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General Information

Course ID (CB01A and CB01B)
ANTH D002.
Course Title (CB02)
Cultural Anthropology
Course Credit Status
Credit - Degree Applicable
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Course Description
The anthropological approach to the study of human behavior from a cross-cultural, comparative perspective. An exploration into the languages, subsistence, economics, sociopolitical systems, religions, and world views of diverse world cultures. An assessment of the dynamics of culture change and future prospects for humanity.
Faculty Requirements
Course Family
Not Applicable

Course Justification

This course is a major preparation requirement in the discipline of anthropology for both CSU and UC. It meets a general education requirement for °®¶¹´«Ã½, CSUGE and IGETC. Anthropology has four major subfields and this course is an introduction to one of them - which is cultural anthropology.

Foothill Equivalency

Does the course have a Foothill equivalent?
No
Foothill Course ID

Course Philosophy

Formerly Statement

Course Development Options

Basic Skill Status (CB08)
Course is not a basic skills course.
Grade Options
  • Letter Grade
  • Pass/No Pass
Repeat Limit
0

Transferability & Gen. Ed. Options

Transferability
Transferable to both UC and CSU
°®¶¹´«Ã½ GEArea(s)StatusDetails
2GDX°®¶¹´«Ã½ GE Area D - Social and Behavioral SciencesApproved
2GEX°®¶¹´«Ã½ GE Area E - Personal DevelopmentApproved
CSU GEArea(s)StatusDetails
CGDYCSU GE Area D - Social SciencesApproved
IGETCArea(s)StatusDetails
IG4XIGETC Area 4 - Social and Behavioral SciencesApproved
C-IDArea(s)StatusDetails
ANTHAnthropologyApprovedC-ID ANTH 120

Units and Hours

Summary

Minimum Credit Units
4.0
Maximum Credit Units
4.0

Weekly Student Hours

TypeIn ClassOut of Class
Lecture Hours4.08.0
Laboratory Hours0.00.0

Course Student Hours

Course Duration (Weeks)
12.0
Hours per unit divisor
36.0
Course In-Class (Contact) Hours
Lecture
48.0
Laboratory
0.0
Total
48.0
Course Out-of-Class Hours
Lecture
96.0
Laboratory
0.0
NA
0.0
Total
96.0

Prerequisite(s)

Corequisite(s)

Advisory(ies)

EWRT D001A or EWRT D01AH or ESL D005.

Limitation(s) on Enrollment

(Not open to students with credit in the Honors Program related course.)

Entrance Skill(s)

General Course Statement(s)

(See general education pages for the requirements this course meets.)

Methods of Instruction

Lecture and multi-media aids

Discussion of assigned reading

Field observation and field trips

Guest speakers

Collaborative learning and small group exercises

Collaborative projects

Laboratory and field research experience which involves students in formal exercises of data collection and analysis

Discussion and problem solving performed in class

In-class exploration of internet and digital resources

Homework and extended projects

Quiz and examination review performed in class

Assignments

  1. Verbal
    1. Small group discussion of course content (articles and textual materials)
    2. Individual and/or small group presentations based on field work conducted on cultural diversity
    3. In-class discussion and debates on topical controversies (such as are there Universal human rights? ethical dilemmas, who owns ones Culture?)
    4. Student facilitation of classroom discussions under instructor’s supervision (instructor’s option)
  2. Reading
    1. Synthesis of assigned readings from the required texts and other sources
    2. Suggested supplemental readings
  3. Writing
    1. Field project: A comprehensive paper in which students employ anthropological field methods to observe, describe, and analyze an example of culturally conditioned behavior. Students are required to immersing themselves in the field worker's role through participant observation, interviews and the collection of oral/life histories.
    2. Assignments involving critical analysis of current literature and DVDs within the realm of cultural anthropology.
    3. Substantive response papers on cultural issues explored through classroom materials and readings
  4. Preparation of exhibit material: Students will develop an educational exhibit to teach fellow students about aspects of archaeology, cultural and physical anthropology.

Methods of Evaluation

  1. Multiple choice questions designed to test for basic subject and topical competency.
  2. Reading responses that demonstrate basic comprehension, critique and synthesis of course reading
  3. Essay examinations and comprehensive final examination, all of which are composed of concept based questions which will require the student to demonstrate the ability to integrate, critique and summarize facts, concepts and theory in order to translate them into fundamental units of knowledge
  4. Field project writing assignment: a preliminary proposal, outline or synopsis of the project; a completed set of field notes; a final paper that contextualizes, presents and analyses field data; completed projects demonstrate the student's growth in synthesizing and analyzing ethnographic data anthropologically
  5. Participation in and contribution toward classroom discussions and analytical collaborative group work involving comparative source materials
  6. Individual or group presentations that demonstrate ability to present data and data analysis in a logical, engaging oral and visual format.
  7. Design and develop posters or exhibits on cultures across the world. Exhibits will be assessed using questionnaires, surveys, interviews, and or informal conversations.

Essential Student Materials/Essential College Facilities

Essential Student Materials: 
  • None.
Essential College Facilities:
  • Maps, Cultural Artifacts, Ethnography DVD's

Examples of Primary Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisherDate/EditionISBN
Kottak, Conrad Phillip, "Cultural Anthropology:Appreciating Cultural Diversity 17th ed.," Boston: McGraw Hill 2017
Miller, Barbara. Cultural Anthropology in a Globalizing World. Pearson Education, Inc. 4th ed. 2017.
Nanda, Serena and Richard L. Warms, "Culture Counts: A Concise Introduction to Cultural Anthropology," 4th Edition. Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2018.
Peoples, James and Garrick Bailey, Humanity: An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology", 11th Edition. Cengage Learning Books, 2018.
Robbins, Richard H. Cultural Anthropology: A Problem-Based Approach, 7th Edition. Cengage, 2017

Examples of Supporting Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisher
Angeloni, E. "Annual Editions in Anthropology." 41st Edition. 2018
Bailey, Garrick, and James Peoples. Essentials of Cultural Anthropology. 23rd ed. Cengage Learning, 2014
Chavez, Leo R. Shadowed Lives: Undocumented Immigrants in American Society /. 3rd ed. Belmont, CA:: Wadsworth, 2013.
Ember, C. and M. Ember. "Cultural Anthropology." 14th ed. Pearson Publishing: 2015
English-Lueck, J.A., Cultures@SiliconValley, Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2002
Ervin, Alexander. Applied Anthropology: Tools and Perspectives for Contemporary Practice. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2005
Geertz, Clifford, "The Interpretation of Cultures," New York: Basic Books Inc., 2000.
Guest, K.J. Cultural Anthropology: A reader for the global age. Norfront Company. 2018
Guest, Kenneth J. Essentials of Cultural Anthropology. 2e. Norfront Company. 2018
Harris, Marvin and Orna Johnson, "Cultural Anthropology, 7th Edition," Allyn and Bacon, 2007.
Haviland, William. "Cultural Anthropology: The Human Challenge." 15th ed. Orlando, FL: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2017.
Heider, Karl G. Seeing Anthropology: Cultural Anthropology Through Film. 4th edition. Prentice Hall, 2007.
Kuhn, Thomas, "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions," The University of Chicago Press, 1962. 2nd edition 1970.
McDonald, James H., ed, The Applied Anthropology Reader. Boston: Allyn Bacon, 2002
Mead, Margaret. Coming of Age in Samoa: a Psychological Study of Primitive Youth for Western Civilisation /. 1st Perennial Classics ed. New York:: Perennial Classics, 2001.
O'Donnell, Joan K. editor, "Here, Now and Always: Voices of the First Peoples of the Southwest," Santa Fe: Museum of New Mexico 2001
Spradley McCurdy and Shandy. Conformity and Conflict: Readings in Cultural Anthropology. 15th Ed, Pearson Publishing 2016
Vincent, Joan, ed. The Anthropology of Politics: A Reader in Ethnography, Theory, and Critique. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2002
Willigen, John van. Anthropology in Action: A Source Book on Anthropological Practice. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1991.
"American Anthropologist." (Journal of the American Anthropological Association)
"Annual Reviews in Anthropology." (Bernard Siegal, ed.; Mayfield Publishing)
"Cultural Anthropology." (The Society for Cultural Anthropology)
"Cultural Survival Quarterly." (Cultural Survival Foundation)
"Scientific American." (W.H. Freeman Co.)
"Practicing Anthropology." (The Society for the Practice of Anthropology)

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

Course Objectives

  • Recognize the immense scope of the multi-faceted, interdisciplinary approach of anthropology and explain the relationships between its basic areas of inquiry: physical anthropology, cultural anthropology, archeology/prehistory, and linguistic anthropology.
  • Assess the historical development of anthropology as a Western academic discipline and its ties to national colonial projects, giving particular attention to the significant contributions and perspectives of women, minorities, subaltern, and non-Western cultural anthropologists.
  • Examine the basic conceptual framework of an anthropological study and identify the crucial distinction between ethnocentrism and the practice of cultural relativism.
  • Analyze the key methodological practices of cultural anthropology with its major focus on pursuing ethnographic research through fieldwork.
  • Assess how the processes in any cultural system operate by analyzing the integrated, synergistic as well as contradictory nature of all such systems.
  • Evaluate the diversity of human cultures by comparing ethnographic information from a variety of world societies.
  • Evaluate the dynamics of culture change (both voluntary and involuntary) and apply this knowledge to understanding the complexities of culturally heterogeneous societies.
  • Appraise how anthropological knowledge and insights can be applied to current societal issues, and then extrapolated to an analytic evaluation of humanity's future.

CSLOs

  • Apply a scientific, holistic and a multidisciplinary approach to understand and analyze human behavior.

  • Recognize the value of cultural relativism and the validity of each culture as an adaptive strategy to the challenge of physical and social environment.

  • Analyze cultural diversity, and explain how they arose and change. They will also identify underlying similarities between cultures.

  • Recognize that humans are not superior to their environment but an integral part of their natural and cultural environment on this planet.

Outline

  1. Recognize the immense scope of the multi-faceted, interdisciplinary approach of anthropology and explain the relationships between its basic areas of inquiry: physical anthropology, cultural anthropology, archeology/prehistory, and linguistic anthropology.
    1. Demonstrate anthropology as a science and a humanistic discipline; understand its breadth, especially its interest in global diversity.
    2. Assess the role of four major subfields in anthropology in understanding humans spatially and temporally.
    3. Apply anthropology to vital issues and new challenges facing humans such as the emerging culture of terrorism, cyber warfare, genetic modification of food, cloning, the impact of the culture of virtual reality , and issues related to human-driven climate change.
  2. Assess the historical development of anthropology as a Western academic discipline and its ties to national colonial projects, giving particular attention to the significant contributions and perspectives of women, minorities, subaltern, and non-Western cultural anthropologists.
    1. Develop an understanding of changing theoretical perspectives in anthropology and evaluate these changes.
    2. Relate cultural anthropology to other disciplines that study humans
    3. Illustrate the significance of the women cultural anthropologists' perspective
    4. Focus on increasing contributions by cultural anthropologists who are people of color and/or are from the non-Western world
  3. Examine the basic conceptual framework of an anthropological study and identify the crucial distinction between ethnocentrism and the practice of cultural relativism.
    1. Examining anthropology as a way of thinking, with a world view that is cognizant of the validity of all cultures.
    2. Understand the concept of cultural relativism, its strengths and limitations. Identify and examine the crucial distinction between cultural relativism and moral relativism.
    3. Distinguish between emic and etic approaches to anthropology.
    4. Recognize the role of holistic perspective in understanding humanity.
    5. Understand how the study of anthropology develops skills and competencies necessary for success in the 21st century
    6. Recognizing the realities of ethnocentrism leading to racism and intolerance, and as a political weapon for discrimination.
  4. Analyze the key methodological practices of cultural anthropology with its major focus on pursuing ethnographic research through fieldwork.
    1. Recognize the importance of experiential fieldwork in Ethnographic research
    2. Examine the nature of international political conflicts as it impacts opportunities for conducting scientific research as well as the fieldwork experience.
    3. Recognize and assess the value of new trends in collaborative research involving members of the study group as co-partners in designing research objectives rather than passive subjects.
    4. Recognize and evaluate new trends in the study of Diasporas straddling local communities and immigrant enclaves due to transnational migration and the reality of multi-locality.
    5. Examine the nature of international political conflicts as it impacts opportunities for scientific research and the fieldwork experience.
    6. Understand the nature of culture shock, its effects and appreciate the benefits of biculturalism.
    7. Assess the importance as well as limitations of participant-observation and interviewing
    8. Examine the major ethical issues confronting anthropologists
  5. Assess how the processes in any cultural system operate by analyzing the integrated, synergistic as well as contradictory nature of all such systems.
    1. Develop an understanding of the cultural processes
    2. Evaluate the intricacies between culture systems and the environment
    3. The interrelationships between cultural processes
    4. Assessing the integration and synergism in cultural systems
  6. Evaluate the diversity of human cultures by comparing ethnographic information from a variety of world societies.
    1. On cultural variation
      1. The dynamics of cultural diversity
      2. Baseline: life ways of the foraging bands (examples: !Kung, Mbuti, Netsilik, Inuit, California Natives, Australian Aborigine)
      3. Comparison: tribal life ways (examples: Hopi, Navajo, Yanomamo, Basseri, Nuer, Dogon)
      4. Comparison: chiefdom life ways (examples: Bunyoro, Melanesia, Maori, Chumash)
      5. Comparison: the state (examples: Zimbabwe, Niger, Mayans, Singapore)
    2. On cultural processes
      1. Language and culture (examples: Navajo, Chinese, English)
      2. Culture and personality (examples: Hopi, Baka, Euro-American)
      3. Technology and economics (examples: Inuit, Iroquois, India)
      4. Social structure and politics (examples: Cheyenne, Maori, Hong Kong)
      5. Religion and world view (examples: Aborigine, Pueblo, Dogon)
      6. Processes working together - systems theory - e.g. - economies/populations/ecosystems, kinship/political power/stigma
  7. Evaluate the dynamics of culture change (both voluntary and involuntary) and apply this knowledge to understanding the complexities of culturally heterogeneous societies.
    1. Analyze the process of voluntary change such as invention and diffusion and involuntary change such as acculturation and adaptation.
    2. Case study: Native Americans vs. Euro-Americans
    3. Case study: ethnic diversity in the U.S.
    4. Assess the impact of change and the loss of indigenous knowledge systems
    5. Evaluate the impact of colonialism, globalization and the world system
    6. Assess and evaluate the impact of international inequality in digital literacy.
    7. Evaluate the roles of power and representation in systems of domination and cultural normalization.
  8. Appraise how anthropological knowledge and insights can be applied to current societal issues, and then extrapolated to an analytic evaluation of humanity's future.
    1. Examine the cultural survival of indigenous peoples
    2. Study the impact of globalism and the first world powers
    3. Analyze the role of anthropology in medical, educational, agribusiness and corporate settings
    4. Analyze the future of humanity and of the planet Earth.
    5. Examine the impact of new forms of cultural aggression such as terrorism and cyber warfare.
    6. Examine and assess the impact of genetic engineering of food and human cloning on the future of humanity.
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