Johnson State College
External Degree Program
ANT-3130-JY01 QE: Culture and Personality
Syllabus – Spring 2017
Instructor: N. Barone-Sevigny, M.A.
Instructor email address: [email protected]
Dates: Jan. 16 to April 30 (no class April 3 to 7)
Location: Online using Moodle (http://myjsc.jsc.edu)
ADA Statement: Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in
this class are encouraged to contact JSC’s Learning Specialist in Academic Services, as soon as
possible to ensure that accommodations, if needed, are implemented in a timely fashion. Please
call 802-635-1264 or email [email protected].
Academic Honesty: (from JSC Catalog) Students are expected to conform to the highest
standards of academic honesty in all of their academic work at Johnson State College. Academic
dishonesty in any form is prohibited and unacceptable. Acts of dishonesty for which a student
may be disciplined include, but are not limited to, receiving or providing unauthorized assistance
on an examination and plagiarizing the work of others in writing assignments. The American
Heritage Dictionary defines plagiarism in the following way: “To steal or use (the ideas or
writings of another) as one’s own.” Students are responsible for knowing what specific acts
constitute plagiarism; if students are uncertain as to whether a particular act constitutes
plagiarism, they should consult with their instructors before turning in assigned work.
Texts: Texts are available through the JSC bookstore. Call 802-635-2503 or go to
www.jsc.bkstr.com.
Readings in four (4) required texts.
Lives Across Cultures: Cross-Cultural Human Development
Harry W. Gardiner, Corinne Kosmitzki Allyn and Bacon Publishers, 5th edition, 2011
ISBN. 9780205841745
The Translator: A Tribesman’s Memoir of Darfur
Daoud Hari, Random House Publisher March 2008, ISBN: 978-1-4000-6744-2 (1-4000-6744-8)
All God’s Children: The Bosket Family and the American Tradition of Violence
Fox Butterfield Perennial, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers First Perennial edition
published 2002 ISBN: 0-380-72862-1
Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in
the West
Penguin Books, ISBN: 0-14-312291-6, author: Blaine Harden
Course Description:
This class offers students an opportunity to investigate the impact of culture on the thoughts,
emotions, institutions and behavior of its members. By studying different societies, including
modern America, students learn to view the individual within his or her cultural environment.
Topics include group personality, national character, patterns of normal and abnormal behavior,
cultural features of helping relationships and how values of a society define a sense of self.
Students will also look at how an individual manages the surrounding cultural difference in the
early 21st century.
Biological, enculturationist and systems dynamic models will be explored for possible answers
to questions about values, family arrangements, government formation, personal and
professional choices and the establishment of and attitudes toward laws.
Essential Learning Objectives:
Students will learn to ask the right questions to understand the interplay between self and society.
They will Identify and describe the nature of the "deep culture" that guides thoughts and
behavior.
Students will be expected to explain how behavioral patterns are set through diverse socialization
process and understand how intercultural interactions work on a micro and macro level (local,
regional, national and global levels).
Along with identification of the cultural components that motivate behavior, (especially in a
rapidly changing social system) students will be able to identify how and when cultural changes
occur and what produces those changes.
The content of this course helps students appreciate the impact and error of stereotyping,
ethnocentrism, extremism, inequality and polarity.
Students will develop the ability to apply quantitative reasoning skills within the context of
social science research methods.
Students will be required to develop and utilize one or more of the following tools:
1. Participant observation
2. Survey development and implementation
3. Historical data gathering and application of historical data to social trends or issues.
The final paper will require analysis and gathering of data in at least one of these three areas as
they relate to the student’s topic choice.
General Information about Quantitative Reasoning
In the social sciences, quantitative research refers to the systematic, empirical investigation
of social phenomena via statistical, mathematical or computational techniques. The process of
measurement is central to quantitative research because it provides the fundamental connection
between empirical observation and mathematical expression of these relationships.
Quantitative data is any data that is in numerical form such as statistics, percentages, general
trends, etc. In layman's terms, this means that the quantitative researcher asks a specific, narrow
question and collects numerical data from participants to answer the question.
The researcher is hoping the numbers will yield an unbiased result that can be generalized to
some larger population. In the field of health, for example, researchers might measure and study
the relationship between dietary intake and measurable effects such as weight loss.
Quantitatively based opinion surveys are widely used in the media, with statistics such as the
proportion of respondents in favor of a position commonly reported. In opinion surveys,
respondents are asked a set of structured questions and their responses are tabulated.
In the field of climate science, researchers compile and compare statistics such as temperature or
atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide.
Instructions for Weekly participation in Discussion Board:
Students are expected to visit the forum at least three times weekly.
Your obligation is to answer one of the questions posed by me each week, ask a question of the
class, based on the weekly assignment and attempt to answer a question posed by another student
each week. I also encourage you to provide constructive and positive feedback to other students
during the week.
This is a minimum requirement for your time in the forums. Your work will be graded based on
the depth of your thought as you post your answers each week and the thoughtfulness with which
you ask and answer questions posed by others.
Keep in mind that your visits to the forum should demonstrate that you have entered the forum
early in the week, mid-week and later in the week. Your work in the forum should show that you
have read the material and read other students posts throughout the week.
Final topic Paper with Quantitative Research component Preparation of a final topic paper on a
subject closely related to course content is also required. This topic paper must include a
quantitative analysis of data that is related to your topic choice.
You will be expected to gather, analyze and interpret data relating to your topic choice. This final
paper will be uploaded in the last week of classes and you will also be expected to share (post to
the forum) a brief summary of your topic and your findings in the last class.
You may use averages, means, medians, modes, percentages, trends as quantitative evidence of
your findings. Your evidence of findings can be displayed in graphs, tables, pie-charts, or other
visual methods that help interpret the data. Topic paper should be 10 – l5 pages in length, APA
format, typed, double- spaced. Late papers are reduced by one full grade. No exceptions.
There will be a place in the FINAL week’s discussion forum to upload your paper.
Evaluation criteria: The following will be used to evaluate student performance:
Quality of evidence used to support your views. Did the evidence come from credible sources?
The clarity of thought, independence of thinking and strength of argument.
Ability to avoid tangents and to address the critical points of each assignment. Demonstrated
growth of student critical thinking skills. Ability to demonstrate understanding of the theory in
the reading material.
Demonstrated ability to gather and analyze quantitative data as it relates to sociological theory
and trends.
Grading criteria or Rubric
A An “A” demonstrates originality, addresses the task effectively, shows effective organization
and logical argumentation, uses clear, appropriate and accurate examples and a high level of
writing competence and knowledge. Completes tasks and consistently gathers and uses data
beyond that required in assigned readings. Final paper utilizes Quantitative Reasoning skills,
APA format, is 10 to 15 pages in length, typed, double-spaced and is fully referenced.
B A “B” may show a good level of competence, but uneven development of tasks. It may be
generally well organized, uses appropriate examples, displays facility, with a few gaps in
argumentation and demonstrates a good level of writing and knowledge. Writing is original.
Completes tasks and does some extra work guided by instructor. Referencing is adequate.
C A “C” shows a fair level of competence, but may be uneven. It will address the task
adequately, but only with parts of the task. Work is adequately organized and may occasionally
use examples. Argumentation may be inconsistent and writing and knowledge competence may
be unclear. Referencing is spotty.
D A “D” will demonstrate poor competence with inadequate organization, task and argument
development and inappropriate examples. It will display difficulty in using adequate academic
language and errors in knowledge will be evident. Writing is at the border of “fair use” of other
scholars’ work.
A failure will only occur if no effort is made to address the questions or topic or if plagiarism is
detected. Late papers will receive a one-grade reduction.
Accommodations: If you need course accommodations, please let me know as soon as possible.
No work will be accepted after the final class date.
Posted responses to instructor questions should be done within the week that the question is
assigned. For example, if a question is posted on Sunday, students should respond to the chosen
question or questions within the following six days of that week.
The next set of posted questions will begin on the following Sunday of each week and should be
posted no later than midnight on the following Sunday.
Late postings should not be backdated. Late postings will begin with a one-grade reduction. No
exceptions. Send notification of any late postings to instructor via email so that I can go back
into the older weeks and review your late work. All late work starts with a weekly score no
higher than 4.
Grading:
Attendance and participation in discussion forums 35%
Preparation of final Topic Paper
35%
Quantitative Research on Topic
30%
Total grading percentages
100%
Course Schedule by Week
Week 1: (Jan. 16, 2017) A Cross-cultural perspective *LAC chapters 1 and 2, Theories of
Development, * LAC is the abbreviation for Lives Across Cultures Gardner et. Al)
Week 2: (Jan. 22, 2017) Culture and socialization LAC, chapters 3 and 4, Cultural variations,
Perspectives on physical growth
Week 3: (Jan. 29, 2017) Culture, Language and Cognition, LAC, chapters 5, 6, 7, Culture, Self
and Personality, Culture and Issues of Sex and Gender
Week 4: (Feb. 5, 2017) Culture and social behavior, LAC chapters 8, 9, 10, The Family in
Cultural Context, Culture and Health, Students should have made paper topic choice by this
class. Students are asked to share topic choice with others on the discussion board and be
prepared to develop a quantitative method of data gathering that is best suited to the topic of
choice.
Week 5: (Feb. 12, 2017) LAC chapter 11-Looking to the Future, The Translator (T.T.) Read the
first part of the book up to page 50
Week 6: (Feb. 19, 2017) The Translator pages 51-112
Week 7: (Feb. 26, 2017) The Translator pages 113-165
Week 8: (Mar. 5, 2017) The Translator pages 166-end
By week 8 students should have completed reading Lives Across Cultures and The Translator.
These two books form a theoretical basis for understanding the content in the third book entitled
All God’s Children. And Escape From Camp 14
Students are advised that the content in the third book (All God’s Children) may be upsetting to
some readers. Please understand that the content is offered as a case study (this is a biography) to
support the social/emotional components of violent personalities in American Culture. If you
have a problem reading this third book, please contact instructor for an alternative assignment.
These alternative readings that may be substituted for All God’s Children:
Raising Cain: Saving the Emotional Lives of Boys
Memoires of a Geisha
Reviving Ophelia
The Bookseller of Kabul
The Spirit Catches You
Some Place Like America
Let Us Now Praise Famous Men
Empire of Illusion
Week 9: (Mar. 12, 2017) All God’s Children, (AGC) Ch 1-5
Escape From Camp 14 first 1/3 of book.
Bloody Edgefield, chapter 1 Masters and Slaves, chapter 2 Aaron: After freedom, chapter 3, Pud:
Don’t Step on my Reputation, chapter 4, James & Butch: Coming Up in the Terry ch 5
Week 10: (Mar. 19, 2017) AGC, ch 6 to 8 The Promised Land, chapter 6
The Pawnshop, chapter 7 Bad Little Booby, chapter 8
Escape from Camp 14 second 1/3 of book
Week 11: (Mar. 26, 2017)
AGC chapters 9- 11 and finish Escape from Camp 14
Vacation Week: No class April 2 – April 7
Week 12: (Apr. 9, 2017)
AGC chapters 12-14
The Prisoner and the Scholar, chapter 12, The Warriors, chapter 13
Counsel for the Defense, chapter 14 Free at last,
chapter 15 A Monster Created by the System, chapter 16 Epilogue
Week 13: (Apr. 16, 2017) AGC chapter 15 A Monster Created by the System, chapter 16
Week 14: (Apr. 23, 2017) Updated material on Willie Bosket, Daoud Hari and
Shin Dodng-hyuk
Student papers should be uploaded to instructor this week.
Students are also expected to post a brief summary of their findings from topic paper research
this week. There will be a guideline and suggested outline for this summary in the discussion
forum this week.