ANTH 67E: CULTURES OF THE WORLD: MEDITERRANEAN
Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading | Value |
---|---|
Effective Term: | Summer 2025 |
Units: | 4 |
Hours: | 4 lecture per week (48 total per quarter) |
Degree & Credit Status: | Degree-Applicable Credit Course |
Foothill GE: | Non-GE |
Transferable: | CSU |
Grade Type: | Letter Grade (Request for Pass/No Pass) |
Repeatability: | Not Repeatable |
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will practice cultural relativism as it applies to the people of the countries in the Mediterranean region.
- Students will learn how to critically analyze and interpret cultural data from cultures found within the Mediterranean region.
- Students will apply anthropological principles for solving human problems on the local, regional and world scales.
Description
Course Objectives
The student will be able to:
- Describe archaeological and historical past of the Mediterranean.
- Explain general patterns of anthropological thought in the Mediterranean.
- Debate different theoretical and methodological frameworks used in the specific culture area in the Mediterranean.
- Describe the cultural diversity within culture area and then analyze the relationships within a worldwide context.
- Synthesize the dynamics of power relationships within the culture in ancient and modern contexts.
- Evaluate politics, economics, religion, and social development in the culture area in the ancient and modern contexts.
- Understand the relationship between research design and data acquisition.
- Synthesize data acquired in the field.
- Justify results and critically assess the project of study.
Course Content
- Describe archaeological and historical past of the Mediterranean
- Neolithic
- Bronze Age
- Iron Age
- Medieval Period
- Early Modern Period
- Modern Period
- Explain general patterns of anthropological thought in the Mediterranean
- Contrast New World and Old World academic frameworks
- Museum based approaches
- European-style academic approaches from the 1800s to present which combine historical text analysis
- American academic approaches using anthropology from the 1950s to present
- Debate different methodological and theoretical frameworks used in the specific culture area in the Mediterranean
- Research designs implemented anthropologists working in the culture area
- Antiquarian approaches
- Traditional cultural historical approaches
- Scientifically based approaches
- Theoretical approaches
- Antiquarian approaches
- Traditional cultural historical approaches
- Scientifically based approaches
- Post-modern approaches
- Research designs implemented anthropologists working in the culture area
- Describe the cultural diversity within culture area and then analyze the relationships within a worldwide context
- Linguistic diversity
- Religious diversity
- Economic diversity, including class based institutions
- Political groupings
- Synthesize the dynamics of power relationships within the culture in ancient and modern contexts
- Aristocracy
- Peasants and serfs
- Land-holders
- Religious institutions
- Militaristic power
- Political power in the modern era
- Evaluate politics, economics, religion, and social development in the culture area in the ancient and modern contexts
- Origins of political dynamics from ancient to modern
- Rise of governmental institutions
- Growth of empire and resistance to colonization
- Church reformations
- Manorial systems
- Economic shifts from prehistory to history
- Understand the relationship between research design and data acquisition
- Research design in anthropology
- Background historical context
- Reconnaissance
- Generating hypotheses
- Field research and data acquisition testing hypotheses
- Data analysis
- Evaluation and synthesis
- Publication
- Data acquisition in anthropology
- Field recording methods
- Methods of survey in ethnography and archaeology
- Note taking in anthropology and archaeology
- Research design in anthropology
- Synthesize data acquired in the field
- Justify results and critically assess projects of study
Lab Content
Not applicable.
Special Facilities and/or Equipment
Method(s) of Evaluation
Oral presentations on culture area
Cooperative group assignments designed to initiate field work
Final field notes and summary report
Final exam
Method(s) of Instruction
Lecture and classroom discussion on major topics
Cultural contact component, which includes intercultural experience, interaction, and assessment of methods
Write-up and analysis demonstrating original work and critical thinking
Group presentations of major projects followed by in-class discussion and evaluation
Representative Text(s) and Other Materials
Myres, John L.. Mediterranean Culture. 2014.
Norwich, John Julius. The Middle Sea: A History of the Mediterranean. 2007.
Although these texts are older than the suggested "5 years or newer" standard, they remain seminal texts in this area of study.
Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments
- Cultural survey and critical analysis of data for presentation.
- Final essay critiquing the research experience.
- Required textbooks covering the region both past and present.