Introduction to Social/Cultural Anthropology

ANTHRO2A Fall 2026

Last updated: 10-25-2026

This is a page for Introduction to Social/Cultural Anthropology (ANTH2A) with Valerie Olson. If you are looking for Egan’s Intro class, you are in the wrong place! I am one of four TAs that are here to ensure that you succeed in this course. Here you will find information and materials for my teaching section.

My email: ecgu [at] uci [dot] edu
Teaching sections: Wednesday 1-2 and 2-3 PM, ALP 1120
Office hours: Appointment by email
A Somoan canoe (va'a) in Newport Bay. In the 1960s at the height of American counterculture, UC Irvine had an experimental program called the Social Sciences Farm which involved inviting people from around the world to demonstrate and teach their crafts. This canoe is still displayed in the Social Science Tower today. What do you think were the goals and ideas from that moment in history for doing this? What were its promises and limitations?

Teaching Section

My teaching section are on Wednesdays. Unlike Egan’s course, teaching sections are mandatory, and I will take attendance each week. Each week we will also have graded assignments designed to help you understand the course concepts and prepare for the exams, which make up the bulk of your grade. Attending lecture and teaching sections are thus essential for your success in this course.

Office Hours

If you would like to speak one-on-one with me, I will have office hours that by default will be held near the end of the teaching section at ALP 1120. If that time doesn’t work for you, then we can work something else out. In either case, please email me at least three days ahead of time so I can plan accordingly.

Office hours are a space where you can ask me for any academic or professional advice: not just questions about the course, but also advice on resumes, applying to grad school, finding resources for disability assistance on campus, concerns about student or faculty conduct, and more. Please don’t hesitate to reach out!

On Exams

The exams for this course will be done digitally on your laptop/tablet in class. You should have LockDown prepared beforehand. If you cannot figure out how to have it ready, email me at least a week before the exam and we will figure it out together.

The Textbook

The textbook, Perspectives (Second Edition), is free and open-source online. You do not need to pay anything for it. If you have trouble downloading it, email me and let me know!

Weeks

Week 1
  • We will do introductions. Your assignment this week will simply be to introduce yourself in the section!
  • Slides from today can be found here.
Week 2
  • This week we talked about symbols, language, and kinship. Slides from today can be found here.
  • Check Canvas for this week’s assignment where you will submit a “healing” recipe.
  • We will discuss these recipes next week and use them for future assignments.
Week 3
  • This week we reviewed practice midterm questions. Slides from today can be found here.
  • Check Canvas for this week’s assignment where you will analyze your own recipe and another person’s recipe.
  • We will have a mock quiz next week and play Jeopardy in class.
Week 4
  • This week we reviewed the midterm through a game of Jeopardy. Congratulations to uhhh I forgot the team names whoops, anyways the slides from today are here!
  • Good luck next week! Remember to show up with a charged computer with lockdown browser ready to go!