Cultural AnthropologyANT 131-I50Winter 2019

Number of Credits: 3

Days Class Meets: Online Guided Learning

Meeting Times: 7 weeks: January 14- March 3

Location: Online

Instructor: Holdridge

Contact Email: holdridmichaelj@jccmi.edu

Office Hours: By Appointment

Online: JetNet Guided Learning

Course DescriptionThis introduction to anthropology presents cultures from all continents, highlighting major lifestyles and

illustrating human adaptation to environment from the beginnings of the human species to the present.

The course focuses on the thesis that every society is based on an integrated culture, which satisfies

human needs and facilitates survival.

Prerequisite(s)ENG 085*

Course GoalsIn conjunction with GEOs, the College also has identified three Essential Competencies (ECs) that span

across all six pathway areas:

1. Think critically and act responsibly.

2. Work productively with others, recognizing individual contributions to group success.

3. Exhibit technological literacy.

Course ObjectivesThe course goals and objectives incorporate specific General Education Outcomes (GEOs) established

by the JC Board of Trustees, administration, and faculty. These goals are in concert with four-year

colleges and universities and reflect input from the professional communities we serve. GEOs guarantee

students achieve goals necessary for graduation credit, transferability, and professional skills needed in

many certification programs. The GEOs and course objectives addressed in this class include the

following:

ANT 131 fulfills GEO 7

The General Education Outcomes are:

1. Write clearly, concisely and intelligibly.

2. Speak clearly, concisely and intelligibly.

3. Demonstrate computational skills and mathematical reasoning.

4. Demonstrate scientific reasoning.

5. Understand human behavior and social systems, and the principles which govern them.

6. Understand and appreciate aesthetic experience and artistic creativity.

7. Understand and respect the diversity and interdependence of the world’s peoples and cultures.

TextbookText Book Zero: This course uses OER

This text is available in a digital format. Please see the links posted on our class Jet Net site.

Perspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology, edited by Nina Brown, Laura Tubelle de

González, and Thomas McIlwraith.

This is an open educational resource (OER) (i.e., free) text that is available from the American Anthropological Association. It can be downloaded from:

http://perspectives.americananthro.org

It will also be posted in its entirety on our JetNet site.

Grading ProcedureYour final course grade will be determined by summing points earned on the quizzes, in class assignments,

homework, and comprehensive requirement detailed below.

Course Evaluation and Requirements: There are three main components to your grade in this course:

1. Quizzes: There will be 7 quizzes (once a week on Fridays) for a total of 70 points

The quiz questions will be multiple choice questions. The questions will come from the book, additional

readings, power points, video clips shown during class and classroom discussion. Quizzes will be open for

one week and can only be attempted once. Once you log on to take the quiz, your time starts and your

one attempt is complete. You may not pause the quiz and log back in later. This means that you should

not open the quiz until you are ready to take it. No exceptions will be made!

2. Discussion Forums: The first 6 weeks include a Topic Discussion Forum for a total of 190 points (30

points each topic discussion + 10 pts for introduction)

There will be weekly discussion forums which requires three posts each. One initial post and two posts

responding to peers. Instructor prompts will also require responses and will vary from week to week.

*Initial Discussion Post DUE Thursday, 2 Peer Responses DUE by following Tuesday of each week.

**Each forum requires a 350 word-minimum summary including the link or reference. You must show

critical thinking and apply the content within cultural context of the week’s topic. You are also required to

comment on two other peer posts.

3. Applied Anthropology Paper: (60 points) The final assignment will be an applied piece asking you to

explain how anthropology can be applied. Details about this assignment will be posted in the respective

prompt.

Course total: 320 Points

Please keep in mind that 320 points is not a lot. Therefore, one missing assignment, quiz or discussion

can significantly impact your overall grade.

Grading Scale

GPA GRADE RANGE

4.0 94-100%

3.5 89-93%

3.0 84-88%

2.5 78-83%

2.0 72-77%

1.5 66-71%

1.0 60-65%

0.5 55-59%

0.0 0-54%

FailurePlagiarism or academic dishonesty may result in a 0 on assignment and/or failure of the class.

Academic Honesty PolicyAcademic Honesty is defined as ethical behavior that includes student production of their own work and

not representing others' work as their own, by cheating or by helping others to do so.

Plagiarism is defined as the failure to give credit for the use of material from outside sources. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to:

Submitting other's work as your own

Using data, illustrations, pictures, quotations, or paraphrases from other sources without

adequate documentation

Reusing significant, identical or nearly identical portions of one’s own prior work without

acknowledging that one is doing so or without citing this original work (self-plagiarism)

Cheating is defined as obtaining answers/material from an outside source without authorization. Cheating includes, but is not limited to:

Plagiarizing in any form

Using notes/books/electronic material without authorization

Copying

Submitting others' work as your own or submitting your work for others

Altering graded work

Falsifying data

Exhibiting other behaviors generally considered unethical

Allowing your work to be submitted by others

Course ManagementWITHDRAWAL FROM CLASS

The Withdraw deadline for this semester can be found online through the academic calendar. If you

do not wish to complete the class and receive a grade, you must withdraw by this date. The

instructor may withdraw any student who does not attend class, complete assignments and/or tests

in a timely manner. However, do not assume that I will withdraw you.

Last day to withdraw with a “W” see jc website

It is critical that you keep these dates in mind if you decide to withdraw for refunds or a “W”.

If you decide not to complete the course, and do not withdraw, your grade will be determined based

on the grades you have earned. This can result in a grade of 0.0.

“I” INCOMPLETE GRADE

A student may request an “I” grade from an instructor. The request for the “I” grade may be granted

if, in the opinion of the instructor, the course work is sufficient in quality and quantity to meet course

objectives. All allowed make-up exams must be taken within the prescribed time unless extended by

the instructor.

A grade of “I” may be removed by satisfactory meeting the course objectives during either of the next

full-length semesters (fall/winter) or at an earlier date specified by the instructor. If the “I” is not

removed by the end of the specified time, the “I” grade will remain as a permanent entry on the

student’s transcript, and the student must register and repeat the course to receive a grade and

credit for degree and/or transfer purposes.

Please note that purchasing the wrong book, not “getting the grade you want”, going on vacation, not having time to study, etc. are not sufficient reasons to consider an incomplete grade.

Makeup PolicyStudents with valid reasons can request additional time and/or make-up assignments. Students must

contact the instructor prior to missing a class/ assignment/ quiz to discuss possible make-up.

Quizzes can only be made up if arrangements were made prior to the quiz date.

HelpTutors (plus additional services for academic success) can be accessed by calling 796-8415 or by stopping by the

Center for Student Success. Students requiring special assistance (including those affected by the Americans with

Disabilities Act) should also contact the Center for Student Success. This is the first step in acquiring the

appropriate accommodations to facilitate your learning.

It is important to contact a Center for Student Success professional prior to the start of the semester

in order to receive accommodations in a timely manner. While we will make every effort to

coordinate accommodations in a timely manner, failure to self-identify prior to the start of the

semester may delay notification to instructors and timeliness of acquiring accommodations.

Accommodations do not automatically carry over to the next semester.

https://www.jccmi.edu/center-for-student-success/accommodations-for-students-with-disabilities/

Calendar* Calendar timelines and assignments are an approximation and can change.

Week Date Reading/Lecture Topic

Chapters & Quizzes Discussion Due Dates

1 Jan 14 First Day of class Introductions

Dev. of Ideas;

Culture Concept;

Doing Fieldwork

1,2,3

Quiz 1 (closes Jan 18th at

11 p.m.)

Introductions: Jan 17

Initial Post: Jan 17

Peer Responses: Jan 22

2 Jan 21

Language;

Media

4, 15

Quiz 2

closes Jan 25th at 11 p.m.)

Initial Post: Jan24

Peer Responses: Jan 29

3 Jan 28 Race; Gender; Family

& Marriage

9, 10, 8

Quiz 3

closes Feb 1st at 11 p.m.)

Initial Post: Jan 31

Peer Responses: Feb 5

4 Feb 4 Religion; Performance,

Health & Medicine

11, 14, 16

Quiz 4

closes Feb 8th at 11 p.m.)

Initial Post: Feb 7

Peer Responses: Feb 12

5 Feb 11 Subsistence; Political

Anthropology,

Sustainability

5, 7, 13

Quiz 5

closes Feb 15 at 11 p.m.)

Initial Post: Feb 14

Peer Responses: Feb 19

6 Feb 18 Economics;

Globalization;

6, 12,

Quiz 6

closes Feb 22 at 11 p.m.)

Initial Post: Feb 21

Peer Responses: Feb 26

7 Feb 25 Practice; Public 17, 18

Quiz 7

closes March 1 at 11 p.m.)

Applied Paper:

DUE March 1st

By Noon

Important Dates: Fall 2018

DATE EVENT

JAN 14- MAY 5, 2019 SEMESTER DATES

JAN. 9- 11, 2019 LEARNING DAYS

JAN 14, 2019 DAY AND EVENING CLASSES BEGIN

FEB 1, 2019 IN-SERVICE DAY- NO CLASSES

MARCH 3, 2019 LAST DAY OF CLASS

Student ResponsibilitiesYour grade is your responsibility! Please check JetNet often to make sure your grade is what you expect.

Please be sure to read through any announcements, emails or comments to your assignments as they

are posted. The last week of class is not the time to approach me about your grade or assignments.

Classroom Expectations: This course involves a number of instructional formats. In order to

facilitate the best learning possible, each student is asked to comply with the following expectations:

• Only one person will speak at a time, so all can hear clearly.

• Cell phones and pagers will be turned off during class meetings.

• We will speak to each other with respect and civility.

In general, the discussion exercises are designed to provide you with an experimental and applied

orientation to sociology. All students are expected to attend their weekly discussion section starting with

the first week of class. The objective of these sessions is to provide the student with exercises that will

supplement and expand upon the lecture material. In the discussions sections, the student will participate

in experiments and other group activities (including debates regarding controversial issues). Specific

handouts and explanations will accompany each weekly discussion section.

Readings

The readings shown on the syllabus should be finished before coming to class. This allows you to

participate in the lectures, discussions, and other learning activities. The textbook can easily impart

information; the class sessions deal with how to understand and use the information. This is very

important since it is often necessary to have read the text material to contribute to class discussion. You are responsible for all readings, whether they are discussed in class or not.

Assignments

All homework assignments and labs are to be turned in at the start of class on the day that it is due. An

alternative is to turn the writing assignment in on JetNet before the day the paper is due. DO NOT slide

papers under my office door, DO NOT leave them in my mailbox and DO NOT send them to me via email

– papers submitted this way will not be accepted or graded and will be considered missing. Late papers

will be reduced by 10 percentage points each weekday the paper is late, up to 4 days. After 4 days they

will not be accepted.

Class Participation

You are expected to take an active role in activities and class discussions. This component will include

attentive and active participation in discussion of materials and activities.

Attendance PolicyIn compliance with Federal Title IV funding requirements, as well as college initiatives, reporting of

student participation in classes will occur at three designated times each semester. Instructors will assign

one of three non-transcripted letter symbols to each student during each reporting period (see below).

Students identified as no longer participating will be dropped or administratively withdrawn from the class,

and students identified as needing academic assistance will be contacted.

Participation/Progress Symbols

H – The student is not doing acceptable work and needs Help to be successful.

Q – The student has not participated and the instructor believes they have unofficially withdrawn

(Quit). These students will be dropped/withdrawn from the class.

V – The instructor Verifies that the student is participating and doing acceptable work.

CaveatSome revisions may be necessary during the course. School closing policies, instructor illness and other

procedural improbabilities will be dealt with accordingly and students will be informed of any changes.

ContactIt is best to contact me via JetNet or email at: holdridmichaelj@jccmi.edu