NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY

ANT 301 PEOPLES OF THE WORLD (3)

Ethnographic survey of selected native peoples and cultures of the world.

Ver 1.0
07/08/08
Semester: Fall 2007
Section: .01 (8010) M/W     13:50-15:05, SBS #107;
.04 (4775) M/W/F  10:20-11:10, SBS #107
Instructor: R. D. Riner
Office: ANT 109F
Phone: 523-6583, 779-0654
E-mail: reed.riner@nau.edu
Use Bb/Vista internal e-mail for all course related communications.
Website: http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rdr
Office hours: before and after class, and by appointment
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Course Prerequisites: none
Disribution Block: Social and Political Worlds
Thematic Foci: Valuing the Diversity of Human Experience
Environmental Consciousness
Essential Skills: Scientific Inquiry ; Critical Thinking

Student Learning Expectations/Outcomes for this Course:

      A central purpose of anthropology is to account for human biological unity and cultural diversity -- past, present and future.   This course will introduce students to the vocabulary of concepts, principles and basic assumptions of anthropology - that one discipline which more than any other illuminates human experience and organizes the whole load of the liberal education.   Students will be introduced to the skills of controlled comparison of ethnographic case studies as a means of generating higher-level knowledge about sociocultural systems.

Course structure/ approach:
      The coure is organized in five units and delivered in lecture format based on materials in text and resource manual, and supplemented by required film series and homework assignments. Each unit examines 4-5 ethnographies to identify their distinctive and significant features and derive general principles regarding sociocultural systems of that kind. During the semester, cultures are examined over five degrees of increasing complexity.

Texts (required):

Service, Elman R.
1987 Profiles in Ethnology, Third Edition. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers.
      (also available in Vision Graphics course-pack edition at Univ Tools & Text in Greentree Shopping Center)

and

Riner, Reed D., Ed.
2007 Peoples of the World - Resource Manual
       ( on-line at Bb/Vista Course Homepage;
      ( hard-copy byVision Graphics; Phoenix, A, available at Univ Tools & Text, Greentree Shopping Center)

see also University of Kent's Ethnographic Atlas and the accompanying societies page.

CALENDAR & ASSIGNMENTS

FILM SERIES (required):

      This course will be supplemented by an ethnographic film series. Films will be shown daily begining the 1st day of class over the NAU cable channels 'on-request' and in Cline Library Media Center, also on request ; see FILM SCHEDULE . The viewing time for the series has been budgeted into the studytime computed for this course. Material from films will be included in the exams.

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Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes:

     * Methods of Assessment

      Final grade in course is computed from total cumulative points earned by attendance, homework including ethnographic notes, film reviews, controlled comparison charts, and five objective answer, computer scored exams.

      Students will complete five objective examinations of 80 - 120 item points each, including a comprehensive final examination. These examinations will require students to integrate materials presented in the text, the lectures, the additional readings (e.g. the Resource Manual), and the films. The examinations will consist of a variety of objective answer formats, and will be Scantron/ computer scored.

The eth'notes, film reviews and controlled coparison charts are due at the time of the next exam, and will not be accepted thereafter. These assignments will be graded for both legibility and richnesses of content.  (See Grading Criteria for criteria employed in grading these assignments.)

      The letter grade for each exam and for the cumulative final grade in course will be computed on the basis to total raw points (NOT percent score as computed by the 'Scantron Scorer') and assigned according to the following scale:

highest cumulative point       range
and all scores within   4% ..... A .... 100-96%
within the next   5% ..... B ..... 95-91%
within the next 10% ..... C ..... 90-81%
within the next   5% ..... D ..... 80-76%
below ---% ..... F ..... 75- 0%

    This distributrion has been standardized for take-home administration of the exams. It is total cumulative points, not letter grades on individual exams, that are considered in computing final grade for this course.

      More than two un-excused absences can be expected to adversely affect your final grade.

      * Timeline for Assessment (See Calendar.)

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COURSE POLICIES:

      The course will be conducted according to all pertinent NAU regulations, including the following:

      No extra work can be considered toward the final grade.

      The responsibility for making-up a missed exam is wholly with the student, the format to be specified by the instructor and the time to be scheduled at the mutual convenience of instructor and student; the request to make-up any unexcused and missed exam must be accompanied by the appropriate University form(s).

      Cheating, including plagiarism in any assignments, will be dealt with according to University policies (See 'Academic Integrity' below.).

      Due to time restrictions it is impossible to review the exams in class; students interested in reviewing the exams are encouraged to make an appointment with the graduate assistant or the instructor to do this.

      If you come to a discussion period and demonstrate that you are unprepared, have not read the assignment, not seen any assigned films and not attempted to answer any assigned questions - I reserve the right to dismiss you and count you absent.

      Instructor will not, and cannot, permit a student to ADD or DROP or receive an INCOMPLETE in the class in exception to current University policies and for all deadlines: see Registrar's Calendar's .

    Students who speak English as a second language are encouraged to tape-record the lectures during class and take their notes from the recording after class. (Note: lectures are covered by U.S. Copyright law and may be used only for personal study purposes.)

      The instructor reserves the right to make announced changes in the calendar and conduct of the course to accommodate unforseen contingencies of the semester.

      This syllabus is tentative and subject to change without prior notice at the discretion of the instructor. No warranty is either stated nor implied by this document or the instructor. Course performance is the sole responsibility of the individual student, as is adherence to the dates, prerequisites, and other particulars published in the University Undergraduate Catalogue 2006-2007 and Fall 2007 class schedule. Continued enrollment in this class constitutes agreement with the above course requirements and specifications, and below, the University Policy Statements.

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NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY
POLICY STATEMENTS

POLICY ON CIVIL BEHAVIOR

      All members of the academic community, whether faculty, students, or administrators, have an obligation to preserve an atmosphere conducive to the freedom to learn and to teach. The expression of dissent and the attempt to produce change, therefore, may not be carried out in ways that injure individuals, disrupt their classes, or otherwise interfere with the ability to teach. Faculty have a particular obligation to maintain classrooms in which the behavior of students does not interfere with the ability of the students to learn or of the faculty member to teach. It is the responsibility of the faculty to determine the standards of acceptable behavior consistent with preserving an atmosphere appropriate for learning. Students who violate these standards will be warned that their behavior is becoming disruptive. Sanctions, up to and including removal from the class, may be imposed for continued violations. The complete policy on classroom management is in Appendix F of NAU's Student Handbook.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

      The university takes an extremely serious view of violations of academic integrity. As members of the academic community , NAU's administration, faculty, staff, and students are dedicated to promoting an atmosphere of honesty and are committed to maintaining the academic integrity essential to the education process. Inherent in this commitment is the belief that academic dishonesty in all forms violates the basic principles of integrity and impedes learning. Students are therefore responsible for conducting themselves in an academically honest manner.
      Individual students and faculty members are responsible for identifying instances of academic dishonesty. Faculty members then recommend penalties to the department chair or college dean in keeping with the severity of the violation. The complete policy on academic integrity is in Appendix G of NAU's Student Handbook.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

      If you have a learning and/or disabilities/physical handicaps, you are encouraged to make arrangements for class assignments/exams so your academic performance will not suffer due to the disability and/or handicap. If you have any questions, you should talk with your instructor or contact Disabled Student Services, Counseling and Testing Center, 523-2261.
      It is your responsibility to register with the Counseling and Testing Center. Applications should be made at least eight weeks before the start of the semester.
      If the Counseling and Testing Center verifies your eligibility for special services, you should consult your instructor during the first [3 days] week in the semester so appropriate arrangements can be made. Concerns related to non-compliance in the students with disabilities area should be direct to the Disabled Students Coordinator in the Counseling and Testing Center.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT POLICY

      NAU's Safe Working and learning Environment Policy seeks to prohibit discrimination and promote the safety of all individuals within the university. The goal of this policy is to prevent the occurrence of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status and to prevent sexual harassment, sexual assault or retaliation by anyone at this university.
      You may obtain a copy of this policy from the college dean's office. If you have concerns about this policy, it is important that you contact the departmental chair (523-3180), dean's office (523-2672), the Office of Student Life (523-5181), the academic ombudsperson (523-9368), or NAU's Office of Affirmative Action (523-3312). The complete policy on Safe Working and Learning Environment can be found at this site.

INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD

      Any study involving observation of or interaction with human subjects that originates at NAU, including a class project, report, or research paper, must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the Protection of Human Subjects in Research and Research-Related Activities.
      The IRB meets once per month. Proposals must be submitted for review at least fifteen working days prior to the monthly meeting. You should consult with your course instructor early in the semester to ascertain if your projects need to be reviewed by the IRB and/or to secure information on appropriate forms and procedures for IRB review. Your instructor and department chair or college dean must sign the application for approval by the IRB. The IRB categorizes projects into three levels depending on the nature of the project: exempt from further review, expedited review, or full board review. If the IRB certifies that a project is exempt from further review, do not resubmit the project for continuing IRB review as long as there are no modifications in the exempted procedures.
      A copy of the IRB Policy and Procedures Manual is available in each department's administrative office. If you have any questions, contact Melanie Birck, Office of Contracts and Grants, 523-8288.

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ANT 301 HomePage || Calendar & Assignments
RESOURCES for Anthropologists || Instructor homepage || Anthropology homepage
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last updated on 07.08.08
This page is maintained by:
Reed D. Riner, Professor,
Department of Anthropology
email: Reed.Riner@NAU.edu