Online Course - Spring 2009
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 goal for all anthropology courses, but since this is an Internet class (and a late-start 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. The orientation for this course will be online, as will all of the exams up until our final exam. If you are not comfortable with computer technologies you may want to reconsider and take one of the on-campus Introduction to Cultural Anthropology sections, or seek out the many sources of WebCT help available here on our campus.
Instructor: William Griffin, Assoc. Prof. of Anthropology & Archaeology, SCC
Office: SSB 1104 C, 636-922-8465
E-mail for all of us will be handled through the WebCT program.
Other contact information is the Social Science Department at 636- 992-8398, the Distance Learning Office at 636- 922-8470, and David Willmore, WebCT Administrator at 636-922-8514.
Course Meetings: As an online course, there is only 1 required meeting - for our final exam. You will need to bring a photo ID to the exam itself, and you'll have a choice of 2 possible dates:
Monday, May 11 - SSB 2401 - 7 p.m. (Final Exam)
or
Tuesday, May 12 - SSB 2401 - 5 p.m. (Final Exam)
Course Text and Video:
We will be using Seeing Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology through Film, fourth edition, by Karl Heider and published by Allyn and Bacon, 2007. Along with this main text is a DVD of ethnographic film clips (a copy will also be on reserve at the library for limited check-out). We will also be using Annual Editions: Anthropology, 07/08. This reader will be as important for our class as the main textbook. You can buy new or used, on campus or on-line, but by the first week of class you will need the textbook, the videos, and the reader.
Other information: If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email or call. A great resource for all campus services is the Web site 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.
WebCT courses will not be available to students until five working days prior to the start of the semester.
Again, Welcome to Cultural Anthropology! I'm looking forward to this Internet Course and to meeting all of you.
Sincerely,
William Griffin
