Sociology and Anthropology Homepage

New Social Science Requirements

Every student must successfully complete 6 credits in a single department: African-American and African Studies, Anthropology, Criminal Justice, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, or Sociology. The following courses fulfill the social sciences requirement:

21&62:070:203 or 204 Introduction to Cultural or Physical Anthropology.

AND

any 300 or 400 level Anthropology or Archaeology courses.

All Anthropology Courses

21&62:070:203. INTRO. TO PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY & ARCHAEOLOGY (3)

The biological and cultural evolution of the human species is traced by examining the fossil and archaeological record, primate behavior, and the significance of human variation.

21&62:070:204. INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY (3)

A study of various ways of life, from hunting and gathering to industrial societies. Topics such as marriage, economics, politics, and religion examined; comparisons made to illustrate the principles underlying cultural similarities and differences.

21&62:070:207. INDIANS OF NORTH AMERICA (3)

A survey of native American cultures, including the Inuit of the Arctic, the Iroquois, the buffalo hunters of the plains, and the Pueblo dwellers of the Southwest, among others.

21&62:070:220. ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEORY AND METHODS (3)

General historical framework; nineteenth-century and contemporary evolutionism, functionalism, structuralism, cultural ecology, Marxism, and postmodernism; the impact of feminism; and anthropological research in libraries and museums, and in the field.

21&62:070:301. ANTHROPOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENT (3)

Theoretical approaches to the study of developing nations. Ethnographies that describe the impact of development on peoples' lives, cultures, and identities.

21&62:070:303. ANTHROPOLOGY OF POSTCOLONIALISM (3)

Postcolonial responses to cultural and economic domination in locations such as multinational corporations, media productions, tourist attractions, and religious sites.

21&62:070:305. CULTURE AND PERSONALITY (3)

Comparative study of the dynamics of human development and its cultural patterning; readings include autobiographies and ethnographies from several societies and theoretical approaches to understanding the cultural structuring of perception, interaction, and experience; emphasis on interpreting observed social inter-actions and utilizing life histories.

21&62:070:306. ANTHROPOLOGY OF POWER (3)

The body politic and the politics of bodies are ways in which anthropologists analyze the formal and informal organization of power and authority. Anthropological studies of kings and chiefs, lawmakers, and ritual leaders.

21&62:070:309. MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY (3)

Prerequisite: 21&62:070:204 or permission of instructor. Cross-cultural perspectives on health beliefs and practices; social organization of health care institutions; sociocultural factors in physical and mental health; relationship between human health and the social environment.

21&62:070:310. COMPARATIVE RELIGION (3)

Tribal and folk religions of the world in reference to their social context; sociopolitical and economic accompaniments of tribal and folk religions at different stages of social evolution.

21&62:070:316. PEOPLES AND CULTURES OF AFRICA (3)

Culture areas of Africa south of the Sahara, from the Bushman and Pygmy hunters to advanced empires of Uganda and the west coast. Technology, society, art, and religion of the indigenous cultures; African cultural history; continuity and change in African cultures today.

21&62:070:331. URBAN ANTHROPOLOGY (3)

Examines the theoretical underpinnings of a variety of urban studies done by anthropologists; individual or group research project.

21&62:070:337. ANTHROPOLOGY OF INEQUALITY (3)

Class, race, and gender and how they intersect with power and domination. Study of how systems of inequality work, how they are maintained, and how they are transformed.

21&62:070:340. COMPARATIVE ROLES OF WOMEN (3)

Women's roles in societies that range from hunting and gathering bands to agricultural and pastoral chiefdoms, from ancient China to socialist Cuba. Women's experience in the family and community setting, as workers, as individuals, and as leaders. The impact of class, race, and gender on women's experience and consciousness.

21&62:070:350. CULTURAL ECOLOGY (3)

Study of anthropological works that interpret cultural phenomena from an ecological viewpoint; basic principles of ecology used to analyze communities and human populations in indigenous, colonial, and developing societies; cultural methods of adaptation and the critical role of technology and economic organization in human ecosystems.

21&62:070:352. PEOPLES AND CULTURES OF LATIN AMERICA (3)

Latin-American cultures studied with emphasis on contributions and interactions of native Americans, Iberians, and Africans. Examines the impact of colonialism and neocolonialism; structures of class, race, and gender; and ongoing efforts to implement change. Readings focus on Brazil, Guatemala, and Peru.

21&62:070:358. ARCHAEOLOGICAL THEORY AND PRACTICE (3)

Examines methods and techniques of archaeological research.

21&62:070:361. SELECTED AREAS STUDIES (3)

Analysis of selected cultures and societies, such as those indigenous to North America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and/or New Guinea and Australia.

21&62:070:363. ANTHROPOLOGY OF SOCIAL LIFE (3)

Traditional anthropological concerns of kinship, marriage, house-hold formation, and networks. Recent focuses on the construction of sexuality and gender.

21&62:070:367. ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE OLD WORLD (3)

Examination of the evidence for the origins and development of culture in Paleolithic Europe, Asia, and Africa, and the rise of civilization in the Near East.

21&62:070:369. NEW WORLD ARCHAEOLOGY (3)

Examines the first peoples of the New World and subsequent cultural development; emphasis on the rise of the high civilizations of America.

21&62:070:420. TRIBAL WARFARE (3)

Overview of anthropological knowledge about war. Examination of various aspects of war, cross-cultural variations in its practice, and shifting analytic approaches to the subject of war. Impact of state expansionism on indigenous warfare patterns. Readings selected for ethnographic detail and theoretical significance.

21&62:070:425. RESEARCH IN ANTHROPOLOGY (3)

Prerequisites: Three anthropology courses or permission of the instructor. Topics vary dependent upon current focus of instructor.

21&62:070:492. SEMINAR IN ANTHROPOLOGY (3)

Prerequisites: 21&62:070:204 and two 300-level anthropology courses, or permission of instructor. Intensive study of a single topic or area of anthropological relevance conducted through the exchange of information by participating members of the seminar.