Probably wouldn't take this class again. I would only recommend if you enjoy philosophy. The lectures are pretty intense, minimal information on the slides except for definitions of words and the slides are not posted. He is a pretty monotonous, boring speaker and goes on MANY tangents so you have to stay on your toes to make sure you're getting what's relevant. Readings are mandatory but minimally relevant. Textbooks are sometimes referenced in class but articles and other readings were rarely, if ever talked about. Section participation is 20% with weekly discussion questions submitted on the readings which are then discussed in section. Throop is pretty egotistical and loves to talk about his personal experiences in his 2 year field study in micronesia, although this class is supposed to introduce us to cultures and societies around the world, i now consider myself an expert in the culture of Yap, an island in micronesia. A solid portion of his lectures is him trauma dumping his past experiences or reliving his glory days. He had two writing assignments for this class, both were intensely vague in the prompt and left everyone slightly confused. at the very least, his exams are relatively easy! they pull a lot from the few slides he creates and from the readings. lots of "what was the authors position/main message/background in their piece ..." and simple definition questions, very little application of concepts. if you take notes and fill out the study guide you should be fine.