Course Syllabus

Fall 2025 | ANT-1010-VT01 - Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

In Person Class

Standard courses meet in person at CCV centers, typically once each week for the duration of the semester.

Faculty

Marco Yunga Tacuri
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Philip Crossman

General Education Requirements

Humanistic Perspectives

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This course is a survey of basic issues, concepts, theories, and methods of cultural anthropology. Students think critically about the nature of culture and society from the perspective of the past and the present. Topics include social and political organization, gender, myth and religion, language, adaptation, and cultural change.

Essential Objectives

1. Describe the origin and development of anthropology as a social science and as a humanities field, the subject matter it includes, and how it relates to other disciplines.
2. Explain and apply key anthropological concepts, including culture, ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, adaptive strategies, agency, social stratification, magic, ritual, cultural change, and world-view.
3. Discuss the application of quantitative and qualitative anthropological methods to the study of human culture and examine the relationship between method and theory.
4. Describe the development of anthropological theories such as cultural evolution, structural functionalism, cultural ecology, and symbolic interactionism and understand how current theoretical approaches are used to explain cultural phenomena.
5. Examine the role and importance of fieldwork in cultural anthropology and discuss ethical conduct within the discipline, including bias in research design and practice.
6. Discuss the diversity of humans past and present by identifying differences, similarities, and interrelationships among individuals, cultures, and societies.
7. Apply basic anthropological concepts to better understand and respect the characteristics of unfamiliar cultures and critically examine aspects of familiar cultures, cultural conflict, and systemic racism.
8. Describe the various roles that cultural anthropologists play in today's world and give examples of current research questions and applied cultural anthropology in business, medicine, education, development, and advocacy.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV computer recommendations Support page.

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

*** This is a low cost ($50 or less) textbook or resource class. ***

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations, along with free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials.

Fall 2025 textbook/book details will be available on 2025-05-19. On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be specific to this class. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks/books.

ANT-1010-VT01 Link to Textbooks for this course in eCampus.

For Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Artificial Intelligence(AI) Policy Statement

CCV recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools are widely available and becoming embedded in many online writing and creative applications.

Allowed: This course's generative AI policy acknowledges technology, including generative AI, plays a supportive role in learning and feedback. During our class, we may use AI writing tools such as ChatGPT in certain specific cases. You will be informed as to when, where, and how these tools are permitted to be used, along with guidance for attribution. Any use outside of these specific cases constitutes a violation of CCV's Academic Integrity Policy.

At the end of every written assignment, students must explain how they used AI and the reasons behind their decision.

Methods

Rabinow, Paul, eds (2007). Reflections on Fieldwork in Morocco; Lange, Michael (2017). Meanings of Maple: An Ethnography of Sugaring; Latcho Drom Film (1993) by Tony Gatlif.

• Lecture by the instructor
• Group discussion of assigned readings
• Film and Photographic review and analysis
• Weekly auto-ethnographic journaling
• Field work experience/project
• Service-learning project
• Weekly reading quizzes
• Mid-Term Exam
• Final Exam-Project

This course encourages students to: 1) explore the complex interaction between individuals, social groups, social structures, history, and culture; and 2) apply theoretical principles of social analysis to interpret society critically.

Evaluation Criteria

This course uses a weighted categories system to calculate final grades.

Participation and Discussion in Class: 25%

10 Reading Quizzes: 3% each (Total=30%)

4 Short Assignments: 5% each (Total=20%)

Mid-Term/Research Proposal: 10%

Final Project: 15%_____________

Total: 100%

Participation and Discussion in Class (25%)

Participation and discussion in class consists of 25% of your final grade. Your critical thinking and participation are vital to the construction of knowledge and the communal learning experience in this class.

Reading Quizzes (30%)

Throughout the semester, ten reading quizzes will be given. This will be a quick (10 minutes) quiz designed to test your reading comprehension of the assigned readings for the week and your critical understanding of the films. There is no makeup for missed quizzes (exceptions apply for religious observances and medical emergencies).

Quizzes may include key definitions, multiple-choice, true/false, and short-answer essay questions. You will need to conduct a thorough and close reading of the assigned materials each week, watch the weekly films, take notes on the readings and films, and review them to be prepared for the quiz.

4 Writing Assignments (20%)

Throughout the semester, students will be required to submit four short (500-word) assignments (Times New Roman, 12 pt font, double-spaced). The assignments should be submitted in essay form and are related to the course themes. You will be graded on the quality of the content and by demonstrating your familiarity with the material covered over recent weeks. Assignments will be submitted in class on the assigned date. If the student is unable to attend class on that day, the assignment must be submitted via email the day before.

First Writing Assignment: During Weeks 2 and 3, students will work on writing their first assignment. “Who Am I?” is a personal question that invites students to go beyond their curiosity, asking questions to themselves, family members, friends, and other community members about their past and present, reasons why we do what we do, or how we ended up being where we are now. The purpose of this first assignment is to help you discover other identities that you may not have known you carried within you, or were suppressed due to specific reasons.

Second Writing Assignment: This course utilizes films as a vital source of information and knowledge acquisition. Aside from other films that we will watch in class, starting from Week 3 to 6, we will watch a French movie called “Latcho Drom.” This film depicts the migration of the Romani people from North-west India to Spain, highlighting their social and cultural adaptation, transformation, and influence over the years. Each student is expected to write a critical review of the film that addresses the central question: How do students benefit from watching films? How do films support students' understanding of basic anthropological concepts?Keep in mind that your center thesis must be in direct relation to what the film presents.

Third Writing Assignment: For Week 10, students will write a critical paper about the book they will be reading during most of the course, “Reflections of Fieldwork in Morocco,” written by Paul Robinow.

Fourth Writing Assignment: For the last writing assignment, Week (?), students will write about one of the most celebrated and historically controversial holidays in the United States, “Thanksgiving.” I don’t want to assume that every student in the class celebrates it, so a perspective from a different angle that covers the same subject will be enriching for the discussion in class. Here are a few leading questions that I hope will help you delve deeper into your research and writing work. Have you ever celebrated Thanksgiving? If so, describe how. How do you currently celebrate Thanksgiving? Is it still the same? How has it changed or not? What are the conversations that people around you have during this time? What is the role of each member in your family during the preparation process? How does this celebration involve, invite, and conflict with different, local, and nonlocal people? What about people who don’t celebrate?

Mid-Term/Research Proposal (10%)

For the Mid-Term research proposal, students will write a paper that outlines the thesis, the context, the methodology, and the purpose of their final project. By now, the expectation is that students will have gained enough knowledge and familiarity with anthropological concepts. It is highly recommended that students keep their notes, questions, and journal entries available as resources for supporting this part of the research proposal paper.

Final Project (15%)

The final project will have two parts. 1) Students will write a three to five-page (Times New Roman, 12 pt font, double-spaced) paper. This paper must be submitted before the last week of class, in Week 14. 2) Students will have 10 to 15 minutes to present their projects to the rest of the class and answer questions from the audience. Students will have the opportunity to utilize additional resources, such as photography, video, audio, and other forms of art, to support and enhance their presentation.

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

This course consists of 15 modules. Each week, students will cover crucial concepts and ideas in Cultural Anthropology. You will be asked to participate actively in class discussions and complete the assigned quizzes for each week. You will have the opportunity to self-assess and receive instructor feedback on each of these areas at the mid-point and the end of the semester. The following habits and skills are important for your success.

• Read the assigned material and demonstrate an understanding of those resources in your assignments and participation in the class.
• Attend class regularly, on time, and for the whole session
• Complete all of the week's reading and assignments before the start of class
• Listen to others attentively and with an open and critical mind
• Positively and respectfully contribute to class discussions and activities
• Ask questions and seek help when you need it
• Challenge yourself to do your best work

Missing & Late Work Policy

• All assignments must be completed on time.
• Extensions will be granted only in extenuating circumstances. If a lengthy medical issue or other personal emergency results in missing weekly discussions and/or assignments, please get in touch with your instructor as soon as possible.
• Students who know that they will not have course access for any given week should make arrangements with their instructor to complete assignments and participation requirements before the absence.
• Students are responsible for checking Canvas and retrieving any notes, materials, and assignments for classes they missed. Please reach out and ask questions if anything is unclear.
• Plan to complete homework for the next class meeting on time. Being absent is not an excuse for not completing any homework assigned that day.

Experiential Learning Expectations

Hours: 1-5

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity

Apply Now for this semester.