ANTHROPOLOGY 2120H
SPRING 2003
Instructor: Dr. Sandra E. Whitney
317 Moore College 542-3240 swhitney@arches.uga.edu
office hours by appointment (M-F: 8-5)
This course is designed to introduce students to the study of humanity in all its physical and cultural diversity. We will discuss the major subdisciplines of anthropology (physical, cultural, archaeological, and linguistic) in order to gain a broad perspective on human nature, prehistory, the variations of human interactions with the environment, and the similarities and differences between people of different cultures and different times. We will study and discuss the many different ways that people make their living and how they relate to the environment. We will discuss how we can apply this knowledge to our own lives in our interactions with people and with the environment.
You are expected to do the readings and view the required videos BEFORE the class for which it is assigned. The readings and the videos will be available in the main library.
TEXT: (1) Class Notes from BelJean's Copy Center on Broad Street
(2) Readings and supplemental texts on Reserve in the Main Library
GRADING SYSTEM:
Tests.................................3 x 150 points.....................................450 points
Discussions*.....................15 x 10 points.....................................150 points
Ethnographic paper.....................................................................100 points
Final Exam..................................................................................300 points
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Total 1000 points
* Discussions in the first half of the course will be based on assigned readings in the text and on reserve in the library, and on the required videos. The Reserve Readings are available from the Main Library Reserve Desk, and online at:
www.uga.edu and click on Library Catalogs/GIL Catalog/Course Reserves
select Instructor: [Whitney, Sandra] and click on [search] the password is: anthro
Bring a written list of 5 major ideas or points of information that you have learned from the reading, and 5 additional points from the video (if applicable), to be brought up in discussion. Since different groups of students will be reading different articles for each class, your classmates will be responsible for learning the major points from your article, based on what you report and on the class discussion that results from each report. You must turn in your individual notes on the article that you read at the end of the class discussion. If you have personal knowledge, or information from another class that is relevant to the discussion please include those among your discussion points. The discussion grade is based on turning in your notes (5 points) and your participation (5 points). Anthropology is comparative and global in scope, so be able to compare and contrast the various topics and cultures that we discuss in class. Read and listen critically, but not negatively (know the difference). THINK!!
The discussions of specific cultures in the second half of the course will be lead by students who have read ethnographies on a particular type of culture, and these discussions count double for the leaders (20 points). Everyone, however, will be expected to contribute to the discussion and to ask questions about the ethnographies, especially as they compare with cultures discussed in the text and on the required videos available in the library. Most of the videos are 1 hour long, except for The Hunters, Dead Birds, and Spirit of the Rainforest, which run about 1 ½ hours. The ethnographic videos will only be available for the week before the discussion, the others will be in the media center all term. You may wish to get a group together to watch the videos, or you may go in individually.
Ethnographic Paper Due April 24, 2002 Suggested readings for the ethnographies will be distributed later in the semester. You will get two suggested groups of people from cultures using one of the following modes of production: foraging, horticulture, pastoralism, intensive agriculture, or industrial (check the Notes for brief definitions of each of these modes of production). You should choose one of theses groups to focus on for your discussion and term paper. The paper should contain a brief summary of who your culture is, where they live, when the ethnography was done, and how they make a living. Compare your culture with information on similar cultures from the Notes, class discussion, and the videos. Feel free to check the web for additional information. Then express your reaction or reflections on: (1) the culture itself; (2) the ethnographer's cultural relativity; (3) how this reading affects you, if it does. The paper should be 5-7 pages long with standard margins and font. It must contain full references at the end, and citations within the body of the paper, but the style is up to you.
Note: there will be several opportunities for extra credit points available for the field trip and/or lectures and/or videos during the semester. The field trip will be worth 10 points, extra credit lectures of videos are worth 5 points each. There is a maximum of 20 points extra credit available (this may be used to offset absences during graded discussions). The extra credit videos will give additional examples of topics and cultures that we will cover in class, beyond what is covered in the required readings and videos, and will be of interest even if not needed for extra credit.
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Maps will be very important in this class. If you know where a group lives, you automatically know a great deal about their lifestyle and interactions with their environment. The following list will help you locate the various cultures that we will talk about in this class. I strongly recommend that you take the time to locate these places on the map. If you do not have an atlas of your own the Library has an excellent collection and the Reference Librarians are very happy to help.
North America South America Africa
U.S.A. Amazon River East African Rift Valley
Mississippi River Amazon rainforest Congo River
Colorado Plateau Andes Mountains Somalia
Yucatan Peninsula Peru Kalahari Desert, South Africa
Mexico City Chile Madagascar
Nunavut Brazil Egypt
Middle East Europe Asia Australia
Tigris & Eupharates Alps Himalayas New Guinea
Israel Ural Mountains Indus River Tasmania
Saudi Arabia France India, China
Ukraine Tibet, Java
Date: Reading: from "Notes" unless Topic Format
otherwise indicated
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Jan. 9 Introduction to course Lecture
Thinking critically, anthropologically
Four fields of anthropology
14 Humans and ecology Lecture
"Easter's End" by Jared Diamond
16 # 1 Reserve reading Biological Evolution Discussion
Evolution notes and illustrations; "Evolution Made Visible"
21 Primatology notes Primate Evolution Lecture
Illustrations
23 # 2 Reserve reading Primate behavior Discussion
Among the Wild Chimpanzees video in class
Monkey in the Mirror extra credit video - library
28 Primatology Lecture
"Bonobo: the Forgotten Ape"; "The DNA Divide"
"Decoding Chimp Genes and Lives"
evening review session??
30 First Test
Feb. 4 # 3 Reserve reading Paleoanthropology Discussion
Earliest hominids
6 Paleoanthropology notes Climate change and hominid evolution Lecture
"Plio-Pleistocene African Climate"; "K-Ar Dating"
Hominid Evolution notes; Various technical articles, maps, skeletal illustrations
The Story of Lucy Required Video - library
Surviving in Africa extra credit video - library
11 # 4 Reserve readings Paleoanthropology Discussion
Evolution of Homo sapiens
13 Hominid Evolution notes Paleoanthropology Lecture
Various technical articles
Illustrations The Creative Revolution Required Video - library
18 # 5 research reading Upper Paleolithic Art Discussion
20 Flintknapping Demonstration - Scott Jones
Flintknapping extra credit video - library
25 Second test
27 Archaeology notes Archaeology Lecture
"Radiocarbon Dating"
Paleolithic to Neolithic notes Mesolithic and climate change
Artifact descriptions and illustrations
Mar. 4 Paleolithic to Neolithic notes Old World Neolithic Lecture
"Jericho", "Uruk", "Harappa & Mohenjo-Daro", "Xianyang", "Zimbabwe"
6 # 6 Reserve reading Neolithic Discussion
8 Field Trip?
11 "Kennewick Man", New World Archaeology Lecture
"Poverty Point", "Cahokia" Lost in Time Required Video - library
"People of the Mesa" The Ancient Ones extra credit video - library
"Teotihuacan"
13 Cultural Anthropology notes Cultural Anthropology Lecture
Potters of Burr Heybe video in class
Begin reading about your assigned cultural group, prepare for discussion
Spring Break
25 "Doing Fieldwork...", "Eating Christmas...", "Body Ritual..." Discussion
27 # 7 Reserve reading Linguistics Discussion
Language and culture notes
Apr. 1 Modes of production notes Modes of production Lecture
Domestic Life notes Domestic life
"Who Needs Love!...", "Arranging a Marriage..."
Dadi's Family Required Video - library
**Only available for one week prior to discussion**
3 Socio-political Organization notes Socio-political organization Lecture
Economic Organization notes Economic organization
8 Third test
10 "The Dobe !Kung" Foragers Discussion
The Hunters Required Video - library
**Only available for one week prior to discussion**
Ishi: The Last Yahi extra credit video - library
15 "The Pueblo Indians" Horticulturalists Discussion
Dead Birds Required Video - library
17 "The Pokot of Kenya" Pastoralists Discussion
Masai Women Required Video - library
**Only available for one week prior to discussion**
22 "Two Chinese Villages" Intensive Agriculture and Industrial Discussion
To Taste a Hundred Herbs Required Video - library
**Only available for one week prior to discussion**
24 # 8 Reserve reading Applied Anthropology Discussion
Spirit of the Rainforest Required Video - library
29 # 9 Reserve reading Applied Anthropology Discussion
May 2 Reading Day -- Optional review session
May 8 7-10 PM Final Exam