ANTH 101: General Anthropology

Course Overview

In this course, we will try to answer the question: What is it to be human?

ANTH 101 is an introduction to the discipline of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of human diversity. Anthropologists study humans from around the world in the past and present. They make biological and cultural comparisons between groups of people. Anthropology provides a unique perspective on issues that impact our daily lives: race, class, ethnicity, medicine, civilization, emotion, belief, and human rights.

In the course, we will look at the four major fields of anthropological inquiry (physical/biological anthropology, archaeology, linguistic anthropology, and cultural anthropology and ethnology).

By the time you have completed the course, you should be able to:

• define key concepts and fields of inquiry from the four fields of anthropology: physical/biological anthropology, archaeology, linguistic anthropology, and cultural anthropology and ethnology
• evaluate and critique anthropological subject matter and arguments encountered in popular media
• describe the main research techniques and methodologies employed in the discipline of anthropology
• take additional anthropological courses.

The course consists of lecture notes available on the course Web site, discussion forums about the issues raised in the lectures, readings, and films. On your own, you will read assigned texts, conduct ethnographic research, and watch some films that address anthropological topics. If viewing films will present a hardship for you, contact me as soon as possible to discuss alternatives.

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Note About Online Courses

Online courses are not any easier than traditional courses that meet several times per week. This particular online course has the same assignments and readings as when I teach this course in a classroom.

The lesson notes and discussion forums simulate and replace the three hours of class meeting time that we would otherwise have. In order to do well in this course, you need to be highly motivated to log onto the course Web site and Blackboard several times per week, read all of the course material, and submit the assignments on time.

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Required Texts

You will read from three texts for this course:

1. Park, Introducing Anthropology: An Integrated Approach. 3rd edition (2006)
2. Podolesfsky and Brown. Applying Anthropology: An Introductory Reader. 7th edition (2002)
3. Williams and Tihany. Gypsy World. (2003)

These books can be obtained from the Higher Grounds bookstore at the Friday Center either by ordering online or by printing and mailing the book order form.

PowerWeb: A few assigned readings come from the PowerWeb articles that accompany the Park textbook. To access the PowerWeb articles, go to the McGraw-Hill Web site. When the "PowerWeb" screen appears, for the username enter "articles" and for the password enter "articles." Then select "Anthropology" as the title. Click on "Contents," and you will see a list of articles. All of the ones that are assigned reading (plus many more that may be of interest but are completely optional) are on the list.

Additional required readings will be available via electronic reserves at the Undergraduate Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. More information about library services is available below.

A few readings are available online via hyperlinks on the lesson pages or on the Blackboard site under "Course Documents."

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Internet Resources

You are encouraged to make use of the following Internet resources and to find additional online resources on your own. You are also invited to share these resources with your classmates via the discussion forum or course listserv.

• Textbook Web site: This Web site provides outlines of each chapter in the Park textbook, plus online quizzes, online videos, readings for the course, and related materials on current anthropological research trends.
• American Anthropological Association: This is the official Web site of the American Anthropological Association, the largest professional organization of anthropologists in the world. On this site you can access recent news stories about anthropology, policies and statements on anthropological topics, and information about undergraduate and graduate programs in anthropology.
• American Association of Physical Anthropology: This is the official Web site of the American Association of Physical Anthropology, professional association for physical and biological anthropologists. On this site you can access recent news stories about anthropology, policies and statements on anthropological topics, and information about undergraduate and graduate programs in anthropology.
• Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection: This Web site is an archive of maps from all over the world available through the University of Texas-Austin. You should visit this site when you are unsure of the location of a place discussed in class.
• Evolution: A great online resource from WBGH-Boston, this site is full of educational and informational materials about evolution. I strongly recommend you take the entire online course for Teaching Evolution.
• UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Anthropology and UNC-Chapel Hill Research Labs of Archaeology: These Web sites will provide you with information about upcoming events related to anthropology as well as information about anthropology courses, faculty publications, and more.
• Human Origins Program of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: This Web site provides additional information about human origins and paleoanthropology. You probably will want to visit the Hall of Human Ancestors to view pictures and 3D images of fossils of our human ancestors. You may find the interactive Early Human Phylogeny especially helpful in understanding the relationships between the various human predecessors and ancestors.
• Race: Are We So Different? Web site of the American Anthropological Association. This Web site presents historical, scientific, and social views of race and ethnicity.

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Course Requirements

E-mail and Internet Communications

Effective e-mail communication and use of the Internet are vital to this course. Please remember that I cannot grade assignments or respond to e-mails that I have not received. In order to ensure effective e-mail communication, please observe the following guidelines:

1. Add my e-mail address to the address book of whatever e-mail system you use. This way, you will not misaddress your e-mail.
2. Begin the subject of any e-mail you send me about this course with "CCO ANTH 101." For example:
   CCO ANTH 101 Midterm exam
   CCO ANTH 101 Homework assignment #1
   CCO ANTH 101 Question about the ethnographic research assignment
3. If you send me an assignment by e-mail and I do not acknowledge that I have received it, assume that I have not received it and send it to me again indicating that it is your second attempt.
4. Arrange access to a backup computer. Do not wait until the last minute to submit your assignments. Backup, backup, BACKUP your work! This is a computer-based course. I will not accept explanations about the lack of computer or computer failure as excuses for work turned in late.

Be sure to familiarize yourself during the first week of class with e-mail, Blackboard, the discussion forums, attaching files to e-mail, and using the Electronic Databases and Indexes of the UNC-Chapel Hill Library.

Participation in Discussion Forums/Homework

Your participation in the online discussion forums is a requirement for this course. The online discussion forums simulate the three fifty-minute class meetings each week of a traditional course. You are unlikely to pass this course if you do not participate regularly.

You are required to make at least two postings to each lesson's discussion forum. Your postings may consist of questions discussing the course readings, responses to questions, or comments on responses to questions.

Posting questions. Students whose last names begin with the letters A-L are required to post a question by the third day of each odd numbered lesson. Students whose last names begin with the letters M-Z are required to post a question by the third day of each even numbered lesson. You may also post questions during lessons when you are not required to do so.

Please keep the following in mind when composing your postings:

• Develop discussion questions that can be discussed. Do not ask a question that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." A high-quality question will include a paragraph of contextualization and make specific reference to course materials.
• Think of your responses to questions as mini-response papers, consisting of one solid, well-crafted paragraph.
• Use specific quotations and illustrations from the reading (that is, demonstrate to your classmates and me that you've read the material) in your postings.
• Give page number citations so the rest of the class can see where you found your ideas and quotations. Do NOT plagiarize ideas or text from other places. If you would like to cite from sources other than those assigned for the course, please give complete citations. This includes Web pages. REMEMBER: Your postings to the discussion forums are governed by the UNC Honor Code.
• You should respond thoughtfully to discussion initiated by other students. Simply saying you agree with someone's posting is not enough. You should say something that will be valuable to the entire class.

In the first lesson, you should make at least two postings in addition to your introduction, for a total of three postings.

Participation in the discussion forums will be graded for quality as well as quantity. Participation will be graded lesson by lesson on a five-point scale.

Quantity: If you make at least two postings related to the discussion of course materials, you will receive four points (80 percent).

Quality: If you make postings that reflect knowledge of the course materials and critical thinking about the issues raised, you will receive one point (20 percent).

Penalties: If you fail to post a question when you are required to post one, one point will be deducted.

Extra Credit: The instructor may assign an extra point when a student makes postings that reflect extra effort. These may be in terms of quality (most importantly) or quantity (less important).

Everyone will be excused from the discussion forum for ONE lesson of the course.

Note: Participation constitutes 25 percent of your grade. Thus, your participation can raise or lower your grade a full letter grade!

Readings

Weekly readings will consist of selections from the textbooks, Internet sites, peer-review journal articles, news stories, and excerpts from books and articles. Some readings will provide general background, while others will relate specifically to the topic we are studying. I strongly urge you to complete all required reading during the week for which it is assigned so that you can participate effectively in the discussion forums. I suggest that you take notes when you read, including passages or ideas that you deem worthy of further comment in our discussion forums.

You will be responsible for all information covered in the readings whether or not they are covered in the lesson notes or the discussion forums.

Quizzes

Four multiple-choice quizzes are scheduled during the semester (along with a Practice Quiz which will be graded as homework). Quizzes are not cumulative and will cover material from the preceding lessons since the last quiz or exam.

You will take your quizzes using an online software package called Blackboard. A hotlink will take you to the Blackboard site where you will enter your ONYEN and password. More information about accessing Blackboard is available below. The quizzes become available at 12:01 am on the first day listed and are due by 11:30 pm on the last day listed. There is a time limit on each quiz; you must complete the quiz in one sitting. Do not start a quiz unless you have time to finish it. These multiple-choice quizzes are to help you measure your progress between exams and to encourage you to keep up with course readings

Quizzes will constitute 10 percent of your grade. The lowest quiz grade of the four quizzes will be dropped in computing your final grade.

Quizzes:

Exams

The midterm and final exams are cumulative. The format of these exams will be a combination of multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, and essay questions. The multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank portions are closed book. You are not authorized to consult anything but your own brain to respond to these portions of the exams. The essay portions of the exam are open book and open note.

Midterm Exam

The midterm consists of two parts:

• Part 1 is the multiple choice section. It will be available on Blackboard. You only have 50 minutes to complete Part 1.
• Part 2 is the essay portion of the exam, and it will be posted on the Blackboard site. Part 2 must be submitted to me via e-mail.

Please go to the Midterm Exam page for more details.

Final Exam

The final exam will also consist of two parts:

• Part 1 is the multiple choice section. It will be available on Blackboard. You only have 50 minutes to complete Part 1.
• Part 2 is the essay portion of the exam, and it will be posted on the Blackboard site. Part 2 must be submitted to me via e-mail.

Please go to the Final Exam page for more details.

Can I turn my exam in late or take it at a different time? No, except in dire circumstances (a serious illness, a death in the family, trouble with the law, and so forth) and with documentation of said circumstances (a copy of your hospital admittance, an obituary, or your arrest papers). Any make-up exams will be in essay format and considerably more challenging than the original exam. Note: Make-up final exams are governed by the rules and regulations of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Ethnographic Research Project

Each student will carry out independent, ethnographic research as part of this course. This project will be conducted in two phases over the course of the semester. The first phase will be the selection of your topic; the second phase is a research paper. See Ethnographic Research Project for more details.

For assistance in understanding and completing your assignment , I recommend that you take a look at the Writing Center Web site for excellent advice on preparing, writing, and polishing assignments. You may also want to schedule a consultation with the Writing Center before turning in your final paper.

Can I turn a part of my ethnographic research project in late? No. For each twenty-four-hour period a part is turned in late, a full letter grade will be deducted from your grade.

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Grading

Your grade in this course should reflect how well you have learned the material. The only way for me to know what you have learned is if you communicate it to me. Even if you have thoroughly read, studied, and understood all the material in the class, you will not receive a good grade if you do not communicate what you have learned through the discussion forums, quizzes, exams, and written assignments.

I will assign grades on a 100-point scale to exams in this course and letter grades to the written assignments.

Written project grades have the following expectations:

Your course grade will be determined as follows:

Letter Grade-Point Conversion Scale

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Honor Code

All work for this course falls under the UNC-Chapel Hill Honor Code. I take academic honesty and the UNC Honor Code very seriously. Please read the Web pages about the UNC Honor Code and Information about Plagiarism. (The Practice Quiz will cover information from these pages.)

If you are unsure about what resources are allowed for a particular assignment or about how to cite sources, please contact me.

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Course Mechanics

Blackboard

Some of your class components (discussion forums, quizzes, and exams) are accessed through a software package called Blackboard, and you will need to login to Blackboard using a unique identifier known as your UNC Onyen (Only Name You'll Ever Need) and Onyen password.

There is a link to the Blackboard site in the gray navigation bar at the top of every page in this course. Click on that link, and then use your Onyen to log in to Blackboard. Click on the "ANTH 101" link, and you will see navigation buttons on the left taking you to the Discussion Forums, Quizzes, and so on.

If you experience problems accessing Blackboard, this is what you should do:

• If you do not already have a UNC Onyen, go to the Onyen Web site and follow the instructions for creating an Onyen.

• If you have an Onyen but have forgotten it (or the password), visit the Onyen Web site.

• If you have your Onyen but can't log in to Blackboard, contact Janice Durham at the Friday Center.

• If you can log in to Blackboard but can't find this course listed, contact Janice Durham at the Friday Center.

• If you can't locate an exam or discussion forum in Blackboard, contact the Instructional Designer.

• If you have other technical problems while using Blackboard, contact Blackboard Help (use the Help button in Blackboard, or call 919-962-HELP).

Library Services and E-reserves

Students enrolled in Carolina Courses Online can access online library resources from the UNC Library System by linking to Library Services for Distance Education Students. This site includes information on using general online reference works as well as accessing e-reserves and e-journals. If you are off-campus, when you click on a restricted library resource (such as e-reserves), you will be prompted to enter your Onyen. If you are unable to access the library's licensed resources, please contact the proxy team for further assistance.

Please be sure that you can connect to the online library resources during the first week of this course.

E-mail

All communication from me will go to your UNC Onyen e-mail address (the one that appears when you post to the discussion forum) unless you change your e-mail address on the Blackboard site. Off-campus users can access their UNC mail using Webmail. You can have your Onyen e-mail forwarded to a different e-mail address by clicking “Forward email” at the Onyen Web site. Please also notify Janice Durham at the Friday Center of the change.

If you use a filter on your e-mail account, you are responsible for ensuring that it does not prevent you from receiving messages from me, the course listserv, or Friday Center staff.

Hotmail users should be aware that Hotmail will block messages sent from within Blackboard because Blackboard uses “blind carbon copy” to protect privacy. We recommend that you use your UNC Onyen e-mail account rather than forwarding to Hotmail for this course.

Hotmail users should be aware that Hotmail will block messages sent from within Blackboard because Blackboard uses "blind carbon copy" to protect privacy. We recommend that you use your UNC Onyen e-mail account rather than Hotmail for this course.

Submitting Assignments

It is extremely important for you to save copies of any work you send to your instructor via e-mail. If your instructor doesn't receive your work, you must have a duplicate copy, indicating the date sent, to prove that you submitted the assignment on time. It is your responsibility to maintain copies of your sent e-mails, as there is no way to guarantee that any e-mail message will be delivered.

Please check your e-mail software to see how it manages sent and saved messages. Some software automatically deletes messages one month after they have been sent; others only save messages if they are filed in folders; others save messages received but not those sent. You may need to send yourself a copy of your e-mailed assignment at the same time you send it to your instructor, or you may need to print a copy of the e-mail message and any attachments to keep in your paper files. No matter how your system works, make sure you know how to save a copy of all work that you submit to your instructor and that you save the copy for several months beyond the end of the course.

Other Questions

Contact me with questions regarding the content of the course and your progress. There is an e-mail link to me at the top of every lesson page. Please include "CCO ANTH 101" in the subject line of your e-mail.

Contact the Instructional Designer at the Friday Center about problems with this Web site, including bad links.

If you have any logistical questions as you work through the course (enrollment, Onyen, credits, withdrawal, and so on), contact the Student Services staff at the Friday Center for Continuing Education (phone 919-962-1134 or 800-862-5669).

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Course Schedule

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Lesson 1

Course Author: Jennie E. Burnet, PhD
Instructor: Jennie E. Burnet, PhD

© University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Last updated: January 24, 2008
Send comments and questions to fridaycenter@unc.edu