COURSE SYLLABUS ANT 3034-U02

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1 COURSE SYLLABUS ANT 3034-U02 Anthropological Theories Fall 2013 Tuesday and Thursday 5:00 6:15. # Academic Health Center Maidique Campus, Florida International University Version of August 27, 2013 COURSE DESCRIPTION Theories structure a discipline s inquiry and define what is important. This course investigates anthropological ways of knowing, understanding, and explaining humankind. A special focus is on how theories and methods are used by applied, practicing and public anthropologists to address contemporary issues. Through a comparative analysis of the similarities and differences among anthropological theories and theorists, we discuss how these have changed or remained consistent over time adapting to the social, political, and economic trends in science, society, and the world. By each student focusing on a contemporary theory we explore the history of ideas and theorists that guide anthropological inquiry, applications and public discourse today. On successful completion of the course students should be able to articulate a theoretical perspective they can use to understand contemporary issues and problems. COURSE OBJECTIVES: What you should be able to do on completion of this course. 1. Understand the interpretive and explanatory role of theory for the production of knowledge. 2. Critique the assumptions, questions and preferred methods for major anthropological theories. 3. Apply a theoretical perspective to address a contemporary issue or problem. 4. Articulate verbally and in writing A. a theoretical explanation for a research question or applied problem. B. the major theorists credited for the development of the theory C. how theory is used by applied and practicing anthropologists. INSTRUCTOR Dennis Wiedman, Ph.D. Anthropologist Associate Professor. Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies. Office: University Park SIPA Office Hours: Wednesday 3:00 to 4:00, or by appointment. Wiedmand@fiu.edu Web Page: communication should be within Blackboard. I try to respond within three days. REQUIRED READINGS: Erickson, Paul A. and Liam D. Murphy 2008 A History of Anthropological Theory, Third Edition. Ontario: University of Toronto Press. ISBN: Moore, Jerry D Visions of Culture: An Introduction to Anthropological Theories and Theorists. Fourth Edition. New York: Alta Mira Press. ISBN Original Anthropology Theorist Readings: Selected publications written by the original theorists are discussed throughout the semester as noted in the schedule below and in Blackboard. All are available free of charge through the FIU Library electronic journals, or as a pdf in Blackboard. 1

2 WEB ASSISTED COURSE MATERIALS Blackboard. Specific information for course assignments is posted in Blackboard throughout the semester. Blackboard supports the student learning experience with related readings, web page links, study aids, discussions, s, and extra credit exercises. Student computers should use Mozilla FireFox, MS Word, and Adobe Reader for pdf files. Announcements: This is where the instructor communicates with the students. It is important to read announcements as soon as they are posted. Messages: Send s to selected individuals using the drop down list. the instructor only within Blackboard Messages. Forums: Student discussions take place here on course topics. Internet access can be through any computer. Computers in the FIU computer labs and the library are available for your use. Begin by clicking on Blackboard Learn from the FIU current student main page. COURSE REQUIREMENTS All course requirements must be completed in order to earn a passing grade. Each course requirement earns points as noted in the grade calculation section. Final grades are non-negotiable; letter grades are assigned based on the points earned. 1) Two Exams and Final Exam enables the student to demonstrate an understanding of the subject by focusing on class lectures, films, readings, and presentations. The Final Exam is cumulative of the entire course. Exams are composed of matching, multiple choice, true & false, word identifications, essays, etc. Legitimate reasons for not taking an exam at the scheduled time must be approved by the instructor prior to that date. Missed exams must be taken prior to the next class meeting. Students with a written medical excuse receive their full exam score; others receive ten points less than their exam score. 2) Exercises are in-class and out-of-class assignments that enable students to express their perspectives, course comprehension and research abilities while demonstrating their writing and presentation skills. Exercises are designed to take students through the literature review steps to identify and discuss theoretical perspectives used to explain a contemporary issue or problem. Best scores are awarded for perfect punctuation, format, and logic written in the style of the American Anthropologist. Missed in-class exercises cannot be made up; a written note from a health practitioner is required in order not to receive reduced points. 3) Theory Spokesperson & Group Defense: Three to six students become advocates, proponents and spokespersons for each of the major anthropological theories. By reading the course texts, original theorist writings, course presentations and additional sources, each student serves as an expert throughout the semester for the theory. Following the course presentation on that theory, the group of spokespersons defends their theory from questions asked by other theory groups. A peerreview assessment of group member contributions is administered at the end of the semester. 2

3 Syllabus Anthropological Theories 4) Individual Essay on Applying Theory: This essay demonstrates the student s knowledge of anthropological theory and skills in critical analysis and writing. In this essay the student succinctly presents their research on how anthropological theories are used by Applied and Practicing Anthropologists to address a human problem. Select two research articles published in the past seven years from the publications Human Organization, or Annals of Anthropological Practice. How do the authors use anthropology theory and methods to address an applied problem or issue. Minimum of five pages of text, not including references cited section. Papers will be evaluated for their content, as well as grammar and spelling. Papers are submitted in Blackboard using turnitin.com. Detailed instructions will be posted in Blackboard and discussed in class. Web pages cannot be used as sources unless they are clearly justified as an authoritative sources. 5) Career Profile Presentation: Combining information from the two essays, and additional information about the career area, the student produces a PowerPoint or Presi visual. What are the commonalities in theoretical concepts and explanatory approaches of anthropologists working in this career area? How do anthropologists working in this career area use anthropological theories and methods to address their particular applied issues and problems? How do these theories relate to the major heuristic theories and leading historical theorists. What are the career opportunities for this kind of training? Additionally, what are the professional organizations that support this employment sector? What training, certificates or degrees are needed? The presentation should be of a length that is presentable in five to ten minutes. Instructor selected presentations will be posted for viewing and comments by all the class members during the Discussion Forum of the final week. Classroom Etiquette: During class time cell phones and text messaging must be turned off and out of sight. Class discussions demonstrate the student's interest in the course, understanding of the materials, as well as critical thinking and verbal skills. Active, courteous and informed participation is highly desired. Attendance: In order to succeed in this course, students are expected to attend every class. Avoid arriving late or leaving early since this disrupts the presentation and student concentration. Course materials, exercises and discussions presented in class are the responsibility of the student. In-class exercises are designed to promote attendance. Style and Format: All written assignments, both electronic or printed, MUST be in the format and style used by the American Anthropologist. Style guidelines are available in Blackboard:Instructions, Writing Papers in the Style of the American Anthropologist. Use MS Word, double space using 1 inch top, bottom, and side margins. Use Times Roman 12 point font. Do not use footnotes. Single space the References Cited section which immediately follows the text. Do not use separate cover page. Place topic of paper, student name, and date single-spaced on top of first page. Name should appear on the top right of each page. Bottom center page numbers. For printed papers, simply staple pages together, do not use a binder or fancy cover. 3

4 Timeliness: Printed exercises and essays are due within 10 minutes of the beginning of the class on the due date; electronic versions are due in Blackboard one hour before the beginning of class. Papers received before midnight of the scheduled day receive one-half letter grade less than earned, thereafter they receive a letter grade reduction for each week it is late. Written assignments will not be accepted after two weeks of the deadline. When both printed and electronic versions are required, both are necessary in order to receive a grade. The last dates to submit extra credits and late assignments are posted in the course schedule below. Turnitin.com: Designated out-of-class exercises and course papers must be submitted through Blackboard into Turnitin.com. This University sponsored service improves student writing by preventing plagiarism and provides rich feedback. Academic Ethics It is strictly prohibited to submit as one's own work any material produced by other persons, by a professional research agency, or the Internet. It is considered plagiarism to not cite the sources of your information. All sources must be identified with in-text citations and in a References Cited section using the style of the American Anthropologist. Written exercises and papers must be submitted to Blackboard:Turnitin for an assessment of originality. Student s who violate these principles could receive a grade of F for the course. The instructor has the authority to consider academic misconduct charges that carry considerable penalties. Please consult the University student handbook for further information on plagiarism and its consequences. Optional Ways to Get a Better Grade 1 Applied Anthropologist Presentation: Students who want to ensure a better grade can produce a PowerPoint/Prezi presentation focusing on the career of a single applied anthropologist highlighting how they contributed to the further development of anthropological theories to address human problems. A list of applied anthropologists will be in Blackboard: Course Materials. Students must be willing to present a PowerPoint in order to receive points. Post the presentation in Blackboard submissions. Be sure to reduce the pixel size of the graphic images so that the file is not too large to submit via Blackboard. CDs or thumb drives are not acceptable given the chance for viruses. Earn up to three extra points. 2) Optional PowerPoint Presentation to the Class: The Instructor will preview the submitted presentations and invite selected students to present their work before the class. Presentations can earn up to five additional points. 3) Optional Internet Videos. Recommend Internet videos that facilitate student understanding of anthropological theory. Justify your selection with a narrative why it is of value for students to view, how it specifically contributes to a better understanding of anthropological theory. Identify the part of the course could this could be used to facilitate student learning. What makes this interesting? Include the web address, title of the video and viewing minutes. Post in Optional Video Discussion Forum where students view and comment on the video. Recommendations are accepted anytime during the semester up to the Friday of Week fourteen. Earn up to 5 extra points for all recommendations. 4

5 COURSE POINTS Exam 1, 2, 3 15 points each 45 Theory Spokesperson 5 Individual Essay Applying Theory 15 Career Profile Presentation 10 Exercises ** 25 TOTAL 100 Optional: Earn points up to: Individual PowerPoint Presentation to Class 3 5..Internet Videos 5 Grand Total Points 113 FINAL GRADE CALCULATION Grand Total Points A = C = A- = C- = B+ = D+ = B = D = B- = D- = C+ = F = 59.9 or less ** At the end of the semester the total number of points for the Exercises may be more or less than the Course Points. Exercise points are calculated using the following formula: A) Total points received divided by B) Total possible points, multiplied by C) Course Points = D) Course Points Earned. (A / B) x C = D COURSE TOPICS AND READING SCHEDULE Assigned readings are to be completed by class meeting. Week One: August 27, 29. Introductions and Course Overview Student s Who s Who posted in Blackboard: Discussions by Thursday August 29, an hour before class. Week Two: Sept 3 & 5. Anthropology Defined Erickson & Murphy: Pps.1-61 Moore: ix 3; Founders. Tyler, Morgan Week Three: Sept 10 & 12. Major Theories. Erickson & Murphy: Moore: Boas, Durkheim Boas, Franz (Anthropology Defined) 1899 Anthropology: Aims and Scope. Science, New Series 9, No. 212 (Jan 20, 1899): Week Four: Sept 17, 19. Evolutionism Erickson & Murphy: Moore: White, Steward Steward, Julian (Cultural Ecology, Materialism) 1949 Cultural Causality and Law: A Trial Formulation of the Development of Early Civilizations. American Anthropologist 51(1):1-27. Week Five: Sept 24, 26. American Cultural Patterns and Configurations Exam 1 on Thursday, Sept 26. Erickson & Murphy: Moore: Pps ; Kroeber, Benedict 59-80, Mead Kroeber, Alfred (Cultural Patterns) 1917 The Superorganic. American Anthropologist 19(2): Week Six: Oct 1, 3. British Structures and Functions Moore: Malinowksi, Radcliffe-Brown, Evans-Pritchard Barth, Fredrik (Social Anthropology, Processualism, Transactionalism) 1967 On the Study of Social Change. American Anthropologist 69: Week Seven: Oct 8, 10. Structuralism Moore: Mauss , Levi-Strauss , Douglas Levi-Strauss, Claude (Structuralism) 1966 The Scope of Anthropology. Current Anthropology 7(2): Student selections of two research articles posted in Blackboard Discussion Forum an hour before class Oct 10. 5

6 Week Eight: Oct 15, 17. Cognitive Theory Moore: Sapir Dressler, William W., and James R. Bindon. (Cognitive Theory) 2000 The Health Consequences of Cultural Consonance: Cultural Dimensions of Lifestyle, Social Support, and Arterial Blood Pressure in an African American Community. American Anthropologist 102(2): Week Nine: Oct 22, 24 Materialism, Political Economy Moore: Harris ; Leacock ; Wolf Leacock, E. (Feminism, Materialism, Political Economy, Evolution) 1978 Women's Status in Egalitarian Society: Implications for Social Evolution. Current Anthropology 19: Week Ten: Oct 29,31. Symbolic Interpretive Moore: Pps ; Turner ; Geertz Geertz, Clifford (Symbolic Interpretive) 1972 Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight. Daedalus 101(1): Individual Essay Applying Theory: Printed within 10 minutes of beginning of class, Thursday, Oct 31. Electronic version submitted an hour before class in Blackboard- turnitin.com. Week Eleven: Nov 5, 7. Transactionalism, Processualism & Agency Moore: Bourdieu ; Sahlins Bourdieu, Pierre (Post-Modernism Processualism) 2004 The Peasant and His Body. Ethnography 5: Exam 2 on Thursday Nov 7. Week Twelve: Nov 12,14. Feminism, Globalization Moore: Pps ; Fernandez ; Ortner Appadurai, Arjun (Globalization) 1990 Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy. Public Culture 2:1-24. Week Thirteen: Nov 19, 21. Post-Modernism Moore: Postscript, Current Controversies Wiedman, Dennis (Biocultural, Globalization) 2010 Globalizing the Chronicities of Modernity: Diabetes and the Metabolic Syndrome. In Chronic Conditions, Fluid States: Chronicity and the Anthropology of Illness. L. Manderson and C. Smith-Morris, eds. Pp New Brunswick: Rutgers U. Press. (Pdf provided in Blackboard) Optional Individual PowerPoint: Due Tuesday, Nov 19. Electronic version submitted an hour before class in turnitin.com. Group Career Presentations Week Fourteen: Nov 26, 28. (Thursday, Nov Thanksgiving Holiday. No Class) Deadline for essays and extra credits. (No items accepted 2 weeks after original deadline.) Due within 10 minutes of beginning of class, Tuesday Nov 26. Electronic version submitted one hour before class in Blackboard:turnitin Group Career Presentations Student Presentations Week Fifteen: Dec 3, 5. Group Career Presentations Student Presentations Final Exam Week: Dec Final Exam As posted in University final examination schedule. 6