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1. MOOC Overview:
This kind of MOOC is about becoming human: Anthropology. It is running by Prof.
Greg Downey, he studies athletes, including cage fighters, capoeira practitioners and
rugby players, to understand how our bodies and brains adapt as we learn skills. He
is the author of a number of books and articles, and has been voted among
Australia’s best lecturers by students. The duration of this course start on the
03/08/2015 and ends on the 09/08/2015 and the topic is about gain an introductory
understanding of evolution, including how we evolved from primates and became
human.
2. MOOCsource
https://www.open2study.com/courses/becoming-human-anthropology
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3. Reasonsforselecting this MOOC:
To learn more about the evolution of people and also to understand the full sweep
and complexity of cultures across all of human history, anthropology draws and
builds upon knowledge from the social and biological sciences as well as the
humanities and physical sciences. Thus to learn more about the past, through
archaeology, to see how human groups lived hundreds or thousands of years ago
and what was important to them. And also learn how to compare humans with other
animals to see what we have in common with them and what makes us unique. Even
though nearly all humans need the same things to survive, like food, water, and
companionship, the ways people meet these needs can be very different. For
example, everyone needs to eat, but people eat different foods and get food in
different ways. It is related to a personal interest we are living in a period of
unprecedented social and cultural change around the globe, and the rate of change
is accelerating as a result of our rapid population growth and technological invention,
especially in transportation and communication. All of the completely isolated
societies of the past have long since been drawn into the global economy and
heavily influenced by the dominant cultures of the large nations.
4. Expectations
To gain more about Sociocultural anthropologists examine social patterns and
practices across cultures, with a special interest in how people live in particular
places and how they organize, govern, and create meaning.to know about a
hallmark of sociocultural anthropology is its concern with similarities and differences,
both within and among societies, and its attention to race, sexuality, class, gender,
and nationality. Research in sociocultural anthropology is distinguished by its
emphasis on participant observation, which involves placing oneself in the research
context for extended periods of time to gain a first-hand sense of how local
knowledge is put to work in grappling with practical problems of everyday life and
with basic philosophical problems of knowledge, truth, power, and justice. Topics of
concern to sociocultural anthropologists include such areas as health, work, ecology
and environment, education, agriculture and development, and social change like to
work in grappling with practical problems of everyday life and with basic
philosophical problems of knowledge, truth, power, and justice.
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5. Introductionto MOOCcommunity
My name is Sthembile Promise Khoza.I am B.ED student at the University of
Johannesburg. My Major subjects are isiZulu and Physical education. I was born in
kwaZulu Natal in Ladysmith hospital. I am a person who is positive about every
aspect of life and I am friendly and also like to spend time with my friends talking
about challenges we face in the world and also about the future. I like to play with
kids as I believe in building healthy body on the healthy mind. I have strong feeling
for teaching and I look forward to help young children to become successful in life.
