2024-2025 Course List

This course examines the history of agricultural systems in world wide perspective, with an emphasis on understanding their social and environmental contexts and the effects on them of climate change. Case examples will highlight the conditions under which agricultural systems emerge, thrive, and fail, and the impacts of these processes on human populations.

An advanced examination of the human skeletal system and the application of this information in the fields of bioarchaeology, paleoanthropology and forensic anthropology. This course features hands-on identification and analysis of human skeletal material, with an emphasis on laboratory techniques.

Cross-cultural examination of healing traditions, health beliefs and the impact of social, economic and political factors on the health of peoples in different cultures around the world and among diverse ethnic groups within culturally plural societies, including the United States.

Diverse Cultures:

Purple

This course will acquaint students with the application of human osteological techniques in civil and criminal investigations, including assessment of the recovery scene, determination of identity and analysis of evidence relating to cause and manner of death.

Prerequisites:

ANTH 420

Bioarchaeology focuses on the diet, health, and occupations of past populations through the analysis of their skeletal remains. Readings and lab work will promote a practical understanding of the methods used in the discipline.

The biological and cultural aspects of death, as seen anthropologically, are the focus of this course. Mortuary behavior, ritual, and treatment of the human body will be addressed both temporally and cross-culturally.

The contemporary peoples and cultures of Mexico and Central and South America. Emphasis is on cultural patterns and contemporary issues of the region.

Prerequisites:

ANTH 101, ANTH 230, or consent

This course introduces concepts and methods of applying socio-cultural understanding to contemporary problems to bring about the empowerment of affected people. Case/field studies and other research methods in social sciences will change with special attention to its affect on disadvantaged groups of people. Students will also design their own applied projects.

Prerequisites:

ANTH 101, ANTH 230, or consent; ETHN 100, ETHN 101, or ETHN 150 or consent.

Kinship is the most basic principle of organization for all human societies. The course analyzes the main theories and methods of studying social organization, and explores cross-cultural variations in kinship, marriage and family systems.

Major anthropological theories of gender relations are read, discussed, and applied to a variety of contemporary ethnographic case studies.

Prerequisites:

ANTH 101, ANTH 230, or consent

A cross-cultural examination of the aging process, status, and treatment of elders around the world.

Prerequisites:

ANTH 101, ANTH 230, or ANTH 220, or consent

Diverse Cultures:

Purple

Examines the practical applications of anthropological knowledge to problem-oriented research and the problems of directed sociocultural change among contemporary populations. Selected projects and case studies are used to illustrate the complexity of applied sociocultural change.

Prerequisites:

ANTH 101, ANTH 230 or consent

Examination of the intellectual history of anthropology from its nineteenth century roots to today's current theoretical trends. Students will learn about the major schools of thought in anthropological theory and practice critical examination of their applications.

The aim of this course is to make students methodologically literate. Students will learn how to develop research designs that rely on qualitative research methods such as participant observation. They will learn how to apply these methods by participating in small scale studies of human behavior. Some quantitative methods will also be discussed. Students will learn critical examination of published date and conclusions.

Prerequisites:

ANTH 101, ANTH 220 or consent

American Indians adapted to environmental systems in North America with cultures ranging from small groups of foragers to cities supported by intensive agriculture. This course presents a variety of perspectives of this cultural diversity from the Ice Age to the 20th century.

Survey of East Asian cultural region. Cultural diversity, change and continuity examined in China, Japan and Korea through institutions and cultural settings. Focus includes how modern East Asian societies face internal social changes and their changing international status.

Diverse Cultures:

Purple

A faculty-supervised, student-designed capstone project for the major. Students will take ANTH 475 after completing ANTH 300. The nature of the student's thesis will be determined jointly by the student and their advisor. The capstone project is a written thesis involving writing, laboratory work, fieldwork or various combinations. Students must present completed thesis in a public forum.

Prerequisites:

ANTH 300

Field experience in which method and theory are learned through participation in an ongoing field project.

Prerequisites:

Consent, or one of: ANTH 101, ANTH 102, or ANTH 220

This course allows faculty the flexibility to consider the challenges of new developments in anthropology. Content will vary from one course to the next. Students may take the course, with the permission of the instructor, more than one time.

A brief intensive hands-on introduction to an anthropological topic usually as it applies to a particular issue or skill. Topics vary but might include: Understanding that race is not a scientific concept; combating racism and ethnocentrism; participant observation methods; culture shock; cultural diversity and communication; forensics; cultural resource conservation. Pre-req: Depends on topic and instructor.

Prerequisites:

Depends on topic and instructor

An introduction to archaeological laboratory techniques and museological practice, through participation in the various processes involved.

Guided advanced laboratory work in biological/physical anthropology.

Prerequisites:

Consent

Individual projects are done in close coordination with faculty member.

Prerequisites:

Consent

Individual projects are done in close coordination with faculty member.

Positions may vary considerably, but all involve actual working conditions in various field positions such as museums, state parks, archaeological excavations and agencies.

Prerequisites:

Consent