Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Anthropology 111: Introduction to Anthropology Instructor: Dr. Gregory Vogel Course Description: This course is an introduction to anthropology, the study of humans. Course Readings: There are three required books for this course, all of which are available at Textbook Rental: Anthropology: What Does it Mean to be Human? (2008), by Robert H. Lavenda and Emily A. Schultz. Applying Anthropology: An Introductory Reader, 8th edition (2007), edited by Aaron Podolefsky and Peter J. Brown. Conformity and Conflict: Readings in Cultural Anthropology, 12th edition, edited by James Spradley and David W. McCurdy. Course Requirements: You are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions. You will take three in-class exams and a final exam, send questions and comments on readings by e-mail, write four essays and complete a fieldwork project, for a total of 100 points, assigned as follows: Grading Scale: 100-90 = A; 89-80 = B; 79-70 = C; 69-60 = D; below 60 = F. Class Attendance and Participation: Keep up with the readings and be ready and excited to talk about them. Attendance will be tracked via sign-up sheets; perfect attendance is worth 10 points. Absences may be excused with a doctor's notice. Each unexcused absence will result in the deduction of half a point from the attendance grade. E-mail Questions: You are required to e-mail me one or more question or comments concerning each week's readings (excepting the first week). These are due no later than midnight on Sunday, the day before Monday's class. They may be detailed or broad-ranging, but must demonstrate that you have read the material. I will give direction and guidance for the questions or comments for next week's readings the week before. This assignment is designed to help me lecture and lead discussions in ways that are interesting to you. A perfect record of e-mail questions/comments is worth 10 points; one half of a point will be deducted for each week without a question. Essays: You will write four short essays (2 pages long) worth 5 points each. These will be based on class readings; a detailed assignment sheet will be provided for each. One half of a point will be deducted for each day an essay is late. Fieldwork project: You will conduct a fieldwork project, dealing with the anthropological sub-field of your choice. A detailed assignment sheet will be provided early in the semester. You will turn in field notes and a 5-to-6 page paper based on the fieldwork. The project paper and field notes are worth 20 points; two points will be deducted for each day the fieldwork projects are late. Exams: You will take three exams during the semester and a final exam during finals week. Each is worth 10 points. These will consist of multiple-choice and short-answer questions. They will be based on readings, lectures, class discussions, and any other material that may come up in the course of the class. The final will be cumulative. Missed exams may be taken with a doctor's note, but you must notify me of your illness on the day of the missed exam for this. Students arriving more than 20 minutes late for an exam will not be allowed to sit the examination. Cheating and Plagiarism: As stated in the SIUE Student Academic Code, any form of academic misconduct is grounds for an "F" in the course or other academic discipline. If you have any questions as to what constitutes plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, please consult the Student Academic Code or ask me. Note that falsifying attendance records is considered academic misconduct. Students With Disabilities: Students needing special academic accommodations and who have documented disabilities should make an appointment to discuss these accommocations. If you are taking an examination through DSS, please be sure to give me your completed DSS test release form at least one week before the exam. Other Course Policies: Classroom Behavior: If you must show up to class late, please seat yourself quietly and try not to disturb the lecture, discussion, or activity. Please help to keep the room clean by taking out trash and recycling. Class lectures are all "informal" and you are encouraged to stop me and ask questions at any time (Please Do!). Please keep your questions and comments polite, and please do not engage in private conversation with other students during lectures or discussions – these are distracting and disrespectful to other students who are also trying to learn. Teaching Philosophy: I do not expect that everyone taking the class is in training to be a professional anthropologist. I therefore teach the class from a broad perspective and stress how anthropology relates to other disciplines and to human life in general. In order to understand the uses, limitations, and possibilities of anthropology, however, you must learn many details of the inner workings of its methods and theories. I will explain material in class as best as I am able and present examples of how anthropology is actually studied and applied. Whenever possible, I will give you practical exercises to practice anthropology yourself. It is my philosophy that education is best accomplished in an open, honest, and trusting environment. There will be no "trick questions" on the exams or assignments, and I will make every effort to ensure that you understand exactly what is expected of you. You must make every effort to come to class on time, finish assignments as they are due, and come to me with any questions or concerns you have. The Website: Along with several other anthropologists, I keep a web site of professional papers and projects at "Project Past". I will post this syllabus and other course material on this site, which you will find linked through here: http://www.projectpast.org/gvogel.
Please note that this schedule is subject to change (this on-line version will NOT change) – be sure to attend class to find out if it does!
A Cautionary Tale of Archaeology from Charles M. Schultz:
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