Anthropology 3- Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Class meets Monday from 4:00-7:00 p.m.

Professor Lise Mifsud, M.A.

Office Location: T.B.A.

Office Hour: 3:00-4:00 p.m.

Course Description: This course will introduce students to the various aspects of Cultural Anthropology. We will discuss the many components of culture including: language and communication, patterns of subsistence, economic systems, sex and marriage, family and household, kinship and descent, gender and social stratification, political organization and social control, culture and the supernatural, the arts, culture change and the future of humanity.

Course Texts:

Diamond, Jared

2005, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed.

Haviland, Prins, Walrath, McBride

2005, Cultural Anthropology, Eleventh Edition.

Course Requirements: There will be two midterms, a final exam, and a term paper. Each exam is worth 100 points. The exams will cover material from the course text and lecture material (refer to “Course Outline and Reading Assignments”). The term paper is based on the book by Jared Diamond.

Extra-Credit: There will be one extra-credit assignment worth ten points. The assignment will be made available after the first midterm exam.

Student Conduct: There are no cell phones permitted in class. You are expected to arrive on time and be prepared for class. If you need to leave class early, notify me prior to the start of the lecture. Sleeping in class is not permitted. Cheating on an exam will not be tolerated and you will receive zero points for your efforts and a letter grade of “F” for the course (refer to the Class Schedule for examples of academic dishonesty).

Policy on missing an exam: If you miss an exam and have a valid excuse (medical emergency or death in the family) a make-up exam will be given. You must notify me prior to the exam and provide documentation!!! Failure to do so will result in zero points for the exam!

Grading: The following is the grading scale utilized in this class and is based on the points earned out of the total points (400) available.

A=100-90%, B=89-80%, C=79-70%, D=69-60%, F=59% and below

Course Outline and Reading Assignments*

Topic Text Chapter

Introduction to Anthropology 1

Research Methods in Cultural Anthropology 1

The Characteristics of Culture 2

The Beginnings of Human Culture 3

Language and Communication 4

Patterns of Subsistence 6

Economic Systems 7

Midterm 1

Sex and Marriage 8

Family and Household 9

Extra-credit Assignment

Kinship and Descent 10

Grouping by Gender, Age, Common Interest, and Class 11 & Pages 135-139

Racism Pages 53, 80-83

Midterm II

Politics, Power and Violence 12

Culture and the Supernatural 13

The Arts 14

Applied Anthropology N/A

Medical Anthropology N/A

Culture Change 15

Anthropology and the Future 16

Essay Exam Due Last day of lecture

Final Exam day and time: Refer to class schedule for the North County Campus