This course is composed of class discussions and lectures. We will meet twice a week, 1h15 per class.

Prerequisite

ANTHC 10100 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology or equivalent

Course Description

This class is a historical survey of anthropological theory. From the late 19th century onwards, we will trace together the emergence of anthropology as an academic discipline, focusing on the British, German, French, and American strands of theory that shaped it until the mid-20th century. The organization of the first half of the course is largely chronological. In contrast, the second half opens up to the study of some of the many anthropological lines of thought that have sprouted across the world in the last sixty years. We will examine the main works of major thinkers and analyze theoretical perspectives that have defined—and keep defining—our ways of understanding human societies.

Learning Objectives

This course combines lectures with class discussions, film screenings, and possible guest presentations. Students will be asked to engage in several key areas of inquiry. By the end of the semester, they should have developed :

• an understanding and appreciation of human diversity;
• an awareness of the issues of power and inequality (along the lines of race, gender and class) that structure societies both locally and globally;
• a critical analysis of cultures and peoples’ representations around the world;
• a knowledge of the different subfields of anthropology and the methods of ethnographic research;
• careful and engaged reading and writing skills

Requirements

Always take notes. Reviewing only the material on the slides will not be sufficient to score well in this class. You are welcome to take notes on your laptop or tablet or manually on a paper notebook (learn more on how to take notes). However, the use of phones is prohibited in class. Out of respect for your classmates and myself, please do not keep your earbuds on.

Your essay files should be titled LASTNAME_essay1(or 2 or 3) and submitted in PDF format on Brightspace. Your essays should be written in Times New Roman font 12, double-spaced, and justified. Please always read and re-read yourself to avoid typos, as well as grammatical and punctuation mistakes.

Attendance and participation are mandatory and will count for 20% of your total grade for the course. If you cannot attend a class, please email me beforehand to justify your absence. Also, make sure to retrieve notes from your classmates.

Evaluation

Attendance and Participation: 20%
Three in-class tests: 10% each
Two at-home short essays: 15% each
Final at-home essay: 20%

Please be present in class for the tests. If you miss one, you will be asked to take it at another time, under supervision. No extra credit will be granted. Learn more on this class’ assignments.

Here is the link to Hunter College’s grading structure (to transform point grades into letter grades and GPA).

Academic Integrity

“Hunter College regards acts of academic dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism, cheating on examinations, obtaining unfair advantage, and falsification of records and official documents) as serious offenses against the values of intellectual honesty. The College is committed to enforcing the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity and will pursue cases of academic dishonesty according to the Hunter College Academic Integrity Procedures.” Read more about academic integrity.

While it might be tempting to use Chat GPT or any other AI text generator to complete your at-home assignments, keep in mind that I have grown pretty good at detecting what I call “robot writing” and that it will be considered an act of academic dishonesty. Your work in this class must be your own. It also means properly citing materials that you borrow from other works. Hunter College takes plagiarism very seriously and I am obligated to investigate suspected plagiarism and report offenders. I trust that I will not have to do this. 

Accessibility

If you believe you may encounter barriers to the academic environment due to a documented disability or emerging health challenges, please feel free to contact me and/or Hunter College’s Office of AccessABILITY. Any student with approved academic accommodations is encouraged to come and talk to me about it in person or via email.

If you are registered with the Office of AccessABILITY and need more time to complete assignments, you will be given 15 more minutes to complete in-class tests (30+15 minutes). 

Student Wellness

College is already a challenge, but it can become extremely difficult to pursue your studies and thrive if you experience food or housing insecurity. Hunter College offers multiple emergency support programs and resources available to all currently enrolled students. You can consult the list here. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you need to discuss personal issues.

Click here to find resources for immigrant and undocumented students at CUNY colleges.