ANTH 220: Cross-Cultural Studies

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Class Program

Anthropology

Credits

Weekly Contact Hours

Course ID

091416

Meets Degree Requirements For

Diversity,

Social Science

Description

This is a discussion/seminar-oriented approach to cultural comparisons. Two or more cultural experiences will be compared with the American example and non-ethnocentric conclusions reached.

Grading Basis

Graded

Course Learning Outcomes

Understand and appreciate differences in holistic cultural systems including, but not limited to economics, food procurement, child development, kinship and behavioral expectations throughout the lifetime of individuals.

Understand change as a constructive development of cultural identity. Students will be encouraged to study how these changes occur both from within the culture and from external influences. Students will be asked to explain how these different forces of change may be perceived by the studied population.

Appreciate cultural differences and the implications of culture change. Students will review a number of different cultures and learn how changes, either from internal or external causes, to one part of the culture can affect many parts of these peoples’ lives.

Understand, detail, rigor and reference in anthropological studies. Students will be introduced to issues of ethics, advocacy and the rights of studied populations to have a voice in anthropological reports.

Core Topics

Introduction to the field of sociocultural anthropology, ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism and culture relativity field work – methodology
Food Procurement
Kinship systems: Who ego considers related and the obligations within that relationship
Marriage: Acceptable partners, the rite of passage and expectations of the relationship
Gender Identity and Roles, as cultural and biological construct.
Economic systems, Status and distributions of wealth
Reciprocity: Trade and how it relates to influence and prestige.
Political systems and cultural change
Religious systems: Continuity and change