Course Requirements (Fall 2010)

Late Paper Policy: Deadlines are strict. Barring personal crisis, family emergency, or severe illness (please let me know ahead of time), all late papers will be subject to one half grade off per day late. Except for abrupt crises, no requests for extensions will be heard within 48 hours before the deadline (that includes for reasons of computer malfunctioning, minor illnesses or being "behind").

Summary of Requirements

• Regular and prompt attendance
• Avid participation in discussion
• First Half of Course: group weekly assignments (5 total, due Fridays by 5, my office)
• Second Half of Course: alternate discussion leadership in trios and discussion questions (due before class via email)
• 7-9 page midterm paper (Friday October 15, 5 pm, my office)
• 10-12 page final paper (Fri. December 17, 5 pm, my office)
• Resources for Anth 411 Assignments

Course Organization

Classes will revolve around group reading work outside class, student-led discussions and presentations. There will be two formal analyses you will work on independently: 1 7-9 page midterm paper, and a final 10-12 pg. paper. In addition, for the first half of the course beginning week 2, you will work in threes (to be changed 3 times throughout the semester) on weekly short written assignments related to the issues and theoretical paradigms raised in the readings. A jointly authored written assignment will be due Fridays at 5 in my office. For the second half of the course, your groups of three will be responsible for one week in which you jointly submitt discussion questions (for both days) via the class email list. Your trio will then lead the discussion that week.

I will expect your avid participation--including regular attendance, prompt completion of assignments, and active involvement in your research partnerships and in in-class discussions whenever possible. In fact, class participation and attendance will comprise a significant portion of your grade.

Reading and writing assignments are meant to encourage close, critical engagement with the texts and the issues they raise. The reading load is moderate to heavy and it is assigned thematically per week. Weekly further readings and website links are provided for your use. The further readings are ones that are especially relevant or provide differing viewpoints; they offer points of departure for deepening your understanding of particular issues.

While we may do collaborative work in and outside of class, my expectation, except for the group assignments, is that all papers you turn in for this class (regardless of the medium) is your own work. Be sure to carefully cite all text and images you borrow from others. For more information on this and how to cite correctly in the discipline of anthropology see these links on Plagiarism and Anthropology Citation Practices under "Resources for Anthropology 411 Assignments".