Summary of Requirements (Fall 2024)

Late Paper Policy: We all have limits to our time (including me!). For an assignment to count as completed "on time," I don't give extensions for time management issues alone, just let me know you're struggling with time and get the work in as close to the deadline as you possibly can. But if you are struggling due to family, personal, medical difficulties and crises, please reach out and talk to me! We always work out an alternative plan together, and then you will always have the opportunity to get the work in without penalty. Not all work goes the way we want it to, but it's all some form of learning! The most important thing is for you to feel like you can get the work done and move on.

Resources for Anthropology 211 Assignments Click here for guidelines on completing these assignments well, including info on anthro citation practices and avoiding plagiarism.

Summary of Requirements:

  • Avid participation in course (30% of grade):
    • regular and prompt attendance (8 absences and you can't pass)
    • learning goals reflections
    • prompt completion of assignments
    • discussion questions and leadership
    • in-class discussion participation
    • peer-review participation
  • 2 peer-reviewed 1-2 page theory synopses and process discussion (10% of grade)
  • 3 papers (15%, 20%, 25% of grade)

Summary of Deadlines:

  • Learning goals reflection paragraph, Monday Sept 9, midnight, Moodle upload
  • 1-2 page Theory synopsis 1 draft due in class Tues, Sept 24, final draft and process discussion due Friday Sept 27, midnight, Moodle upload
  • Paper 1 Monday Oct 7, midnight, Moodle upload
  • 1-2 page Theory synopsis draft due in class Thurs, Oct. 31, final draft and process discussion due Friday Nov 1, midnight, Moodle upload
  • Paper 2 due, Monday Nov 18, midnight, Moodle upload
  • Paper 3 and 1-2 parag. reflections due, Wednesday, Dec 18, midnight, Moodle upload

Course Organization and Policies:

This course is designed to emphasize your intensive, analytic engagement with assigned readings and other materials presented for class discussion. There will be three analysis essays, ranging from 3-7 pages each, and 2 1-2 paragraph "theory synopses" which we will workshop in pairs during class as preparation for the papers. I will expect your avid participation--including regular attendance, prompt completion of assignments, and active involvement in discussions (in class as well as outside of class on moodle).

In fact, class participation and attendance will comprise a significant portion of your grade. Beginning week 3 class members will take turns crafting discussion questions. For the week in which you are posting questions, you will also be responsible for helping to lead discussions both days. I will expect a short presentation introducing the main themes and questions on both days you lead. Our Course Moodle serves as the place to find ereserves, streaming films, and our class discussion forums. Meanwhile, all information on the course is available on the course website.

Readings are available in multiple formats, including books available at the college bookstore. Articles will be marked with where they can be found: book reserve, ereserve, or online for articles available for downloading from the web.  To facilitate discussion, you should have all the readings for the day and your notes ready to consult during class. Smartphones are not allowed during class discussions, and laptops are not preferred but can be used responsibly for taking notes. To avoid distractions and grappling with data we can't vet on the spot, we will try hard NOT to google things in class! Please let me know if you have any trouble obtaining the readings.

Avoid Plagiarism!

While we may do collaborative work in and outside of class, my expectation, unless otherwise specified, is that all work you turn in for this class (regardless of the medium) is your own work. Be sure to carefully cite all text and images you borrow from others. For more information on this and how to cite correctly in the discipline of anthropology see these links on Plagiarism and Anthropology Citation Practices under "Resources for Anthropology 211 Assignments".

NOTE: When you write papers and other course discourse, you are claiming the words and the ideas within them as your own. Thus for this class, you may not use generative artificial intelligence or large language models such as Chat GPT to compose all or part of your papers, Moodle blog posts, comments or discussion questions. Such materials written entirely or in part by others, including generative AI, will be considered violations of academic integrity and the Honor Principle. However, some uses of AI tools are permitted (see the course AI Tools Policy).

Sensitive Topics and Ethical Use of Images  Anthropology courses address some of the most sensitive issues humans face (kinship, race, gender, sexuality, class inequality, violence, state politics, etc.). At the same time, class discussion is the central activity of this course and students are required to be proactive in their preparation for it. I define active participation in class as promoting a positive and safe learning environment through respectful discourse with students and me about the topics at hand. While most of our readings, films and assignments will not directly portray graphic or violent material, I will use "Content Notes" to alert class members to any such content ahead of time. I prefer that term (vs. "Trigger warnings") because it avoids psychologizing us and does not assume what our responses to material will be. I also prefer the more neutral-sounding "Content Notes" because it encourages us not to prematurely foreclose our engagements with difficult material, but just to be aware of our own needs and to provide extra care for ourselves if necessary.

Similarly, please be thoughtful and respectful in your image-sharing practices (in your blogs, papers and Moodle posts). All images or videos shared with class members or me should be framed or contextualized with some information about their sources, why they are relevant to the discussion and any Content Notes you feel are needed.

Disability and Accessibility Resources and this course

If you have a disability that may impact your work in this class and you have received an accommodations letter from Disability and Accessibility Resources, I encourage you to meet with me early in the semester or as soon as possible after receiving your letter. Discussing your accommodation needs early on can help clarify expectations and allow time to implement accommodations that require some coordination. If you have not yet requested accommodations through Disability and Accessibility Resources for this semester, or you are interested in learning about disability and accessibility resources at Reed, I encourage you to contact DAR at dar@reed.edu to request an appointment.

Ilness-related Absences

When your health allows, you are expected to be present and engaged in class. At the same time, each community member has an individual responsibility to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus and other infectious diseases. Following public health guidance is part of living in an honorable community. 

The following recommendations should guide your decision about coming to class:

  • Self-isolation is the recommended course of action for anyone experiencing flu-like, especially respiratory symptoms, whether due to possible coronavirus or to other illnesses.  Please stay at home if you feel sick, and contact the Health and Counseling Center (HCC) or your healthcare provider to discuss. If you test positive for COVID-19, the CDC recommends that: You can go back to your normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, both are true:
    • Your symptoms are getting better overall, and
    • You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).
    • When you go back to your normal activities, take added precaution over the next 5 days, such as taking additional steps for cleaner air, hygiene, masks, physical distancing, and/or testing when you will be around other people indoors. This is especially important to protect people with factors that increase their risk of severe illness from respiratory viruses.
    • Keep in mind that you may still be able to spread the virus that made you sick, even if you are feeling better. You are likely to be less contagious at this time, depending on factors like how long you were sick or how sick you were.
    • If you develop a fever or you start to feel worse after you have gone back to normal activities, stay home and away from others again until, for at least 24 hours, both are true: your symptoms are improving overall, and you have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication). Then take added precaution for the next 5 days.
  • The CDC suggests that people with the following symptoms may have COVID: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea.  As always, please consult a medical professional (members of the HCC or otherwise) if you have any questions about your health or health safety. 

If you need to miss a class, or series of classes, due to illness, self-isolation, and/or quarantine, you are responsible for emailing me to let me know as soon as possible. You are also responsible for coordinating with me to complete work that you might miss due to absences. I will always provide makeup options in cases of excused absence; this might include a written response, a Moodle post, or other check-in assignments.