General Information
Professor: Dr. Carla Guerrón-Montero
Office and Phone: 105 Munroe Hall (x3362)
Office Hours: TU 9:00-10:00 am
and 12:30 pm-2:00 pm
E-mail Address: cguerron@udel.edu
Class Hours and Room:
TU 11:00 am -12:15 pm - SMI 140
Webpage: http://www.udel.edu/anthro/cgm
Teaching Assistant: Sarah Archbald
Office Hours: M 1:30-2:30 pm and T 12:30-2:00 (Munroe Hall 104)
Course Prerequisites
Course Description and Objectives
This syllabus contains detailed information about the requirements of this class. Please refer to it to fulfill your assignments, and for any other question you have in regards to this class. Please be very careful in following ALL of the instructions of this syllabus to write your assignments appropriately.
What content will the course address? How does the course fit in with other courses in the discipline?
How is the course structured? Large lecture with discussion sessions? Large lecture with laboratory and discussion sessions? Seminar?
How are the major topics organized?
Requirements
University Requirements
UD email: Students who wish to receive their UD e-mail at a non-UD mailbox (e.g., AOL, Hotmail, etc.) must forward their UD e-mail to that mailbox and ensure that it is working so that they can receive and read official UD e-mail, including course-related materials, in a timely fashion. Instructions for forwarding are posted on the UD Network Page [www.udel.edu/network]
Course Requirements
Required Texts (available at University of Delaware Bookstore)
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1. SHOSTAK, Marjorie. 2002. Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman. Fourth printing. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
2. SPRADLEY, James and David McCurdy. 2005. Conformity and Conflict: Readings in Cultural Anthropology. Eleventh edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
3. STEPICK, Alex and Dale Frederick Swartz. 1998. Pride Against Prejudice: Haitians in the United States. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
4. WARD, Martha. 2005. Nest in the Wind: Adventures in Anthropology on a Tropical Island (second edition). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press. -
Other Required Readings
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1. Handouts available at instructor’s webpage
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Course Requirements:
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1. Participation: 150 points
2. First exam: 250 points
2. Second exam: 250 points
3. Final exam: 350 points
TOTAL: 1000 points
Participation: Students are expected to come to each class prepared, and to have read the materials assigned prior to coming to class. Students should also make every effort to arrive to classes on time. Students are responsible for all readings, whether or not they have been fully discussed in class. In addition, students are encouraged to bring questions about the readings and class material to class. Discussion and comments are strongly encouraged. Students will engage in in-class writing exercises and pop quizzes several times throughout the semester (quizzes will cover material assigned for the week when the quiz will take place; consequently, students should read the materials assigned in advance). These exercises and quizzes will be counted as part of the participation grade and cannot be taken at a later date or substituted for any other exercise or activity. This class has no attendance policy. However, there is a positive correlation between attending every class period and doing well in this class.
Objective Exams: Students will take three objective exams on Thursday March 9 2006, Thursday April 20 2006, and a final exam (on Thursday May 25 2006). These exams will take place in class, and will include multiple choice, true-false, and matching questions. The first and second exam will cover approximately one third of the course material each. The final exam is cumulative, although heavily weighted toward the last third of the course material. The instructor does not grade on a curve.
Special Considerations
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY POLICY. Please refer to the General Statement of Policies and Procedures for Students in Anthropology (attached to this syllabus) for information on academic dishonesty. It is the student’s responsibility to read and understand this document.
CLASS ETIQUETTE. Please turn off cellular phones and other electronic devices and refrain from engaging in conversations unrelated to class during class time.
EXAM MAKE-UP POLICY. Students will be allowed to make up an exam in this class only under verifiable strenuous medical or family situations. Under these circumstances, justification needs to be presented in writing with the proper documentation. A missed scheduled exam not made up is graded as a zero.
EXTRA CREDIT, INCOMPLETES AND GRADING SCALE. No extra credit assignments will be given to individuals. No incompletes will be given to individuals, unless under verifiable strenuous medical or family situations. A curve will not be used to determine grading.
OFFICE HOURS POLICY. The instructor holds five office hours per week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 to 10:00 am and from 12:30 to 2:00 pm. Students should attempt to talk to the instructor within those hours for questions in relationship to this class. If an appointment outside of that time is necessary, please email the instructor to set up such appointment in advance. The teaching assistant for this class holds office hours on Mondays from 1:30 to 2:30 pm and Tuesday from 12:30 to 2:00.
If you have a documented disability requiring academic adjustments for this class, please contact the American with Disabilities Act Office (302-831-3670) or dfarris@udel.edu. The ADA Office personnel will review your documentation with you and help determine appropriate, reasonable accommodations. Following the meeting with ADA personnel, please make an appointment with me, as your instructor, to discuss your accommodation request in light of the course requirements. You may self-disclose and request an academic adjustment any time during the semester. However, I strongly recommend that you do so as soon as possible because adequate lead-time is required for reasonable accommodations.
Grading and Policies
Points Scale for Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
|
Scale |
Letter |
Scale |
Letter |
Scale |
Letter |
Scale |
Letter |
Scale |
Letter |
|
1000-966 |
A+ |
899-866 | B+ | 799-766 | C+ | 699-666 | D+ | Below 600 | F |
|
965-932 |
A |
865-832 | B | 765-732 | C | 665-632 | D | ||
|
931-900 |
A- |
831-800 | B- | 731-700 | C- | 631-600 | D- |
Calendar and Events
This schedule may change at any time according to class needs and demands. For instance, we might spend a longer time than expected on a specific topic that students find more interesting. Students will be advised in advance of such changes. There will be no changes regarding assignment deadlines
Course Calendar
Week One— February 6 to February 10
· Introduction of instructor and students
· The Exploration of Cultural Diversity
· Excerpts from video: The Day I Will Never Forget
· Readings:
- Spradley and McCurdy, Part I (Chapters 1, 2 and 3)
Week Two— February 13 to February 17
· Culture, Ethnography, and Fieldwork
· Excerpts from video: A Man Called ‘Bee’ and Neighborhood Tokio
· Readings:
- Spradley and McCurdy, Part I (Chapters 4 and 5)
- Ward’s Nest in the Wind, Introduction and Chapter 1
Week Three— February 20 to February 24
· History of Anthropological Theory
· Video: Coming of Age
· Readings:
- Handout
Week Four— February 27 to March 3
· Language and Communication
· Video: Body Art
· Readings:
- Spradley and McCurdy, Part II (all)
- Ward’s Nest in the Wind, Chapter 3
Week Five— March 6 to March 10
· Ecology, Subsistence and Economic Systems
· Video: Ecology of Mind
· Readings:
- Spradley and McCurdy, Part III and IV (all)
· (Thursday March 9, 2006: First in-class exam)
Week Six and Seven— March 13 to March 24
· Kinship and Family
· Video: NAI!: The Story of a !Kung Woman
· Excerpts from video: Regopstaan's Dream
· Mid-semester course evaluations
· Readings:
- Spradley and McCurdy, Part V (all)
- Shostak’s Nisa, pages 1-114
- Ward’s Nest in the Wind, Chapters 2 and 4
Week Eight—March 27 to March 31
Spring break (no classes will be held)
Week Nine and Ten— April 3 to April 14
· Identity, Gender Roles and Groups
· Video: Juchitán: Queer Paradise
· Readings:
- Spradley and McCurdy, Part VI (all)
- Shostak’s Nisa, pages 115-258
- Ward’s Nest in the Wind, Chapter 5 and 7
Week Eleven and Twelve— April 17 to April 28
· Religion, Magic and Worldview
· Video: Rebel Music
· Readings:
- Spradley and McCurdy, Part VIII (all)
- Shostak’s Nisa, pages 259-332
- Handout
· (Thursday April 20, 2006: Second in-class exam)
Week Thirteen— May 1 to May 5
· Migration and Cultural Change
· Race and Ethnicity
· Guest speaker on Migration Issues in the United States
· Excerpts from video: Black and White in Exile
· Readings:
- Stepick and Swartz’ Pride Against Prejudice (all)
Week Fourteen and Fifteen— May 8 to May 16
· Globalization and Applied Anthropology
· Video: No Logo
· Course evaluations
· Guest speaker on Globalization and Fair Trade
· Readings:
- Spradley and McCurdy, Chapters 9 and 10 (all)
- Ward’s Nest in the Wind, Chapters 9-11
Thursday May 25.
Final exam from 1:00 to 3:00 pm