| Anthropology |
ANTH 411 - Introductory Anthropology: Global Perspectives on the Human Condition
Credits:
4.00
By providing a global perspective on the human experience,
this course helps us think about the issues that confront
students as citizens of the world. Gleaning lessons from
cultures past and present this course examines what it means
to be human. Whether humans are violent or peace-loving,
egalitarian or hierarchical, is linked to specific ways of
life, rather than reflecting a fixed human nature. The
course examines the economic, political, and social forces
that shape human behavior and the global forces that people
around the world currently confront. From an anthropologcial
perspective it addresses pressing social issues such as
sustainable development, hunger and poverty, population
growth, religion and changing world views, racism,
urbanization, comodification, and movements for social
co modification, and movements for social justice.
ANTH 411H - Honors/Introductory Anthropology: Global Perspectives on the Human Condition
Credits:
4.00
See description for ANTH 411. Writing intensive.
ANTH 411W - Introductory Anthropology: Global Perspectives on the Human Condition
Credits:
4.00
See description for ANTH 411. Writing intensive.
Lecture:
4.00
ANTH 412 - Physical Anthropology and Prehistoric Archaeology
Credits:
4.00
Human physical evolution and cultural prehistory;
evolutionary theory and archaeological techniques.
ANTH 450 - Introduction to Race, Culture, and Power
Credits:
4.00
Race, culture, and power intersect at a social space where
those in that space experience differing opportunities and
access to social and economic privileges, resources, and
power. This course explains the way race functions today as
a social and cultural category to justify systematic
inequality and differences in power and to obscure the
functioning of the global economy. The course draws on
emerging literature on Blackness, Whiteness, and Minorities
and on analyses of the differential implementation of social
welfare policies in the United States. (Also listed as
INCO 450.)
ANTH 500 - Peoples and Cultures of the World
Credits:
4.00
A) North America; B) South America; C) Middle East and North
Africa; D) Sub-Saharan Africa; E) South Asia; F) Southeast
Asia; G) Oceania; I) Caribbean; Z) Other. Characteristic
ecological, historical, and sociocultural factors in the
major ethnographic regions of the globe. Analysis of
selected societies and institutions. Offered in the
following sections as staff is available and student needs
dictate. North America: Study of the economy, society,
religion, art, and ideas of North American Indians from
precolonial times to the present. South America: A survey of
the indigenous cultures and selected studies of the
relationship between environment and culture. Changes in
culture and social organizations since the 16th century
will be considered where historical data permit. Middle East
and North Africa: The role of ecological, social, cultural,
and historical factors in shaping Middle Eastern and
North African culture today. Special attention will be paid
to family, values, and religion; to nomadic, village, and
urban ways of life; and to issues of unity, diversity,
colonialism, and culture change. Sub-Saharan Africa: Study
of Sub-Saharan economy, society, and culture from
precolonial times to the present. South Asia: Emphasis on
India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Traditional and changing South
Asian cultures, including caste, family, economy, and
religious traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism.
Southeast Asia: Geographical, historical, ethnic, and
sociocultural factors characteristic of the region. Impact
of Indian, Chinese, Islamic, and European civilizations.
Analysis of selected indigenous social, political, economic,
and religious institutions. Oceania: Study of the economy,
society, religion, art, and ideology of Pacific Island
cultures from precolonial times to the present. Caribbean:
The history and contemporary situation of diverse cultures
of the Caribbean are examined using ethnography, music, and
film. The mixture of cultural roots from Africa, Europe, and
Asia are investigated and the dynamic and fluid nature of
these cultures is stressed. Race as an experience of
oppression and resistance is discussed.
ANTH 500W - Peoples and Cultures of the World
Credits:
4.00
See description for ANTH 500W. Writing intensive.
ANTH 501 - World Prehistory
Credits:
4.00
A) North America; B) Mesoamerica; C) South America;
D) Near East; E) Other. The development of prehistoric
culture in various areas of the world. Offered in the
following sections as staff is available and student needs
dictate. North America: Archaeology of the Indians north of
Mexico from earliest evidence of settlement to European
contact. Diversity of cultures from ecological and
evolutionary perspectives. Emphasis on the Eastern
Woodlands, the Plains, and the Southwest. Mesoamerica:
Cultural development from earliest cultures through the
Spanish conquest. Emphasis on origins of agriculture and
rise of Olmec, Teotihuacan, Mayan, Toltec, and Aztec
civilizations. Stress on factors critical to the development
of complex societies. South America: Cultural development
from earliest migrations through Inca Empire. Focus on
major regions of South America. Consideration of
Intermediate Area, Amazon Basin, and Central Andes as core
regions for foundations of civilization. Near East: From
earliest cultures to the development of agriculture and
settled village life. Examines the processes that gave rise
to the world's first civilizations.
ANTH 511 - Core Concepts in Anthropology
Credits:
4.00
This course introduces students to the core concepts and
paradigms of contemporary anthropology. Students will learn
how anthropology approaches the study of family. kinship,
community, gender, economic relationships, political systems
religion, social change and globalization. Ethnographic
material from a variety of cultures will illustrate the
concepts of social structure and the cultural construction
of categories such as race and ethnicity. Foundation course
required of anthropology majors in first year of declaring
their major. Writing intensive.
ANTH #512 - Introduction to World Ethnography
Credits:
4.00
Primarily for major and minors, but open to all students.
Historical and geographic factors, types of social and
economic organization, and problems involved in the
comparative study of human societies and institutions.
Analysis of selected peoples in the major ethnographic
areas.
ANTH #514 - Method and Theory in Archaeology
Credits:
4.00
Basic method and theory; techniques in recovering and
interpreting data; laboratory exercises in ceramic and
lithic analysis. Critical evaluation of archaeological
literature. Prereq: ANTH 412 or permission.
ANTH #515 - Anthropology and Contemporary Issues
Credits:
4.00
Anthropological approaches to current world issues such as
racism, poverty, religious movements, revolution, and
environmental stress. Selected topics examined in the
context of both western and nonwestern societies.
ANTH 516 - Kinship and Social Organization
Credits:
4.00
The significance of kin and non-kin relations in human
societies. Topics include the origins and evolution of
human society, variations in the form and functions of
marriage, family, and kin-based groups and selected non-kin
relationships. Primary focus will be on non-industrial
societies. Prereq: ANTH 411 or permission.
ANTH 517 - Critical Reading and Writing in Anthropology
Credits:
4.00
Basic skills of reading, writing, and analysis essential to
the study of anthropology. Focus on learning to recognize,
compare, and evaluate critically the central arguments of
several major books drawn from different subfields and
orientations in anthropology. Small class size for extensive
discussion and feedback. Prereq: ANTH 411 or 412;/or
permission. Writing intensive.
ANTH 520 - Anthropology of Migration
Credits:
4.00
The question of immigration, an issue of great concern
throughout the world, is addressed along with the movement
of people as a historical, economic, and cultural process.
Life experiences of people in motion are examined. Using
case studies, past and present migrations are compared. The
racial, ethnic, and national identities of migrants are
explored. Distinctions between immigrants, refugees,
sojourners, internal and international migration, and
legal and undocumented migrants, as well as the history and
current status of attacks on immigrants are critiqued.
While most of the course material is drawn from the U.S.
experience, the perspective on migration is global.
ANTH 597 - Special Topics
Credits:
4.00
Occasional and experimental offerings on an entry level.
May be repeated for different topics. No prerequisite.
ANTH 601 - Topics in Popular Culture
Credits:
4.00
This course explores the anthropology of popular culture
using film, novels, and other media as well as widely
disseminated texts. The course focuses on myths about
culture and human behavior which become part of the
global cultural mainstream. It counterposes popular
stereotypes with data from cultural anthropology and
archaeology. A) Native Americans and Popular Culture
B) Archaeology and Popular Culture C) Popular Culture and
Physical Anthropology D) Poverty and Popular Culture E)
Gender and Popular Culture F) Other. May be repeated but
not in duplicate areas.
ANTH 610 - Medical Anthropology: Illness and Healing
Credits:
4.00
How we as humans define sickness and health, our theories
of who or what made us ill, our approach to biological
processes from birth to death and our search for cures have
varied through history and from culture to culture. This
course provides and overview of illness and healing beliefs
and practices in different cultures both around the world
and in the United States. The course examines the practices
and belief systems of healers, voodoo priestesses, midwives,
Taoist priests, psychiatrists and medical doctors through
the same analytical lens.
ANTH 614 - Economy, Culture, and Society
Credits:
4.00
This course explores the different ways that humans have
earned their livelihood, from foraging and agriculture to
industrial capitalism. Emphasis is placed on the social and
cultural correlates of different economic strategies, with
particular attention to the consequences of the spread of
capitalism. Consideration is given to issues of equality,
gender, sustainability, and the utility and limits of a
"globalization" perspective. Prereq: ANTH 411 and
ANTH 511, or permission. Writing intensive.
ANTH 616 - Religion, Culture, and Society
Credits:
4.00
Major anthropological theories of religion; analysis of
religious beliefs as symbolic systems and their
interrelations with ritual and other social institutions.
Detailed study of specific religions. Writing intensive.
ANTH #618 - Political Anthropology
Credits:
4.00
Political processes and structures in nonindustrial
societies. Major topics: centralization of power and
authority, legal systems, and warfare. Prereq: ANTH 411
or permission.
ANTH 625 - Female, Male, and Society
Credits:
4.00
Critical, cross-cultural study of sex-related behavior in
historical as well as contemporary perspective. Draws on
anthropological, social-psychological, and sociological
literature. (Also offered as SOC 625.)
ANTH 626 - Women in the Middle East
Credits:
4.00
This course explores the diversity of women's lives in the
Middle East and North Africa. Among the themes addressed
are: national, regional, class and ethnic variations; the
effects of differing ecological adaptations (rural, urban,
and nomad) on gender roles; the underlying cultural and
religious values that affect gender relations in this part
of the world, and the social, ecological, economic, and
political factors which shape how those values are enacted
in every day life. Also examines women's active
participation in contemporary movements such as
feminism, nationalism, and Islamic fundamentalism, as
well as their roles in periods of national, radical, or
revolutionary ferment.
ANTH 627 - Urbanization in Africa
Credits:
4.00
Explores the process of urbanization and describes the
creation of urban culture in sub-Saharan Africa by
investigating the effects of urbanization on socio-economic
and cultural conditions. An attempt is made throughout the
course to study urbanization and urban life within the
context of broader societal, economic, cultural, and
political relations in order to understand the dynamics
inherent in these processes. Urbanization is discussed in
the context of colonialism, post-colonialism, and other
social relations of dependency that continue to shape
urban life and urban-rural relations.
ANTH 650 - Field School in Archaeology
Credits:
4.00 to 8.00
Field and laboratory methods in archaeology. Emphasis
on excavation techniques and data analysis as related to
project research design. Includes practical experience in
lab as well as field. Prereq: permission. Special fee.
ANTH 680 - Globalization, Development, and Poverty
Credits:
4.00
This course considers the phenomenon of globalization, a
term that has come into use since the 1980s to describe the
ever-intensifying networks of cross-border human interaction
which increasingly tie the world together. Tracing the
relationship between the increasing interconnectedness of
the world, the processes of economic development and change,
and world poverty, the course demonstrates that the
consequences of globalization are neither the same nor
positive in every country. Through the use of case studies
of different development processes, students gain an
understanding of why and how globalization is creating
differential effects in different parts of the world. This
course is the first course of a suggested two course
sequence, ANTH 680 and ANTH 780.
ANTH 690 - Ethnographic Field Research
Credits:
4.00
Explores history, theory, and practice of ethnographic
research. Students read and practice such techniques as
mapping, taking life histories, compiling genealogies, and
analyzing use of space, language, and rituals. Each student
also carries out, writes up, and presents an independent
research project. Prereq: ANTH 411 or SOC 400; one 500-level
or higher anthropology or sociology course; or permission.
No credit for students who have completed ANTH 630. Writing
intensive.
ANTH 697 - Special Topics
Credits:
4.00
Occasional or experimental offerings. May be repeated for
different topics. Prereq: ANTH 411 or permission. Writing
intensive.
ANTH 698 - Folklore and Folklife
Credits:
4.00
Examines the materials and methods used to study folklore
and folklife, emphasizing the historical context and
development of folklore studies in North America and
Europe, field research, performance theory, and other
topics. (Also offered as ENGL 732.)
ANTH 699 - Senior Thesis
Credits:
4.00 or 8.00
Independent work in the library or field; recommended for,
but not confined to, majors intending to pursue graduate
studies; required for honors candidates. Contact staff to
obtain approval and arrange supervision prior to senior
year. 4 or 8 credit 2 semesters, 8 credits required for
honors; an IA grade (continuous course) given at end of
first semester.
ANTH 700 - Internship
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Provides student with supervised practical experience in
anthropology in one of the following areas: A) professional
or community support work within an academic or applied
anthropology setting; B) teaching; C) museum work;
D) archaeological laboratory or fieldwork; E) research on a
faculty research project; F) editorial work on a journal or
faculty book project. May be repeated up to 8 credits.
Prereq: permission.
ANTH 701 - History of Anthropological Theory
Credits:
4.00
Reading and discussion of the works of major theoreticians
of American, British, and French schools. Selections from
the works of Spencer, Morgan, Tylor, Boas, Kroeber, Lowie,
Steward, White, Durkheim, Mauss, Levi-Strauss, Malinowski,
Radcliffe-Brown, Evan-Pritchard, and others are treated in
terms of their contributions to the historical development
of anthropology and their relevance to contemporary debates
in anthropological theory. Prereq: ANTH 511.
ANTH 702 - Issues in Contemporary Anthropological Theory
Credits:
4.00
Explores such recent directions in the discipline as
cognitive/symbolic anthropology, cultural materialism,
evolutionary theory, gender studies, interpretive
anthropology, political economy, practice theory, and
structuralism. Prereq: ANTH 701 or permission.
ANTH 710 - Youth, Culture, and Society in Comparative Perspective
Credits:
4.00
This course examines lifestyles, social identities, and
subcultures of youth in a variety of sociocultural and
historical settings. Students will develop an understanding
of the conditions that foster the formation of social
identity and the emergence of age-based subcultures. The
course explores the relationship between individual and
social identity, and between youth subcultures and dominant
cultural systems. (Also listed as EDUC 710.)
ANTH 714 - Caste, Class, and Colonialism
Credits:
4.00
Peasants, urban communities, race and ethnicity,
stratification, local-national integration, the effects
of colonialism, modernization, and social change. Prereq:
ANTH 411 or permission.
ANTH 715 - Global Warring
Credits:
4.00
Global Warring examines warfare in societies with and
without the state. It explores different theoretical
perspectives concerning war, rejecting biological approaches
in favor of the one that stresses logics of power. This
latter position suggests that human societies have their
cultural, economic, and political institutions; that these
when inter-connected are structures of power called
complexes; and that the 'logics' of complexes -how they
act - explain war. Specifically, it is argued that a
'military-capitalist' complex evolved during the making of
the modern state, one of whose logics led to global warring
in the interests of powerful capitalist actors and their
allies in political and cultural institutions. Prereq:
ANTH 411 or 511, and at least two other courses in social
sciences or history or by permission of professor.
ANTH 720 - Roots and Routes: Migration and Globalization
Credits:
4.00
Today it seems as if the world is on the move. Migrations
are changing the nature of national identities, cultures,
and concepts of citizenship. Many migrants live their lives
across borders, keeping their homeland identities while
becoming significant actors in their new lands. At the same
time, people who are the descendants of immigrants are
exploring their family genealogies and discovering their
roots. In this course we ask why migration is a global
phenomena, who is moving, and why. The course compares the
new migrations and life experiences of migrants to the
migration of the previous few centuries as a way of
highlighting the nature of contemporary migration and
globalization. We link migration to disparities of wealth
and power within and between states. Prereq: sophomore
level, ANTH 411 or an introductory level course in social
science or history.
ANTH #750 - Middle East: Issues of Ethnicity, Work, and Identity
Credits:
4.00
Community studies approach to such topics as ethnicity
and identity in the interrelationship of language, religion,
and corporate membership in a community; ethnic division of
labor; work; pluralism, and family networks; mobility and
immobility; estates vs. classes. (Also offered as SOC 750.)
ANTH 760 - Race in Global Perspectives
Credits:
4.00
The concept of race developed to justify European
Colonialism. Race, because it is a relationship of power,
has emerged as a form of transnational identification which
unites people in common struggle for social justice. Using
history, ethnography, novels, and films, this advanced
seminar looks at the development and deployment of concepts
of race in different situations of inequality around the
world. Possible topics include the black Atlantic,
Pan-Africanism, First People identity, whiteness,
orientalism, mestisaje, and anthropological treatments of
Jewish identity. Prereq: INCO 450 or ANTH 450; introduction
to race, culture, and power.
ANTH 780 - Anthropology of Globalization
Credits:
4.00
The central question of the Anthropology of Globalization is
the following: "What is happening to the life ways of people
and identities around the world as a result of contemporary
globalization and why?". To answer this question we begin
the course by exploring the global processes behind images
of untouched cultures presented through tourism. We explore
contemporary commodification of culture. This course
develops a definition of globalization by examining the
relationship between contemporary and past periods and
processes of globalization, reviewing the ways in which
cultures and identities were constructed through processes
of globalization. We include in our exploration changing
values, social relationships, racial, ethnic, and national
identities, gender constructions, and the nature of social
protest. Juniors and Seniors only. (Students are encouraged
to first complete ANTH 680 "Globalization, Development, and
Poverty.) Writing intensive.
ANTH 795 - Reading and Research
Credits:
1.00 to 8.00
A) Cultural/Social Anthropology; B) Anthropological
Linguistics; C) Archaeology; D) Physical Anthropology.
Prereq: 12 credits of anthropology; permission.
ANTH 795A - Reading and Research in Cultural and Social Anthropology
Credits:
2.00 to 8.00
ANTH 795C - Reading and Research in Archaeology
Credits:
1.00 to 8.00
ANTH 796 - Reading and Research
Credits:
1.00 to 8.00
A) Cultural/Social Anthropology; B) Anthropological
Linguistics; C) Archaeology; D) Physical Anthropology.
Prereq: 12 credits of anthropology; permission.
ANTH 796C - Reading and Research in Archaeology
Credits:
2.00 to 8.00
ANTH 797 - Advanced Topics
Credits:
4.00
Advanced or specialized courses presenting material not
normally covered in regular course offerings. May be
repeated, but not in duplicate areas. Course descriptions
on file in the department office during registration.
A) Social Organization; B) Economic Anthropology;
C) Anthropology of Religion; D) Political Anthropology;
E) Social Impact Analysis; F) Cultural Ecology;
G) Prehistoric Archaeology; H) Historic Archaeology;
I) Cultural Resources Conservation; J) Lithic Analysis;
K) Ceramic Analysis; L) Faunal Analysis; M) Human
Evolution; N) Human Variations; O) Anthropological Theory.
Prereq: ANTH 411 or 412 (as appropriate)/ or permission.