Dr. Ken Barger
Anthropology, Indiana University Indianapolis
kbarger@iupui.edu

A104 CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY

A snowmobile race sponsored by the Inuit (Eskimo) community council in a village on the Hudson's Bay in the Canadian Arctic, Christmas 1969. Inuit friends urged me to join in a snowshoe race across the river ice, but, knowing I was inexperienced at this, I was reluctant to participate. They persisted, however, and, recognizing that they wanted me to be involved, I agreed. Of course, I was the last one to return, way behind everyone else in the race. I was very embarrassed, but to my surprise, people came up to me and congratulated me, saying, " You really tried!" A month later, when I was on a caribou hunting trip with three Inuit men in a remote area, we got trapped by a winter storm and had to go several days without food. This was when I learned that trying was much more important than winning. While the Inuit like to win, their greater value on trying has a distinct adaptive function. One way anthropologists learn about other cultures is "participant observation," being involved in their daily life, watching what they do, and doing what they do. We seek to learn the meanings and (more important) the functions of their ways. We are also involved in "cross-cultural comparison," comparing their life experiences with other groups (mostly our own). In the case of the snowshoe race, I learned about Inuit values on trying, but I also learned about American values on competition and winning.

"You cannot teach someone something until they already realize it for themselves" Chinese proverb

What is the A104 course about?

Few students in this course will go on to be anthropologists. Why then take an Anthropology course (or any of the many other courses outside your major in college)? The main concepts in this course can be useful in a range of careers, and together with the other courses we take they help us develop a wider and more integrated perspective for understanding the forces in life issues and for resolving these issues positively. Just as important, however, is that all these courses help us develop a wider range of learning skills. If we can develop the skills for understanding and applying the perspectives in Anthropology, then we can better understand and apply other perspectives in life... and in the long run we will be better able to meet life challenges for ourselves and our society. The main goals in the course are therefore:

• To understand concepts in Anthropology and to apply these perspectives to resolve life issues.
• To use the course to develop our general learning skills to understand and apply other concepts and principles in life.

A104 Cultural Anthropology is a general survey course on the ethnic meanings and adaptive functions of human behavior in its cultural context. Before taking the course, many students wonder: What is Anthropology, anyway?

To see if Anthropology is what you think it is, go to:
Anthropology (Opens in a separate browser window)

This course is an overview of human behavior in a cross-cultural perspective. The theme for the course is Human Behavior In Its Bio-Cultural Context. The general goal of the course is to identify those concepts, principles, and skills which can help us to understand the broad range of human behavior around the world. The course is designed for students whose interests and careers involve interaction with people from different ethnic and social backgrounds, including the behavioral and social sciences, business, education, nursing, and social work.

We will pursue the learning goals and objectives of the course in covering different topics related to Cultural Anthropology:

• We will first examine key concepts in understanding human behavior
  • Science and principles of grounded learning
  • Adaptation and principles of systems changes that promote the well-being of groups
  • Culture and principles of human behavioral systems
  • Ethnocentrism and principles for recognizing and controlling for biases, in order to develop more accurate and balanced understandings of others' behavior
• Then we will review the contents of culture evident in human ethnic behavior around the world
  • Subsistence and economic styles
  • Kinship, social structure, and social control
  • Cognition and values, religious beliefs and practices, and psychological orientations
• We will also examine cultural change, a major process in the lives of all people today
• We will finish with a summary of ideas and guidelines in cultural anthropology that can help us understand events in today's world

As we work to understand new concepts and those forces that influence human behavior, we will use Anthropology to develop our learning abilities. We will expand our abilities to examine life with new perspectives and a broader comprehension than at the beginning of the course. It is this knowing better how to learn that will be the real measure of success for the course as we continue through our lives, for then we can learn whatever we want and need to know. I hope the course will be a success for all of us.

To see more about what abilities help people become better learners, go to:
LEARNING for information on Learning Styles, Learning Stages, Learning Levels, Learning Temperaments, and Study Habits that contribute to academic success (Opens in a separate browser window)

One of the key concepts we will be using in the course to better understand the human experience is ethnocentrism, indicated in the course web page on Core Concepts. For a more comprehensive discussion of this issue, go to:

ETHNOCENTRISM (Opens in a separate browser window)

Students need to be aware that this course expects you as adults to be responsible for your own learning, and to commit a sufficient amount of your time and energy to learning in this course. The course requires in-depth thinking about the issues and in developing your learning abilities. This effort will be rewarding for those who commit themselves to the higher levels of learning about other peoples. Attendance is also important, and all students are expected to be actively involved in all classes. Please note that the first class in particular is one of the most important of the semester. In general, the course is designed to be a challenging learning experience, which you will hopefully also find interesting and enjoyable. Those who either cannot or do not want to devote the necessary effort should give serious consideration to not enrolling or to dropping the course.

GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION

First Class

The first class is one of the most important of the semester

• We start the process of working together to learn
• This is when I clarify my orientations to the course
  My perspectives and emphases
  What I am asking you to do ... and why
• This is also where you start setting your own goals and processes

Introductions

To get to know each other, I would like to introduce myself, and also to ask you to introduce yourselves.

Me (Ken Barger):

• I am a Cultural Anthropologist, and part of my training is also in Public Health and Epidemiology
• My primary professional focus is on social change, including ethnic adaptation, social movements, and, in particular, applied change
• I am also interested in the biocultural basis of human behavior, medical anthropology, and inter-ethnic relations
• My primary cross-cultural experience has been with Native Americans, including the Inuit (Eskimos) and Cree Indians in the Canadian Far North, and a number of other American Indian groups in the Plains and Southwest), and with Mexican American farmworkers in the U.S.
• I have also worked with the farm labor movement for over 25 years, including the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) and the United Farm Workers (UFW).
• I am also interested in languages and how they reflect life orientations, and speak Spanish, some French, and have studied Russian, Inuttitut (Eskimo), Cree (an Algonquian language), Kiowa (a Uto-Aztecan language)... and would like to learn more about Chinese
• On a personal level, I am interested in martial arts, East Asian philosophy, woodlore, and folk music and the guitar

You:  Class Survey.  All students are asked to provide me with background information on the first day of classes to help me get to know you better:

• Go to TOOLS, then QUIZ TOOL. Complete the Class Survey
• After completing the Class Survey, look over your responses. Notice that the survey emphasizes the main course concepts and skills. At this point, you are not expected to know these, but how did you do? More important, how will you do as you go through the course? These are the ideas and abilities that you will be expected to understand and use, so prepare now to learn and apply these as we go on in the course.

ONCOURSE

We will use ONCOURSE extensively in this course. The basic information, instructions, and activities for this course are readily available on ONCOURSE. There are multiple ways of getting to these materials. The first way is by going through the course Index of materials in the left frame. Another way is chronologically through the SCHEDULE tab. You can also get to other information by clicking on the links placed throughout the materials. I have tried to make these materials easy to access and use, but would appreciate any thoughts on how these can be made more useful to students.

If you experience technical problems using ONCOURSE to access course information or to submit assignments, call the UITS HelpLine at 274-HELP (4357), or go to one of the Computer Labs on campus).

We will use several features of ONCOURSE extensively:

• All course materials are available online, including information and resources for the course and assignments. Be sure to examine all the resources available in the SYLLABUS section, the SCHEDULE section, and the TOOLS.
• All course communications will be conducted in ONCOURSE:
  • ANNOUNCEMENTS: As you log into the course, examine the Course Announcements for the specific information and instructions regarding each class. Be sure to check these every day, particularly before doing assignments, since this is where I can best communicate with all students in the course between classes.
  • ONCOURSE MAIL: This is the best place to communicate with other students and me regarding team projects and course work, since we are all available in one location and will be logging into the course site regularly.

    Use Group Mail to your Learning Team for general arrangements, questions, reminders about tasks, etc. To do this, go to the InTouch section then to Course Mail and click on Oncourse Mail, then click on New Message, and in the TO box click on the name of your team. Be sure to put your Name and Team in the Subject Box of all messages. Then fill in the text box with your message.

    • You can create a folder to store messages that relate to your team activities. Click on Create/Edit Folder, then create a folder with your team name.

  • DISCUSSION FORUMS: The Forums will be used throughout the course to post materials for team projects and to post assignments. This provides an excellent place to continue our learning together. The purposes of posting the Reports, Responses, and Replies in the Forums are so that they are accessible for everyone in the class to examine and to share learning.

    Use the Team Forum for posting materials that will be used in the reports, editing comments, etc. (The Forum will soon clog up if you use this for general communications such as asking questions, etc.) To do this, go to the InTouch section then to Discussion Forums and click on the forum with your team name.

    • To see what new postings are there, click on Expand All. Then click on the particular postings or replies.
    • To post project materials, put your Name in the Subject Box, then fill in the Text box with your materials. (I recommend preparing the materials in word processing, highlighting and copying, then pasting into the Text box by right clicking on your mouse in the box. This will ensure you always have your own record of the materials.)

I regularly check ONCOURSE throughout most days. I also monitor all team communications, and this allows me to have critical input on team projects and to give credit to those who are actively involved in the team process.

Submitting Assignments in ONCOURSE: What to Do

• "What am I being asked to do?" Check daily for the instructions, available below and in the ONCOURSE Announcements. Most problems are related to not doing everything that you are asked to address.
• Allow the time to develop a thoughtful response... do the assignment early.
• If you have a problem in complying with instructions and deadlines, you need to coordinate individually with me in advance. Points will be deducted for late or missing work.
• Keep me posted on any special situations that affect your course work.

Nettiquette:

• Do not use all CAPS, as this makes it harder for people to read.
• Do not use attachments, since this expects that the recipient uses software that is compatible with yours. (I do not use Microsoft software such as Word all the time, so I generally do not accept attachments.)
• Do not send Mail messages to the WHOLE CLASS, unless you clear it with me first. In the past, people have used this to ask individual questions, argue opinions, make general complaints, etc.), and this junks up everyone's mail box with irrelevant messages ("spam"). In cases of abuse, I reserve the right to block access to ONCOURSE (with resulting loss of credit for work).

NOTE: In cases where someone abuses the right of others to a positive learning experience (particularly in sending complaints or negative messages to the others in the class, rather than trying to work out problems with me or others involved), I reserve the right to block access to ONCOURSE learning processes for that person (which results in a loss of credit for any work done).

Texts

One text is used for the course:

Robbins, Cultural Anthropology: This is a general review of how major ideas in cultural anthropology can be used to address issues we face in an inter-ethnic and global society today.

I do not teach from the text. The Robbins book serves as a general reference for course materials, where you can check for more explanations and examples of course concepts and how these ideas can be applied to understand and resolve contemporary issues.

Course Overview

All students are expected to be familiar with the materials in the web pages (in the left frame) on the course, so you will be familiar with the overall orientations of the course, the requirements, specific instructions for assignments, and the learning rationale for the course work. These include:

• Course Overview (this page), which includes basic information on my approach to teaching and course policies. This lets you know the general orientations and expectations for the course.
• Learning is a web page on What Makes a Good Learner?, which reviews the major principles of learning. You can use this page to identify what kind of learner you are, in thinking (cognitive) styles, in levels of learning, in temperament (personality) styles, and in learning and study habits. These materials can be very helpful in using this course to help develop your learning skills, and I hope you will use these throughout the course to check on what you are doing in your own learning.
• Requirement provides specific instructions for the graded learning assignments.
• Learning Teams provides specific instructions for the team projects and reports.
• Core Concepts summarizes the core concepts and principles for understanding the human experience. Print this page and bring it to every class. All students are expected to know these concepts and to be able to use them in the course learning assignments. All tests will include application of these ideas.
• Ethnocentrism gives more in-depth guidelines on how to recognize and control for ethnocentrism as a basic method in understanding ethnic behavior. Print this page and bring it to every class. This is a major focus in the course, and all students are expected to know these principles and to be able to use them in the course learning assignments. All tests will include application of these ideas.
• Class Notes provides access to the class notes I use for the course. While this provides specific information on the contents of the class materials, I urge all students to take your own notes. This reinforces the learning process if it is your own product. Then, after class, you can compare your notes with mine to determine how good your own note-taking skills are.
• Class Schedule, topics to be covered in each class and deadlines for assignments. (This is the same information as in the SCHEDULE section of ONCOURSE.)
• Web Sites, a web page on useful sources in Anthropology.

In reviewing these materials, some questions to keep in mind are:

• What are the goals for this course?
• What are your goals for this course, and for your education?
• What is expected of you in achieving these goals, particularly in terms of class participation, course work, and quality of work?
• How interested and involved will you be in this course?
• How well will you do in this course? And what will you need to do to do well in the course?

On occasion, I will consider giving extra credit, service learning, independent study, or Honors Option assignments that serve course learning goals. These cannot be used to make up for poor grades on required assignments, as I believe extra time and energy should be used to develop basic learning abilities rather than just doing more work. Special assignments must be negotiated in advance, including the focus, source materials, products, and grading scheme. If you are interested in such activities, see me at any time during the semester.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Everyone needs to be aware that this course expects you as adult students to be responsible for your own learning, and to commit a sufficient amount of your time and energy to learning in this course. The course requires in-depth thinking about the issues and in developing your learning abilities. This effort will be rewarding for those who commit themselves to the higher levels of learning about other peoples. This course is designed to be a challenging learning experience, which you will hopefully also find interesting and enjoyable. My analysis of previous classes over the years shows that to succeed in this course, both in terms of developing your learning abilities that will help you in your life and career goals and of earning higher grade is mainly a matter of doing the work on time. Those who either cannot or do not want to devote the necessary effort should give serious consideration to not enrolling or to dropping the course.

Learning Objectives:

Course Contents:

• Comprehend the concepts and principles in Science, Adaptation, Culture, and Ethnocentrism which can help in understanding others' ethnic behavior in a valid and balanced manner, and apply these perspectives in understanding personal, societal, and global events.
• Comprehend the bio-behavioral potentials which we and all humans share, and apply these perspectives in understanding personal, societal, and global events.
• Comprehend the systems nature of human behavior and bio-cultural adaptation and the process of change, and apply these perspectives in understanding personal, societal, and global events.
• Comprehend our own culture and society, and apply these perspectives in understanding personal, societal, and global events.

Learning Abilities (see the IUPUI Principles of Undergraduate Learning)

• Be open to learning, and taking responsibility and initiative in your own development.
• Comprehend concepts and principles in understanding natural phenomena and life events.
• Think critically in understanding and analyzing the relationships, integration, and context of ideas and information, and in developing grounded conclusions.
• Apply understandings and grounded conclusions in solving problems in a relevant manner.

Personal and Social Abilities (see the IUPUI Principles of Undergraduate Learning):

• Communicate understandings in a clear, organized, and supported manner.
• Be open to and respect others' views and experiences, and a consciousness of ethics in personal, societal, and global affairs.
• Be responsible citizens of our society and the global community.

Technical Skills

• Use the Web/Oncourse to develop grounded learning.
• Use e-mail to communicate in developing grounded learning.

In pursuing the goals and objectives of the course, we will first examine key concepts in understanding human behavior: human adaptation, culture, and ethnocentrism (see Key Concepts in Understanding the Human Experience). Then we will review the content of culture, such as the economics, kinship, status, social control, and religious beliefs and practices involved in the behavior of different groups around the world. We will also examine cultural change, a major process in the lives of all people today. We will finish with a summary of ideas in cultural anthropology that can help us understand events in our society and in today's world.

As we work to understand new concepts and those forces that influence human behavior, we will develop our learning abilities. We will expand our abilities to examine life with new perspectives and a broader comprehension than at the beginning of the course, and to apply these abilities in our daily lives and in understanding social and international events. It is this knowing better HOW to learn that will be the real measure of success for the course as we continue through our lives.

You should also think about your own goals for the course. What do YOU want to learn and develop in this course (and in your other courses and in college)?

What Makes a Good Learner?

In my experience in college teaching, effective learning has less to do with intelligence than with motivation, work habits, and, most of all, assuming responsibility for your own development.

Check the web page on What Makes a Good Learner? for information on Learning Styles, Levels of Learning, Temperament for Learning, and Study Habits that contribute to academic success. In college, you are expected to be responsible for your own learning, and are held accountable for what you do or do not do on your own in courses.

The value of a college education is not knowledge in itself, but rather developing your abilities in general to learn a wide variety of things. In Anthropology, Math, History, Biology, and other subjects, you are asked to broaden your abilities to understand ideas, to evaluate information, and to apply your understandings. Being an effective learner is what contributes to being successful in your careers and to being a contributing member of society.

Hopefully, we will be able to work together to accomplish both course and individual goals, and at the end of the semester leave with a sense of success about what we have invested in this course that we will take with us beyond the semester.

MY PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

What is the purpose of college education? Why are you here in college?

There are many good reasons for getting a college education, and a college degree is not necessarily related to intelligence and in fact can be related to conformity of thinking rather than creativity and learning. But a college degree is related to standard of living and life satisfaction. The "myth" of getting a college education is to develop our intellectual and personal abilities, and this does happen (though sometimes by accident).

The great value of a college education is not the content of what we learn, but rather the development of our abilities to learn. Higher education cannot provide all the knowledge needed for a job, for example. Applicants for a particular job are generally equal in their preparation, so bosses don't count on what you already know but on your ability to learn this job. Nor can education fully prepare our society to meet most challenges we face in the future, particularly since the most serious challenges are the ones that we don't know are coming.

What will make a difference for us individually and as a society is our ability to learn for ourselves. If we know how to understand and resolve problems, then we can learn anything and we can make greater contributions to our society. One student once told me that as a result of what she learned in class, "I found I could deal with discrimination. It made me feel good about myself." THIS is what education should be about. Learning is a lifelong process, and death is when we stop growing

What Are Our Roles in the Developmental Process? There are several models of teaching and learning. I follow this one:

• The Teacher as a Coach: I do not see myself as the authority, providing the single correct answers, because I believe there can be many satisfactory solutions to life challenges. I see my role as the one who challenges students to develop, to provide an organized structure for development to happen more efficiently and effectively, and to support and encourage the development process. But I cannot make students learn.
• The Student as Learner: You are the only one who can develop yourself... and ultimately only you can judge how well you have developed. It is the student's responsibility to develop, and this takes qualities like determination and self-discipline. (See the web page on What Makes a Good Learner? for a more comprehensive discussion of what is involved in developing our learning abilities.)
• Students and Teachers Develop Together: I enjoy learning, and I enjoy teaching and participating in the development process. I was taught to be an anthropologist, not a teacher. But many students have helped me develop as a teacher, both by giving their insights into what we discuss in class and by helping me understand better over the years how to teach.

So what? So we are back to the question of what will make a difference to you ten years from now? What learning abilities do you need to develop? What will make this course a success for you? We will ask this question again at the end of the course, and I hope we can all leave with a sense of success.

COURSE POLICIES

General Course Policies

• Students are responsible for their own learning. You are expected to check ONCOURSE Announcements daily, to study the course materials before class, to be actively involved in class activities, to review class materials after class, to be actively involved in team learning projects, and for following instructions regarding assignments.
• Students are asked to respect and support an active and positive learning atmosphere for all members of the class. There will be low tolerance for violations of the following course expectations, particularly when we have class visitors:
  • Come to class on time and do not leave in the middle of class.
  • Turn off cell phones!
  • Do not carry on side conversations, or otherwise distract from others' learning.
  • Be respectful of others' views. We do not have to agree with others, but we do have to show respect for others' experiences.
• All assignments must be completed on time in order to receive a course grade. No credit will be given for late work and no makeups nor incompletes will be given without prior coordination.
• Grades are based on the percentage of total points received for required work over the whole course. Attendance, active contributions to class learning, and development will be taken into consideration in final grade decisions.
• In consideration of the I.U. Code of Student Ethics, confirmed cases of cheating, plagiarism, or other academic misconduct will result in a failing grade for the course.

Grading Policy

Students should regularly check their current scores for all graded work, available in ONCOURSE Gradebook, available in the TOOLS Section.

Course grades are based on the following course assignments:

Final Grades

Final grades are based on the percentage of total points received for required work over the whole course, according to the following scale:

Attendance, active contributions to class learning, and development will be taken into consideration in final grade decisions.

If you have questions or would like to discuss your standing in the course, please let me know.

Gradebook

You can check your grades and comments regarding Class Participation regularly throughout the semester in ONCOURSE in the Tools section. If you have questions or corrections, please let me know right away.

What Makes a Difference in Grades?

For a number of years, I have been analyzing factors that influence grades in my classes. Consistently, three factors account for about 65% of the variance in scores:

• Peer evaluations on team exercises (how other members perceive your contributions to the team effort)
• Attendance
• Completing the daily out-of-class learning exercises

Note that none of these factors are directly graded, but make a significant influence in overall course performance. Basically, doing well in this course involves doing the work on time, particularly with others.

OTHER COURSE INFORMATION

Some other course guidelines include:

• Consulting With Me: I am always happy to meet with students individually to go over course requirements, personal interests related to anthropology, etc. After class is usually a good time, but if this is not feasible you can catch me and make an appointment when we are both available.
• Special Problems: If you have any special problems, such as disabilities, sudden illnesses, family crises, conflicts in schedules, etc., please let me know. I am happy to work out alternatives and special arrangements, as long as we coordinate on these in advance. If I do not hear from you, I cannot work with you to keep up with the course and meet course requirements.
• Course Problems: If you are having problems in the course, please coordinate with me as soon as possible... don't just not do the work. I am required to give an "F" if only part of the course work done, and I usually do not give Incompletes, since they often do not get done and are a burden when both the student and I have other demands as time goes on. It is much easier to work things out before they become a crisis. You can Withdraw from a course up to the last week of class, and if necessary I recommend doing this rather than getting an "F".
• Attendance and Class Participation Are Important: Research and my own experience indicates that attendance is significantly related to grades. Why?
• Writing Skills Are Emphasized: Communication is important in the course grade, because you have to help me to understand your ideas and thinking. Some people may not be prepared in their communication skills, but both the Writing Center (on the 4th floor of Cavanaugh) is eager to help with specific assignments and I will be glad to look over drafts and discuss reports and essays
• Emergency Situations:
  Me: I plan to be in all classes and am usually there early. But if I don't show up, how long do you wait before leaving? (This is an example of a social norm... ever seen it in writing?) If I can't make it to class for some emergency reason, I will post a Course Announcement on Oncourse, and will ask a colleague or the secretary to let the class know. (Generally, I will try to prepare a learning exercise, so the class won't be a waste.) But please check with the secretary in CA 410 before you leave if I am not in class.
  You: If you cannot make it to class for some unforeseen reason, let me know in advance. I am willing to work with you, if you have a legitimate reason, so you won't miss the class materials.
  Weather or Other Natural Situations: If we get caught in a blizzard or other natural situation, you can check whether school is closed at Adverse Weather or by calling 278-1600. If school is closed, we will all have to adjust, so check the Course Announcements on Oncourse for instructions.
• Communication: Please keep in mind that I have to address the broad middle of different kinds of students in classes. If you want to discuss individual interests or problems, I have to ask you to please take the initiative. It's best to catch me after class, when we can either discuss things then or arrange a time to get together. (Sometimes before class I am organizing my thoughts, so I may not be available to discuss things.) If you can't catch me after class, the next best way to get in touch is by ONCOURSE Mail.
• Guests and Kids: You are welcome to bring kids on school break, friends, etc. to class, as long as they don't disturb others, of course. Just let me know.
• I Reserve the Right to Upgrade: I will never downgrade... students will always get the relative grade they earn (or not). However, in some cases, I want to reward development and contributions to class learning, and so I feel free to upgrade where this is warranted.

Other relevant information includes:

• Anthropology Club: The Anthropology Student Club provides an opportunity to learn and enjoy common interests, and sponsors events like films, field trips, and special guest speakers to campus. You don't have to be an Anthropology major or minor, just interested. (See Anthropology Club, or call 274-8207.)
• Are You Planning to Travel? There are many interesting Anthropological places of interest everywhere, including archeological sites, museums, tribal groups, and scenic sights. Let me know, and we can check out interesting places to visit, cross-cultural experiences, etc. In some cases, you may be able to work college credit into your travels, and there are even field courses and study abroad programs. If you are planning an intensive cross-cultural experience, let's talk about culture shock!

Also, be sure to check the dates at the top of the web pages to keep track of corrections and updates. These materials may be printed as desired to help you prepare for the different learning assignments in the course.

I look forward to working with you this semester!