societies around the globe.
- 2. Identify the vast similarities we share with many societies.
- 3. Identify the existing cultural universals.
- 4. Identify and be more sensitive to the difficulties/problems experienced by new immigrants to the U.S.
- 5. Identify the factors often attributed to the development of our present day society.
- 6. "Read" a kinship chart (used to display genealogical data) which employs special symbols representing different kin.
- 7. Compare and contrast various institutions (i.e. marriage, family) and components of culture among different societies.
- 8. Evaluate the pros and cons of cultural evolution and analyze the notion of progress.
- 9. Identify the functions of important institutions such as marriage, family, and religion.
- 10. Prepare written presentations on topics in this field of study.
- 11. Define the scope of anthropology and discuss the role of cultural anthropology within the discipline.
- 12. Explain the importance of the ethnographic method.
- 13. Display an understanding of ethnicity, gender, political organization, and economic systems.
- 14. Globalization and the interconnectedness of the economic, political, and sociocultural forces among diverse cultural groups.
- 15. Analyze and evaluate ethical issues and professional ethical obligations.
Lecture Content
INTRO TO ANTHROPOLOGY Introduction: Definition and Scope Four traditional sub-disciplines Physical Anthropology Archaeology Linguistics & Migration Cultural Anthropology STUDYING CULTURE What is culture. Definitions - popular, scientific Methods & Procedures used in learning about culture Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism Culture Shock Some Contributions of Anthropological Research Roles of kin differ (i.e. mothers brother among Trobrianders) Sex and Temperament (Meads famous study) Beauty Around the World Art and Expressive Culture Ethnicity and Race Gender and Sexuality Colonialism Impact of Globalization on Indigenous Societies and Cultures Professional Ethics Applied Anthropology BEGINNINGS OF HUMAN CULTURE Australopithecines Oldowan tools Early Homo Oldowan tools H. erectus Acheulean tools Control fire Neanderthals Mousterian tools Intentional burials Upper Paleolithic Music Cave paintings Neolithic age LINGUISTICS Role of Linguist Inventory of sounds Pronunciation Tonal Languages Gestures Historical Linguistics Sources/Causes of Linguistic Change Classification of Languages Origin of Language Relationship between Language and Culture Gender distinctions Sapir-Whorf hypothesis SOCIAL ORGANIZATION & STRATIFICATION Egalitarian Societies < Equality No specialization of Labor Maintaining equality Ranked society Stratified Class Caste Similarities between caste & class societies Grouping by Age Age grades Rites of passage Age Sets Distinguishing features East African societies (Masai, Nuer) Circumcision - male, female SUBSISTENCE STRATEGIES Food Foraging/Hunting & Gathering Typical Characteristics Mobile Small Groups Example: !Kung Pastoralism - Nomadic vs. Fixed Typical Characteristics Examples: Bakhtiari and Wodaabe Horticulture consequences of domestication of crops Agriculture Sedentary Specialization of Labor Stratified KINSHIP and DESCENT Introduction Kin terms reflect relationships Collection, recording and display of genealogical information Types of kin Descent Groups Tracing Descent Non-Unilineal Bilateral descent Unilineal Patrilineal Matrilineal Kinship Systems Iroquois Cross cousin Parallel cousin Omaha Crow Functions of Descent Groups INCEST & MARRIAGE Incest Incest taboo Reasons Biological Sociological Sibling marriages Marriage Variation in spouse number Monogamy Polygamy Polygyny Polyandry Mar riage Partners Levirate Ghost marriage Sororate Marriages - Simple or elaborate/lavish Simple - example: Mundurucu Not simple - Trobrianders Premarital sex Functions of Marriage among most traditional societies Whats love got to do with it Political alliances Economic reasons RESIDENCE PATTERNS Patrilocal - Traditional China Matrilocal - Hopi Avunculocal - Trobrianders Ambilocal - !Kung Neolocal - U.S. VI. Families & Households Nuclear Orientation Procreation Extended Consanguineal ECONOMIC SYSTEMS Distribution of goods and services Reciprocity Gift giving Redistribution Potlatch Peripheral Market Exchange POLITICAL SYSTEMS Four-fold Classification System Band Example: !Kung Tribe Segmentary Lineage System Chiefdom Example: Trobrianders State Distinguishing features Externalized Controls Formal sanctions Informal sanctions Internalized Controls Voodoo RELIGIOUS SYSTEMS Definition Importance in Traditional vs. Westernized societies Functions of Religion Helps explain the unexplainable/control the uncontrollable Fulfills psychological needs Supernatural Beings and/or Forces Deities Gods/Goddesses Monotheism and Polytheism Ancestral Spirits Non-Human Spirits Animism Animitism Religious Experts Priests Shamans Witchcraft, Sorcery & Magic Revitalization Movements
Method(s) of Instruction
- Lecture (02)
- DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
- DE Online Lecture (02X)
Instructional Techniques
1. Lecture and explanation of topics, terms and concepts. 2. The well-organized subject matter is outlined (in numerical fashion) and detailed on the board. 3. Overhead transparencies of illustrations, diagrams, etc. are consistently used to enhance the presentation of lecture material. 4. Current and recent newspaper, magazine and/or journal articles are discussed in class to reinforce the lecture and emphasize the relevance of the discipline. 5. Videos about peoples and cultures are presented to students. 6. Students work cooperatively during in-class exercises. These five-ten minute exercises are designed to reinforce and enhance the material covered in class as well as aiding the instructor in evaluating the learning process. 7. Pedagogical poems (songs the instructor devises which set subject matter to music) are presented in class so that students can be engaged in an enjoyable activity which will help them recall important facts. Students take this handout home to study. 8. The instructor provides additional handouts on descent reckoning/kinship and tribal organization for student analysis. 9. Instructor provides written feedback on students written papers. 10. Instructor provides written feedback on students essays. 11. Instructor provides verbal feedback to students engaged in exercises. 12. Instructor offers opportunity to obtain extra credit by visiting museums, attending lectures, or handing in a written presentation of library research. 13. Instructor provides students with study guides for each exam.
Reading Assignments
Students will spend a minimum of 2 hours weekly reading from assigned textbook(s).
Writing Assignments
Students will spend a minimum of 2 hours per week writing a paper summarizing and analyzing information related to cultural anthropology. The written presentation has two parts; the first is a summary in the students own words of the information presented, and the second requires the student to compare/contrast the published information to material covered in class or the text. Two separate articles from two different sources must be compared. The student must read and review assigned articles from the Annual Editions text. Additionally students are afforded the opportunity to summarize an article, visit a museum, or attend a lecture presented by a professional in the field for extra credit. Each student is allowed to hand in up to three extra credit summaries per semester.
Out-of-class Assignments
A minimum of 2 hours per week will be spent on the following: Students are afforded the opportunity to summarize an article, visit a museum, or attend a lecture presented by a professional in the field for extra credit. Each student is allowed to hand in up to three extra credit summaries per semester.
Demonstration of Critical Thinking
Four quizzes with objective questions are administered. Questions are based on material presented in lectures, the texts, videos and class exercises. Three exams are given. Objective and essay questions are based on material presented in texts, lectures, videos, and class exercises. Students participate in exercises reinforcing material covered in class. Students engage in "web-surfing" to complete written assignment. Students research the text for information to discuss and analyze in a written presentation. Students will participate in small-group, in-class discussions.
Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration
Students are required to write a paper summarizing and analyzing information related to cultural anthropology. The written presentation has two parts; the first is a summary in the students own words of the information presented, and the second requires the student to compare/contrast the published information to material covered in class or the text. Two separate articles from two different sources must be compared. The student must read and review assigned articles from the Annual Editions text. Additionally students are afforded the opportunity to summarize an article, visit a museum, or attend a lecture presented by a professional in the field for extra credit. Each student is allowed to hand in up to three extra credit summaries per semester.
Eligible Disciplines
Anthropology: Masters degree in anthropology or archaeology OR bachelors degree in either of the above AND masters degree in sociology, biological sciences, forensic sciences, genetics or paleontology OR the equivalent. Masters degree required.
Textbooks Resources
1. Required Haviland, William D. . Cultural Anthropology, Latest ed. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace Publishers , 1996 Rationale: latest 2. Required Angeloni, Elvio, Editor. Annual Editions: Anthropology, Latest ed. Sluice Dock: Dushkin Publishers , 1998 Rationale: latest 3. Required Kottak, C. Mirror for Humanity, Latest ed. McGraw-Hill, 2014 4. Required Peters-Golden, H. Culture Sketches: Case Studies in Anthropology, Latest ed. McGraw-Hill, 2012 5. Required Guest, K. J. Cultural Anthropology, Latest ed. W. W. Norton, 2014
Other Resources
1. Instructor prepared handouts