Anthropology 102 CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY Spring Session 2010
Dr. Brian Bartelt
Email: bartelba@lacitycollege.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is designed to introduce students to the study of human behavior in societies across the world, to explain the core ideas and contributions of the study of anthropology and to provide the tools to cross-cultural understanding. We will explore the world-views and belief systems of other peoples by studying each of those systems in their particular contexts, and then comparing and contrasting different cultures and the contexts in which they are situated. In the process, we will attempt to make the familiar strange and the strange familiar, challenging our assumptions about how things work, what we believe and what we value.
Ethnographic films and documentaries will be used throughout the course to supplement the lectures and reading material. Exploring a range of cultures from the Oku of Cameroon to the Inuit of the Arctic, we’ll focus on how and why certain cultural practices emerged, and how culture interacts with other processes to shape human behavior. If, at the end of the course, you are able to use anthropological tools to rethink your membership in a diverse global community, then the aims of this course will have been met.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOME (SLO):
Successful completion of the course will enable students to (1) employ a relative perspective in the appreciation of the world’s cultural diversity, and (2) apply case studies to describe this variation. Competence in these areas will be demonstrated via the completion of an ethnographic fieldwork project concerning a particular community, sub-culture, group or individual in the Los Angeles area.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1. Midterm Exam (25% of grade):
The mid-term exam will be a combination of objective and short essay questions. Make-up exams will be administered only to students with a doctor’s note or other relevant documentation.
2. Research paper (25% of grade)
Students will produce a ‘mini-ethnography’ (6-8 pages) of a community, sub-culture, group or individual, using sound ethnographic methods and applying concepts learned in this course. Students are encouraged to explore the diverse cultural landscape of the Los Angeles area.
3. Final Project Presentation (15% of grade)
Students will present their mini-ethnographies on the last two days of class.
4. Final Exam (25% of grade)
The final exam will be administered on the final exam day, as posted on the
LACC website. The final will be non-cumulative.
REQUIRED TEXT:
Miller, Barbara. 2010. Cultural Anthropology in a Globalizing World.
This book is the reference text for this course and should be used to supplement material presented in lecture.
Office Hours:
I hold office hours Monday through Thursday from 1:00-2:00 pm in the Life Sciences building (LS 106). Email is always the best way to reach me for questions or to schedule an appointment.
Students with Disabilities:
Any student requesting special accommodation based on a disability is required to register with the Office of Special Services (OSS). An Academic Accommodations Letter for approved accommodations can be obtained from OSS, located in Clausen Hall 109. Please deliver the letter to me as early in the term as possible.
COURSE SCHEDULE:
Lecture Readings
02/09 Introduction to the Course Chapter 1
02/11 Culture and World-views
02/16 President’s Day – no class
02/18 Fieldwork & the Craft of Anthropology Chapter 2
02/23 Making a living: Economic systems Chapter 3
02/25 Film & discussion: Onka’s Big Moka
03/02 Modes of reproduction; sex & gender Chapter 4
03/04 Film & discussion: Paris is Burning
03/09 Kinship & Community Chapter 6
03/11 Marriage & the Family
03/16 Social groups; Ethnicity, Race & Class Chapter 7
03/18 Ethnographic Project individual meetings
03/23 Mid-term Review
03/25 Midterm Exam
* Ethnographic Project Proposal due
03/30 Spring Break – no class
04/01
04/06 Power & Prestige: the political dimension Chapter 8
04/08 Social Conflict & Violence
04/13 Language & Culture Chapter 9
04/15 Religion & the Power of Myth
04/20 Expression of Religion Chapter 10
04/22 Ritual & Belief
04/27 Shamanism, Divination, & Ways of Knowing hand-out
04/29 Magic, Witchcraft & Healing
* Film & discussion: The Modernity of Witchcraft
05/04 Health, Illness & Healing: a Darwinian approach Chapter 5
05/06 The Emergence of the Modern World System
05/11 Globalization & its Malcontents Chapter 12
05/13 Film & discussion: Life & Debt
05/18 Culture, Change, & the Modern World Chapter 13
05/20 Indigenous Knowledge in a Global Context
Exam Review
05/25 Presentations of Final Projects, I
05/27 Presentations of Final Projects, II
06/01 – 06/07 Final Exam week
