CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY

SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY DEPARTMENT

ANTH202/4CC; Winter 2025

Class time: Thursday 5:45- 8:15 pm; Class Room: H561
Instructor: Dr. A. Dewan; Office Hrs.: Thursday 4:30-5:30pm
Office Room: Rm.: H1125-30; Tel.: 2160
Email: [email protected]

Introduction to Culture

Course objectives:
This course is an introduction to the anthropological study of culture. The aim of
this course is to introduce students to basic concepts, methods, and theories
constructed by anthropologists to understand the societies and cultures of the world.
Its purpose is to acquaint students with the diversity of contemporary human
cultures of the world. It examines the way in which peoples of the world, past and
present, have organized their activities, institutions, and belief systems that sustain
life. Topics include: general introduction to anthropology, history, theory and
methods of anthropological inquiry, culture, language and symbolism; variation of
cultures: hunting, fishing and gathering societies, peasant and pastoral societies;
domestic sphere: kinship, marriage, family and residence; economic systems, social
stratification, religion, political and legal systems. This course concludes with a
discussion of the relevance of cultural anthropology to contemporary issues.

Course Material
Weekly video-taped program: Faces of Cultures: Studies in Cultural Anthropology.
Fountain Valley: Coastline Community Colleges, provided by Concordia University
and shown in class.

Mandatory Weekly Readings at home: Schultz, Emily A. R.H Lavender, R.R. Dods
and Mary-Lee Mull Holland, Cultural Anthropology, Fifth Canadian Edition, 2023,
Oxford University Press.

Teaching Method: Teaching of cultural variations on a world wide scale will be

accomplished through the use of video-taped material and textbook. To achieve
learning objectives there will be interactive lectures, and in-class audio-visual
presentations, followed by home-study of corresponding chapter in the textbook and
then, at the beginning of the next class, there will be a brief discussion of the last
week textbook relevant chapter.

This course is fun, but do not fool yourself about the personal amount of work it
requires. You cannot simply watch the video tapes as visual entertainment; you
really have to take them up as a film reviewer would do in his/her newspaper i.e.
very thoughtfully and critically if need be. Home study of relevant chapter( s) will
take you about six hours per week if you are aiming for an A in this course.

Evaluation of Students:

First In-class Examination (Multiple choice & True/False questions) 45%

Final Examination (Multiple choice & True/False questions) 45%
Video assignment 10%

Because of large size class, two examinations are exclusively made of multiple choice
questions and video assignment. For multiple choice examinations you may bring in
and consult as many as personally hand-written notes as you wish. These notes will
help you only for quick last checks when you are somewhat uncertain about a given
topic or concept.

Official Evaluation Scheme:

A+ =90-100 A = 85-89 A- = 80=84 B+ = 77-79 B = 73-76 B- = 70-72

C+ = 67-69 C = 63=66 C- = 60-62 D+ = 57-59 D = 53-56 D- = 50-52
F or FNS = 40 (40-49) R = 20 (20-29)
NR = The student is not known to the instructor

Extraordinary Circumstances
In the event of extraordinary Circumstances and pursuant to the Academic
Regulations the university may modify the delivery, content, structure, forum,
location and /or evaluation scheme. In the event of such extraordinary circumstances,
student will be informed of the changes.
Land Acknowledgment
Concordia University is located on unceded Indigenous Lands. The Kenien’kehaka
Nations recognized as the custodians of the lands and waters we now call Montreal.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
“The Use of generative artificial Intelligence tools and apps is strictly prohibited in all
course assignments unless explicitly stated otherwise by the instructor of the course.
This includes ChatGPT and other AI writing and coding assistants. Prohibited use can
lead to serious consequences such as a zero for the work, failing grade for the course
or expulsion from the university” (ChatGPT and AI use -statement and policy guide for
instructors. Department of Religions and Cultures, Concordia University).
Please Note
1.There will be no final examination during the university examination period. 2.
Guideline for film assignments will be posted on moodle. 3. Late assignments will not
be accepted. 5. There will be no supplementary work for film assignment or
examination.

Class Schedule(Subject to change)

Jan 16: Introduction: Course outline and objectives.

Jan 23: Homework: Chapter 1: The Anthropological Perspective on the Human

Condition. Chapter 2: Fieldwork: A Meeting of Cultural Traditions. Video: The
Nature of Culture; Video: How Cultures are Studied.

Jan 30: Homework: Chapter 3. Anthropology in History and the Explanations of

Cultural Diversity; Chapter 4. Language. Video: Language and Communication.

Feb 6: Homework: Chapter 7. Making a Living. Video: Patterns of Subsistence:

Food Foragers and Food producers.

Feb 13: Mid-term Exam: First In-class Examination (45%); Chapter 1,2, 3, 4 & 7.

Feb 20: Home work: Chapter 6. Social Relationships: Marriage, Family, Kinship,
and Friendship Video: Marriage and the Family; Video: Kinship and Descend, Part
I and 2.

March 6: Home work: Chapter 8: Politics, Power, and Social organization. Video:
Political organization.

March 13: Homework: Chapter 9: Inequality in the Contemporary World: Class,

Caste, Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality. Video: Age, Common interest and
Stratification.

March 20: Chapter 10: World Views. Video: Religion and Magic; The Asmat of
New Guinea

March 27 Chapter 13: A Global World. Video: (A) Culture Change; (B) Cricket
The Trobriand: A Case Study in Culture Change.

April 3: Final Examination (45%) : Chapter: 6, 8, 9, 10 and 13.

April 10: Video assignment due. Reviews of marks and assignments

TERRITORIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I/we would like to begin in acknowledging that Concordia University is located on

unceded indigenous lands. The Kanien’keha:ka Nation is recognized as the custodians
of the lands and waters on which we gather today. Tiohtia:ke/ Mo ntreal is
historically, known as a gathering place for many First Nations. Today, it is
home to a diverse population of indigenous and other peoples. We
respect the continued connections with the past, present and future in an
ongoing relationship with indigenous and other peoples within the Montreal
community.

BEHAVIOUR

All individuals participating in courses are expected to be professional and

constructive throughout the course, Including in their communications.
Concordia students are subject to the CODE OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
which applies both when students are physically and virtually engaged in any
university activity, including classes, seminars, meetings, etc. students engaged in
university activities must respect this code when engaging with any members of the
Concordia community, including faculty, staff, and students, whether such
interactions are verbal or in writing, face to face or online/virtual. Failing to comply
with the Code may result in charges and sanctions, as outlined in the Code.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP)

Content belonging to instructors shared online courses, including but not limited,
online lectures, course notes, and video recordings of classes remain the intellectual
property of the faculty member. It may not be distributed, published or broadcast, in
whole or in part without the express permission of the faculty member. Students are
also forbidden to use their own means of recording any elements of an online class or
lecture without express permission of the instructor. Any unauthorized sharing of
course content may constitute a breach of the Academic Code of Conduct and /or the
Code of Rights and Responsibilities. As specified in the Policy on Intellectual Property,
the University does not claim any ownership of interest in any student IP. All
university members retain copyright over their work

ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR: PLAGIARISM

The most common offense under the Academic Code of Conduct is plagiarism, which
the Code defines as “the presentation” of the work of another person as one’s own or
without acknowledgement. This includes material copied word for word from books,
journals, internet sites, professor’s course notes, etc. It refers to material that is
paraphrased but closely resembled the original source. It also includes for
example the work of a fellow student, an answer on a quiz, data for a lab report, a
paper or assignment completed by another student. It might be a paper purchased
from any source. Plagiarism does not refer to words alone – it can refer to copying
images, graphs, tables and ideas. “Presentations” is not limited to written work. It
includes oral presentations, computer assignments and artistic works. Finally, if you
translate the work of another person into any other language and do not cite the
source, this is also plagiarism.