Social Evolution: Anthropology 204 Spring 2012 Amy S. Jacobson Ph.D. Monday/Wednesday 2:15-3:35 Room 138 Hickman Hall, Douglass Campus Office Hours: Wednesday 12:00 1:45 Office Location: Room 208E Biological Sciences Bldg. Douglass Contact Info: asjnorma@rci.rutgers.edu Course Description: The goal of this course is to provide a working knowledge of basic concepts in evolutionary theory and the examination of the biological basis of human behavior from an evolutionary perspective. Students should come away from this course with new knowledge and broadened perspectives about the world, how it works and their role in it. Required Texts: The required text for this course is a book by John Cartwright that provides an overview of key theoretical principles of Human Sociobiology and Evolutionary Psychology. The book is available for purchase at the Rutgers Co-Op. Cartwright, J. (2008) Evolution and Human Behavior 2 nd Ed. MIT Press. During the course of the semester, additional reading may be assigned. These will be made available as PDF s in the Resources section of the Sakai website for this course. Course Requirements: Your final Grade will be determined as follows: Midterm Exam 40% Final Exam 45% Short Essay 10% Participation 5%
Exams: The midterm and final exams will be comprised of a mixture of objective questions (Multiple Choice, Matching, etc.). Review sheets will be handed out one week before the exam and if time permits, we will review at the end of the class period preceding the exam. The midterm will cover the material discussed in class as well as the reading assignments assigned up until that point. Review sessions will be held on Sakai Chat. While the final exam will not be cumulative in general, the nature of the material presented in this class is structured so that there is a continuous building of knowledge and information learned in the first half of the course that is essential to the interpretation and understanding of the material presented in the second half. So, while you may not be tested on specific details from information presented during the first half of the semester, it will be expected that you would have retained basic information regarding the principles of evolutionary theory and be able to apply them. Short Essay: This assignment will be DUE WEDNESDAY APRIL 25. What I am looking for is simple. I want you to chose one of the topics from this course that you found intriguing and/or interesting. Perhaps you had an Aha moment in class when you suddenly made a connection between something that you learned and situations in your own life, current events or even global issues (i.e. The Red Queen Effect and Capitalism). I am looking for a very informal 1-2 page statement of your chosen concept, why you chose it, and how it helps you better understand human behavior. Participation: Although this is only a 200 level course, the subject material is extremely diverse, often cutting-edge, thought provoking and even controversial. Participation in discussions on the Sakai site, as well as a constant presence in lecture will be assessed for this portion of your grade. I will be posting various articles of interest and will be initiating discussions relevant to current lectures. I invite you to do so as well. If there is a topic we touch on that interests you and you would like to post something that you have researched outside of class (i.e. a link to a video or news article) feel free to do so. Attendance: It is extremely important that you attend lectures since the information, conceptual ideologies and specific examples presented in class will be discussed and interpreted. You will be responsible for this information on the midterm and final exams. Not all of the material covered in class will come directly from the text.
Course Outline and Reading Schedule: Date Topic Assigned Reading JANUARY Wednesday 18 Historical Introduction Chapter 1 Charles Darwin Ethology and Comparative Psychology Monday 23 Theories of Human Behavior Chapter 1 Culture Sociobiology Wednesday 25 Beyond Darwin Chapter 2 Mechanisms of Darwinian Evolution Problem of Altruism Monday 30 Adaptation and Fitness Chapter 2 FEBRUARY Wednesday 1 Genetics of Evolution Chapter 3 Basic Principles the unit of Natural Selection Monday 6 Kin Selection & Altruism Chapter 3 Kin Recognition Wednesday 8 Reciprocal Altruism Pages 198-210 in Animals and Humans Evolution of Cooperation Monday 13 Mating Behavior Chapter 4 Why Sex? Systems and Strategies Wednesday 15 Sexual Selection Chapter 3 Intrasexual vs Intersexual Selection Parental Investment Monday 20 Sexual Selection (Cont.) Chapter 3 Sperm Competition Human Life History
Wednesday 22 Evolution of Homo sapiens Chapter 5 The Primate Connection When, Where and How? Monday 27 Encephalization Chapter 6 Brain Size primate intelligence Wednesday 29 Evolution of the Human Mind Chapter 6 brain lateralization origins of Language MARCH Monday 5 MIDTERM EXAM Wednesday 7 Cooperation & Conflict Chapter 9 paternity certainty kinship, solicitude & inheritance MONDAY 12/WEDNESDAY 14 NO CLASS SPRING BREAK Monday 19 Human Conflict Chapter 10 Parent-Offspring Conflict Maternal-Fetal Conflict Wednesday 21 Human Conflict (Cont.) Chapter 10 Homicide/Infanticide Sexual Jealousy Monday 26 Human Sexual Behavior Chapter 11 Mating Systems Sex and History Wednesday 28 Science of Sex Appeal Video Film Guide APRIL Monday 2 Deceit and Self Deception Guest Lecture by Robert Trivers Wednesday 4 Human Mate Choice Chapter 12 How do we study it? Evolution and Sexual Desire
Monday 9 Measures of Attractiveness Chapter 12 Fluctuating Asymmetry Waist-Hip Ratio 2D:4D Ratio Wednesday 11 Homosexuality in nature genetic and biological evidence Monday 16 The Disordered Mind Chapter 14, 15 evolution and mental illness Wednesday 18 The Evolution of Culture Chapter 16 genes and memes Monday 23 Ethics Chapter 17 morality religion *Wednesday 25 Use & Abuse of Evolutionary Theory Epilogue Eugenics Social Darwinism *** SHORT ESSAY DUE- NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED**** Monday 30 FINAL EXAM Catch Up Final Exam Review TUESDAY MAY 8th 12:00 3:00pm