Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2023 - SA 101 D900

Introduction to Anthropology (A) (4)

Class Number: 2551

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 4 – Apr 11, 2023: Mon, 8:30–10:20 a.m.
    Surrey

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:

This course is an introduction to cultural and social anthropology. Some of the key questions anthropologists address are: what is culture, and how does it shape the way we move in the world, organize our lives, and think about ourselves and others? What makes social groups in different regions of the world different, and what do we all share? How are cultures and societies changing with the increasing globalization of contemporary life?

Through lectures, discussions, and exercises, we will learn some of the main anthropological insights and methods that allow us to learn from different people’s lives, ideas, and realities. At the same time, our goal will be to question some of the habits and assumptions that we take for granted in our everyday life. Topics covered in this class will include space and time; inequality; health and illness; families and kinship systems; gender; the environment; and anthropological research methods.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

At the end of the course, students will be able to

- describe and explain key anthropological terms, concepts, questions, and research methods.

- explain some of the ways that culture shapes ideas, societies, individual and group identities, language, space, and everyday life, by describing, analyzing, and comparing examples from different cultures.

- think critically about their own society and engage with perspectives different than their own; recognize how their culture informs experiential aspects of their own lives; and reflect on the assumptions they hold in regards to self and others.

- understand that power relations are a key force in shaping cultures and societies; evaluate the effects of unequal power relations in particular examples.

Grading

  • Paper 1 20%
  • Paper 2 30%
  • Reading and course material quizzes 5%
  • Presentation 15%
  • Attendance and participation in tutorials 5%
  • Course test 25%

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 Honesty and Student Conduct Policies: The Department of Sociology & Anthropology follows SFU policy in relation to grading practices, grade appeals (Policy T20.01), and academic honesty and student conduct procedures (S10‐S10.05). 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.

The Sociology and Anthropology Student Union, SASU, is a governing body of students who are engaged with the department and want to build the SA community. Get involved!  Follow Facebook and Instagram pages or visit our website.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Hamdy, S. and Nye, C. (2017) Lissa: A Story about Medical Promise, Friendship, and Revolution. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. (This book is available electronically from the library, but with restrictions)


Walsh, A. (2012) Made in Madagascar: Sapphires, Ecotourism, and the Global Bazaar. University of Toronto Press. (This book is available electronically from the library).


Kenny, M. and Smillie, K. (2017) Stories of Culture and Place, second edition. University of Toronto Press. (This book is available electronically from the library, but with restrictions).


REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website 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