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COURSE SYLLABUS   Social Anthropology Course code: SOC 280 Semester and year: Spring 2023 Day and time: Tu 2:45 – 5:30 pm Room: Main Building 2.18   Lecturer: Markéta Šebelová, MA Lecturer contact: marketa.sebelova@aauni.edu Office hours: Tu 5:30-6:00 pm, arrangement in advance necessary

 

Credits US/ECTS	3/6	Level	Intermediate
Length	15 weeks	Pre-requisites	None
Contact hours	42 hours	Course type	Required/Elective

 

Course Description

The aim of this course is to provide an introduction to the field of Social and Cultural Anthropology and anthropological themes, such as kinship, marriage, and social identity (constituted by gender, race & age), further complemented by ideas related to politics, economics and religion. The course will expose the students to the lives of different people around the world and to some of the ways anthropologists have come to understand them.

In particular, we will examine key terms, concepts and approaches used in anthropological writings and theorizing and we will focus on their application in various ethnographies. Students are expected to think analytically and compare evidence across cultures, including our own. The primary challenge is to develop a capacity for stepping out of our own cultural mindset.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will gain understanding that categories of difference (such as cleanliness, dirt, kinship, gender, age, race, etc.) are often not biologically given but culturally and socially constructed and gain a sense of the various ways in which these categories differ in the world.

Students will further develop a basic understanding of the various ways in which anthropologists have understood culture, have theorized about it and of the multiple methods employed by them while conducting research.

Likewise, students will develop an appreciation for cultural diversity and move beyond ethnocentric understanding of the world. In addition, the students will be able to demonstrate the ability to critically read, analyze, critique and comment upon academic anthropology journal articles.

Reading Material

There are two kinds of readings in this course – selected chapters from two anthropology textbooks and various anthropological articles. All reading is available on the web course-site where the students can easily access it. However, one textbook is available in printed copy and can be borrowed from AAU library: Kottak, Conrad P.: Anthropology: The Exploration of Human Diversity. 8^th ed. McGraw Hill. 2000. As there are two textbooks by the same author, if you borrow the textbook from the library, please make sure that you read it for appropriate weeks as specified in the course schedule below (it is marked as printed copy).

The textbook reading is used to provide a theoretical basis for each lecture, whereas the articles represent so to speak ‘an application of theory in praxis’ and are mostly ethnographies related to the explored concept.

Considering the general programs of students’ studies (i.e. Politics and Society; or Humanities, Society and Culture), particular attention has been paid to ethnographies of Europe and/or complex societies. Their full listing is provided in Section 5 under Course Schedule.

Teaching methodology

The course consists of lectures and discussions. While there will be a substantial portion of lecturing, we will focus on discussing readings and try to make them relevant to the theoretical topic lectured.

This way, the reading constitutes an integral part of the course, and students should be aware that they are required to do the assigned readings for each week because it is active participation in discussion of the articles which forms essential part of the grade, NOT attendance of the course.

If students do not do the required reading, it will become homework or there will be quizzes in classes without prior notice.

Course Schedule

Please note that the course schedule is subject to change, particularly if there is switch to online/hybrid teaching!

Date	Class Agenda
Week 1 - Feb 7	Topic: Introduction Description: Introducing the subject of anthropology and social anthropology, discussion of methodology, theoretical approaches Reading: Kottak, Conrad, P.: What is Anthropology? Chapter 1. 2013:4-20; and Kottak, Conrad, P.: Method and Theory in Cultural Anthropology. Chapter 3. 2013:50-73. Assignments/deadlines: N/A
Week 2 - Feb 14	Topic: Classifying the world, the concept of culture Description: Discussing the concept of culture, introduction and brief review of anthropological theories of culture Reading: Kottak, Conrad, P.: Culture. Chapter 3. 2000: 60-75. (printed copy) Miner, Horace: Body Ritual Among the Nacirema. In Magic, Witchcraft and Religion: An Anthropological Study of Supernatural. Ed. Pamela Moro, James Myers & Arthur Lehman. McGraw Hill. 2008:140-143. Lee, Richard Borshay: Eating Christmas in the Kalahari. In Conformity and Conflict. Ed. J. Spradley, & D. McCurdy, Little, Brown and Company. 1987:26-34. Kluckhohn, Clyde: Queer Customs. In Classic Readings in Cultural Anthropology. Ed. Gary Ferraro. 2009:6-12. Assignments/deadlines: Homework/participation
Week 3 - Feb 21	Topic: Disgusting, Forbidden and Unthinkable Description: Further developing the concept of culture Reading: Frykman, Jonas: The Cultural Basis of Physical Aversion. And Peasants View of Purity and Dirt. In Culture Builders. Rutgers University Press. 1987:157-160, 174-220. Assignments/deadlines: Homework/participation
Week 4 - Feb 28	Topic: Family and Kinship Description: Describing various forms of classifying kinship relations in the world Reading: Kottak, Conrad, P.: Kinship and Descent. Chapter 13. 2000:334-348. (printed copy) Bohannan, Laura: Shakespeare in the Bush. In Conformity and Conflict. Ed. J. Spradley, & D. McCurdy, Little, Brown and Company. 1987:35-45. Wolf, Margery: Houses and Families, and Lim Han-ci: The Father. Chapters 3 & 4. In The House of Lim. Appleton-Century-Crofts. 1968:23-44. Assignments/deadlines: Homework/participation
Week 5 - March 7	Topic: Marriage and Alliance Description: Discussing the concept of marriage & types of marriage arrangements Reading: Kottak, Conrad P.: Marriage. Chapter 15. 2000:392-413. (printed copy) Löfgren, Orvar: The Home Builders. In Cultural Builders. Rutgers University Press. 1987:88-125. Assignments/deadlines: Homework/participation
Week 6 - March 14	Topic: Race, Gender and Age Description: Discussion of categories of race, gender and age Reading: Kottak, Conrad P.: Ethnicity and Race. Chapter 6 (part 1). 2013:124-140; and Gender. Chapter 9. 2013:208-225. Wolf, Margery: Lim Hue-ling: An Eldest Son. Chapter 5. In The House of Lim. Appleton-Century-Crofts. 1968:45-58. Stein, Leonard I.: Male and Female: The Doctor-Nurse Game. In Conformity and Conflict. Ed. J. Spradley, & D. McCurdy, Little, Brown and Company. 1987:167-176. Tannen, Deborah: Rapport-talk and Report-talk. In Classic Readings in Cultural Anthropology. Ed. Gary Ferraro. 2009: 13-17. Assignments/deadlines: Homework/participation & Optional kinship chart project due
Week 7 - March 21	Topic: Topic: Mid-term exam Description: Detailed description of the exam can be found below in section 7. Reading: N/A Assignments/deadlines: Mid-term exam
Week 8 - March 28	Topic: Time Description: Discussion of various conceptions of time Reading: Löfgren, Orvar: The Time Keepers. In Culture Builders. Rutgers University Press. 1987:13-41. (article open for optional review essay) Assignments/deadlines: Homework/participation
Week 9 - April 4	Topic: Exchange and Production Description: Discussion of socio-economic arrangements in different societies Reading: Kottak, Conrad P.: Making a Living. Chapter 7. 2013:154-176. Lee, Richard Borshay: The Hunters: Scarce Resources in the Kalahari. In Conformity and Conflict. Ed. J. Spradley, & D. McCurdy. Pearson Education. 12th edition. 2006: 107-121. Bourgois, Philippe: Office Work and the Crack Alternative. In Conformity and Conflict. Ed. J. Spradley, & D. McCurdy. Pearson Education. 12th edition. 2006:165-177. Assignments/deadlines: Homework/participation & Optional review essay
Week 10 - April 11	Topic: Mid-term break Description: Mid-term break Reading: N/A Assignments/deadlines: N/A
Week 11 - April 18	Topic: Hierarchy, Power and Political Systems Description: Discussing power – types of authority, various types of socio-political organizations, etc. Reading: Kottak, Conrad P.: Political Systems. Chapter 8. 2013: 182-201. Harris, Marvin: Life Without Chiefs. In Conformity and Conflict. Ed. J. Spradley, & D. McCurdy. Pearson Education. 12th edition. 2006: 284-293. Cronk, Lee: Reciprocity and the Power of Giving. In Conformity and Conflict. Ed. J. Spradley, & D. McCurdy. Pearson Education. 12th edition. 2006: 147-153. Optional Reading: Bourgois, Phillippe: Understanding Inner-City Poverty: Resistance and Self-Destruction under U.S. Apartheid. In Exotic No More: Anthropology on the Front Lines. Jeremy MacClancy ed. The University of Chicago Press. 2002:15-32. (article open for optional critical review essay) Wolf, Margery: Lim So-lan: A Second Wife. Chapter 6. In The House of Lim. Appleton-Century-Crofts. 1968:59-74. Assignments/deadlines: Homework/participation & Optional critical review essay
Week 12 - April 25	Topic: Cosmology Description: Discussing various forms of religious activities, linking religious systems to socio-political and socio-economic organizations. Reading: Kottak, Conrad P.: Religion. Chapter 17. 2000: 450-476. (printed copy) Harris, M.: India’s sacred cow. In Conformity and Conflict. Ed. J. Spradley, & D. McCurdy, Little, Brown and Company. 1987:208-219. Bax, Mart: The Madonna of Medjugorje: Religious Rivalry and the Formation of a Devotional Movement in Yugoslavia. In Anthropological Quarterly 63(2):63-75. (article open for optional critical review essay) Optional Reading: Eriksen, Thomas, H.: Religion and Rituals. In Small Places, Large Issues. Pluto Press.1995:196-213. Wolf, Margery: A Gift of Pride. Chapter 12. And Epilogue. In The House of Lim. Appleton-Century-Crofts. 1968:141-148. Assignments/deadlines: Homework/participation & Optional critical review essay & Optional research project
Week 13 - May 2	Topic: Nationalism Description: Discussing the ideology of nationalism & social construction of nations Reading: Kottak, Conrad P.: Chapter 6 (part 2): Ethnic Groups, Nations and Nationalities. 2013:140-148. Anderson, Benedict: The Concepts and Definitions. In Imagined Communities. Verso. 1983:5-7. Trevor-Roper, Hugh: The Invention of Tradition: The Highland Tradition of Scotland. In The Invention of Tradition. E. Hobsbawm & T. Ranger ed. Cambridge University Press, 1983:15-41. (article open for optional critical review essay) Holy, Ladislav: Excerpt from Introduction (Czechs and Slovaks, Czech National Identity), and National Traditions and the Imagining of the Nation. In The Little Czech and the Great Czech Nation. Cambridge University Press. 1996:5-11, 114-137. (article open for optional critical review essay) Assignments/deadlines: Homework/participation & Optional critical review essay
Week 14 - May 9	Topic: Ethics and Conclusion Description: Discussion of ethics in cultural/social anthropology and conclusion of the course Reading: Levine, Andrew: Human Rights and Freedom. In The Philosophy of Human Rights, International Perspectives. Alan S. Rosenbaum ed. Greenwood Press. 1980:137-149. (article open for optional critical review essay) AAA Code of Ethics Assignments/deadlines: Homework/participation & Optional critical review essay
Week 15 - May 16	Topic: Final exam Description: Detailed description of the final exam can be found below in section 7. Reading: N/A Assignments/deadlines: Final exam

 

Course Requirements and Assessment (with estimated workloads)

Grading in this class is based upon collection of points (percentage) by students. There are three compulsory assignments and four optional. Detailed description of all assignments can be found in section 7 below.

Compulsory requirements:

• class participation (worth 20% of the final grade). It is based not on attendance but on submission of answers and/or on participation during class discussions. That means that each class you earn 0 - 2 points based on your participation during the class, (max 20 points);
• mid-term exam (worth 40% of the final grade) held on March 21, 2023;
• final exam (worth 40% of the final grade) held on May 16, 2023.

Optional assignment that can be used to ‘improve’ the grade:

• a kinship chart project – (worth 10% of the final grade), due March 14;
• a research project (worth 15% of the final grade), due in class on April 25, and presented on the same day, April 25, after the class;
• two critical review essays on the assigned anthropological reading (each worth 5% of the final grade, max. 2 essays).

 

Course Requirements and Assessment (with estimated workloads)

Assignment	Workload (average)	Weight in Final Grade	Evaluated Course Specific Learning Outcomes	Evaluated Institutional Learning Outcomes*
Class participation	2, 5 hours per week	20%	Gaining understanding of various religious beliefs and practices, and anthropological approaches and theories towards them. Ability to discuss and place into proper context these beliefs and practices and understand the links between religion, culture and society.	1,2,3
Mid-term and Final exams	25 hours per each exam	40% each exam	Ability to understand, explain and summarize key anthropological terms, concepts and theories. Ability to identify and summarize key issues.	1,2,3
TOTAL	150	100%

*1 = Critical Thinking; 2 = Effective Communication; 3 = Effective and Responsible Action

OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT	Workload (average)	Weight in Final Grade	Evaluated Course Specific Learning Outcomes	Evaluated Institutional Learning Outcomes*
Kinship chart	10 hours	10%	Ability to use anthropological symbols for kinship charts, and comprehend them. Gain experience in conducting fieldwork.	2, 3
Two critical review essays	6 hours each essay	5% each essay	Ability to analyze the discussed topic and relate it to other reading (i.e. theories, approaches) and/or the world around us.	1,2,3
Research project and its presentation	20 hours	15%	Gaining experience in academic research and working with professional anthropological journals. Ability to identify and summarize key issues.	1,2,3

 

Detailed description of the required and optional assignments

CLASS PARTICIPATION

During each class, students are required to be prepared to answer questions pertaining to reading scheduled to be lectured/discussed in that class and/or be actively engaged in the lecture. The questions are posted on the course web-site together with reading material.

Class participation can be fulfilled in two ways, either students are active during the class discussion – actively answering questions pertaining to the assigned reading or they can submit them in writing on NEO. Online students must submit the questions in writing on NEO. In each class, students can earn max. 2 points, and the maximum points earned in the assignment is 20, while there are 12 lectures where class participation is graded.

Please beware that the submitted answers to the questions must be individual work! Otherwise, such work will be considered as plagiarism (and treated as such) for all parties involved!

If reading of the assigned articles for each week will not be performed satisfactorily by majority of students, either it will become mandatory homework and students will have to hand in the answers to the questions before each class or the instructor will assign a quiz without a prior notice.

Possible quick assessment quizzes will be worth from 5 points to -5 points of the grade.

MID-TERM/FINAL EXAMS

The mid-term exam will be held in class on March 21, 2023 and the final exam will be held in class on May 16, 2023. Mid-term exam will cover material from the first six lectures, while the final exam will comprise of material from the last six lectures.

Each exam will consist of two parts. First part will contain questions requiring short answers, e.g. What is the psychic unity of man? Second part will be composed of questions such as “What is the main argument of ......... article?” – requiring a bit longer answers.

The exams are fairly long, and they really cover most of the material and reading discussed in class so students are advised to keep up with the reading and ask questions during the lectures if they don’t understand anything. The PowerPoint slides are not available on-line.

Each exam is worth 40% (points) of the final grade.

Assessment breakdown

Assessed area	Percentage
First part of the exam – 20 questions, each worth 2 points	50% (i.e. max. 20 pts)
Second part of the exam – 10 questions, each worth 4 points	50% (i.e. max. 20 pts)

 

OPTIONAL KINSHIP CHART PROJECT

Interview members (at least two people) of your family (or family of your friends) and draw a kinship chart tracing family members that your interviewees can remember. Try to put together as complete chart as possible. Include at least three generations in total, and at least 30 people including ‘ego.’ Moreover, include people that are considered part of the family, although they might not be related biologically.

The chart must follow the conventions used by anthropologists and must include an explanation of each symbol. The conventions will be covered during lectures and can be also found in Kottak 2000:347.

A required part of the project is to compile a description about all people who appear on the chart. This description must be typed, on a separate sheet of paper, specifying each person by her/his relationship to ego using the conventional shorthand letters (F, M, S, D, B, Z, H, W, C).

The project is due in class on March 14, 2023 and is worth extra 10% of the final grade.

Assessment breakdown

Assessed area	Percentage
Incorrect assignment of symbols	-1 pt
Missing key to the kinship chart (explanation of the symbols used on the chart)	-1 pt
Generations not appearing on one line	-1 pt
Assigning incorrect letters and numbers to relatives on the typed description	-1 pt
Missing assigned letters and/or numbers to relatives on the typed description	-2 pts
Not describing all relatives appearing on the chart and vice versa	-1 pt
Missing description of people appearing on the chart	-5 pts
Not marking ‘ego’ on the chart	-1
Particularly beautifully drawn chart	+1/+2 pt
Including impressive number of relatives (over 100)	+1/+2 pt

 

OPTIONAL CRITICAL ESSAY ASSIGNMENT

Throughout the second half of the semester the student can hand in maximum two critical essays on specified anthropological articles (below). Each critical essay should be 3-5 pages long, typed, double-spaced and submitted to NEO before the reading is discussed in class (i.e. students need to send their essays before the class during which the article is anticipated to be discussed.) The essay should contain

• brief review of the article content (i.e. what the article is about),
• discussion of the main argument (i.e. what the author is trying to say),
• discussion of its relationship to other reading and/or relationship to the world around us (i.e. how the article fits within the framework of our class).

The aim of the essay is to critically reflect on the reading, and thus although the essay should include review of the content, this should be done in main points, and thus briefly because the main point of the critical essay is to discuss the author’s principal argument and critically reflect on it!

Articles that can be subject of students’ critical essays are following:

Week 8:            Löfgren, Orvar: The Time Keepers. In Culture Builders. Rutgers University Press. 1987:13-41.

Week 11:          Bourgois, Phillippe: Understanding Inner-City Poverty: Resistance and Self-Destruction under U.S. Apartheid. In Exotic No More: Anthropology on the Front Lines. Jeremy MacClancy ed. The University of Chicago Press. 2002:15-32. (this is the optional reading this week)

Week 12:          Bax, Mart: The Madonna of Medjugorje: Religious Rivalry and the Formation of a Devotional Movement in Yugoslavia. In Anthropological Quaterly 63(2):63-75.

Week 13:         Trevor-Roper, Hugh: The Invention of Tradition: The Highland Tradition of Scotland. In The Invention of Tradition. E. Hobsbawm & T. Ranger ed. Cambridge University Press, 1983:15-41.

and/or

Holy, Ladislav: Excerpt from Introduction (Czechs and Slovaks, Czech National Identity), and National Traditions and the Imagining of the Nation. In The Little Czech and the Great Czech Nation. Cambridge University Press. 1996:5-11, 114-137.

Week 14:         Levine, Andrew: Human Rights and Freedom. In The Philosophy of Human Rights, International Perspectives. Alan S. Rosenbaum ed. Greenwood Press. 1980:137-149.

Each critical review essay is worth extra 5% of the final grade.

Assessment breakdown

Assessed area	Percentage
Structure and clarity of the essay	1 pt
Knowledge of the read article	1 pt
Analysis (identifying the key problems/issues, theories)	2 pts
Mechanics: spelling, grammar	1 pt

 

OPTIONAL PROJECT ASSIGNMENT

Students can also design a research project either on the proposed topics (below) or on any another topic. It is mandatory to discuss this optional assignment with me prior its commencement!!

The project is due in a typed form in class on April 25, 2023 and must be presented after the class on April 25, 2023. Students also need to hand in all material used during the project, i.e. the article, the questionnaires, etc.

Students are advised to find an anthropological/sociological article of their interest (either on internet or in scholarly journals) and design a research project that builds on the article (e.g. replicating research described in the article, etc.). The project should be based on (participant) observation, and on interviews and it needs to contain some theory (preferably found in the article, i.e. the projects should combine field-research with library research.) Each student needs to have at least 30 research participants if conducting a research survey, and 10 if conducting participant observation.

• Conduct a research on marriage. Are exogamy and endogamy related to socioeconomic status? What is the perceived role of a husband and a wife? Who makes decisions in the family? How are finances handled? Are different perceptions linked with socioeconomic status?
• Conduct a research in the state home for retirees and Sue Ryder home for retirees. How does care for the elderly affect their lives? How do visits from relatives affect lives of the elderly?
• Conduct a research on gender stratification. What is the perception of sexual harassment (i.e. what constitutes sexual harassment)? How is this related to socioeconomic status, age and gender? What is a role of a Czech man and a Czech woman? What is unacceptable/acceptable behavior for both sexes?
• Conduct a research on pet-keeping. Find out from two local municipalities (one in the centre and one in the outskirts) how many dogs are registered in the particular district (and how many do the officials feel are unregistered). Do people clean after their dogs? What is dirty and what is acceptable? What are pets allowed to do in the house?
• Conduct a research on gift-giving. To whom people give gifts? When do they stop giving gifts? How much should one spend on a gift? Again, how is that related to age, gender and socioeconomic status?
• Conduct a research on “cizinecka policie” and the process of obtaining a visa, work permit, and/or residence permit. How are foreigners treated by clerks at “cizinecka policie”? Is there a difference of treatment based on nationality? How do people try to cope with the harassment at cizinecka policie? Draw a map of the place – is there a connection between the structure of the place and the treatment?

The research project is worth extra 15% (points) of the final grade.

Assessment breakdown

Assessed area	Percentage
Not handing in all the material used during the project (i.e. questionnaires, access to questionnaires, notes, articles etc.)	-5 pts
Not having enough research participants	from -1 pt to -5pts
Missing analysis of the research (identifying the key issues, making conclusions)	-4 pts
Mechanics: serious mistakes in spelling, grammar	-1 pt
Structure and clarity of the presentation	+2 pts
Ability to present (voice clarity and loudness, eye contact with the audience)	+1 pt

 

General Requirements and School Policies

General requirements

All coursework is governed by AAU’s academic rules. Students are expected to be familiar with the academic rules in the Academic Codex and Student Handbook and to maintain the highest standards of honesty and academic integrity in their work.

Electronic communication and submission

The university and instructors shall only use students’ university email address for communication, with additional communication via NEO LMS or Microsoft Teams.

Students sending e-mail to an instructor shall clearly state the course code and the topic in the subject heading, for example, “COM101-1 Mid-term Exam. Question”.

All electronic submissions are through NEO LMS. No substantial pieces of writing (especially take-home exams and essays) can be submitted outside of NEO LMS.

Attendance

Attendance, i.e., presence in class in real-time, at AAU courses is default mandatory; however, it is not graded as such. (Grades may be impacted by missed assignments or lack of participation.) Still, students must attend at least two thirds of classes to complete the course. If they do not meet this condition and most of their absences are excused, they will be administratively withdrawn from the course. If they do not meet this condition and most of their absences are not excused, they will receive a grade of “FW” (Failure to Withdraw). Students may also be marked absent if they miss a significant part of a class (for example by arriving late or leaving early).

Absence excuse and make-up options

Should a student be absent from classes for relevant reasons (illness, serious family matters), and the student wishes to request that the absence be excused, the student should submit an Absence Excuse Request Form supplemented with documents providing reasons for the absence to the Dean of Students within one week of the absence. If possible, it is recommended the instructor be informed of the absence in advance. Should a student be absent during the add/drop period due to a change in registration this will be an excused absence if s/he submits an Absence Excuse Request Form along with the finalized add/drop form.

Students whose absence has been excused by the Dean of Students are entitled to make up assignments and exams provided their nature allows. Assignments missed due to unexcused absences which cannot be made up, may result in a decreased or failing grade as specified in the syllabus.

 Students are responsible for contacting their instructor within one week of the date the absence was excused to arrange for make-up options.

Late work: No late submissions will be accepted – please follow the deadlines.

Electronic devices

Electronic devices (e.g. phones, tablets, laptops) may be used only for class-related activities (taking notes, looking up related information, etc.). Any other use will result in the student being marked absent and/or being expelled from the class. No electronic devices may be used during tests or exams unless required by the exam format and the instructor.

Eating is not allowed during classes.

Cheating and disruptive behavior

If a student engages in disruptive conduct unsuitable for a classroom environment, the instructor may require the student to withdraw from the room for the duration of the class and shall report the behavior to the student’s Dean.

Students engaging in behavior which is suggestive of cheating will, at a minimum, be warned. In the case of continued misconduct, the student will fail the exam or assignment and be expelled from the exam or class.

Plagiarism and Academic Tutoring Center

Plagiarism is “the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one’s own original work.” (Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd Edition, Random House, New York, 1993). Hence, plagiarism is not allowed and will result in failing the entire course!

Turnitin’s White Paper ‘The Plagiarism Spectrum’ (available at http://go.turnitin.com/paper/plagiarism-spectrum) identifies 10 types of plagiarism ordered from most to least severe:

1. CLONE: An act of submitting another’s work, word-for-word, as one’s own.
2. CTRL-C: A written piece that contains significant portions of text from a single source without alterations.
3. FIND–REPLACE: The act of changing key words and phrases but retaining the essential content of the source in a paper.
4. REMIX: An act of paraphrasing from other sources and making the content fit together seamlessly.
5. RECYCLE: The act of borrowing generously from one’s own previous work without citation; To self-plagiarize.
6. HYBRID: The act of combining perfectly cited sources with copied passages—without citation—in one paper.
7. MASHUP: A paper that represents a mix of copied material from several different sources without proper citation.
8. 404 ERROR: A written piece that includes citations to non-existent or inaccurate information about sources
9. AGGREGATOR: The “Aggregator” includes proper citation, but the paper contains almost no original work.
10. RE-TWEET: This paper includes proper citation, but relies too closely on the text’s original wording and/or structure.

 

At minimum, plagiarism from types 1 through 8 will result in failing the entire course and shall be reported to the Dean. The Dean may initiate a disciplinary procedure pursuant to the Academic Codex. Allegations of bought papers and intentional or consistent plagiarism always entail disciplinary hearing and may result in expulsion from AAU.

If unsure about technical aspects of writing, and to improve their academic writing, students are encouraged to consult with the tutors of the AAU Academic Tutoring Center. For more information and/or to book a tutor, please contact the ATC at: http://atc.simplybook.me/sheduler/manage/event/1/.

Course accessibility and inclusion

Students with disabilities should contact the Dean of Students to discuss reasonable accommodations. Academic accommodations are not retroactive.

Students who will be absent from course activities due to religious holidays may seek reasonable accommodations by contacting the Dean of Students in writing within the first two weeks of the term. All requests must include specific dates for which the student requests accommodations.

Grading Scale

Letter Grade	Percentage*	Description
A	95–100	Excellent performance. The student has shown originality and displayed an exceptional grasp of the material and a deep analytical understanding of the subject.
A–	90–94
B+	87–89	Good performance. The student has mastered the material, understands the subject well and has shown some originality of thought and/or considerable effort.
B	83–86
B–	80–82
C+	77–79	Fair performance. The student has acquired an acceptable understanding of the material and essential subject matter of the course, but has not succeeded in translating this understanding into consistently creative or original work.
C	73–76
C–	70–72
D+	65–69	Poor. The student has shown some understanding of the material and subject matter covered during the course. The student’s work, however, has not shown enough effort or understanding to allow for a passing grade in School Required Courses. It does qualify as a passing mark for the General College Courses and Electives.
D	60–64
F	0–59	Fail. The student has not succeeded in mastering the subject matter covered in the course.

* Decimals should be rounded to the nearest whole number.

 

Prepared by: Markéta Šebelová

Date: February 2, 2023

 

Approved by:

Date: