ANTHRO103 - Cultural Anthropology - Corey Howard

Introduction

Humans display tremendous diversity in behavior, belief, and material expression. Since the inception of anthropology as a degree-awarding discipline, early anthropologists have tried to account for these differences using different theoretical concepts - “society” and “culture” being the prominent paradigms for the British and the American schools of anthropology respectively. Yet despite the ubiquity of the word culture in our discipline, it has historically been ill-defined by its proponents. Even worse, because of its use as an anti-concept to the idea of “race”, culture runs the risk of naturalizing our differences rather than celebrating our complexity.

What I aim to show you in this course are different, and hopefully useful, ways of understanding the range of human possibility. Moreover, by looking critically at anthropology’s historical conditions of possibility, I hope to illuminate our discipline’s peculiar fascination with certain subjects and their “culture”. You will collect, assess, and utilize some of the theoretical tools that cultural anthropologists have used to explain and understand human difference. You will be critical of these tools: you will determine their strengths and their weaknesses. You will think about what these theories can help us see as well as what they are unable to show us. Furthermore, you will be asked to put these tools to use as you conduct your own research via anthropology’s primary method of data collection: ethnography.

At the conclusion of our course, you ought to be knowledgeable about what cultural anthropology is, what cultural anthropologists do, and what types of questions we ask.

Watch this short video to learn more about this course and my interests.

Course Description

In this course, we will investigate how people around the world organize themselves socially, politically, and economically; how they make their living; how they communicate; how they relate to each other; what they believe about the world; how they make distinctions among themselves according to gender, racial and ethnic identity labels; how they have been shaped by social inequalities; and how they navigate the processes of globalization.

What to Expect in this Course

This is an online course with no in-person meetings. You will need to log in to the course regularly throughout the week to keep up with discussions and assignments. Successful online students log into the course at least once every two days. In a normal 16- 3-unit course, it is expected that students dedicate approximately 9 + total hours a week to a course. Since this is a 5-week course, the weekly time dedication be roughly triple that.

Types of Assessments

ANTH103 consists of quizzes, assignments, discussions, and exams distributed across five modules (12 chapters).

The components of your grade will be weighted in the following way:

Quizzes                            20% of your grade

Assignments:                    20%

Discussions:                     20%

Midterm:                           20%

Final:                                20%

                                         100% total

Quizzes are multiple choice and are meant to keep you following along with the readings. Assignments will lead you through important course concepts, often through self-reflection and applying theoretical lenses to your own lives. Discussions will ask you to apply what you learned in each module to some kind of practical real-world situation. These will require you to use specific evidence from course materials to support your answer. The midterm will contain short essay questions, and the final will contain longer-essay questions. The midterm will cover topics from the first half of the course and the final will cover topics from the entire course with emphasis on the second half of the course. Like the discussions, final questions will ask you to demonstrate your understanding of these topics by thinking critically and offering responses that are nuanced and informed using specific evidence from course materials.

Textbook Information

Perspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology
By Brown, Nina / Mcilwraith, Thomas / De Gonzalez, Laura Tubelle

SKU: MBS_6053199_new

Edition: 2ND 20

Publisher: INGRAM

ISBN10: 1931303673

ISBN 13: 9781931303675

The Textbook is available to download for free at:

https://perspectives.americananthro.org/  

Other Relevant Course Information

Because of its pace, ANTH103 Winter is more intense than normal 16-week long semester courses. The assignments are designed to walk you through important concepts and give you all the tools you need to succeed on the exams. You may be tempted to take shortcuts, but I ask that you approach them with intention and refrain from using AI to complete assignments. Exams assess your ability to think critically and synthesize information, a task that AI cannot perform and likewise, will not benefit your academic growth.

Additional Resources

Canvas

This course can be accessed on the first day of class via Canvas at https://coc.instructure.com. Log into Canvas using your CanyonsID single sign-on:

• CanyonsID Username is your COC student email address (Ex: username@my.canyons.edu)
• CanyonsID Password is your COC student email password

Please visit the Get to Know Your Online Classroom page for help logging into Canvas and for tips on using Canvas and Zoom. Canvas Chat Support is also available 24/7 for any Canvas related issues.

Online Education

Check out the Online Education website for more information on a variety of topics that can help you be a successful online student such as: exam proctoring, learning styles, computer skills, and tips for student success. If this is your first online course, feel free to take our online learning readiness assessment to assess your skills.

The Learning Center (TLC)

The TLC provides FREE online tutoring resources to COC students!

Academic Accommodation Center (AAC)

College of the Canyons AAC provides educational services and access for eligible students with documented disabilities who intend to pursue coursework at COC. A variety of programs and services are available which afford eligible students with disabilities the opportunity to participate fully in all aspects of the college programs and activities through appropriate and reasonable accommodations. For more information on their services visit the Academic Accomodation Center website.

Online Counseling

The Counseling Department offers appointments online. You can schedule an appointment by visiting the Online Counseling website. Counselors can help you map out a plan to reach your educational goals as well as advise you on course selection and registration.

Management of Stress and Mental Health

Often the pressure on our students is very strong, involving academic commitments, relationships, outside jobs and family pressure to name a few. The staff and faculty of College of the Canyons are here to see you succeed academically and care about your emotional and physical health. You can learn more about the broad range of confidential student services, including counseling and mental health services available on campus by visiting the Student Health & Wellness Center in the Student Services Building (across from the bookstore). The phone number is 661-362-3259 that you can call 24/7. You can also e mail for an appointment at StudentHealthCenter@canyons.edu. At the Canyon Country Campus the Health Center will be in the new Student Services Building.

Also, the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline number is now 988. All students at COC are encouraged to enter that phone number in their cells. You can call it when you, or someone you know, is having thoughts of suicide or is in severe distress.

You can also now use the Crisis Text Line: Just text "Courage" to 741741. Someone will get back to you immediately. Its free, 24/7, and confidential.

Veterans Resource Center

The College of the Canyons Veterans Resource Center is a department within the Student Services Division at the college, created to help veterans and veteran dependents with applying to College of the Canyons, enrolling in classes, and requesting VA Education or Vocational Benefits. For more information please visit the Veterans Resource Center website, email veterans@canyons.edu or phone (661) 362-3469.

Library

The Library provides live online and in-person research help, access to a full range of e-resources and physical materials that support the curriculum, individual and group study areas, and much more!

Last updated: 12/22/2025 Sub#: 1994 Sub ID: 206048