Discipline: Anthropology Degree Credit  [X]
Non Credit  [ ]
Nondegree Credit  [ ]
Comm Service  [ ]
 

Riverside Community College District
Integrated Course Outline of Record

Anthropology 7


COURSE DESCRIPTION
7 Anthropology of Religion Units: 3.00
 
Prerequisite: None.
 
Introduction to the anthropological study of religion in world cultures, using a cross-cultural approach to the analysis of beliefs, rituals, mythology, and the role of religion in society, particularly focusing on non-Western traditional societies. 54 hours lecture.
 
SHORT DESCRIPTION FOR CLASS SCHEDULE
Introduction to the anthropological study of religion in world cultures, focusing on beliefs, ritual, mythology, and the role of religion in traditional societies.
 
ADVISORY ENTRY SKILLS
None.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:

Apply the concepts and methods of anthropology, including the
concept of culture, ethnographic data, and a holistic perspective,
to the study of religious phenomena in different cultures;

Identify and assess the role of religion in different societies and
the connections of beliefs and ritual to other aspects of culture;

Identify common themes and characteristics in mythology,
symbolism, and other religious phenomena, while distinguishing
features unique to different societies;

Integrate cross-cultural data on witchcraft beliefs, syncretism,
revitalization movements, and cults, and the role these play in
facilitating and mediating social and political change;

Assess current theoretical debates in the anthropological study of
religion, magic, and witchcraft.
 
COURSE CONTENT
  TOPICS
 
  1. The discipline of anthropology as applied to the cross-cultural study of religion
    1. Basic concepts of anthropology and culture
    2. Definition of religion, anthropological study of religion
    3. Historical and theoretical approaches to the anthropological study of religion, such as Unilinear Cultural Evolution, Functionalism, and other major theoretical perspectives
  2. The supernatural
    1. Supernatural beings, gods and spirits, animism; definition of the sacred
    2. Animatism; mana
    3. Relationship between the supernatural and type of society
  3.  Mythology
    1. Creation myths; examples of myths in different cultures
    2. Major themes in myth
    3. Anthropological analysis of myth
  4. Religious specialists
    1. Priests and other religious specialists
    2. Shamanism, altered states of consciousness, vision quest
  5.  Ritual
    1. Characteristics and functions of ritual
    2. Types of ritual: rites of passage, rites of intensification
    3. Rituals of death: concepts of death, ghosts, ancestral spirits, and the soul
    4. Sacred places
    5. Art and symbols as expressions of ritual and belief
  6.  Magic and witchcraft
    1. Anthropological explanations of magic and witchcraft
    2. Types of magic, ethnographic examples
    3. Divination
    4. Characteristics of witchcraft
    5. Functions of witchcraft beliefs in early and modern societies
  7.  Religion and social change
    1. Religious syncretism
    2. Revitalization movements, millenarianism
    3. Cults and new religious movements
 
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
 Methods of instruction used to achieve student learning outcomes may include, but are not limited to:

  • Class lectures, discussions, and demonstrations, in order for students to comprehend the basic concepts and frameworks used in applying anthropological methods and perspectives to the study of religion in culture
  • Audiovisual presentations, such as videos, slides, DVDs, handouts, and electronic or computer-based media, in order to illustrate and enhance course content and to demonstrate characteristics and common themes in religious phenomena in a variety of world cultures
  • Pair, small group, and class collaborative activities and projects, in order to allow students to apply concepts of religion, ritual, and mythology as they are found in different cultures,  to integrate them with other aspects of culture and with their own experience
  • Presentation of written projects, assignments, posters, and research projects, and development of oral presentations, in order to allow students to explore the role of various religious phenomena in their own and in other societies, and to assess worldwide religious phenomena in the light of current theoretical debates in anthropology

 
 
METHODS OF EVALUATION
 Students will be evaluated for progress in and/or mastery of learning outcomes by methods of evaluation which may include, but are not limited to:

  • Quizzes and examinations designed to assess mastery of course concepts, critically analyze problems, and apply key concepts in anthropology and the cross-cultural study of religion
  • Individual and group assignments designed to demonstrate ability to apply anthropological methods, integrate religious phenomena with other aspects of culture, and assess religious phenomena in the light of current anthropological theory
  • Written reports, research projects, essays, posters, and oral presentations, designed to apply concepts, utilize anthropological methods and techniques, explore religious phenomena in different world cultures, and apply and assess theoretical perspectives
  • Final examination designed to assess mastery of the essential concepts developed in the course
ASSIGNMENTS

Required Reading Assignments


Required Writing Assignments


Other Outside-of-Class Assignments
 
COURSE MATERIALS
 All materials used in this course will be periodically reviewed to ensure that they are appropriate for college level instruction. Possible texts include:

  • Bowen, John R. . Religions in Practice: An Approach to the Anthropology of Religion. 3 ed. any: Allyn and Bacon, 2004.
  • Crapo, Richley. Anthropology of Religion: The Unity and Diversity of Religions. any: McGraw Hill, 2002.
  • Hicks, David. Ritual and Belief: Readings in the Anthropology of Religion. 2 ed. any: McGraw Hill, 2002.
  • Moro, Pamela, James Myers, and Arthur Lehman. Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion: An Anthropological Study of the Supernatural. 7 ed. any: McGraw Hill, 2006.
  • Stein, Rebecca L. and Philip K. Stein. The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft. any: Allyn and Bacon, 2004.
09/06
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