Instructor:  Richard Burns           Email: rburns@astate.edu
Office:  Wilson 213 Office phone: 972-3043 Office hours: TR: 1-2 PM or by appointment

Required Texts:
Paul Kutsche, Field Ethnography: A Manual for Doing Cultural Anthropology, Prentice-Hall, 1998.
Richard B. Lee. The Dobe Ju/’hoansi. 2nd ed. Harcourt College Publishers, 1993. (=Lee)
Serena Nanda, Cultural Anthropology, 7th edition. Wadsworth, 2002. (=Nanda)
Recommended:  Karen K. Daar. Study Guide for Cultural Anthropology.

Course Outline:

Aug. 23:   Course Introduction

28: The Nature of Anthropology and Human Diversity
Readings:  Nanda, Chapter 1, pp. 1-17.

30: The Nature of Anthropology
Reading:  Nanda, Chapter 2, pp. 19-47.

Sept. 4: Doing Anthropological Fieldwork
 Reading: Nanda, Chapter 3, pp. 49-69.

6: Doing Anthropological Fieldwork
Reading: Field Ethnography, "Introduction" and student ethnography, pp. 1-12, 103-115.

11: A Sample Ethnography by anthropologist Richard Lee: Introduction to the !Kung
 Reading:  Lee, pp. iii-22.

13: .Examples of Small Field Assignments
Reading: Field Ethnography, pp. 13-84

18: .The Concept of Culture
Reading:  Nanda, Chapter 4, pp. 71-91; Field Ethnography, pp. 123-142.

20: Exam  #1

25: Language and Communication
 Reading:  Nanda, Chapter 5, pp. 93-121. Video: American Tongues.

27: Learning Culture
Readings: Nanda, Chapter 6, pp. 123-143; Field Ethnography, pp. 27-37.

Oct.  2: Making a Living
Reading: Nanda, Chapter 7, pp. 145-167; Field Ethnography, pp. 152-168.

9: Foragers: The Dobe
 Reading:  Lee, pp. 23-60.

11: Economics
 Readings: Nanda, Chapter 8, pp. 169-193; Field Ethnography, pp. 142-152.

16: Exam #2

23: Marriage and the Family
Readings:  Nanda, Chapter 9, pp. 193-217.

25: Marriage and Kinship Among the Dobe Ju/’hoansi
Reading:  Lee, pp. 61-92.

30: Family and Kinship
 Reading:  Nanda, Chapter 10, pp. 219-239. (abstract due)

Nov. 1:  Gender
 Reading: Nanda, Chapter 11, pp. 241-261.

6: Political Systems and Conflict Resolution Among the Dobe Ju/’hoansi
 Reading: Nanda, Chapter 12, pp. 263-285.

8: NO CLASS  Continue reading ethnography by Lee, 93-107.

13: Exam #3

15: Stratification
 Reading:  Nanda, Chapter 13, pp. 287-307

20: Ethnicity
Readings:  Nanda, Chapter 14, pp. 309-333.

22: THANKSGIVING

27: Belief Systems
 Reading:  Nanda, Chapter 15, pp. 335-363; Lee, 109-124.

29: The Dobe Ju/’hoansi Worldview and Their Neighbors/Social Changes
 Reading: Lee, 125-176. (paper due)

Dec. 4 Expressive Culture
Readings:  Nanda, Chapter 14,  pp. 365-383.

6: Cultural Change
 Readings, Nanda, Chapter 17, pp. 385-411; Lee, pp. 177-188.

13: Final Examination (12:30-2:30 PM)

Course Requirements:

Term Paper.  I will provide detailed instructions long before this paper is due.  It will be based on original ethnographic research you conduct.  I require that you turn in a short description (an abstract) of your ethnography on October 30th; however, you should be thinking of a possible topic long before then.  You might look at some of the topics discussed in Field Ethnography for ideas.  The final paper should be 6-8 pages typed and double-spaced.  This paper counts 20% of your final grade.  It is due the 29th of November at the beginning of class.

Examinations: (20 September, 16 October, 13 November, 13 December).  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.  Each exam counts 20% of your final grade.  I will drop the lowest of the first three exam grades.

Reading quizzes: Expect short multiple-choice quizzes over assigned readings, which you need to read before each class meeting.  I will give several quizzes throughout the semester and will take the ten best scores to determine your quiz average, which will count 20% toward your final course grade.  To take a quiz, you must seated at the time I distribute it, which is often at the beginning of class.  Under no circumstances will you be allowed to take a make-up quiz.

Make-up work: Exams may 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 one week of a student’s return to class.  If you do not take required exam, you will receive a 0 for 20% of your final course average. You must take the Final Exam to pass.  To repeat, there are no make-up quizzes.

Attendance Policy:  The university attendance policy specifies that missing more than two weeks’ worth of classes (four classes) without a verified, justifiable excuse (illness, serious family emergency, university business, inclement weather [commuter students only]) may result in a failing grade for the course.  However, I have moderated this policy by lowering your final average by one grade if you miss six classes and failing after you miss eight.  Leaving class immediately early or after immediately taking a quiz will be considered an absence.  Similarly, excessive tardiness will also be considered an absence.

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