Bridgewater College

GENERAL  ANTHROPOLOGY

SOCIOLOGY 235

Fall 2010

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Mwizenge S. Tembo                                         September 1, 2010

Office: Bowman 225                                                                             OFFICE HOURS:

Phone: 828-5351                                                                              Posted on Office Door

E -Mail: mtembo@bridgewater.edu                                                 and by Appointment

Class Schedule: MWF  9:00-9:50AM

All Cell Phones, Beepers, and Wrist Watch Beepers should be turned off before class. Cell Phones and Beepers should be put away in your pocket or bag and will not be used during class.

You are expected to read the attached document at the end of the syllabus titled: “Ethics in Academic Work”. The document is also on the BC web page: http://www.bridgewater.edu/WritingCenter/BCplagiarism.htm.

"The mission of Bridgewater College is to educate and develop the whole person. Our graduates will be equipped to become leaders, living ethical, healthy, useful and fulfilling lives with a strong sense of personal accountability and civic responsibility. This mission is carried out in a learning community, with Christian values, high standards of integrity and excellence, affirming and challenging each member”.

                                                                                           - Bridgewater College Catalog, p. 6

 
 
 

 

 


Bridgewater College is committed to providing all students equal access to the college’s academic programs and activities. Students who have or think they may have a condition (attentional, learning, visual, hearing, physical, psychological or chronic medical) that impacts learning and for which an accommodation may be desired, are encouraged to contact the Director of Academic Support, Dr. Chip Studwell, 540, 828-5370 or cstudwel@bridgewater.edu. A letter is required from the Academic Support Office, each semester, in order to receive accommodations at Bridgewater.

Course Objectives

The objectives of the course are to introduce students to and to explore fundamental aspects of anthropology. The role of human biology, genetics, archeology, linguistics and culture will be Explored to determine how they contribute to the scientific understanding of human social behavior, social change, and the perpetuation, survival, and extinction of societies in a global context. Major paradigms in Exploring human evolution and societal behavior will be identified. Students will be encouraged to use some or all of them in all class assignments. Students are expected to constantly engage in Exploration, Explanation, Analysis, and Synthesis in the critical application of anthropological concepts to explore aspects of human life.

The Instructor will use some of the following methods of teaching to achieve these objectives:

  • Lectures
  • Books
  • Class Group Reviews
  • Class Participation.
  • Class oral presentations
  • Tests
  • Video Clips
  • Journal Articles
  • Newspaper Articles
  • Essays/Papers
  • The Internet
  • Research Assignment
  • PowerPoint Presentations
  • Convocations
  • Field trip(s)

 

Course Goals:

Upon Completion of the Course, the Student:

  1. Must Identify, Define, Describe and Explain the major branches of anthropology and their crucial roles in understanding the origin, history, and the nature of human societies.
  2. Must recognize, appreciate, comprehend, and be cognizant of the diversity, complexity, and difficulties that arise from exploring Explaining, Analyzing, and Synthesizing knowledge about human societies in a cross-cultural perspective in the context of social change.
  3. Must be able to clearly identify, rationally and firmly defend his or her perspective or point of view on many of the controversial topics that will be encountered in the course of studying anthropology.
  4. Will become a better scholar. The instructor will encourage students to be better scholars of Anthropology through frequent reminders of what it takes to be better scholars.

 

 

Required Reading:

  1. Kottak, Conrad Phillip., Anthropology: Appreciating Human Diversity, 14th Edition, New York:McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011.
  2. Spradley, James P., and McCurdy, David W., Conformity and Conflict: Readings in Cultural Anthropology, 13th Edition, Boston:Allyn Bacon, 2009.
  3. Tannen, Deborah., That’s Not What I meant!: How Conversational Style Makes or Breaks Relationships, New York: Ballantine Book, 1986.

Recommended: 

Johnson, Jr., William.,  Retting, Richard., Scott, Gregory M., and Garrison, Stephen M., The Sociology Student Writer’s Manual, 6th Edition, New York: Prentice Hall, 2004, 2006, 2010.

READINGS

Week. 1

Aug. 30-Sept.5: What is Anthropology? Culture, Applying Anthropology.

      • Kottak,  Ch. 1 -  3; pp. 4 - 69.                                    
      • Spradley & McCurdy, pp. 2-6.

Week 2            

 Sept. 6 - 12:  Physical Anthropology and Archeology,

      • Kottak, Ch. 4, Studying the past, pp. 72-91
      • Kottak, Ch.  5, Evolution and Genetics,   pp.94-  113.                 

Week 3

Sept. 13– 19: Human Variation & Primate Evolution

§  Kottak,  Ch. 6 & 7, pp.116 – 157.

Week 4

Sept. 20 - 26:  Early Hominins & Archaic Homo

§  Kottak, Ch. 8 & 9, pp. 162-205                       

Week 5

Sept. 27-Oct 3: The Origin and Spread of Modern Humans & The First Farmers

      •  Kottak, Ch. 10 & 11, pp. 208-253
      • Spradley & McCurdy, 84-87                  

Week 6                                                                                        

Oct. 4-10:           The First Cities and States and Method and Theory in Cultural

                             Anthropology,

      • Kottak, Ch. 12 & 13, pp. 257-309;
      • Spradley & McCurdy, pp. 7-14.                          

Week 7:

Oct. 14-15:        Language and Communication & Tannen: That’s Not What I Meant

      • Kottak, Ch. 14,  pp. 312-333.
      • Tannen, Chapters 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7 on Moodle                      
      • Spradley & McCurdy, pp. 52-55.       

Week 8:                                                                          FALL  BREAK

Oct. 20-24:          Ethnicity and Race

      •  Kottak, Ch. 15, pp. 336-359                                

Week 9               

Oct. 25-31:          Making a Living & Political Systems;

      • Kottak, Ch. 16 & 17, pp.362-413
      • Spradley & McCurdy,  84-87             
      • Spradley & McCurdy; 261-263

Week 10

Nov 1-7:              Gender & Families, Kinship, and Descent

      • Kottak, Ch.18 & 19; pp.418-465.

Week 11

Nov. 8 - 14:         Marriage and Religion

·      Kottak, Ch. 20 & 21; pp. 468 –515.

·      Spradley & McCurdy, pp. 299-302                           

Week 12

Nov. 15-21:  Research Project Power Point Class Presentations

Thanks Giving Break
 

Week 13

Nov. 30-Dec 3:   The World System and Colonialism & Global Issues Today

      • Kottak, Ch 23 and 24, pp. 548-597

Week 14

Final Exams: Tues., Dec. 7            8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

 

DUE DATE               ASSIGNMENT                              POINTS           % of GRADE

To be Announced      3  Tests (60x3 points each)                    180                39.13%

To be announced       Class  Discussions/Project(s)                 100                 21.74%

Dec. 3                          Research  Report  (4- 5 pages)               50                 10.87%

Nov. 15 -21                 Material Object Class PowerPoint

                                    Class Presentation                                30                   6.52%

Dec. 9 :                        FINAL EXAM                                       100                 21.74%____

TOTAL                                                                                     460                100.0       

 

Grading:

90  -  100%          A

80  -    89%          B

70  -    79%          C

60  -     69%         D

59% and below     F                             

Students will be expected to do all the required reading before the class, attend lectures, do assignments, participate in class discussions, and take their own notes. When ever necessary, readings will be put on reserve in the Library. The student has the responsibility to contact the instructor for assignments missed for any reason.

  1. ALL STUDENTS MUST MAKE THEIR POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS ON THEIR ASSIGNED DATES. UNEXPLAINED ABSENCE ON THE DAY OF THE PRESENTATION WILL BE PENALIZED 5 POINTS
  2. ALL ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE TURNED IN TO THE INSTRUCTOR ON THEIR DUE DATE. ASSIGNMENTS TURNED IN LATE WILL BE PENALIZED (3 points deducted) FOR EACH DAY OVERDUE.