Instructor: Richard Burns

Office: Wilson 213 Office phone: 972-3043

Office hours: M-Th 8:30-9:30 AM

Required Texts:

Hicks and Gwynne, Cultural Anthropology, 2nd edition (=CA).

Chagnon, Yanomamö, 5th edition

Course Outline (subject to modification):

July 6: Course Introduction

7: The Nature of Anthropology (CA, Ch. 1)

8: The Concept and Nature of Culture (CA, Ch. 2)

9: Theories/Research in Anthropology (Yanomamö, pp. 1-31)

10: Fieldwork and Ethnographic Research (CA, Ch. 4, [in this chapter, read pp. 78-88 only; Yanomamö, pp. 31-43)

13: Language (CA, Ch. 5) Video: American Tongues

14: Examination #1 Adaptive Strategies and Economic Systems (CA, Ch. 6)

15: Adaptive Strategies and Economic Systems (cont'd) (Yanomamö, pp. 45-71)

16: Adaptive Strategies and Economic Systems (cont'd) (Yanomamö, pp. 71-97)

17: Gender (CA, Ch. 8)

20: Kinship, Descent, and Marriage (CA, Ch. 9)

21: Kinship, Descent, and Marriage (CA, Ch. 10)

22: Examination #2 Groups and Social Stratification

23: Groups and Social Stratification (cont'd) (CA, Ch. 11) Video: The Massai

24: Groups and Social Stratification (cont'd) (Yanomamö, pp. 121-158)

27: Political Organization (CA, Ch. 12; Yanomamö, pp. 159-183)

28: Warfare and Alliance (Yanomamö, pp. 185-226) Video: The Ax Fight

29: Belief Systems (CA, Ch. 13; Yanomamö, pp. 99-119) Video: Evil Wind

30: Examination #3 Expressive Culture

31: Expressive Culture (cont'd) (CA, Ch. 14)

Aug. 3: Folklore and Popular Culture

4: Culture and the Human Body (CA, Ch. 15)

5: Culture Change (Yanomamö, pp. 227-260)

6: Final Examination

 Course Requirements

1. Examinations. (14 Jul., 22 Jul., 30 Jul., and 6 Aug.). These will be objective and use a variety of testing methods. The final will have a comprehensive component, and is mandatory to pass the course; otherwise, each exam counts 20% of your final grade.

2. Reading Quizzes. Expect short multiple-choice quizzes over assigned readings, which I will frequently throughout the summer session. Since I will give approximately a dozen quizzes during the semester and will average your ten best scores, which will count 20% of your final grade. There are no make-up quizzes, regardless of the reason(s) you might miss taking one or more. To take a quiz, you must be seated at the time I distribute it, which is often at the beginning of class.

3. Make-Up Work. Exams can be made up only with a verified, justifiable excuse (illness, serious family emergency, university business, inclement weather [commuter students only]). A make-up examination must be taken within three class days from when you return to class. If you do not take a required exam, you will receive a zero for 20% of your final average. Quizzes may not be made up under any circumstances (see #2).

4. Attendance Policy. During this summer session, three unexcused absences will lower your course grade by one letter; if you miss four or more classes without valid verifiable excuses (i.e., illness, serious family emergency, university business, inclement weather [commuter students only]) you will receive a failing grade. Class attendance is mandatory and habitual tardiness is unacceptable. Excessive tardiness or excessive early departure will be counted as absences after two occurrences. A student who enters class after roll call and is marked absent is responsible for having the absence changed to a tardy at the end of the class; otherwise, the absence will stand.

 5. Grading Scale. The numerical ranges of letter grades for mid-term and final reports will be: A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F = below 60.