Anthropology
Anthropology
Calendar
Classes will meet on Monday and Wednesday evenings 6:30 - 9:50 at Widener Exton Campus, from July 6 until August 11, 2010
Unit One
Introductions, syllabus review Topic: "What is anthropology
and what does it have to do with me"
Readings - text chapter 1, 3 and 4, and Horace Miner's article on the
Nacirema.
Topic: The concept of Culture
Readings - text chapter2
Topic: The antiquity of human forms of association with
one another. Ancient men and women.
Readings: check out http://www.becominghuman.org/,
by Donald Johanson, or Richard Leakey's Origins
. If you have Kottak's 12th edition of Cultural Anthro then read his chapter
4.
Unit Two
Topic: Gendering
Readings - text chapter 9, " Doing Gender" by West, "Recreating
Motherhood", by Rothman
Topic: Alliances; kith and kin.
Readings - text chapter 10
Topic: Alliances; marriage and families
Readings - text chapter 11
Student field assignment - visit U of P Museum, 33rd and Spruce, Phila. Make brief written report.
Unit Three
Topic: Language
Readings - text chapter 5
Topic: Wondering: cultivating knowledge: symbolizing,
values, beliefs, rituals of re-creation and entertainment; religion, science,
and magic.
Readings - text chapter 12, 13
Unit Four:
Topic: Making a living; patterns of relationships in production,
circulation and distribution of goods, services, knowledge and skills.
Societal typology. Economic anthropology. The Commons and its destruction;
the elaboration of scarcity.
Readings - text chapter 7
Unit Five
Topic: Races, Nationalities, and Ethnicities - diversities,
conflicts and celebrations
Readings - text chapter 6
Unit Six
Topic: World Systems - globalization then and now. Patterns of governance - defense, commerce, welfare: Readings - text chapter 8, 14 and 15
Last class gathering Papers due and Final Exam