Fall 2021 - SA 101 D900
Introduction to Anthropology (A) (4)
Class Number: 6380
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 8 – Dec 7, 2021: Fri, 8:30–10:20 a.m.
Surrey
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Instructor:
Bascom Guffin
mguffin@sfu.ca
Office Hours: Fr 12:30–13:20
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
Anthropology asks fundamental questions about how people live and interact in different contexts. Engages with contemporary social life around the world, including the relations among people, ideas, and things. Provides analytical tools to help understand the role of culture and society in our lives. Breadth-Social Sciences.
COURSE DETAILS:
Anthropology is often stereotyped as the study of primitive, exotic cultures “over there.” And while a great deal of anthropology does focus on the lives of non-Euro-western peoples, it has from the start been comparative, considering the entirety of humanity as its subject. Anthropologists study almost all aspects of our complex species and the ways we live and interact, from the symbolic realm of how we communicate with each other; to the ways we form our worldviews; to political, economic, and ideological relationships that form global power structures. What anthropology comes down to, then, is not a bunch of facts to memorize (and promptly forget at the end of a class), but rather a way (really, multiple ways) of examining and thinking about the world and the human condition, and particularly about human diversity and sameness. It provides a set of analytical tools to help understand the role of culture and society in our lives. Our collective project in this course, then, is to begin to apply some of the observational and analytical tools of anthropology to a small sampling of peoples and sociocultural phenomena around the globe and to our own immediate worlds. As we do so, we will think critically about these approaches and the phenomena they seek to describe and analyze, and we will consider the ongoing relevance of anthropology to our own lives and the world around us.
Grading
- Participation and attendance 10%
- Weekly reading responses 15%
- Project proposal and ethics tutorial 5%
- Gathering data: Participant observation and conversation 20%
- Community action project (requires USD$15 fee) 15%
- Final project 35%
NOTES:
Grading: Where a final exam is scheduled and the student does not write the exam or withdraw from the course before the deadline date, an N grade will be assigned. Unless otherwise specified on the course syllabus, all graded assignments for this course must be completed for a final grade other than N to be assigned. An N is considered as an F for the purposes of scholastic standing.
Grading System: The Undergraduate Course Grading System is as follows:
A+ (95-100) | A (90-94) | A- (85-89) | B+ (80-84) | B (75-79) | B- (70-74) | C+ (65-69) | C (60-64) | C- (55-59) | D (50-54) | F (0-49) | N*
*N standing to indicate the student did not complete course requirements
Academic Dishonesty and Misconduct Policy: The Department of Sociology & Anthropology follows SFU policy in relation to grading practices, grade appeals (Policy T 20.01) and academic dishonesty and misconduct procedures (S10.01‐S10.04). Unless otherwise informed by your instructor in writing, in graded written assignments you must cite the sources you rely on and include a bibliography/list of references, following an instructor-approved citation style. It is the responsibility of students to inform themselves of the content of SFU policies available on the SFU website.
Centre for Accessible Learning: Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need classroom or exam accommodations are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (1250 Maggie Benston Centre) as soon as possible to ensure that they are eligible and that approved accommodations and services are implemented in a timely fashion.
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
All readings will be available through Canvas, the SFU Library, or online as noted.
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html
TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2021
Teaching at SFU in fall 2021 will involve primarily in-person instruction, with approximately 70 to 80 per cent of classes in person/on campus, with safety plans in place. Whether your course will be in-person or through remote methods will be clearly identified in the schedule of classes. You will also know at enrollment whether remote course components will be “live” (synchronous) or at your own pace (asynchronous).
Enrolling in a course acknowledges that you are able to attend in whatever format is required. You should not enroll in a course that is in-person if you are not able to return to campus, and should be aware that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes.
Students with hidden or visible disabilities who may need class or exam accommodations, including in the context of remote learning, are advised to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112) as early as possible in order to prepare for the fall 2021 term.