ANT-102-N3/N4 Introduction to Anthropology

Spring 2013

Dear Online Student:

Welcome to Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (ANT-102-N3/N4)!

Anthropology is a fascinating subject, and I hope you enjoy the work you're about to undertake in this introductory, college-level course. Online courses are, in many ways, independent study courses in that what you learn in this class is directly tied to the effort you put into it. A general goal for the course, however, is that by the end of this semester you should be able to understand and discuss the methods, theories and results of cultural anthropology, as well as its key concepts (such as culture, ethnocentrism, emic/etic and cultural relativism). More generally, I hope you will also find something personally interesting and meaningful to learn in this class.

Anthropology gives us a better understanding of the diverse ways of life lived by people in a few specific cultures around the globe. And this, in turn, can give each of us a better understanding of the cultural assumptions underlying our own existence here in St. Charles County. To better understand the human condition is, in my eyes, a worthy goal relevant to the modern world in which we live. I am glad you decided to take an anthropology course.

Those are common goals for all anthropology courses, but since this is an Internet class, it does require more self-motivation and discipline than a traditional college class. In many ways, this course is harder than its on-campus version (in my opinion) and will require more work and especially more reading on your part (in part to make up for the hours of lecture missed each week). Please keep current on all assignments (readings, videos, etc.) and realize that you will be expected to regularly participate in the online discussions.

As an online course, you will need access to a computer, an Internet connection and browser, and some basic computer skills. If you are not comfortable with computer technologies, you may want to seek out the many sources of Moodle help available, or consider taking one of the many on-campus Introduction to Cultural Anthropology sections. In any case, I hope you will pursue your interests and complete a course in cultural anthropology.

Instructor: William Griffin, professor of anthropology and archaeology

Office: SSB 1104 C, 636-922-8465

Email for all of us will be handled through the Moodle learning management system.

Other contact information is the Social Science Department at 636-992-8398, the Distance Learning Office at 636-922-8470, and David Willmore, Learning Systems Administrator at 636-922-8514.

There are no required on-campus meeting times. All exams will be done online.

Textbook Information

"Culture” by Gezon and Kottak, 1^st edition, and "SCC Anthropology" (a custom reader available at the bookstore).

Other information

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email or call. A great resource for all campus services is the website at www.stchas.edu. Here you will find bookstore hours, library hours, online library catalog, student activities and athletics, ACE computer center hours, and much, much more.

Moodle courses will be available to students by the start of the semester.

Please click on the link below and take the quiz to learn how well you are suited for online education.
http://stchas.smartermeasure.com

Again, welcome to Cultural Anthropology! I'm looking forward to this Internet course and to getting to know all of you.

Sincerely,

William Griffin