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"The
world in which you were born is just one model of reality.
Other cultures are not failed attempts at being you: they
are unique manifestations of the human spirit."
--
Wade Davis
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ANTHR2 Section 62745 TuTh 12:40-2:00PM
Room 1604
Instructor: Michelle Y. Merrill Office:
Room 429C
Office Hours: M 4:30 - 5:50pm
in 429C and 9:05 - 9:15pm in 431 or 429C
Tu 5:30 - 6:30 pm in 429C Th noon - 12:15 pm and
5:30 - 6:15pm 429C
F 12:05-12:30pm in 431 or 429C & other times by appointment
Contact Info
ANTHR2 (Catalog Description): Presents a cross-cultural,
comparative study of contemporary human behavior with emphasis on
the effects of globalization on contemporary cultures. Topics investigated
include cultural patterns, language, subsistence, economics, religion,
kinship, values and norms, sex and gender, marriage, cultural change,
and migration.
Like Cabrillo College itself, this course seeks to honor
the core values of “academic
freedom, critical and independent thinking, and respect for all people
and cultures.”
This class provides opportunities to develop and practice skills in
all of Cabrillo’s “Core Four” competencies:
Communication - reading, writing, listening, speaking and/or conversing
Critical Thinking and Information Competency -
analysis, computation, research, problem solving
Global Awareness - an
appreciation of scientific processes, global systems and civics,
and artistic variety
Personal Responsibility and Professional Development
- self-management and self-awareness,
social and physical wellness, workplace skills
By completing this course,
you should have the skills and understanding to:
- Critically assess culture as the distinguishing phenomenon of
human life and evaluate the relationship between culture and human
behavior.
- Synthesize the dynamics of culture change with regard to kinship,
language, subsistence patterns, economics, and religion and analyze
the affect of globalization on contemporary cultures.
- Compare and contrast specific cultures' gender roles, social
organization, or ideology.
- Write essays and papers that demonstrate an understanding of
cultural dynamics, ethnocentrism, and cultural relativism.
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...my
Aunt Rebeca asks, 'Rutie, pero dime, what is anthropology?'
While I hesitate, she confidently exclaims, 'The study of
people? And their customs, right?'
Right.
People and their customs. Exactly. Así de fácil. Can't
refute that. Somehow, out of that legacy, born of the European
colonial impulse to know others in order to lambast them,
better manage them, or exalt them, anthropologists have
made a vast intellectual cornucopia. At the anthropological
table, to which another leaf is always being added, there
is room for studies of Greek death laments, the fate of
socialist ideals in Hungary and Nicaragua, Haitian voodoo
in Brooklyn, the market for Balinese art, the abortion debate
among women in West Fargo, North Dakota, the reading groups
of Mayan intellectuals, the proverbs of a Hindi guru, the
Bedouin sense of honor, the jokes Native Americans tell
about the white man, the plight of Chicana cannery workers,
the utopia of Walt Disney, and even, I hope, the story of
my family's car accident on the Belt Parkway shortly after
our arrival in the United States from Cuba...
Anthropology,
to give my Aunt Rebeca a grandiose reply, is the most fascinating,
bizarre, disturbing, and necessary form of witnessing left
to us at the end of the twentieth century...
Ruth Behar, 1996. The
Vulnerable Observer: Anthropology That Breaks Your Heart
(pg. 4-5)
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STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Class Participation and Attendance
I expect student participation in class discussions, and
I encourage everyone to freely ask questions, provide feedback, and
otherwise contribute to our in-class coursework. I also expect students
to attend all lectures on time, having completed required readings
before coming to class. Attendance, effort, and participation
will account for a substantial portion of your grade. More than 1 absence
will result in point loss, as will excessive and recurrent tardiness.
I will hold you responsible for all course material, including course
videos (most of which are not in the library, and must be viewed in
class)--so get good notes from other students (NOT me) if you miss class!
This is a writing intensive class. Students are expected
to work more than 2 hours outside of class for every hour in class.
Students are expected to write 4,000 – 12,000 words for the class.
Using Website and Blackboard
While this is a traditional “lecture” class, we will be using web resources
and Blackboard (some call this “blended learning” or a "web enhanced"
class). There are three main goals motivating this requirement: 1. to
allow you to develop and practice your skills online (as a crucial aspect
of professional development for most jobs requiring a college degree),
2. to provide a venue for sharing learning experiences with classmates
outside of the limited time of lectures, and 3. to maximize the learning
experience during lectures, by providing more time for face-to-face
interaction with the instructor and your classmates. (Trust me, Blackboard
does not save me a whole lot of time as an instructor – it’s definitely
not for my benefit.)
I have used Blackboard, WebCT and Moodle for previous classes, but
this will be the first semester where I will be using it for all assignments,
and making more use of its interactive features. Please do review the
student tutorials available on your “My Blackboard” page (in the bookmark
list to the right). Please be patient if there are glitches – just let
me know right away if you encounter problems once you are logged onto
the Blackboard site.
You can access Blackboard from the Cabrillo homepage or here .
I may continue to use my standard website for posting some non-interactive
materials – be sure to check here also.
Common Courtesy and
Common Sense
Students frequently discover that not everyone shares
their personal beliefs, experiences, and convictions. Respect for many
points of view is required in this class. Disagreements are healthy
and help us to learn, but students must maintain a respectful attitude
and courteous conversation at all times. My goal as an instructor is
not to convince you to hold a particular opinion on controversial issues,
but to encourage you to think critically and with an open mind about
the facts, evidence, ideas and theories presented in class. -- see our
agreed "Ground Rules for Class
Conversations"
Classroom etiquette regarding portable electronic devices
is not unlike takeoff and landing on an airplane – they should be turned
off and stowed away. Cell phones and pagers should be OFF at
all times (an exception may be made for caretakers who can keep their
phones/pagers on vibrate for emergency situations, provided the instructor
is notified ahead of time). You should have nothing in your ears other
than hearing aid devices if needed.
You may use a recorder for lectures, as long as it is
unobtrusive (though in my experience, paying attention and taking notes
during lecture is more useful). Calculators, PDAs, and laptop computers
are permitted during lectures provided they aren’t making much noise.
Other behavioral norms are expected to minimize classroom
disruptions and avoid disturbing your fellow students. Arrive on time
for class. Do not begin packing your things and preparing to leave
until the instructor has indicated class is actually finished. Do not
interrupt the instructor or your classmates while they are speaking,
but by all means DO raise your hand when you have a question
or comment. Basically, use a little common sense, try to imagine what
is likely to annoy your instructor, and then avoid doing those things
if you wish to remain in class.
Special Accommodations
Many of you may need special accommodations, whether due
to disabilities, language difficulties, or other conditions. I am very
willing to work with you in order to help create a more positive learning
experience. However, I do need some advance notice in order to accommodate
students with special needs; if you have special needs, please inform
me of your situation within the first three days of class.
Academic Honesty
Students are expected to exercise academic honesty and
integrity. All sources used must be properly documented. Cheating or
plagiarism will result in point loss and disciplinary action, possibly
including a failing grade for the class and/or recommendation for dismissal.
To learn about what plagiarism means and how to avoid it, please see
the description at: http://www.cabrillo.edu/~sholt/MITPlagiarism.pdf
or http://www.plagiarism.org/learning_center/what_is_plagiarism.html
and review the links provided by the Cabrillo College Library
at http://libwww.cabrillo.edu/depts/libraryinstruction.html.

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Required Texts:
Fadiman, A. (1997). The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down:
A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures.
New York: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux.
Monaghan, J. & Just, P. (2000). Social & Cultural Anthropology:
A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Thomas, E. M. (2006). The Old Way: A Story of the First People.
New York: Sarah Chrichton Books.
Additional required readings will be assigned and distributed
in class or available as PDFs on the password-protected portion of
the website.
Letter Grade or P/NP (students must request P/NP option
in writing by October 3rd).
You will be responsible for:
-
in-class and online participation and writing
exercises (150 points total)
-
two midterm essay assignments (50 points each,
100 points total)
-
a kinship diagram or alternative project (50
points)
-
a final project, including a proposal (25
points), the project itself (150 points), and a presentation
(25 points)
500 total points
A brief overview of the assignments is provided below.
Further details about these assignments will be provided in class and
online.
First
Midterm Essay Assignment (details) 
- Nacirema: Describe
a routine or common event from your everyday life that would seem
extraordinary to someone from a different culture or subculture.
Visual
Investigations of Culture: Kin Diagram or Alternative Project
(details)
·
Create
a kin diagram of your family (see tutorial at http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/anthropology/tutor/fundamentals/fund1.html)
and
answer questions in writing. OR
·
Create
a map
of your community with drawings or photos, labeling key features
according to instructions.
Second
Midterm Essay Assignment (details) 
Final
Project Assignment (details)
Anthro2
Library Research Page
- Propose
an in-depth research project on a specific culture (other than the
!Kung Bushmen or Hmong) or one of the topical themes from the course.
Write a paper
about your topic based on independent library research, with at
least four outside references. Give a brief presentation
related to your research project in class.

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Anthropology 2 Course and Assignment Schedule
This schedule is subject to change. Changes will be announced in
class and posted online. Small assignments will be added on Blackboard
nearly every week.
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Date
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Topic
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Reading/Assignments Due
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9/1
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WHAT IS ANTHROPOLOGY?
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Syllabus
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9/3
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ANTHROPOLOGY AND ETHNOGRAPHY
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Monaghan & Just: Intro. & Ch 1
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9/8
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ETHNOGRAPHY AND CULTURE
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Monaghan & Just: Ch 2
“Doing
Fieldwork among the Yanomamo”
(pdf)
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9/10
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CULTURE AND THE “OTHER”
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Thomas: Ch 1&2
“Body Ritual
Among the Nacirema” (pdf/website)
and/or “The
Mysterious Fall of the Nacirema”
(pdf)
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9/15
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CULTURE AND SOCIETY
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Monaghan & Just: Ch 3
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9/17
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FINDING YOUR PLACE
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Thomas: Ch 3 - 6
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9/22
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SYMBOLS AND MEANING
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FIRST MIDTERM ESSAY DUE (Nacirema)
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9/24
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NOT JUST LIP SERVICE
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“Fighting
For Our Lives” (pdf)
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9/29
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YOU
ARE WHAT YOU EAT?
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Monaghan & Just: Ch 6
“Understanding
Eskimo Science” (pdf)
Societies
Table
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10/1
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YOU
ARE WHAT YOU EAT?
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Thomas: Ch 7-11
POTLUCK WITH BRIEF
STORY TO TELL
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10/6
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KITH
AND KIN
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Monaghan & Just: Ch. 4
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10/8
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PARENTHOOD
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“How
Many Fathers Are Best for a Child?” (pdf)
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10/13
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MEN,
WOMEN, AND OTHER OPTIONS
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“A
World Full of Women” (pdf)
Monaghan & Just: Ch 8
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10/15
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RESEARCH
SKILLS: Go
directly to Library Classroom
at 12:40 for special presentation by Topsy
Smalley.
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“The
Berdache Tradition” (pdf)
Thomas: Ch 12
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10/20
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GROWING
PAINS AND LIFE HISTORIES
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"The
Initiation of a Maasai Warrior"(pdf) and “What
about Female Genital Mutilation?” (pdf)
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10/22
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GROWING
PAINS AND LIFE HISTORIES
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Thomas: Ch 13
"Where
Fat is a Mark of Beauty" (pdf)
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10/27
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EXCHANGE
SYSTEMS
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FINAL
PROJECT TOPIC PROPOSALS DUE
“Too
Many Bananas, Not Enough Pineapples...” (pdf)
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10/29
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ECONOMICS,
POLITICS, AND SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
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Thomas: Chapters 14-16
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11/3
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ECONOMICS,
POLITICS, AND SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
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VISUAL
INVESTIGATIONS OF CULTURE DUE
Fadiman: Ch 1-4
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11/5
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CULTURE
CHANGE, COLONIALISM, AND GLOBALIZATION
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Fadiman: Ch 5-7
“The
Price of Progress” (pdf)
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11/10
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CULTURE
CHANGE, COLONIALISM, AND GLOBALIZATION
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Thomas: Chapter 18-20
“Why
Can’t People Feed Themselves?” (pdf)
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11/12
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BELIEF
SYSTEMS, RITUAL, MAGIC, AND RELIGION
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Monaghan & Just: Ch. 7
“Baseball
Magic” (pdf)
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11/17
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BELIEF
SYSTEMS, RITUAL, MAGIC, AND RELIGION
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Thomas: Chapter 17
Fadiman: Ch 8 & 9
“The
Adaptive Value of Religious Ritual” (pdf)
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11/19
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BELIEF
SYSTEMS, RITUAL, MAGIC, AND RELIGION
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SECOND MIDTERM ESSAY DUE (Economics or Linguistics)
Fadiman: Ch 10-12
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11/24
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BELIEF
SYSTEMS, RITUAL, MAGIC, AND RELIGION
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Fadiman: Ch 13-15
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12/1
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RACE
AND ETHNICITY
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“Understanding Race”
website (http://www.understandingrace.org)
Fadiman: Ch 16 & 17
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12/3
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RACE
AND ETHNICITY
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Monaghan & Just: Ch. 5, Afterword
Fadiman: Ch 18 & 19
"Mixed
Blood" (pdf)
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12/8
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CLASS
PRESENTATIONS
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FINAL PROJECTS DUE
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12/10
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CLASS
PRESENTATIONS
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12/17
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CLASS
PRESENTATIONS
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Finals
Week: Thursday, Dec. 17, 10:00am -12:50pm
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