Course Syllabus

Dear Class,

After reading the Course Syllabus below, please go to the Discussions tab to introduce yourself.  Then proceed to the first written assignment . . .

Welcome to All!!!

- professor alcalay

CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY

ANTHROPOLOGY 100-20

Montclair State University ·  Fall 2016 

Professor Glenn Alcalay

Email:  alcalayg@mail.montclair.edu

1. Objectives and Scope of Course

Anthropology is a unique member of the social sciences.  It is the only academic discipline that examines Western and non-Western, historic as well as contemporary societies from a holistic perspective.  It is the object of this course to introduce students to the diversity of human social and cultural life and the basic tenets of the anthro-pological enterprise.  This course will explore the history of anthropological inquiry, including basic concepts, methodologies, key theoretical perspectives, and major achievements within the discipline.  Topics will include: political organization, kinship, religion, economics, culture contact and sociocultural change. 

In addition, this online course will examine the environmental and economic impacts on Planet Earth and its inhabitants [both Western and non-Western] from globalization though an anthropological lens.  For example, what will be the environmental impact of developing nations trying to make up for lost time, and cutting corners with respect to environmental protection?  Specifically, how has global capitalistic development [aka globalization] affected Earth’s ecosystem?  Are short-term, bottom line, quarterly statements, and ROI [return on investment] compatible with long-term concerns about rapid [and human created] climate change?  How related are globalization and global warming?  Are there alternative economic models that afford a blend of individual liberties, protection of capital & property, respect for indigenous rights, and the development of a sustainable global economy that serves human interests over profits?

Finally, in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11^th , 2001 and the Global War on Terror [GWOT], anti-Arab,  anti-Muslim, and increased distrust of the anthropological “Other” have filtered throughout the American landscape.  Cultural Anthropology can play a positive role in enhancing our understanding, appreciation and celebration of other cultures, ethnicities and religions/ideologies within and beyond our borders.

Course Requirements

(1) You will have weekly writing assignments which will be due on the specified dates assigned.   These weekly assignments consist of critically assessing the assigned chapters in our texts.  And be prepared to have a lively exchange on the DISCUSSIONS tab, as interaction with your class peers [and yours truly where appropriate] on the Discussions tab is highly encouraged.

A large component of this online course [40% of your final grade] consists of your critical and original postings on the Discussions tab.  I will expect you to post your critical responses to the assigned chapters for our two texts in a TIMELY MANNER:  Points will be [unfortunately] deducted for late postings to the Discussions tab

(2) There will be four Response Papers  [20% of your final grade] assigned during the Fall semester based on articles to be linked on BlackBoard.  These Response Papers will be 3-4 pages in length [no longer, and double-spaced  in MS Word format] and shall consist of an original and critical essay for each assigned article.  I am looking for original, terse, and creative responses to the assigned articles: Think haiku [17 syllables only in this Japanese poetic format].  For the Response Papers, less is more, and I am looking for written responses that succinctly and critically assess the assigned material.  These Response Papers can be directly written on the page for the assignment where they will be anonymously read and graded by your professor.

(3) Two Exams – a Mid-Term and a Final – will be given during the Fall semester.  The Mid-Term Exam [20% of your final grade] will be based on our first text [Cultural Anthropology], and the Final Exam [20% of your final grade] will be based on the conclusion of our first text plus our second text [Strangers in a Not-So-Strange Land].

Grading is based on the following:

     Discussion postings ………………………… …….. 40%

     Periodic Response Papers [4] ………..…….…..... 20%

     Midterm Exam………………………………………..… 20%

     Final Exam………………………………………… ..….. 20%

Required Texts & Readings

(1)  Cultural Anthropology:  Asking Questions About Humanity by Robert Welsch & Luis Vivanco.  2015.  Oxford University Press.  ISBN:  978-0-19-992572-8 www.oup.com/us/he

 (2)  Strangers in a Not-So-Strange Land:  Indian American Immigrants in the Global Age by Arthur Helweg.  2004.  Case Studies in Cultural Anthropology.  Thomson/Wadsworth Publishers.  ISBN#:  0-534-61312-8; www.cenagebrain.com

(3)  Additional articles and relevant materials for Response Papers will be assigned via BlackBoard in the "Assignments" tab.

Topical Outline of the Course Content

• Some critical reading and thinking about multiculturalism in the United States
• Emic-Etic: How does the world view the U.S.?
• Shifts in global ideologies about sex, gender, class, race
• The “Clash of Civilizations”
• The “War on Terror” and Globalization
• Global aid, World Bank-IMF, disease, poverty and debt
• The so-called “culture wars”
• The Fate of the Earth: Can we preserve the future of the planet?
• A critical analysis of “anti-systemic movements” against globalization

Student Learning Outcomes: By the end of this course students should be able to:

• Demonstrate ability to think critically about Globalization;
• Locate, organize and use information from a variety of traditional and electronic sources;
• Demonstrate ability to integrate knowledge in a coherent and meaningful manner;
• Demonstrate an awareness of Culture and its impact on indigenous as well as Western cultures
  

Learning Outcomes

• To examine the anthropological record to determine the contours of human evolution, diversity, and cultural adaptation;
• To examine culture’s impact on shaping and defining human societies and their religious beliefs and practices;
• To explicate and compare the cultural assumptions underlying our assumptions of indigenous religious/spiritual behavior in both western and non-western societies;
• To stimulate a consideration/explication of students’ own cultural assumptions about “human nature” and the interplay between biology and culture;
• To foster understanding of the assumptions key to other groups;
• To demonstrate the usefulness of anthropological theory and concepts in the study of humankind;
• To provide students with the opportunity to utilize research methods/modes of inquiry unique to anthropology;
• Demonstrate an awareness of various cultural traditions and commitment to diversity and equity in society during an era of hyper-globalization.