ANTHROPOLOGY 318: HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: SEX AND THE LIFE CYCLE
SPRING 2008
Instructor: Dr. Karin E. Jaffe
Course Description and Objectives: This course is an introduction to the evolutionary biology of birth, childhood, marriage, the family, old age, and death in human societies as we examine who we are and where we came from. This course has five primary goals: 1) to show you how various aspects of human life cycles and human behavior can be interpreted biologically, 2) to give you an idea about how other societies function and how other peoples live, 3) to introduce you to scientific methodology as it applies to interpreting human behavior, 4) to stimulate discussion about the relevance of biology to understanding your own and other's behavior, and 5) to help you gain competence in presenting material orally. This course fulfills General Education area E (The Integrated Person) requirement. Please go to http://www.sonoma.edu/aa/ap/generaleductation.shmtl for more information on the Mission, Goals, and Objectives of General Education at SSU.
University Policies: There are important University poslices that you should be aware of, such as the add/drop policy, cheating and plagiarism plicy, grade appeal procedures, accommodations for students with disabilities, and the diversity vision statement.
These and other policies can be found at: http://www.sonoma.edu/UAffairs/policies/. To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact the disabled student services office at (707) 664-2677 (voice), or (707) 664-2958 (TDD for hearing and voice impaired). If you have a letter from their office indicating that you have a disability that requires academic accommodations, please present the letter to me so we can discuss the accommodations that you might need in this class. If you are a student with a disability and you think you may require assistance
evacuating in the event of a disaster, please inform me about the type of assistance you may require.
Please note: I will hold all unclaimed assignments in my office until the end of Fall semester, 2008, at which time they will be shredded.
Student Athletes: Please check your competition schedule at the beginning of the semester. If there is a conflict (or a potential conflict) between a sanctioned sports competition and class, you must notify the instructor, in person, during the first two weeks of class to make alternative arrangements. Later notifications may not be accomodated.
Email and Phone Number: karin.jaffe@sonoma.edu; (707) 664-2944
Office and Office Hours: Mondays 11:00-12:30pm, Wednesdays 10:00-11:30am, and by appointment in Stevenson 2054G
Lectures: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:30-3:45pm in Stevenson 3008.
Required Texts:
Available at SSU Bookstore:
Potts, M. and Short, R. (1999) Ever Since Adam and Eve. Cambridge University Press. ('P&S' in syllabus)
Neese, R.M., and Williams, G.C. (1994) Why We Get Sick. Vintage Books, New York.
Available as reader from Copy, Mail & More (8282 Old Redwood Hwy, Cotati, 285-3400):
Readings in Anthropology 318 Course Reader (noted on syllabus)
What I expect of you:
• That you will be on time to class.
• That you will wait to pack up your books and notes until after I have finished lecturing.
• That you are respectful of other students in the class as well as the instructor.
• That you turn off your cell phone before lecture begins.
• That you will ask questions if you don't understand the material.
What you can expect of me:
• That I will be respectful of you and your time by starting and ending class on time.
• That I will create a classroom environment that is conducive to learning.
• That I will return all assignments within a timely manner (usually within 1 week).
• That I will do my best to make this course interesting and informative!
Grade Break-down:
Grades will be calculated out of the top score achieved rather than the total number of points possible.
90 to 100% A
80 to 89.9% B
70 to 79.9% C
60 to 69.9% D
Below 60% F
Final grades will be broken down into "+" and "-".
The mean for the course and all assignments will be 75%. This means that if the actual mean for an assignment is less than 75%, I will adjust (i.e., curve) all scores to achieve a mean of 75%. If the mean for any assignment is higher than 75%, no adjustment will take place.
Components of this course:
Grades will be based on your performance in the following areas (200 points, total):
1. Three exams (30 points each), 90 points
2. Three take-home assignments (12 points each), 36 points
3. Essay, 30 points
4. In-class presentation and bibliography, 30 points
5. Attendance and participation during in-class presentations, 14 points
EXPLANATION OF COURSE GRADING
Exams:
There will be three in-class exams consisting of true/false, matching, multiple choice, definitions, and short answers, each worth 30 points (90 points total). The first exam is on February 26 and will cover material from January 29 to February 21. The second exam is on April 1 and will cover material from February 28 to March 20. The third exam is on May 13 and will cover material from April 3 to May 8. Please make note of the dates and times of the exams. There will be no alternative exam times. If you miss an exam, you will receive a score of zero for that exam.
Take-home exercises:
I In addition to the three in-class exams, there will be three take-home exercises throughout the semester, each based on a film shown during class. Each exercise is worth 12 points. The exercises are on the website. It is recommended that you download and print off the exercises and bring them to class on the day of the film. Please make note of the dates the films will be presented (February 12, March 20, and May 8). There will be no alternative viewing times.
Essay assignment:
In addition to the take-home assignments, you will write one essay during the semester (worth 30 points). For your essay, you will use your own description of how natural selection works (from your 1st take-home assignment) to introduce the theory of evolution by natural selection and then choose one trait of humans that was discussed in Why We Get Sick and describe in detail how it could have evolved or is maintained. In depth directions for the essay assignment are available on the class website..
Student presentation:
Each student will give a short presentation on one aspect of the human life cycle. Students are required to consult with the instructor regarding their presentations to ensure that their chosen topic of focus is appropriate to their general topic and does not overlap extensively with lectures. Consultation must take place in person, outside of class, preferably during the instructor’s office hours. Students who fail to consult with the instructor within the allotted time will lose 10% on their presentation. In depth directions for the presentation is available on the class website.
Attendance and participation during student presentations:
Attending lectures/discussions is extremely important for success in this class, and I expect you to attend all classes. Attendance is especially important during the last three days of the course, during student presentations, so you will receive attendance points for each day you attend during the student presentations for a maximum of 14 points. To determine attendance, all students will be required to submit a short evaluation sheet to the instructor for each presentation they attend. Evaluation sheets will be handed out in class on the days of the presentations.
Re-grades:
You may request a re-grade on any assignment, as long as the assignment was written in pen, but the request must be made in writing within 1 week of the assignment being handed back in class. Requests must be typed and include a detailed description of why a re-grade is warranted. The exception is a miscalculation of points. If you find that the instructor has added up your points incorrectly, please notify the instructor as soon as possible. Please hold on to all graded and returned assignments in case I make a mistake posting your scores. I will only be able to make corrections to the roster if you can produce the graded assignment.
Syllabus modifications:
The instructor reserves the right to modify anything in the syllabus during the course of the semester, with prior warning via an in-class and website announcements. Students are responsible for being apprised of any such modifications and for recording such modifications on their syllabi.
Lastly, I am here to help you in any way that I can. If you find you are having trouble with the course, please come and speak with me as soon as possible.
FINAL GRADES FOR SPRING 2008 are now available!!! You can check your grade so far in the course by clicking HERE. Please contact the instructor if you have questions about your grade..
Return to Dr. Jaffe's Homepage at the Department of Anthropology at Sonoma State University.