Course Format and Requirements

This course will include lectures, discussions, small group activities, and films. It will be interactive and, as much as possible, discussion and activity-oriented. Due to the short timeline, it is also compacted and accelerated, and it is therefore crucial that you do not miss any classes. Attendance is mandatory at all course activities. The only excused absences are for family or health emergencies (with proof).

You will be graded on the following:

• Class Attendance and Participation 10%
• Field Exercise 15%
• Film Responses 15%
• Reading Quizzes 20%
• Final Exam 40%

It is essential that you keep up on the reading assignments. In order to ensure that, we will have brief (10-15 minute) open-note (but not open-book) quizzes every Tuesday, beginning the second week. If you miss class and have not cleared it ahead of time with me, you cannot make up the quiz.

We will also have a final exam that will test how well you have learned the basic concepts of cultural anthropology. The exam will combine key word definitions, short answers, and essay questions.

During the course, you will undertake a brief ethnographic exercise, to expose you first-hand to both the advantages and complexities of ethnographic fieldwork methods. You will write a minimum two typed page (but not more than four pages) analysis of that experience, in which you must refer to at least one of our readings that relates to the dilemmas, complexities, or advantages of ethnographic fieldwork methods. I will hand out an explanation of this exercise during the first week, and it will be due in class on Monday 7/29. I do not accept late papers.

We will be viewing a number of ethnographic films that represent particular aspects of cultural processes. In order for you to get the most out of watching these films, you should take notes while we watch the film. You will then write a minimum of one typed page (but no more than two pages) reaction to the film. These writings should not be summaries of the video, but your reactions about what you saw and heard in it, including questions, commentary, assessments, analysis, protests, opinions, or any combination of these. I will collect them at the final exam. You do not have to write a reaction paper for the film we see on the first day of class.