Anthropology CoursesANTH 101 Cultural Anthropology 4 hours A study in what it means to be human, this course uses the concept of culture to account for the tremendous variety of practices and beliefs throughout the world. Students will also examine patterns in human behavior, addressing cultural similarities as well as cultural differences. Course content provides insight into how cultural anthropologists do what they do—what methods they use to study culture and what ethical issues they may encounter while doing so. Students will be expected to engage some of these anthropological methods through completion of an ethnographic research project over the course of the semester. (HBSSM, Intcl, R) ANTH 102 Physical Anthropology 4 hours Physical anthropology examines humans and human nature from a biological perspective. This course serves as an introduction to the various lines of inquiry that comprise this sub-field of anthropology. Primary topics include a survey of human biological and cultural evolution, genetics and the mechanics of evolution, nonhuman primates, and forensic anthropology. The course includes weekly laboratory exercises as a means of exploring fundamental concepts. (HBSSM) ANTH 103 Linguistic Anthropology 4 hours An introduction to human language, with an emphasis on the relationship between language and culture. Topics include the origin and evolution of language, primate communication, language acquisition, language and society, and current issues in linguistic anthropology, such as linguistic human rights and language death. Students will gain hands-on experience with the methods and techniques of descriptive and historical-comparative linguistics. (HBSSM, Intcl) ANTH 104 Archaeology 4 hours Archaeology is the study of the human past through material remains. This course introduces students to the fundamental techniques employed by archaeologists to reconstruct the past. In addition to exploring the basic methodological foundations of archaeology this course provides an overview of world archaeology, including major developments in human prehistory and significant archaeological sites. (HBSSM, Hist) ANTH 105 Genetic Perspectives on Human Origins and Diversity 1 hour This course, taken at the same time as anthropology 102, provides a detailed exploration of the application of human mitochondrial and Y-chromosome DNA research for the study of human evolution and its resultant effects on its modern human genetic diversity. Students will personally explore this topic by participating in the National Geographic Society's Genographic Project. In the process of investigating their own genetic heritage, students will learn about the method and theory of genetic research and its contributions to the current understanding of the human saga. Corequisite: ANTH 102. ANTH 139, 239, 339, 439 Special Topics Credit arr. ANTH 185 First-year Seminar 4 hours A variety of seminars for first-year students offered each January Term. ANTH 201 American Diversity 4 hours What is diversity? The course will examine this complex question, asking students to examine American cultural stories about differences such as race, ethnicity, class and gender, how difference is experienced by people themselves, and the implications of each of these for social equality and inequality. In the examination of social equality's promise and reality's fact, the course will pay particular attention to groups of people that have been marginalized in American society. (Same as WGST 201) (HBSSM, Intcl) ANTH 202 Gender and Culture 4 hours Women and men alike are defined by cultural expectations and roles that often deny their full human needs and expressions. Selective cross-cultural readings, films, and novels will be used to explore the religious, ideological, and cultural forces that shape women's and men's lives within different societies. (Same as WGST 202) (HBSSM, Intcl) ANTH 204 Native Peoples of North America 4 hours The history and culture of Native Americans extending from the initial settlement of the Western Hemisphere to the present. The major emphasis of the course is on the definition of belief systems and values that account for the distinctiveness of the Native American experience. Offered alternate years. (HBSSM, Intcl) ANTH 208 Medical Anthropology 4 hours Medical Anthropology explores health, illness, disease, and medicine across the globe. Using anthropological principles, we explore interactions between various ethnomedical systems, including biomedicine; healers, healing professions and the production of medical knowledge; ideologies of the body; beginnings and ends of life; the role of new biomedical technologies and the pharmaceutical industry; the social construction of disease and disability; political and moral economies of health in the global context, among other topics. We will discover how medical knowledge and practices are constructed culturally. We will also learn to recognize how transnational exchanges of people, goods, ideas, and capital influence our health and healing practices. Our course will focus on some key texts in medical anthropology theory as well as new ethnographies that address intercultural encounters in medical settings. (HB, Intcl) ANTH 221 Anthropology in East Africa: Forces of Culture Change Among the Maasai 4 hours Like other peoples of East Africa, the Maasai pastoralists of Tanzania and Kenya are experiencing rapid culture change in response to global, national, and local forces. In this course we will study "traditional" Maasai culture and examine the ways in which the Maasai of northern Tanzania are adapting to changing social, political, economic, and environmental conditions. Topics to be explored include the shift from herding to agropastoralism; the tension between traditional and formal modes of education; the declining use of Maa, the mother tongue, in favor of Swahili and English; the adoption of Christianity in place of or alongside traditional religion; changes in coming-of-age rituals; cultural dimensions of health, healing, and the spread of HIV/AIDS; challenges to traditional gender ideology; the Maasai relationship to their environment; and the impacts of ecotourism, cultural tourism, and wildlife conservation programs on the pastoral way of life. From bases near the city of Arusha and the small town of Monduli students will interact with Maasai people in urban and rural marketplaces; in schools, medical facilities, and places of worship; and at Maasai bomas (family compounds) in the bush. We will also visit the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation area to explore the tension between pastoralism, wildlife conservation programs, and tourism. Offered January term. (Same as AFRS 221) (HBSSM, Intcl) ANTH 264 Pre-Columbian and Native American Art 4 hours This course will examine the diverse artistic traditions of the Americas from the pre-contact period to the present day. Emphasis will be placed on situating artistic production within its cultural context and examining how pre-contact practices continue to inform contemporary artistic production. No prerequisite. (Same as ART 264) (HEPT, Intcl) ANTH 285/295 Directed Study 2,4 hours An opportunity to pursue individualized or experiential learning with a faculty member, at the sophomore level or above, either within or outside the major. ANTH 285 can be taken only during January Term, ANTH 295 can be taken during the fall, spring, or summer terms. ANTH 301 World Archaeology 4 hours This course provides students with an in-depth study of world archaeology. We will examine the diversity of past human societies as revealed through archaeological research. Topics addressed in this course will range from hunter-gatherer archaeology in Europe, North America, and Australia to comparative studies of the state level societies in Mesopotamia, Egypt, South America, and Mexico. Each student will also explore a topic of personal interest by developing an essential reading list, chronology, and research paper. Prerequisite: ANTH 104. (HB, Hist, R) ANTH 302 Field Methods in Archaeology 6 hours This is a hands-on experience in archaeological field techniques offered in the summer. Students will be instructed in the fundamental skills required to do field archaeology while conducting survey, mapping, and excavations on real archaeological sites. This is a labor intensive course that requires students to participate in field work and data management procedures daily, possibly including some evenings (depending on weather conditions). This course is the equivalent of a full-time job and synthesizes classroom study with real world experiences. Offered alternate summers (even years). Prerequisite: ANTH 104 or consent of instructor; ANTH 207 is recommended. (HBSSM) ANTH 305 Social and Cultural Change 4 hours A specialized study of cultural and social factors—as various as national and social elitism, consumerism, and revolution—which promote change in technical and non-technical societies. Both theories and case studies are used to explore the processes and effects of energy flow, cultural integration, social innovation, diffusion, and other accommodations related to social change. (HBSSM, Intcl) ANTH 330 Gender, Health, and Medicine 4 hours This course will explore the cultural, historical, political and economic dimensions of health and medicine, paying particular attention to the way gender, race, ethnicity, and class shape health experiences. We will also examine inequalities in health care and health outcomes, especially how inequalities such as racism, poverty, and sexism can create and perpetuate poor health. Using cross-cultural examples from around the globe, we will examine such topics as: the politics of health care delivery; international health care policy and development programs; the medicalization of women's bodies; and community based health care activism. By comparing a diversity of health experiences across cultures we can carefully examine the ways in which culture helps construct perceptions of health and effective delivery of health care. Offered alternate years. (Same as WGST 330) (HBSSM, Intcl) ANTH 380 Internship 4-8 hours Extended field study of another culture on an individual basis representing a one semester journey into a different cultural reality whereby the total perspective of its members is experienced. Course graded credit/no credit. ANTH 381 Internship 1, 2, or 4 hours Course graded A–F. ANTH 395 Independent Study 1, 2, or 4 hours ANTH 401 Anthropological Theory 4 hours This course explores the rise of modern anthropology and the various schools of thought that have shaped the discipline, including an in depth treatment of contemporary anthropological discourse. We will discuss the issues and approaches that define the anthropological approach as well as the ethical considerations involved in anthropological inquiry. The ultimate goal of this course is to provide students with comprehensive understanding of the field of anthropology and the skills required to negotiate current trends in the discipline. This course should be taken during the junior year. Prerequisites: ANTH 101, 102, 103, 104, and junior standing. (R, S, W) ANTH 485 Seminar 4 hours ANTH 490 Senior Project 1, 2, or 4 hours ANTH 493 Senior Honors Project 4 hours A yearlong independent research project. Applications are completed on the "Honors Program" form available at the registrar's office, requiring the signatures of a faculty supervisor, the department head, the honors program director, and the registrar. Interdisciplinary projects require the signatures of two faculty supervisors. The project must be completed by the due date for senior projects. The completed project is evaluated by a review committee consisting of the faculty supervisor, another faculty member from the major department, and a faculty member from outside the major department. All projects must be presented publicly. Only projects awarded an "A-" or "A" qualify for "department honors" designation. The honors project fulfills the all-college senior project requirement. (R) |