Instructor: Margot Nason
Office: Sechrist Resource Center
Office Hours: Th 10-11 am; T and Th from 12:30 to 1 p.m. &
by appointment
Office Telephone: 523-7985
Email margot.nason@nau.edu
Course description and objectives: After completing this course students should have a basic understanding of the key concepts and findings of socio-cultural anthropology. Students will gain knowledge of a variety of cultures and better understand human variation and cultural universals. The course will cover the nature of culture and social, political, and economic systems. Students can expect to stretch their current perceptions of the world and step outside of their existing modes of thinking.
Required Text
An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology. First edition by James
Peoples and Garrick Bailey, Wadsworth, 1999.
Conformity and Conflict. Tenth Edition by James P. Spradley and David W. McCurdy, Harper Collins 2000.
Assignments and Points
Two Reflection Papers @ 25 points each
50 pts
Exam One @ 50 points
50 pts
Exam Two @ 50 points
50 pts
Comprehensive Final Exam @ 75 points
75 pts
Participation and In class exercises @ 25 points total
25 pts
Total Points
250 pts
In-class exercises: There will be several unannounced in-class exercises. These exercises may be short answer exercises asking for your opinion; short quizzes on the readings; small group activities designed to help students process the information from readings and lecture; or another kind of short in-class exercise.
Reflection Papers: Several ethnographic chapters in Conformity and Conflict are assigned reading for the course. Students will write two reflection papers based on these readings. Papers must be typed, doubled spaced, and 1-2 pages in length. Please refer to class instructions for specific content requirements of these papers.
Exams: Exams may include matching, multiple choice, fill in the blank, short answer questions, and essay questions. The final will be comprehensive.
Attendance, Participation, Make-ups, and Incompletes:
1) Regular attendance is expected.
2) It is the student’s responsibility to sign-in when an attendance
sheet is passed around class during in-class activities. Students
who do not sign-in will NOT receive credit for attendance or for the activity.
3) Participation is expected and encouraged. You will need to be in
class for lectures, films, and for in-class exercises. Students will need
to participate in class to receive credit on in-class assignments and to
best understand the material.
4) Students are expected to take examinations as scheduled. In
the event of an emergency, contact the instructor prior to the time of
the exam. Failure to attend scheduled exams without previously notifying
the instructor will result in a grade of zero (0).
5) Only written medical documentation constitutes reason for the issue
of an incomplete.
6) No late papers will be accepted unless student had previously arranged
to do so with the instructor.
Plagiarism and cheating: Academic dishonesty is unacceptable and has serious consequences. Students charged with academic dishonesty are subject to the Arizona Board of Regents’ Code of Conduct and procedures established by NAU and outlined in Appendix F in the Student Handbook.
Disabilities
Please see the instructor as soon as possible to discuss accommodation
of any disabilities. In order to accommodate disabilities, the instructor
must be provided with documentation of the disability(s). Please
also see attached ADA information.