ANTH 2351 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Class syllabus INSTRUCTOR: Mickie Murin E-MAIL: mmurin@alvincollege.edu OFFICE: Internet PHONE: 505-401-6596 OFFICE HOURS: Monday-Sunday 9:00am-5:00pm (Arizona time) Textbook Title : Cultural Anthropology: Appreciating Cultural Diversity, 14 th Edition Author : Conrad Phillip Kottak Publisher : McGraw Hill Edition/Year : 2011 ISBN : 978-0-07-811698-8 Instructor: Mickie Murin email: mmurin@alvincollege.edu and mmurin@intergate.com Phone: 520-761-4645 (h) 505-401- 6596 (cell) Course Goals Course Goals : Anthropology is the study of human beings. Anthropologist Ruth Benedict said, "The purpose of anthropology is to make the world safe for human differences." The differences (and commonalities) that anthropologists are interested in are both cultural and physical in nature. Anthropology includes the reconstruction of past cultures (archaeology), the study of living cultures (cultural anthropology), and the study of physical adaptations humans have made to various environments (physical anthropology). The major goal of cultural anthropology is to promote understanding among peoples -- an increasingly important endeavor in an increasingly interconnected global community. Understanding human diversity promotes the understanding that diversity does not create "them" and "us," but a more interesting "us." Critical thinking is an important aspect of learning and forming educated personal opinions. To help with this goal, there are 15 Discussions," one for each chapter. Some of you may strongly disagree with the topic, others will embrace the idea that's presented. The purpose of the discussions is to generate discourse on all views. Course Requirements Introduction: There are 15 chapters in the book. Learning Objectives and keywords definitions are a good starting point when studying for exams. Also, a week or two before each test, a review will be e-mailed to all students. Within most chapters, there are articles (outside of your textbook) for you to read. There's a good chance that information from the articles/web sites will be on the test. Requirements : Grades for the course will be based on 4 requirements:
1. Four Homework Assignments; 2. Four exams; 3. Class participation; and 4. Class project 1. The exams (25% of total grade) will occur approximately every 4 weeks and may include definitions, short answer questions, and essay questions. You will receive a review of possible test questions a week or two prior to the tests. 2. The homework assignments (25% of total grade) will involve writing a one to three page essay on a particular subject that you may have to research on the Internet. If you've never done research on the Internet, give me a call and I'll walk you through your first assignment. I advise that you submit the assignments on a timely basis; getting behind can cause un-necessary stress. To access assignments, choose "ASSIGNMENTS" under your Course Tools menu. Each assignment has a due date. A student can submit an assignment after that date, but please note points will be deducted for late papers. 3. Class participation (25% of total grade) will be noted via your involvement in class Discussions. There are 15 discussions and in order to do well students must submit a response to all 15. If you have a topic you d like to submit for comment, please feel free to do so. Submit your topics via "DISCUSSIONS" under your Course Tool menu. It may not seem so at first, but this section of your grade is as important as the other three; it is ¼ of your total grade! Discussions are due at the end of each week (Sundays) by midnight, and must contain at least 100 words. 4. Class project (25% of total grade) Chapter 3 discusses ethnographic techniques as well as survey research. For your student project, develop and conduct a project according to the guidelines of the first six techniques; instructions and examples are provided under Student Project. 400-350 = A 349-300 = B 299-250 = C 240-200 = D <200 = F Incomplete. No Incompletes or I grades will be given except for extreme circumstances. If an I grade is assigned and the course work is not completed by the pre-arranged time limit, this grade will convert to an F. Withdrawal. Students who file withdrawal requests by the published deadline will receive a grade of W. It is recommended that the student talk to the instructor before withdrawing. If a decision is made to withdraw, the student must start the process at the Enrollment Services Center, room A-100. Failure to withdraw by the deadline may result in a grade of F (please keep this in mind if you plan on dropping the course). #Requirement Due Dates: Assignment 1: September 13 Test 1: September 14-15 Assignment 2: October 11
Test 2: October 12-13 Assignment 3: November 8 Test 3: November 9-10 Student Project: December 2 Assignment 4: December 7 Test 4: December 8-9 #Any changes to the above schedule will be sent via class announcement. Homework and Student Project Review Rubric Objective/Criteria Performance Indicators Need Improvement Meet Expectations Exceptional Mechanics (10 points) More than 3 grammatical Less than 3 grammatical spelling or punctuation No grammatical, Organization (10 points) The assignment does not contain a summary of the article The assignment contains a summary but lacks clarity and organization The review is organized and includes a brief summary of the assignment Summary (10 poins) There are no stated reasons and/or examples that explain the significance of the information the assignment and the class There are vague examples referring to the significance, or lack of supporting detail There are stated reasons and/or examples that explain the significance of the information to the assignment and the class Personal Opinion (10 points) Contains no concluding statement or does not summarize the personal response Personal response stated but vaguely Personal response stated creatively and clearly Citation Does not include a citation of the source(s) used Includes citation of the source(s) being used
Discussion Review Rubric Objective/Criteria Performance Indicators Need Improvement Meet Expectations Exceptional Mechanics (0.5 points) (1 points) More than 3 grammatical Less than 3 grammatical spelling or punctuation No grammatical, Organization (1 points) (2 points) The response does not address the posed discussion The response addresses the posed discussion, but lacks clarity and organization The response addresses the posed discussion with logical, well thought out points Personal Opinion (1 points) (2 points) Does not provide a personal opinion Personal opinion stated but vaguely Personal response stated creatively and clearly Citation (2 points) If sources are used, does not include a citation of the source(s) If sources are used, includes citation of the source(s) COURSE POLICIES: Attendance is noted by the number of hours a student spends in the course. It is recommended that at least 3-5 hours a week be spent working on course assignments and studying for tests. Students must login at least once a week. Participation is also mandatory. Although some students might be shy or reluctant to participate it is an invaluable tool for succeeding in classes and in life. Scholastic Honesty is an integral part of academia. Alvin Community College has a strong disciplinary stance on cheating or plagiarism of any kind. Suspected policy violations will result in a grade of F for the assessment tool involved. A great web site to To learn to discern the good, the bad and the ugly for your online research can be found at http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/index.html. Americans With Disabilities Act: ACC complies with ADA and 504 Federal guidelines by affording equal access to individuals who are seeking an education. Students who have a disability and would like classroom accommodations must register with the Office of Disability Services, A 136, (281)756-3533. Instructors are not able to provide accommodations until the proper process has been followed. The student is expected to take a lead role in becoming responsible and self-reliant by becoming his own advocate in securing services and accommodations which are keys to academic and interpersonal
success. This does not mean that less will be required of the student with a disability than of others, but only that reasonable accommodations will be made. Receiving an accommodation is not a guarantee for success in the classroom, but rather a way for all students to have equal access. There is no separate set of guidelines for students with disabilities. The college will make reasonable accommodations for any qualified students with diagnosed disabilities who have been admitted to the College and request accommodations by consulting with the ADA Counselor, who serves as a liaison between students, faculty and staff. Students are responsible for making their disability known, providing documentation, and working with their instructors. It is important for the student to notify both the ADA Counselor and instructors about the disability in a timely manner. Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) Letting someone know:the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) at Alvin Community College is committed to improving community safety through a proactive, collaborative, coordinated, objective and thoughtful approach to the prevention, identification, assessment, intervention and management of situations that pose, or may reasonably pose, a threat to the safety and well-being to the campus community. College faculty, staff, students and community members may communicate concerns to the BIT by email, BIT@alvincollege.edu, or through an electronic reporting option located on the BIT page of the college website, http://www.alvincollege.edu. SUPPORT INFORMATION: BlackBoard and IT Questions: If you are missing a course or having difficulty logging in: call 281-756-3544, or 281-756-3728 281-756-3544 if you need password help. 281-756-3728 for all other issues, or you can email de@alvincollege.edu Computer Lab: Phone: 281-756 -3566, http://www.alvincollege.edu/resources/computerlabs_resources.htm Writing Center: Phone: 281-756-6317, http://www.alvincollege.edu/resources/learning_lab.htm Library Fall and Spring Semesters Hours 7:30 am 9:00 pm M Th 7:30 am 5:00 pm Friday 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm Sunday Phone: 281.756.3559
Your instructor Mickie Murin