Anthropology[110-260]

Note: Statistics and demography can be taken in other departments at the University or from other universities with the approval of the anthropology coordinator.

ANTH 110. Introduction to Cultural Anthropology. 3 crs. Provides a background for understanding human nature and an appreciation for cultural diversity. Focuses on the basic concepts of culture and surveys the science and practice of anthropology in relation to contemporary global issues.

ANTH 120. Introduction to Biological Anthropology. 3 crs. Focuses on the nature and scope of biological anthropology, human evolution, genetics, “race”, health, and changing relationships between the environment, culture, and human biology.

ANTH 130. Introduction to Archaeology. 3 crs. Survey course designed to provide an evolutionary perspective on contemporary global cultural patterns showing how transformations, though occurring in the deep past, constitute profound forces in modern global society and in everyday life.

ANTH 140. Introduction to Linguistics. 3 crs. Explores the nature of language, its morphological, phonological, and syntactic structure, and the role of the linguist in the study of language.

ANTH 141. Language and Culture. 3 crs. Focuses on the ethnographic study of language and the interrelationship between language and culture. Language variation is examined in the light of such features as social class, ethnicity, gender, standard and non-standard language, pidgins, and creoles.

Theory. 6 crs. (To be taken in sequence as presented below). Prerequisite: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, Archaeology, Linguistics, or by permission of instructor.   

ANTH 214. Anthropological Theory. 3 crs. Surveys anthropological theories from a historical perspective. Considers current theoretical issues, debates, and the relationship between theory and practice.

ANTH 220. Biology and Culture. 3 crs. The course involves a critical evaluation of historical and current anthropological theories concerning human variation and the concept of race. It examines the various approaches to the relationships between human biology and sociocultural structures and behavior.

Field Methods. 3 crs. Exploration of the methodology in conducting competent, meaningful, ethical field work with emphasis on practical experience. (The student has a choice of section or field of interest as presented below).

ANTH 222. Ethnography
ANTH 221. Human Osteology
ANTH 219. Ethnolinguistics
ANTH 230. Method and Theory in Archaeology

ANTH 249. Urban Anthropology. 3 crs. This course explores urbanism and the process of urbanization. The focus is on understanding the development and history of cities from prehistoric evidence to an investigation of the patterns and complexities of contemporary urban life. Various theoretical approaches and cross-cultural ethnographic studies help explain the lifeways of people in cities.

ANTH 250. Applied Anthropology. 3 crs. The application of anthropological principles to the solution of practical problems. Prerequisite: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, Introduction to Biological Anthropology, or Introduction to Archaeology or by permission of instructor.

ANTH 210. Magic, Witchcraft, and Healing. 3 crs. Analyzes the relationships of magic, witchcraft, religion, and healing and their significance in understanding our own cultures as well as Third World societies and other parts of the world.

ANTH 211. Gender Roles and Relations. 3 crs. Examination of cross-cultural gender roles. Also examines U.S. public policies and laws affecting women, men, and children.

ANTH 212. Education and Culture. 3 crs. Application of anthropological concepts to the analysis of educational processes in different cultures and in the U.S.

ANTH 213. Cultural Roots of Environmental Crises. 3 crs. Explores cultural dimensions of global environmental degradation to identify root causes and viable solutions. Comparison of tribal environmental perceptions and production and consumption patterns with our own; evaluates the roles of population and technology, world hunger and quality of life issues.

ANTH 215. Medical Anthropology. 3 crs. Considers the patterns of health and disease from a multidisciplinary perspective. The focus in on the diversity of health beliefs and practices, variation in health care systems, contemporary global health concerns and ethical issues. Prerequisite: Introduction to Biological Anthropology, or Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, or permission of instructor.

ANTH 216. Economic Anthropology. 3 crs. Comparison of modern economic theory with anthropological analysis of pre-capitalist, non-Western and Third World political economies. Discusses band, tribe, chiefdom, early state, peasant, market, and world economic systems and how these systems interact with social and religious systems at national and/or community levels.

ANTH 217. Aging in Cross-Cultural Perspective. 3 crs. An examination of the ways different cultures regard the aged and the process of aging. Topics include attitudes toward aging, the treatment of the aged, and the social, economic, and political aspects of growing old among men and women in different cultures.

ANTH 218. Cultural Ecology. 3 crs. Reviews the processes of human biocultural adaptation to the world’s various biotopes: tropical, sub-tropical, temperate, island and arctic by means of foraging, agriculture, regional and world trade. Discussions will include environmental description and selective reciprocal relationships between key environmental elements. 

ANTH 219. Ethnolinguistics. 3 crs. Students will conduct ethnography of communication focusing on selected topics or events as they relate to speech communities applying participant-observation techniques, interviews, and other methods of field work.

ANTH 221. Human Osteology. 3 crs. Detailed study of the techniques used in the analysis of skeletal material focusing on identification of age, sex, growth, and repair, pathology, and measurement.

ANTH 222. Ethnography. 3 crs. Exploration of the techniques used in recording or describing the culture, customs, beliefs, and values of specific peoples or of individual societies.

ANTH 230. Method and Theory in Archaeology. 3 crs. This course reviews the history, goals, and theoretical approaches used in modern archaeology; discusses field methods in survey and excavation, data recording, dating, material analyses, and the reconstruction of ancient lifeways.

ANTH 260. Independent Study. 3 crs. (Formerly Readings) Maximum of 6 credits. Pre-approved in-depth study of a specific topic in field of interest. Student needs approval of instructor in order to register.

Section 1: Cultural Anthropology
Section 2: Biological Anthropology
Section 3: Archaeology
Section 4: Linguistics