Goals: The purpose of this course is to familiarize the student with some of the major aspects of anthropology in an attempt to transmit an appreciation of the similarities and differences between cultures. Hopefully, this will provide a broader perspective from which to understand human behavior, both for the purpose of this and other classes. Although lectures will necessarily take up most of the time in class, students are expected to keep up with the readings and participate in discussion and to answer questions posed by the instructor.

Texts:

Haviland, William A.

1997 Anthropology. 8th edition. Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Podolefsky, Aaron, and Peter J. Brown

1999 Applying Anthropology: An Introductory Reader. 5th edition. Mayfield, Mountain View, CA.

Chagnon, Napoleon A.

1997 Yanomam?. Fifth Edition. Harcourt Brace, New York.

Exams: Three exams will be given during the term. Each will be worth 100 points and will be counted equally in determining the final grade. The exams will contain objective and essay sections. Since we will be covering a vast range of material for each exam it is imperative that students read assignments regularly and prepare thoroughly for the tests. The only legitimate excuse for missing an exam is a medical emergency. If you have some sort of schedule conflict and need to take an exam at a different time or on another day, you must notify me well in advance to make special arrangements. An unexcused absence from an exam will result in a score of 0. The grading will be at the discretion of the instructor, but the following is a general guideline: 100-93=A, 92-90=A-, 89-87=B+, 86-83=B, 82-79=B-, 78-73=C, 72-70=C-, 69-60=D, below 60=F. 60% of final grade.

Discussion: While lectures will consume much of each class period, there will be frequent discussions of the readings. In particular, we will focus on the short articles in the Podolefsky book to see how they illustrate key concepts and expand our understanding of how different cultures operate. Since discussion requires your presence, it is important that you attend all classes. For each reading every student will prepare several questions or comments and be ready to present these to the class at any time when called upon. In addition, there will be three unannounced quizzes on the readings during the term. 10% of grade.

Kinship Assignment: Each student will prepare kinship charts of his or her own family and of another individual (but not a member of this class). The chart should include as many individuals as possible both in the student=s generation and in as many preceding and succeeding generations for which one can get information. A narrative of at least three typed double-spaced pages will accompany and explain the two charts. The goal of the exercise is to perform some basic ethnographic fieldwork and comparative analysis. Discuss similarities and differences in the two charts. Use the technical terms from the section on descent, i.e., describe the systems as patrilineal, matrilineal, bilateral, etc., and explain some of the implications of the system for the individual ego (yourself in the first case, and the person you interview in the second). For your second chart you may wish to contact a member of the international student community here on campus. You will have to deal with issues of confidentiality, use of real names, dates of births, deaths, etc. The assignment will be due April 12. I will accept assignments late, but with a penalty of 5 points for every day beyond the deadline. 15% of final grade.

Paper: Each student will write a critical review (5-7 pages) of the Chagnon book in light of the concepts we discuss in class. In writing the paper, keep in mind the following questions: Does the model he presents of traditional life in the rain forest seem plausible? Is there such a thing as a peasant or traditional mentality that guides human behavior? Examine at least one other work (book or article-ask me if you have trouble finding a suitable work) that deals with similar conditions or situations and compare the approaches taken by the author(s) to Chagnon's; the work should deal with a small-scale society, such as the Amish, European traditional farmers, Asian rice cultivators, any of a number of pastoral groups, etc. In selecting the second source, think of a geographical region in which you are interested and see what type of ethnographic material exists concerning societies in that region. Acceptable sources include other monographs in the Holt Rinehart series, books about traditional societies in Africa, India, the Americas, Europe, and elsewhere, and articles in anthropological, historical, sociological and other social science journals. For general guides on how to write critical reviews, see the book review sections of journals such as American Anthropologist, American Ethnologist, etc. The paper should have a thesis statement which you will attempt to support with specific evidence from the book. The body of the paper will include a summary of the main points of the Chagnon book and of the second source. Then there should be an analytical section where you discuss the relevant points and make appropriate comparisons. The paper will be due April 19; late papers will be penalized 5 points for every day beyond the deadline. 15% of final grade.

Schedule:

H=Haviland, P=Podolefsky, C=Chagnon