Professor: Smith Course format: Lecture w/section Number of respondents: 75 Total Enrollment: 93 Class Composition: Froshs: 63 Sophs: 22 Jrs: 4 Srs: 4 Concs: 12 Non-Concs: 46 Don't Know: 17

Instructor Average: 2.08 Course Average: 2.04

“Cultural Meaning and Social Order: An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology” is a survey course designed to question what culture is and how it is constructed. The class looked at other cultures, as well one’s own culture, to gain an unbiased perspective into the world of anthropology. No prerequisites were required and no outside knowledge was particularly needed.

Students had mixed reactions to Professor Smith’s teaching style. Many survey participants complained that his lectures were repetitive, boring, and monotonous. Still, a sizeable number of respondents thought the professor was well-organized in his presentation, allowing students to take decent notes and stay relatively attentive. Nearly all the students appreciated specific aspects of Professor Smith’s lectures, including his personal anecdotes and his use of slides and video presentations. Many respondents also found the professor to be responsive to the needs of the class, especially in changing the format of the final exam at the students’ request.

The course work consisted of one midterm, one final, three “reaction” papers, and one ethnographic project/paper. In addition, there was a plethora of readings, including a textbook. Many students enjoyed the ethnographies, but the textbook received mixed reviews; some students found it to be straightforward and quite useful while others claimed it was boring and irrelevant.

Most students claimed to have spent between three to four hours per week on work outside of class, meeting most student expectations. In summation, many of the respondents thought the course’s reading was somewhat overkill, but generally useful and interesting. In addition, the professor was considered to be sensitive to student needs, though somewhat dry in his lectures. Though many respondents offered overtly enthusiastic recommendations for this course, others warned that you should be truly interested in the topic before enrolling.

View AN/0010 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.