ANTHRO 4
Culture and Communication
Description: Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Required as preparation for both bachelor's degrees. Introduction to study of communication from anthropological perspective. Formal linguistic methods compared with ethnographically oriented methods focused on context-bound temporal unfolding of communicative activities. Topics include language in everyday life and ritual events, socialization, literacy, multilingualism, miscommunication, political discourse, and art-making as cultural activity. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 5.0
Units: 5.0
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2024 - I would recommend this class to anyone. The class was interesting, the workload was reasonable and the tests were fair. Additionally, Prof. Alim was an excellent lecturer and would make jokes and tell stories to try to help us remember the content, and he was always open to more discussion and class ideas. We mainly focused on how race impacts communicative styles (especially black Americans) but also touched upon nationality, age, gender, and sexuality. I read most of the required texts because I enjoyed them, but you could absolutely get by without the texts. The texts and lecture covered virtually the same thing, though the lecture tended to focus more on important concepts and critical thinking/implications of the text. The tests were pretty easy, online multiple choice, and the questions were based off of the texts/lecture, and the essays were each a page and a half long with an in depth prompt that pretty much walks you through what you need to write. Both the tests and the essays were basically measurements of whether you're paying attention in class/read the texts. If you pay attention in class you're pretty much guaranteed a B or higher grade.
Fall 2024 - I would recommend this class to anyone. The class was interesting, the workload was reasonable and the tests were fair. Additionally, Prof. Alim was an excellent lecturer and would make jokes and tell stories to try to help us remember the content, and he was always open to more discussion and class ideas. We mainly focused on how race impacts communicative styles (especially black Americans) but also touched upon nationality, age, gender, and sexuality. I read most of the required texts because I enjoyed them, but you could absolutely get by without the texts. The texts and lecture covered virtually the same thing, though the lecture tended to focus more on important concepts and critical thinking/implications of the text. The tests were pretty easy, online multiple choice, and the questions were based off of the texts/lecture, and the essays were each a page and a half long with an in depth prompt that pretty much walks you through what you need to write. Both the tests and the essays were basically measurements of whether you're paying attention in class/read the texts. If you pay attention in class you're pretty much guaranteed a B or higher grade.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2022 - Professor Alim is one of my favorite professors. He is extremely helpful, passionate, and want all his students to do really well. The exams were all asynchronous and online on Canva, and the 2 essays were quite easy. The workload is very manageable, because there is only 1 discussion post every week. The readings are very option (I barely did them) and still did very well on the test because he summarizes the readings during the lectures. I would highly recommend this class with Alim.
Fall 2022 - Professor Alim is one of my favorite professors. He is extremely helpful, passionate, and want all his students to do really well. The exams were all asynchronous and online on Canva, and the 2 essays were quite easy. The workload is very manageable, because there is only 1 discussion post every week. The readings are very option (I barely did them) and still did very well on the test because he summarizes the readings during the lectures. I would highly recommend this class with Alim.
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Most Helpful Review
i really enjoyed the class; besnier was a bit long-winded, but overall an interesting character to see in front of a lecture hall. i stopped going to the lectures after the first midterm; it was really easy to do well on the tests, as long as you did the reading and go to the discussions. I felt I gained a lot more from the discussions than i did from the actual lectures. the questions on the exams were WAY easy, and as long as you got down the general principals and a few examples (which besnier and the TAs would beat into your head; i must have heard about tuvaluans a million times) you're bound to get a good grade. overall, i'd recommend anyone who doesn't mind reading to take the class.
i really enjoyed the class; besnier was a bit long-winded, but overall an interesting character to see in front of a lecture hall. i stopped going to the lectures after the first midterm; it was really easy to do well on the tests, as long as you did the reading and go to the discussions. I felt I gained a lot more from the discussions than i did from the actual lectures. the questions on the exams were WAY easy, and as long as you got down the general principals and a few examples (which besnier and the TAs would beat into your head; i must have heard about tuvaluans a million times) you're bound to get a good grade. overall, i'd recommend anyone who doesn't mind reading to take the class.
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2023 - Mrs Cartmill is extremely boring and hard to learn from. She thinks she is very funny and laughs at all her "jokes", but she just is not. Overall, I am not interested in anthropology so I might be biased but this class is not interesting and has a heavy workload. The midterm is hard, I'm taking the final in a week so I will let you guys know. She also gets very mad if you don’t call her Dr. Would not recommend, not an easy GE.
Spring 2023 - Mrs Cartmill is extremely boring and hard to learn from. She thinks she is very funny and laughs at all her "jokes", but she just is not. Overall, I am not interested in anthropology so I might be biased but this class is not interesting and has a heavy workload. The midterm is hard, I'm taking the final in a week so I will let you guys know. She also gets very mad if you don’t call her Dr. Would not recommend, not an easy GE.
Most Helpful Review
Spring 2016 - Selling "Living Language"(the textbook) at $15! Text ********** Professor Debenport is really approachable, easygoing, and professional. Her class is super clear and the study guide she gives guarantees your A+ in the class. As long as you do the reading, attend the lecture, and prepare well with the study guide, you'll get an A+. Topics are pretty interesting, not hard at all. Some readings can be intriguing, but she'll explain and highlight the important points during the lecture so technically you can skip one or two and still get away with it. Really great Professor -- open-minded, lovely, and passionate about her works! Please buy my book, price definitely negotiable! I've taken this class two years ago and yet I've been carrying this heavy textbook all the time...
Spring 2016 - Selling "Living Language"(the textbook) at $15! Text ********** Professor Debenport is really approachable, easygoing, and professional. Her class is super clear and the study guide she gives guarantees your A+ in the class. As long as you do the reading, attend the lecture, and prepare well with the study guide, you'll get an A+. Topics are pretty interesting, not hard at all. Some readings can be intriguing, but she'll explain and highlight the important points during the lecture so technically you can skip one or two and still get away with it. Really great Professor -- open-minded, lovely, and passionate about her works! Please buy my book, price definitely negotiable! I've taken this class two years ago and yet I've been carrying this heavy textbook all the time...
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