Program(s): Degree Breadth
Program Coordinator(s): Sean McNabney
Course Leader or Contact: Anna Boshnakova
Version: 2.0
Status: Approved (APPR)

Section I Notes: N/A

Detailed Description
Students apply theoretical approaches and practical methods from the various specialties within applied anthropology to the study of contemporary sociocultural issues. Through the perspectives of linguistic, medical, environmental, business, urban, museum and psychological anthropology, students employ a modern view of culture as a system, inseparable from historical, sociopolitical, economic and geographic contexts. Students gain a critical awareness of local and global cultural practices by using modern anthropological techniques to identify and analyze culture-universals and culture- specifics. Working with diverse cultural communities, they develop practical experience in quantitative and qualitative research methods, cultural brokerage and socio-cultural impact assessment. Students learn about the everyday application of cultural anthropology through interactive lectures and seminars, applied anthropological activities, readings, audio and video clips, case studies and an individual research project.

Program Context

 Critical Performance

By the end of this course, students will have demonstrated the 
ability to synthesize anthropological theories and applied 
methodologies in social and cultural contexts.

Learning Outcomes

To achieve the critical performance, students will have demonstrated 
the ability to:

1. Examine the historical structure and growth of the applied 
   aspects of anthropological theory and practice.

2. Categorize the different domains in which applied 
   anthropologists work.

3. Apply the ethical responsibilities and standards in    
   anthropological research and practice.
 
4. Critique ethical issues and current debate in the field of 
   applied anthropology through examination of case studies.

5. Analyze culture-universals and culture-specifics in the 
   context and structure of various local and global cultural
   practices.

6. Apply anthropological concepts and modern techniques from 
   specialties within applied anthropology to the analyses of various 
   contemporary social and cultural issues.

7. Translate raw data into well-grounded and comprehensible 
   conclusions.



 

Students demonstrate their learning in the following ways:

TESTS:                                     2 X 25% = 50%

RESEARCH PROJECT:
RESEARCH PROPOSAL:                                    5%
RESEARCH PAPER:                                      20%

RESEARCH PROJECT PRESENTATION                        15%

IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES                                  10%

TEST AND ASSIGNMENT PROTOCOL 

To encourage behaviours that will help students to be successful in 
the workplace and to ensure that students receive credit for their 
individual work, the following rules apply to every course offered 
within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.  
            
1. Students are responsible for staying abreast of test dates and 
   times, as well as due dates and any special instructions for 
   submitting assignments and projects as supplied to the class by 
   the Professor.
2. Students must write all tests at the specified times. Missed 
   tests, in-class activities, assignments and presentations are   
   awarded a mark of zero. If an extension or make-up opportunity   
   is approved by the professor as outlined below, the mark of zero  
   may be revised by subsequent performance.  The penalty for late   
   submission of written assignments is a loss of 10% per day for 
   up to five business days (excluding weekends and statutory 
   holidays), after which, a grade of zero is assigned.  Business
   days include any day that the college is open for business, 
   whether the student has scheduled classes that day or not.  
3. Students, who miss a test or in-class activity or assignment or 
   fail to submit an assignment on time due to exceptional
   circumstances, are required to notify their professor in advance
   of the class whenever possible.  A make-up test may be supplied 
   for students who provide an acceptable explanation of their  
   absence and/or acceptable documentation explaining their absence
   (e.g., a medical certificate).  All make-up tests are to be 
   written at a time and place specified by the professor upon the
   student's return.  Alternately, students may be given an 
   opportunity to earn the associated marks by having a subsequent 
   test count for the additional marks.  Similarly, exceptional 
   circumstances may result in a modification of the due dates for
   assignments.
4. Unless otherwise specified, assignments and projects must be 
   submitted at the beginning of class. 
5. Students must complete every assignment as an individual effort  
   unless, the professor specifies otherwise.
6. Since there may be instances of grade appeal or questions 
   regarding the timely completion of assignments and/or extent of   
   individual effort, etc., students are strongly advised to keep,  
   and make available to their professor, if requested, a copy of  
   all assignments and working notes until the course grade has been 
   finalized.  
7. There will be no resubmission of work unless this has been 
   previously agreed to or suggested by the professor. 
8. Students must submit all assignments in courses with practical  
   lab and field components in order to pass the course.

Ferraro, G. and S. Andreatta (2010). Cultural Anthropology: An 
Applied Perspective (8th ed.). Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Recommended Reading:
Eddy, E. M. and W. L. Partridge (Eds.). (2003). Anthropology in 
Practice: Building a Career Outside the Academy. Boulder, Colorado: 
Lynne Rienner.

Ervin, A. M. (2005). Applied Anthropology: Tools and Perspectives for 
Contemporary Practice (2nd ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.

Gwynne, M. A. (2003). Applied Anthropology: A Career-Oriented 
Approach. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. 

Matsumoto, D. and l. Juang (2011). Culture and Psychology (5th ed.). 
Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.


Sabloff, P. L. W. (Ed.). (2000). Careers in Anthropology: Profiles of 
Practitioner Anthropologists (NAPA bulletin 20). Fairfax, VA: 
American Anthropological Association.

Van Willigen, J. (1991). Anthropology in Use: A Sourcebook on 
Anthropological Practice. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press.

Unit 1 - Introduction to applied anthropology
Topics:
- What do applied anthropologists do?
- Contributions of applied anthropology: enhancing understanding;  
solving societal problems; building skills for the Twenty-First 
Century; develop a broad perspective; appreciate other perspectives; 
balance contradictions; emphasize global teamwork; develop cognitive 
complexity; develop perceptual acuity.
In-class activity (1%)
Reading: Chapter 1 

Unit 2 - Becoming an applied anthropologist
Topics:
- Areas in which the applied anthropologists work
- History of applied anthropology
- The concept of culture - an applied perspective: cross-cultural 
coaching
- Identification and examination of applied anthropology projects
In-class activity (1%)
Reading: Chapters 2 and 3

Unit 3 - Relationships between method, theory, application and 
practice.
Topics:
- The growth of anthropological theory
- Preparing for fieldwork: stages of field research
- Data-gathering techniques: participant-observation; interviewing; 
additional data-gathering techniques; applied field methods.
- Recent trends in ethnographic fieldwork
In-class activity (1%)
Reading: Chapters 4 and 5

Unit 4 - The Ethics of applied anthropology
Topics:
- Major areas of responsibility
- The pains and gains of fieldwork: culture shock; biculturalism
In-class activity (1%)
Reading: Chapter 5

Unit 5 - Time and participation in applied anthropology
Topics:
- Language and culture
- Culture influences on verbal language and non-verbal communication
- Intercultural communication: cultural influences on encoding and 
decoding
- Bilingualism and culture: psychological differences as a function 
of language; perceptions of bilinguals; monolingualism and 
ethnocentrism
In-class activity (1%)
Research project proposal due (5%)
Reading: Chapter 6

Unit 6 - Community development, action anthropology and needs 
assessment
Topics:
- Human adaptation
- Food production strategies and experience
- Environment and technology
- Cultural and social impact assessments
In-class activity (1%)
Reading: Chapter 7

Mid-term test (25%) 

Unit 7 - Environmental and business anthropology
Topics:
- Cross-cultural business negotiations
- The allocation of natural resources
- Production and distribution of goods and services
- Globalization of world economies: anthropology and new product 
research 
In-class activity (1%)
Reading: Chapter 8

Unit 8 - Applied medical anthropology and public health
Topics:
- Culture and health: cultural differences in the definition of 
culture; genetic, psychosocial and socio-cultural influences on 
physical health and disease
- Culture and gender: sex and gender; conception of gender across 
cultures
- Culture and psychological disorders; culture and psychotherapy
- Culture and clinical training
- A community approach to treatment
In-class activity (1%)
Reading: Chapters 9, 10, 11
Recommended Reading:
Matsumoto, D. and l. Juang (2011).Culture and Psychology (5th ed.). 
Wadsworth, Cengage Learning: 153-318.

Unit 9 - Urban anthropology 
Topics:
- Social stratification: a public display of status differences
- Race and intelligence
- Human rights
- Immigration
- Culture and crime
In-class activity (1%)
Reading: Chapter 13

Unit 10 - Museum anthropology
Topics:
- Representation of culture
- Arts in context of culture
- Culture and education: culture is learned
- Cultural transmission: enculturation and acculturation
- Culture change and globalization: inventions/innovations; cultural 
diffusion
In-class activity (1%)
Reading: Chapters 14, 15, 16
Research project due (20%)

Unit11 - Sharing experience and applying anthropology I
Group # 1: Student research project presentations due (15%)

Unit 12 - Sharing experience and applying anthropology II
Group # 2: Student research project presentations due (15%)

Final test (25%)