Instructor 

Dr. Darlene Applegate
darlene.applegate@wku.edu
Office 280 FAC 745-5094
Rock House Lab 745-6511
 

Course Objectives

This course examines two related components of human culture - how humans interact with the environment and how humans make a living. We will consider ecological and economic anthropology from the perspectives of cultural anthropology primarily, but will also consider how theories and methods are applied in archaeology. Emphasis is on historical developments in the anthropological study of ecology and economy, major theoretical constructs and methodological approaches related to ecological and economic anthropology, and case studies in ecological and economic anthropology.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will

• understand basic terms and concepts related to ecological and economic anthropology.

• learn about historical developments in the fields of ecological and economic anthropology.

• understand major theories and methods related to ecological and economic anthropology.

• become familiar with case studies in ecological and economic anthropology.

• understand how ecological and economic approaches are used in cultural anthropology and archaeology.

• read and critique seminal publications in ecological and economic anthropology.

Course Materials

Students will read from several texts on ecological and economic anthropology.

Additional course materials and assignments are accessible on the course web site at
http://www.wku.edu/~appleda/ecological/front.html

Videos related to course content are shown periodically throughout the semester.
 

General Expectations

The educational endeavor is a two-way street. To insure a productive and stimulating learning environment, students and instructors must meet certain expectations.

It is my expectation that students will attend class regularly, prepare for each class, exactly follow directions for completing assignments, complete assignments on time, participate meaningfully and respectfully in class, ask questions, monitor their performance, and seek assistance before matters get out of hand.

Students are expected to make themselves aware of the provisions set forth in this syllabus. Students are expected to bring the syllabus to every class meeting and to make any adjustments to the syllabus announced during class. Students are strongly encouraged to review the information in the syllabus on a regular basis.

Students should expect from me organized presentations, current information on the subject, thoughtful evaluation of assignments, timely return of graded assignments, access during office hours, and guidance in completing course requirements.

Please come see me if you have any concerns during the semester.
 

Attendance Policy 

The University attendance policy states that "registration in a course obligates the student to be regular and punctual in class attendance" (WKU Catalog 1999-2001:29; emphasis added).

Punctual arrival to class is expected. Students who arrive to class late are expected to find out what they missed.

Class attendance is tracked with sign-in sheets. Students are responsible for making sure they sign the attendance sheet each day. Students who forget to sign the sheet will be recorded as absent.

In order for an absence to be excused, all of the following requirements must be met.

1. The excuse must be a legitimate reason for missing class. Legitimate excuses include serious illness, death in the family, University-sanctioned activities, out-of-town job interview, jury duty, and religious holidays. Non-legitimate reasons for missing class include but are not limited to chauffeuring friends, airplane reservations, family celebrations, meetings with other professors or advisors, work, and unsanctioned University activities.

2. Written documentation must be given to the instructor and will be kept on file.

3. Written documentation must be submitted at the next class meeting after the absence.

Though your grade will not be lowered for unexcused absences, they will likely contribute to poor academic performance in this course. In addition, excessive unexcused absences make students ineligible for earning extra credit, as explained elsewhere in the syllabus.

Full attendance on exam days is expected. Students who know they will be absent on an exam date for a legitimate reason (University-sanctioned activity, out-of-town job interview, jury duty, religious holiday) must provide documentation and make arrangements at least three days before the scheduled test to take the exam early. Early exams will be scheduled at the instructor's convenience.

Make-up exams are typically a different format from the regular exams. All make-up exams will be given during office hours of the last week of class in the semester. Make ups for missed exams are given only if all of the following requirements are met.

1. The instructor is notified by the student (not someone else) at least 24 hours prior to the exam time.

2. The absence occurs for a legitimate and unplanned reason, such as serious illness, death in the family, or auto accident.

3. The absence is documented in writing.

Assignments

Following is a list of assignments for the course. Each is described in more detail elsewhere in the syllabus and on the course web site. Students should keep track of their grades on the assignments and track their progress toward their target grades.

Assignment            Points              Grade

Examination 1      100 points
Examination 2      100 points
Examination 3      100 points
Written Paper 1    100 points
Written Paper 2    100 points

         TOTAL            500 points

Due Dates 

Two of the skills I expect students will acquire in college are time management and responsibility. Therefore, I expect that all assignments will be turned in at the beginning of class on the days they are due. Be warned that I will not accept or grade assignments that are submitted after the due dates. If you can't be in class on a day when an assignment is due, you need to submit the assignment early or have someone turn it in for you on time. Students who need to submit assignments early and can't find me on campus may slide the assignments under my office door.

Under unusual circumstances, students may petition for an extension of the due date for an assignment. Extensions will be considered only if all of the following requirements are met.

1. A written request for an extension, explaining a legitimate reason why extra time is needed, must be submitted to the instructor. (Computer failure, work schedules, extracurricular activities, and an overload of work in other classes are examples of non-legitimate reasons for requesting an extension.)

2. The student must meet with the instructor at least three days before the due date to submit and discuss the written request. If the extension is granted, a new date will be established.

3. The student must complete the assignment by the new due date.

Grading Procedures 
 
Numerical grades are given for each assignment. If curving is necessary, it will be done on individual assignments. Curving usually involves adding points to the numerical grade. Letter grades are not given for individual assignments.

The final course grade is calculated by dividing the points earned (including any extra credit points) by the total points possible (excluding extra credit). This percentage is then translated into a letter grade based on a 10% scale (A=90-100%, B=80-89%, etc). Final course grades will not be curved. In some cases, students with borderline percentages (e.g., 59%, 69%, 79%, 89%) are given the higher grade based on class attendance, class participation, improvement, and/or attitude.
 

Tests and Testing Policies 

Three exams (two midterms and a final) are scheduled over the semester. Exams cover material presented in lecture, readings, presentations, and videos. While exams are not comprehensive per say, it is assumed that students will build and draw upon a foundation of material from previous tests.

Each in-class test is worth 100 points and consists of objective and essay questions. Review material is posted on the course web page about one week prior to each exam.

Students are expected to arrive on time for tests. To insure that you arrive on time, I suggest that you set two alarm clocks (one battery operated), have a friend call you, and leave home early enough to beat traffic and find a parking place. In the case that a student is excessively late in arriving to take a test, the instructor reserves the right to deny that student the opportunity to take the test with no possibility of a make-up exam. If a student arrives late to an exam and other students have already completed and turned in their tests, then the tardy student will not be permitted to take the exam and will not be given a make-up exam.

To insure security during tests, students will be instructed to place all their materials in a closed book bag under their desks. Students wearing ball caps must remove them or turn them backwards. Once a student starts an exam, he/she cannot leave the testing room for any reason until the exam is turned in. Students cannot get into their book bags during the test, unless permission is granted by the instructor.

Requests for exam accommodations by learning-disabled students must be submitted in writing to the instructor at least three days in advance of each scheduled test date.

Students who know they will be absent on an exam date for a legitimate reason (University-sanctioned activity, out-of-town job interview, jury duty, religious holiday) must provide documentation and make arrangements at least three days before the scheduled test to take the exam early. Early exams will be scheduled at the instructor's convenience.

Make-up exams are typically a different format from the regular exams. All make-up exams will be given during office hours of the last week of class in the semester. Make ups for missed exams are given only if all of the following requirements are met.

1. The instructor is notified by the student (not someone else) at least 24 hours prior to the exam time.

2. The absence occurs for a legitimate and unplanned reason, such as serious illness, death in the family, or auto accident.

3. The absence is documented in writing.

Written Papers   

Each student will write two papers, each of which is worth 100 points, about seminal publications in ecological and economic anthropology. The papers will be summaries and responses to two books, which will probably be Rappaport's Pigs for the Ancestors and Malinowski's Argonauts of the Western Pacific. All papers must follow American Anthropological Association guidelines for citation of nonoriginal material. The specific requirements and due dates for the papers are outlined on the course web page.
 

Academic Dishonesty

"The maintenance of academic integrity is of fundamental importance to the University. Thus it should be clearly understood that acts of plagiarism or any other form of cheating will not be tolerated and that anyone committing such acts risks punishment of a serious nature" (WKU Catalog 1999-2001:28).

Academic dishonesty, including cheating and plagiarism, will be dealt with in accordance with University policy. "Students who commit any act of academic dishonesty may receive from the instructor a failing grade in that portion of the coursework in which the act is detected or a failing grade in the course without possibility of withdrawal" (WKU Catalog 1999-2001:28). Sanctions may also be brought against the perpetrator. Students are responsible for understanding what constitutes cheating and plagiarism; the University descriptions are provided below.

"No student shall receive or give assistance not authorized by the instructor in taking an examination or in the preparation of an essay, laboratory report, problem assignment or other project which is submitted for purposes of grade determination" (WKU Catalog 1999-2001:28).

"To represent written work taken from another source [book, journal, web site, lecture, lab, or other source whether it is prepared by the instructor, a guest speaker, or a classmate] as one's own is plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious offense. The academic work of a student must be his/her own. One must give any author credit for source material borrowed from him/her. To lift content directly from a source without giving credit is a flagrant act. To present a borrowed passage without reference to the source after having changed a few words is also plagiarism" (WKU Catalog 1999-2001:28).

Students must take special care to exactly quote and/or accurately paraphrase each source that is cited in a written assignment, including research papers, outlines, annotated bibliographies, and take-home tests.
 

Extra Credit 

In certain circumstances, students are permitted to earn extra credit points in order to achieve at their desired level. Extra credit is not intended as a means of recouping lost points due to poor class attendance and/or failure to complete all assignments. Extra credit is done at the instructor's convenience. A student will be afforded this opportunity only if he/she fulfills all of the following requirements.

1. The student has no more than one unexcused absence over the course of the semester.

2. The student completes all assignments.

3. The student makes a written request to do extra credit.

4. The student submits the written request and speaks with the instructor during office hours. I will want to know what your target grade is, what your current grade is, why you are not achieving at your desired level, and what you plan to do (other than extra credit) to improve your performance.

Note-taking Policies

An accurate and complete set of lecture notes is important for performing well in this class. Many topics covered in class are not in the text book, so lecture is the only source for information on such topics. Suggestions for taking good notes include pre-reading, pre-class preparation, listening for clue words, taping lectures, comparing notes with other students and/or the text book, rewriting and reorganizing notes, and asking the instructor for clarification in class or during office hours. See the instructor for more specific note-taking strategies.

Tape recording of lectures for the purpose of improving note-taking is permitted only when a written request is made to the instructor and when prior consent is given by the instructor.

The instructor considers lecture material (like any other course material) to be intellectual property. Students who enroll in this class are entitled to use this material for their personal education. Students are not to sell lecture notes (and other class materials) to other students or to note-taking services, online or otherwise; such action constitutes copyright infringement and will be prosecuted.
 

Course Schedule

Every attempt will be made to adhere to the following schedule, but the instructor reserves the right to make adjustments as necessary. Changes to the course schedule will be announced in class.

    WEEK   TOPICS

1    Introduction, Definitions

2    Historical Context

3    Ecological Anthropology: Introduction

4    Ecological Anthropology: Environmental Determinism and
       Possibilism, Cultural Ecology

5    Ecological Anthropology: Ecosystems Approach, Human Ecology,
       Ethnoecology

6    Ecological Anthropology: Evolutionary Ecology

7    Ecological Anthropology: Cultural Adaptation

8    Ecological Anthropology: Archaeological Applications

9    Economic Anthropology: Introduction

10   Economic Anthropology: Modes of Subsistence

11   Economic Anthropology: Formal Economic Anthropology

12   Economic Anthropology: Modes of Exchange

13   Economic Anthropology: Cultural Materialism

14   Economic Anthropology: Marxist Perspectives

15   Economic Anthropology: Archaeological Applications

16   The Anthropological Study of Human Ecology and Economics

The instructor reserves the right to modify anything in the syllabus, with prior warning via an in-class announcement, during the course of the semester. Students are responsible for being apprised of any such modifications and for recording such modifications on their syllabi.