ANT 2000 Introduction to Anthropology - University of West Florida

ANT 2000 

Introduction to Anthropology 

SYLLABUS AND COURSE INFORMATION 

Spring 2014 

Professor: Dr. John Worth (jworth@uwf.edu) 

Teaching Assistant: Michelle Pigott (mmp23@students.uwf.edu) 

Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4-5 p.m., or by appointment 

Bldg. 13, Rm. 117, 857-6204 

Textbook: 

Kottack, Conrad 

2013 Anthropology: Appreciating Human Diversity (15th edition). 

(ISBN: 978-0078035012) 

Course Description: Introduction to subdivision of anthropology and anthropological thought, 

basic treatment of human evolution, origins of civilization, world archaeology and modern work 

cultures, stressing the continuities of human nature. 

Course-Specific Student Learning Outcomes: 

1. Define and explain anthropology as a discipline which seeks to explain similarities and 

differences among humans in time and space using holistic and comparative analysis. 

2. Identify and describe the four subfields of Americanist anthropology, including cultural 

anthropology, archaeology, biological anthropology, and linguistics. 

3. Define and explain the attributes and importance of human culture. 

4. Describe the biological basis of evolutionary theory as it relates to human variation and 

adaptation. 

5. Identify the relationship between humans and other primates, and describe the evidence 

for the evolutionary sequence leading to modern humans. 

6. Describe and explain the importance of major steps in the cultural evolution of humans, 

including the emergence of food production and political complexity. 

7. Describe and explain the anthropological perspective on human language and 

communication, ethnicity and race, subsistence and trade, political systems, gender, 

social organization, religion, and art. 

8. Identify and describe the historical relationship between colonialism and globalization, 

and the continuing impact of these issues on the modern world. 

General Studies Learning Outcomes: 

Introduction to Anthropology is designated as a General Studies course. The General Studies 

curriculum at the University of West Florida is designed to provide a cohesive program of study 

that promotes the development of a broadly educated person and provides the knowledge and 

skills needed to succeed in university studies. This course has been approved as meeting the 

requirement in the Behavioral area. The General Studies learning outcomes for this course are 

Ethical Reasoning and Info Literacy. 

ANT 4115, Worth, p. 1 of 6 Version 1/3/14

If you are interested in a career in anthropology you should contact the Department of 

Anthropology at (850) 474-2797. If you are undecided about your career field you should 

contact Career Services at (850) 474-2254 and/or your academic advisor. 

Specific Class Requirements: 

1. Textbook Readings: The primary means of class instruction will be through lectures on 

concepts and highlights presented in the textbook. Students must read the assigned chapters 

before the class dates indicated on the schedule below, in order to be prepared for class each day 

(and for any pop quizzes based on these readings). For purposes of exams, students are 

responsible for the contents of both the class lectures and the textbook. 

2. Pop Quizzes: There will be a total of six pop quizzes given during the semester, based on the 

readings assigned for that day. Quizzes will take place on unannounced class dates at the 

beginning of class (the first 10 minutes). Only the five highest quiz grades will be counted at 20 

points each, for a total of 100 points. 

3. Ethical Dilemma Discussions/Annotated Bibliographies: Twice during the semester, there 

will be classroom discussions on a specific ethical dilemma related to anthropology. Each 

student is responsible for conducting his or her own research in order to prepare for the 

discussion, resulting in an annotated bibliography containing a specific number of scholarly 

sources in several predetermined topical areas related to the dilemma. Each bibliography must 

be prepared in the American Anthropological Association (AAA) style guide format 

(http://www.aaanet.org/publications/guidelines.cfm), and must be turned in during class on the 

day of the discussion, counting for up to 50 points. Make sure to follow relevant guidelines as 

indicated in the attached General Class Policies, as supplemented by my Writing Tips for Class 

Papers and Quick Anthropological Style Guide Comparison online (links below). 

4. Exams: There will be two exams during the term: a mid-term exam and a final exam, each 

worth 100 points. These exams will both be comprehensive up to the point they are given, and 

students should expect to make use of content from all previous class lectures, and from all 

readings (including content that may not have been covered in class). 

Extra Credit Opportunities: Several opportunities may be available for students to earn extra 

points, up to a semester maximum of 20 points (5% of the final grade): 

Attend pre-approved archeology lectures: There will be several opportunities to attend 

outside lectures (such as the monthly Pensacola Archaeological Society meetings, usually 

held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm at the Main Library downtown), or 

special conferences, and they will be announced in class. An attendance sheet will be 

available at each lecture and 4 points will be awarded for attendance. 

Voluntary assistance on archeology projects in the lab and field may be available. The 

opportunities will be announced ahead of time, and student volunteers will have to 

commit time blocks at a prearranged place and time (minimum 4 hours of work = 4 

points). Students will be selected on a first-come first-serve basis. Sign-up sheets for 

these projects will be made available in class. No-shows will have 4 points deducted 

from their grade. Same day cancellations are considered no-shows. 


Additional Important Reading: Students must read in detail both the attached “General Class 

Policies” document, and also my online “Writing Tips for Class Papers” and “Quick 

Anthropological Style Guide Comparison” documents, based on the most common errors I have 

seen in student papers. Both of these documents are online at the following URL: 

http://www.uwf.edu/jworth/teaching.htm. If you have any questions regarding any of these 

policies, please let me know. 

Helpful Student Links: A number of useful links may be found at the following page on my 

faculty website: http://www.uwf.edu/jworth/links.htm#Students 

Grade Determination: 

Pop Quizzes (5 of 6) 

Annotated Bibliographies (2 @ 50 pts.) 

Mid-Term Exam 

Final Exam 

Total 

100 points 

100 points 

100 points 

100 points 

400 points 

Letter grades will be determined by where the total number of points falls into the following 

divisions; plus and minus letter grades will also be assigned. 

A = 90-100% (360-400 points) C = 70-79% (280-319 points) 

B = 80- 89% (320-359 points) D = 60-69% (240-279 points) 


SCHEDULE OF LECTURE TOPICS AND ASSIGNED READINGS 

Class Location: Building 36, Room 108 

Class Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00 am-12:15 pm 

Please note that this syllabus may be subject to change; 

any alterations will be announced in class and distributed electronically. 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

Week 1 

January 7 Introduction and Syllabus Review 

January 9 What is Anthropology? 

Readings: Text: Ch. 1 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

Week 2 

January 14 Culture 


January 16 Applying Anthropology 


______________________________________________________________________________ 

Week 3 

January 21 Studying the Past 


January 23 Evolution and Genetics 


______________________________________________________________________________ 

Week 4 

January 28 Human Variation and Adaptation 


January 30 The Primates 


______________________________________________________________________________ 

Week 5 

February 4 Early Hominins 


February 6 Archaic Homo 


______________________________________________________________________________ 

Week 6 

February 11 The Origin and Spread of Modern Humans 



February 13 Ethical Dilemma Discussion #1: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

Week 7 

February 18 The First Farmers 


February 20 The First Cities and States 


______________________________________________________________________________ 

Week 8 

February 25 Midterm Exam Review 

February 27 MIDTERM EXAM 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

Week 9 

March 4 Method and Theory in Cultural Anthropology 


March 6 Language and Communication 


______________________________________________________________________________ 

Week 10 – No Class (UWF Spring Break) 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

Week 11 

March 18 Ethnicity and Race 


March 20 Making a Living 


______________________________________________________________________________ 

Week 12 

March 25 Political Systems 


March 27 Gender 


______________________________________________________________________________ 

Week 13 

April 1 Families, Kinship, and Descent 


April 3 Marriage 


______________________________________________________________________________ 

Week 14 

April 8 Religion 



April 10 Arts, Media, and Sports 


______________________________________________________________________________ 

Week 15 

April 15 Ethical Dilemma Discussion #2: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE 

April 17 The World System and Colonialism 


______________________________________________________________________________ 

Week 16 

April 22 Global Issues Today 


April 24 Final Exam Review 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

FINAL EXAM: Tuesday, April 29, 11:00 am - 1:30 pm, Bldg. 36, Rm. 108 


General Class Policies 

Dr. John Worth, Department of Anthropology, University of West Florida 

1. Attendance, Tardiness: Students are required to attend class, and roll will be taken at the start of 

class. If you arrive late (after the attendance roll is passed around), it is your responsibility to make 

sure your attendance is noted in the class roll for that day. Two unexcused absences are permitted 

without penalty for classes that meet two or more times a week; only one is permitted for once-a-week 

classes. For every additional unexcused absence, one percentage point will be deducted from your 

final grade at the end of the term. In addition, chronic tardiness to class may result in additional 

deductions, with four late arrivals equaling one full absence. 

2. Excused Absences: If you know in advance you will have to miss a class for a legitimate reason 

(illness, UWF athletic team participation, military service, etc.), please contact the teaching assistant or 

me as soon as possible (or promptly after the fact if an absence is unanticipated). In all cases, 

however, excused absences will require appropriate written documentation to be provided. One 

absence due to illness may be excused by email or letter without a supporting doctor’s note, but a 

doctor’s note is required for any additional absences due to illness during the semester. If no 

documentation is provided by semester’s end, the absence will count as unexcused. 

3. Classroom Participation: Participation in scheduled classroom discussion sessions is an important 

part of the learning experience. Failure to speak up and participate routinely in these discussions may 

result in a lower grade. 

4. Readings: Students are expected to have read all assigned reading materials before the class on 

which they are due. Students are responsible for the content of all readings (textbook and otherwise), 

as a basis for classroom discussions, quizzes, tests, and exams. 

5. Writing Assignments: Writing assignments will be evaluated both for content and for style and 

technique. Students are expected to use formal language (avoiding colloquial or conversational style) 

as well as proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. For assistance in this regard, writing 

assignments may be submitted independently to the UWF Writing Lab (http://uwf.edu/writelab/) for 

evaluation and assistance prior to the due date. Unless indicated otherwise, all writing assignments 

should follow the guidelines below: 

Use Times New Roman font, 12-point type, double spaced, with 1-inch margins. 

Place a header on each page containing page numbers, student last name, and course number. 

File names for any electronic submissions to the e-Learning dropbox (no email submissions) 

should be constructed as follows: lastname-firstinitial-coursenumber-assignment (e.g. Worth-J- 

ANT4172-ReactionPaper2). Digital files should be submitted only in the following formats: .doc, 

.docx, .wpd, .rtf, .pdf (no MS Works or Mac Pages formats). 

Submit all printed papers stapled (use paper clips or binder clips only if the paper is too thick to be 

stapled, usually 20-25+ pages) and without plastic report covers. Title pages are optional, but are 

not recommended for short writing assignments, and should generally be reserved for longer term 

papers. Abstracts are never needed. 

If required for a writing assignment, the bibliography should be placed on a separate page or pages 

at the end of the paper, and this page will not count toward minimum or maximum page lengths 

indicated for any specific writing assignment. 

Sources listed in bibliography must be properly cited within the text of the paper, including page 

numbers except in rare cases where the citation is to the entire book or article. 

Unless indicated otherwise, bibliographies must be formatted as indicated in an accepted 

anthropological style guide; 2000-level students should use AAA only, while 3000-6000-level 

students may use AAA, SAA, or SHA styles (see http://www.uwf.edu/jworth/links.htm#Writing). 

Internet sources (not including print journals also posted online, such as at JSTOR) should be kept 

Worth Policies, version 12/28/13 Page 1 of 2

to a minumum, and unrefereed sources such as Wikipedia are always unacceptable for 

bibliographies; internet citations should include all appropriate bibliographic information as 

indicated in the appropriate style guide, and not simply the URL. Course textbooks and reserve 

readings may be cited if appropriate, but will not count toward minimum numbers of sources. 

Any figures (illustrations, maps, tables, etc.) or tables should not be placed in the main paper text, 

but must be inserted after the main paper text and bibliography, and these additional pages with 

figures or tables will not count toward minimum or maximum page lengths. If more than one 

specific figure or table is referenced directly in the text, they should be numbered accordingly. 

6. Assignment Due Dates, Incompletes: All assignments are due by the day and hour indicated on the 

syllabus, and it is the student’s responsibility to keep track of their assignments. If you know that you 

will not be present at class to deliver an assignment, you must make prior arrangements to submit it by 

the due date via the online e-Learning dropbox provided for this purpose (no email submissions). 

Grades for late assignments will be reduced by one letter grade (10%) per day after the due date and 

time (i.e. 6 hours late = 10% reduction, 30 hours late = 20% reduction). Please note that in accordance 

with UWF protocols, I will not consider giving Incomplete (“I”) course grades except in documented 

cases of extreme or extended personal or family hardship, and never in cases where students simply 

fall behind in their work due to poor time management or outside work overload. 

7. Tests and Quizzes: Unless indicated otherwise, all tests are cumulative up to the date of the test, 

including content drawn from all readings and classroom lectures. All tests and quizzes begin at the 

start of class, and students who arrive late may completely miss short quizzes (normally 10 minutes in 

length), and will not be given additional time for longer tests. In addition, makeup tests or quizzes will 

only be offered in cases where students can provide a documented excuse for being late or for not 

being able to attend class on the day and time of the test, and not for previous illness or other reasons 

that may have interrupted personal study schedules, or for absences (excused or not) on scheduled test 

review sessions. Students are expected to keep up with the material throughout the semester, and avoid 

last-minute cramming which could be affected by illness or other unexpected reasons. 

8. Disability Accommodations: Testing and other accommodations will be made for students with 

disabilities, but these accommodations must be requested through the UWF Student Disability 

Resource Center, which can be found in Bldg. 19, Rm. 100D, and online at http://uwf.edu/sdrc/. 

9. Communication: The best way to contact me is by email, and I will do my best to respond within 

24-48 hours on weekdays, though this may not always be possible. I will also be available in my office 

during posted office hours, or appointments can be made at other times via email or phone. In all 

cases, open communication with me or with the teaching assistant is paramount, especially if you have 

any questions or concerns, or if you need to report absences. The longer you wait to communicate 

regarding a problem, the less the chance it can be resolved in a satisfactory manner. 

10. Classroom Conduct: As a courtesy to your classmates and instructor, all cellphones, smartphones, 

blackberries, or similar devices must be turned off or placed on silent during class time. Personal 

laptop or tablet computers, and e-readers, are permitted in class only if placed on silent mode, and only 

for purposes of note-taking or consulting readings during class discussions. If observed, inappropriate 

computer or other mobile device use during class (gaming, texting, internet surfing) will result in an 

unexcused absence for that day. 

11. University Guidelines: Students should read, understand, and observe the Student Code of 

Conduct and the Academic Misconduct Code for the University of West Florida, which may be 

accessed online at http://uwf.edu/osrr/, or in the Student Handbook. 

12. Online Student Resource Links: My faculty web page includes a list of useful links for students 

at the following URL: http://www.uwf.edu/jworth/links.htm#Students. In addition, digital copies of 

class syllabi, class policies, writing tips, and other information may be found at: 

http://www.uwf.edu/jworth/teaching.htm. 

Worth Policies, version 12/28/13 Page 2 of 2

ANT 2000 Introduction to Anthropology - University of West Florida

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