Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Course

Description

Description:

This course provides an introduction to cultural anthropology: in particular, the concept of culture and how it interpenetrates various domains of organization and activity – such as adaptation, subsistence, economy, politics, and kinship – in a wide variety of societies and groups. Changing theoretical approaches, fieldwork, ethnography, cross-cultural analysis and comparisons, complex society, and local-regional-global perspectives will all be addressed. Meets the cultures or social science general education requirement, but not both. 

Objectives

1. Explain the concept of culture.
2. Identify the ways culture interpenetrates adaptation, subsistence, economy, politics, kinship and other human activities in a variety of societies.
3. Distinguish the main theoretical approaches used by anthropologists.
4. Explain ethnographic method.
5. Interpret cross-cultural analyses at a beginning level. 

Short writing assignments

Each unit includes one or more short writing assignments. These are structured as a series of questions you must answer. Your answers should consist of complete sentences and proper grammar/syntax. The answers can be found in the assigned readings.

Cultural reflections assignments

There are five cultural reflections assignments. These assignments ask you to go beyond simply answering questions. You are asked to reflect on the cultural significance of various topics. You should answer these in essay style using correct grammar and syntax. You should also cite any sources you use in order to address the questions posed and which support your viewpoint on the topic. You should cite the sources in text and provide a bibliography that conforms to the APA style.

Interactive assignments

There are five interactive assignments. These assignments ask you to gather data and research specific topics as if you were an anthropologist studying the topic. These assignments are structured to get you to observe cultural phenomena in your own culture and compare what you observe with the same phenomena in another culture. From these assignments, you will engage in participant observation and literature research, the creation of a research design, and the process of writing an ethnography. The assignments culminate in the Final Assessment, which is an ethnography written on one of the topics covered in the course. It is worth 150 points and will serve as the GenEd Task Assignment.

Here are some writing tips for you to follow with your writing assignments:

1. Anthropologists always protect the identity of their informants. Thus, you should not identify even yourself as an informant, and you should not provide personal details of, for example, how an informant might be related to you. Don't say, for example, I interviewed my sister...instead say, "A 21-year-old female living in Denver, Colorado was interviewed regarding..." This maintains her anonymity and keeps your writing objective.

Objectives

2. Keep your writing style objective. Don't use phrases like, I like, I think, I believe etc. These personal observations should be kept out of your writing. Instead, you should be saying something like, "The data demonstrate that the cultural norms reflected by this behavior include..." Keep it objective and professional. You are not required to write in the third person, but that may help.

3. You will provide references for each and every assignment. You will include in your assignments a references cited page and you will cite your sources in-text. You should remember that if it is not your original idea, you should be citing a source. You will use APA style in citing sources and providing a bibliography. 

The final assessment is worth 150 points. The final assessment will be an ethnography of one of the topics we have covered as well as a comparison with relevant cultures outside of your primary culture. A full explanation and instructions will be provided regarding how to accomplish this, but the following information is provided regarding the GenEd tasks that are relevant for this course: 

General Education Task

General Education courses reinforce those skills and competencies required for students’ success beyond the classroom in the rapidly changing environment of the 21st Century. These skills and competencies include critical reading and thinking, effective listening, problem solving, and reasoning.

Two General Education Task Categories:

1) Cultural Awareness & Sensitivity and

 2) Behavioral Sciences.

Because this course addresses three GenEd tasks (two for cultural awareness and sensitivity and one for behavioral sciences), I will provide appropriate assignments and information that addresses those tasks throughout the curriculum. Accordingly, you will gain competency in each of those tasks. The Final Assessment for this course will be used to assess your competency in each of those tasks. The information below is provided so that you will understand the goals of the General Education tasks associated with this course. 

GenEd Task Statement – Cultural Awareness & Sensitivity (Task 1)

Analyze some aspect of one or more cultures, sub?cultures or worldviews outside of your own primary cultural tradition. Compare the two and/or articulate the influence of one on the other.

The Task will have been completed when the student has accomplished each of the following particulars:

• The student identifies and accurately characterizes a non?Anglo?American cultural attribute or practice.
• The student identifies and accurately characterizes that attribute or practice’s homologue in traditional American art or society.
• The student identifies significant points of comparison and/or difference between the two.
• The student uses logical reasoning and/or secondary source material to address the relationship between the two.

Short Writing Assignments

GenEd Task Statement – Cultural Awareness & Sensitivity (Task 2)

Identify and analyze one or more cultural features or practices existing outside the Anglo? American tradition. Taking into account the cultural context of the feature(s) or practice(s), explain why they exist and how it makes sense to the people involved. The Task will have been completed when the student has accomplished each of the following particulars: 

• The student identifies and accurately characterizes non?Anglo?American cultural features or practices.
• The student identifies and accurately characterizes why that feature or practice exists in the culture being addressed.
• The student identifies one or more reasons for the features or practices. 

GenEd Task Statement – Behavioral Sciences

Use a theory or set of concepts to analyze a feature or consequence of a social institution, an interpersonal process, or an intra?personal state. A student will complete this task either in each of two separate disciplines or in sequence within a single discipline.

Criteria:

1. The student must explain a theory or set of concepts.
2. The student must use the theory or concept to accurately analyze a feature or consequence of a social institution, an interpersonal process, or an intrapersonal state. 

GenEd Task Assignment

The final assessment will suffice for both the cultural awareness and sensitivity and the behavioral science categories. 

Unit 1 Lecture materials: What is Anthropology? 

we will discuss anthropology and culture. We will explore definitions for the discipline of anthropology and its various subfields. We will define culture, discuss its origins, and examine the methods anthropologists use to study culture. 

Please answer the following questions using complete sentences and proper grammar/syntax: (30 points).

1. Name and define the four subfields of anthropology (12 points).

2. What is material culture (2 points)?

3. What is the biocultural approach (2 points)?

4. What is applied anthropology (2 points)?

5. Give an example of applied anthropology in each of the four subfields (8 points).

6. Describe a way in which anthropology impacts your life (4 points). 

Unit 1: Lecture 2 – What is culture and why do we study it? 

Please answer the following questions related to culture: (30 points):

1. What is culture? Discuss the definition of culture (5 points).
2. Discuss the meaning of the following characteristics of culture (6 points):

a. Abstract - what does it mean that culture is abstract?
b. Pervasive - what does it mean that culture is pervasive?
c. Idealistic - what does it mean that culture is idealistic?

Cultural Reflections Assignments

3. What is ethnocentrism (2 points)?

4. What is cultural relativism (2 points)?

5. Name and discuss two theoretical models presented in the lecture material. Discuss two of the foundational thinkers and how they contributed to the discipline of anthropology. How did their research shape the field of anthropology? (10 points)

6. Discuss a feature, belief, or behavior from another culture that you find shocking. What is the behavior? Why do you consider it shocking? What is the context in which the behavior occurs? (5 points)

Unit 1: Lecture 3: Cultural Reflections Assignment 

Considering the lecture materials you have reviewed, reflect on the influence of culture on individual behavior in responding to the following questions. (30 points)

1. What does it suggest that a species, like humans, has culture? What does it mean with respect to our cognitive abilities? How has it helped our species to survive and thrive (10 points)?

2. In your opinion, do any other animals have culture? Support your answer by describing how that species does or does not demonstrate culture? For example, if you said yes, then you need to show how that species has culture that is abstract, pervasive, learned, shared, etc. If you said no, how is their behavior lacking in characteristics that indicate culture (10 points)?

3. When considering how anthropologists study culture, make suggestions regarding how an anthropologist can avoid certain difficulties in this discipline. For example, how would you handle it if you were observing a culture, such as in many Middle Eastern cultures, where women are considered second class citizens? Another example - how would you handle it if you were observing a culture where children are treated as property as was the case in the past in the US and is still the case in many countries worldwide? What kinds of techniques might an anthropologist employ to be able to objectively observe and report on behaviors they might otherwise find objectionable (10 points)? 

Unit 2:

Answer the following questions: (90 points)

1. What is the difference between language and communication? Include in your answer the characteristics that define language as distinct from communication. (5 points)

2. What are minimal pairs? Give an example of a minimal pair and explain how linguistic anthropologists use these to determine the phonemes in a language. (3 points)

3. What are allophones? Give an example of an allophone and explain how these are distinct from phonemes. (2 points) 

Interactive Assignments

4. What is the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis? What is the evidence for it? What is your opinion about the influence of language on culture - does it create, shape, and/or reflect it? Give supporting evidence for why you think that. (10 points)

5. All animals communicate, but do any other animals species have language? Give supporting evidence for your answer. If you said no, what do they lack? If you said yes, give evidence that indicates they have a communication style that rises to the level of language. (10 points). 

6. What is code-switching? Give some specific examples of code switching in your own life. (5 points)

7. What does it mean to say language is abstract and arbitrary? Discuss examples related to each of those concepts. (5 points)

8. What is paralanguage? How does paralanguage function as part of communication? Give specific examples. (5 points)

9. Language, as we all know, can communicate much more than simple ideas. We can also make choices regarding the use of specific words and phrases in order to communicate feelings and broader agendas. Give an example of how you have used language, or how you have seen language used, to communicate much more than simple ideas. Discuss why the particular wording or phrases used conveyed the feelings or agenda that they did. (10 points)

10. Discuss at least two differences researchers have seen in how people of different genders use language (5 points) 

11. Give two examples of Creole languages from different parts of the world. Discuss pidgin and creole languages with regard to how they are formed and the function they serve. (10 points)

12. The way a culture uses language can differ dramatically from culture to culture. An example of this includes Arabic languages that are used in a poetic way often viewed as indirect and even deceptive by Western ears. In contrast, the US has a tendency to use language in a very direct manner that does not make use of "flowery" phrases or what are perceived of as unnecessary words. To some Middle Eastern ears, this is rude. This difference became an important issue in the 1970s during a gas shortage crisis where negotiators from the US had problems with negotiators from the OPEC nations. Given this example, discuss an example of two other cultures where conversational styles can create problems. What were/are the specific issues? How is the use of language impacting the communication? Discuss each culture's style and why that is perceived as problematic. How might anthropologists be able to help? (10 points)

Writing Tips

13. Part of the evidence in support of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis is research into the cognitive abilities of pre-verbal infants. Research has shown that pre-verbal infants think differently than children who have acquired language. Reflect on this and discuss how you think language affects your thought processes. For example, is it possible to have a thought without a linguistic label? If I ask you to picture a meadow in your mind, would it be different than the picture you would form if I said to picture a field? What does that mean about the way in which language constricts your thoughts? How then might this be affected if you are multi-lingual? Would being taught multiple languages from a young age result in different thought patterns from someone who only knows one language? (10 points)

Unit 3: 

Answer the following questions. 120 points

1. Discuss/describe the nature/culture dualistic model developed by Sherry Ortner. Is it universal? Give an example of a non-dualistic culture (5 points).

2. Define/discuss the five types of subsistence strategies and give modern examples of groups that utilize each type (15 points).

3. Define/discuss the three modes of exchange (6 points).

4. Give two examples of informal types of markets and describe why they are considered informal (4 points). 

6. Define political organization (2 points)

7. Define and describe the four types of political organizations (12 points).

8. Discuss the three theories presented about state formation (6 points).

9. What is the difference between informal and formal means of social control (5 points)?

10. Warfare is a formal means of social control, but it has only been so for about 10,000 years. Discuss the reasons it did not occur before that, and why doesn't it occur in foraging societies (5 points)? 

11. Discuss the differences between magic and religion? (5 points)

12. How do magic and religion work as informal means of social control - give specific examples? (5 points)

13. Discuss/describe the social and psychological functions of religion. (10 points)

14. Define/describe the four types of religious organizations. (8 points)

15. Give an example of a rite of passage in the US culture. (2 points) 

16. Considering gift-giving as a mechanism of creating and reinforcing relationships, discuss/describe how this is accomplished in the US versus gift-giving in another culture. Describe specific instances where gifts exchanged in the US help to create or strengthen an existing relationship and compare/contrast that with specific instances of gift exchange in another culture. What are the circumstances in which the gifts are exchanged? Are there rules regarding who gives gifts and/or what is an acceptable gift? How is the giver's cultural status affected by the act of giving an appropriate gift? How is it affected if the gift is not appropriate? Is there an expectation of a return on the gift? Is the return expected to be immediate or is it delayed? What are the returns that may not be tangible, but are nonetheless significant? (10 points)

General Education Task

17. In the US, we are, like many cultures, most familiar with codified law, courts, and warfare as formal means of social control, but are there parallels to the other types of formal means of social control? For example, among the Inuit there are song duels, which are derisive song contests. Is there a parallel to this in US culture? Discuss potential parallels for each of the formal mechanisms of social control that are not related to codified law and warfare (song duels, intermediaries, oaths and ordeals, and moots). How effective are these? How effective are the informal means of social control? Discuss a time when you were subjected to an informal mechanism of social control and/or where you witnessed someone being subjected to an informal means of social control. Was it effective and why? (10 points)

18. Discuss how a supernatural belief system functions as a means of social control. Give an example in the US and compare/contrast it with an example from another culture. How does religion affect the behavior of the believers? What happens if the believers don't do what the belief system says they should? Beyond social control, what does religion do for people in any given culture? Aside from defining what is considered to be good behavior, what else does religion do for us? (10 points) 

Unit 4:

Please answer the following questions using complete sentences and proper grammar/syntax. 90 points

1. What are the kinds of polygamy that exist and give examples of cultures where they occur. (6 points)

2. What are the benefits for men of monogamy? What are the benefits for men of polygamy (both kinds of polygamy)? (4 points)

3. What are the benefits for women of monogamy? What are the benefits for women of polygamy (both kinds of polygamy)? (4 points)

4. What are the two kinds of cousins? (2 points)

5. When looking at the example of the Cree kinship diagram presented in the powerpoint pdf lecture, what are Ego's father's brother's children called and what are Ego's mother's sister's children called? (2 points)

6. When looking at the example of the Cree kinship diagram presented in the Powerpoint pdf lecture, what are Ego's father's sister children called and what are Ego's mother's brother's children called? (2 points)

7. What does the difference between how these cousins are called indicate about the possibility of cousin marriage in the Cree culture? Explain why. (5 points) 

8. Name and describe the type of descent system used in your family. (5 points) 

9. Define and describe what is meant by race versus what is meant by ethnicity. (5 points)

10. When did race become a manner in which we categorized people and used those rankings in order to assign worth to the different groups? (3 points)

11. Define and discuss monogenism versus polygenism as these terms relate specifically to race. (5 points)

12. Who was Kennewick Man and how does he relate to the topic of race? (2 points)

13. What is art? (2 points)

14. What are the forms of art? (3 points)

15. How is myth distinct from legend? Give examples of each. (5 points)

16. Give examples of ways in which art transmits cultural values. (5 points) 

17. When considering marriage as an institution, discuss the ways in which marriage creates and/or solidifies alliances and regulates the inheritance of property. Now, consider specifically the US culture and discuss ways in which we still see that marriage can create alliances and regulate property inheritance. Discuss recent topics regarding marriage in the US that specifically address these points. Now, turn to another culture outside of the US and discuss the same topics - how marriage creates/solidifies alliances and regulates property inheritance. (10 points)

18. Go to this website – How have race and slavery been related over time? Do they go hand-in-hand? Why or why not? What does biology, specifically genetics, tell us about race? What does “social construction” of race meant to you? (10 points) 

19. Let me give you an example of an art form transmitting cultural values. There was a movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger called Predator. The movie was about a scary alien that comes to earth and hunts humans. It is apparently reptilian as it needs to be in hot areas, and so, in the movie, it comes to an unidentified Central American country, and of course, it wreaks havoc until Arnold kills it after it has killed all of his very capable soldiers. Now, the movie was made at a time when the US was very concerned about problems in Central America, and particularly the possibility that some unstable countries could get nuclear weapons. When you look at the movie through a cultural lens, you see the US fear of that possibility transmitted in the movie. There's a monster in Central America and in the end of the movie, he activates a nuclear weapon as a form of selfdestruction. Thus, our fears about "aliens" and problems on our southern border and the possibility of nuclear weapons so close to our country and in the hands of unstable governments are all cultural fears that are depicted in this movie. With this in mind, watch a movie or art exhibit or listen to a song and analyze that art form for cultural messages, values, statements etc., that the art form is conveying. What are the cultural values that the art form displays? Is there an agenda to the art form - i.e., is it trying to change something or preserve something or generate a conversation about something, and if so, what? How does the artist make the cultural statement they are trying to make? How does the art form make you feel about the cultural values it is transmitting? (10 points)

Unit 5:

Answer the following questions. 50 points

1. Does self-awareness universally develop by a certain age? Discuss the differences seen by researchers in the US culture as compared to other cultures. What are the cultural elements in the US that have resulted in the childcare patterns seen? Describe how that differs from at least one other culture. 10 points

2. What did Margaret Mead's study show about problems typically associated with adolescence? Are those problems universal? Why or why not? 5 points

3. What is a culture bound illness? Discuss this phenomenon and give an different example from those presented in the lecture material. 5 points

4. How can medical anthropologists assist in a clinic setting? Give some examples and discuss the role they would have. How might medical anthropologists assist with helping to shape health policy for a culture or entities like the CDC? Discuss some specific ways in which they could assist in creating policies that would be effective. 10 points 

5. When Michael Jackson was alive, he created a lot of controversy over the topic of sleeping in the same bed as a child. Now, regardless of what you think about Michael Jackson and his motives, the fact is that research in the field of medical anthropology does support the existence of numerous health benefits for a child when that child sleeps in the bed with the mother up to a certain age. As an infant, research shows that both the mother and the infant sleep better and are able to get back to sleep faster when awoken if they are sleeping in the same bed. The mother responds more rapidly to an infant who awakens and she is able to attend to the baby's needs faster so that both can get back to sleep faster. The same research also shows that the danger of the mother hurting the infant by rolling over on the baby is minimal given that the overwhelming majority of cases where this occurs is when the mother is on drugs or alcohol. Reflect on this and discuss the cultural reasons why there is so much resistance to this idea in the United States. In particular, what are the underlying cultural values in the US that make it harder for people to accept such an idea? 10 points

6. Research shows that much of the gender stratification that has occurred in human history really began after the adoption of agriculture as a subsistence strategy, particularly intensive agriculture. Bioarchaeologists have documented increasing disparity in health between men and women after the rise of agriculture, with men getting taller and women getting shorter as a result. As discussed in the lecture, cultural anthropologists documented the occurrence of gender stratification in the Ju/'hoansi of the Kalahari. All of this group used to be foragers, but then a part of them became sedentary villagers while the other part remained foragers. Researchers documented the very rapid occurrence of gender stratification in the sedentary villagers as compared to the foragers who remained egalitarian. Many researchers believe that as intensive agriculture became the predominant subsistence strategy in human civilizations, because the direct food contribution of women was reduced as men took over providing both agricultural and protein-based food items (women had previously provided the agricultural items), this resulted in a devaluation of the role of women in the culture much in the same way it occurred with the Ju/'hoansi. Reflect on this and discuss how such stratification affects the health of the oppressed group. What can anthropologists do to help the situation? Give examples from the US culture and at least one other culture as part of your discussion. 10 points 

Unit 6:

Answer the following questions using complete sentences and proper grammar/syntax. 10 points

1. List the four (4) mechanisms of culture change. 4 points

2. Discuss how globalization impacts the rate of culture change. Give specific examples from at least two cultures. 4 points

3. What role does the internet and other type of modern technology play in globalization and culture change. Give one specific example. 2 points