ANTH 55: APPLIED CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY FIELD METHODS
Foothill College Course Outline of Record
| Heading | Value |
|---|---|
| Effective Term: | Summer 2025 |
| Units: | 1 |
| Hours: | 1 lecture per week (12 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 have experienced the process of collaborative research in the social sciences.
- Students will recognize when to utilize distinct methods of applied cultural anthropology for data collection and analysis.
- Students will have an awareness of the value of applied cultural anthropology for solving problems in the world around them.
Description
Applied anthropology focuses on the use of anthropological theories, perspectives, and data-gathering methods in real-world contexts of practice or problem-solving. This 1-unit course provides students with the opportunity to learn and apply field methods from the sub-discipline of applied cultural anthropology to problems found in their own communities. Students will learn how to identify a research topic, write a proposal and project plan with specific milestones and deliverables, carry out research with the most appropriate field methodologies of applied research, and produce a "product" at the end of the course. Projects for this course will be in one of the major arenas of applied cultural anthropology, including: design anthropology, development anthropology, anthropology and health care, anthropology and social work, anthropology and education, organizational and business anthropology. Students will utilize field methodologies unique to applied cultural anthropology.
Course Objectives
The student will be able to:
- Articulate how and why applied anthropology is a legitimate area of anthropological inquiry.
- Cite examples of applied cultural anthropology in one or more of the major areas of study and application, including: design anthropology, development anthropology, anthropology and healthcare, anthropology and social work, anthropology and education, organizational and business anthropology.
- Demonstrate an awareness of the field methodologies of applied anthropology, including research design, and the basic skills of successful anthropologists working in the public and private sectors.
- Discuss the role and benefits of applied cultural anthropology in solving contemporary social issues at home and abroad.
Course Content
- Overview of the 4 fields of anthropology, and applied anthropology as the 5th field.
- Arenas and examples of applied cultural anthropology.
- Development and implementation of a research design.
- Background research and reconnaissance.
- Cultivating informants.
- Social survey and interview methodologies.
- Data collection techniques.
- Preliminary statistical analysis of social science data.
- Interpretation of data and self-reflexivity.
- Report preparation and presentation to concerned stakeholders.
- Sustainable development.
- Local and global implications of applied anthropology.
Lab Content
Not applicable.
Special Facilities and/or Equipment
When taught as an online/hybrid distance learning section, students and faculty need ongoing and continuous internet and email access.
Method(s) of Evaluation
Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:
Multiple choice and/or essay exams
Individual and/or group oral presentations
Research papers, written reports, and/or visual ethnographies
Worksheets to supplement data collection and analysis
Preparation of field notes or journal
Participation in small group and all class discussions
Method(s) of Instruction
Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:
Short lectures
Discussion
Field exercises
Classroom exercises
Oral presentations
Guided preparation of reports
Field trips
Representative Text(s) and Other Materials
Podolefsky, Aaron, Peter J. Brown, and Scott M. Lacy. Applying Cultural Anthropology: An Introductory Reader, 9th ed.. 2013.
This remains the most relevant text in this field; there is no newer edition. There are journals, blogs, and videos that are more current and may be used in the course as well.
Practicing Anthropology journal
Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments
- Reading, analysis, and reflection of case studies in applied cultural anthropology
- Preparation of research proposals
- Data collection using ethnographic fieldwork methods
- Analysis of data
- Preparation of written reports and oral presentations
Discipline(s)
Anthropology