Course Descriptions
Contact
Carnegie Hall, Room 04F 651-696-6381
Anthropology
ANTH 101 - General Anthropology
This course is an introduction to the discipline of anthropology as a whole. It presents students with a theoretical grounding in the four major subfields: archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, and linguistics. In this class the emphasis is on the holistic nature of the discipline. Students will be challenged with some of the countless links between the systems of biology and culture. They will explore key questions about human diversity in the past, present, and future.
Frequency: Every year.
Prerequisite(s): Not open to students who've taken ANTH 111.
ANTH 111 - Cultural Anthropology
The cultural perspective on human behavior including case studies, often illustrated by ethnographic films and slides, of non-Western and American cultures. May include some field interviewing. Includes the cross cultural treatment of economic, legal, political, social and religious institutions and a survey of major approaches to the explanation of cultural variety and human social organization.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Not open to students who've taken ANTH 101.
ANTH 112 - Archaeology and Human Origins
The origin and development of prehistoric peoples and cultures. The concepts, methods, and theories of prehistoric archaeology, human paleontology, and human biology as a framework for examining the fossils and artifacts left by humans. Course includes films and the use of casts and slides to illustrate concepts.
Frequency: Alternate years.
ANTH 115 - Biological Anthropology
This class is a broad survey covering topics such as genetics, evolutionary mechanisms, adaptation, primate studies, the human fossil record, and human variation. All of these areas will be placed within the framework of the interaction of humans within their environment. The course is divided into three sections: human genetics, human ecology and primatology, human evolution and adaptation.
Frequency: Alternate years.
ANTH 194 - Topics Course
Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.
ANTH 206 - Endangered and Minority Languages
Language loss is accelerating at alarming rates. In fact, Linguists predict that only five percent of the six thousand languages currently spoken in the world are expected to survive into the 22nd century. In this course, we will examine the historical, political, and socio-economic factors behind the endangerment and/or marginalization of languages in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America. We will also concentrate on the globalization of English (and other major languages), which plays a primary role in language endangerment and marginalization. Additional topics include: linguistic diversity, language policy, multilingualism (in both nations and individuals), global language conflict, and language revitalization. Students will have the opportunity to learn first-hand about these issues by interviewing speakers of an endangered and/or minority language.
Frequency: Offered every third year.
Cross-Listed as: LING 206
ANTH 223 - Introduction to Archaeology
This course introduces students to archaeology, the study of the material remains of human culture. Students will explore the history of the discipline and profession, its basic methods and theories, and the political and ethical dimensions of modern archaeological practice. Students learn to examine and interpret evidence using specific examples, from artifacts to sites to regions.
Frequency: Every year.
Cross-Listed as: CLAS 223
ANTH 230 - Ethnographic Interviewing
An introduction to ethnographic field interviewing learned in the context of individually run student field projects. Focuses on the anthropologist-informant field relationship and the discovery of cultural knowledge through participant observation and ethnosemantic interviewing techniques.
Frequency: Every semester.
ANTH 232 - Field Methods and Research Design
This course combines civic engagement with the fundamentals of ethnographic research needed for successful completion of a one to two-month field-based project. Learning modules will include: a) the ethics of social science research and human subjects review; b) research design and proposal; c) observation methods and field notes; d) interview methods and transcription; and e) qualitative data analysis. All students will conduct a joint research project in partnership with local community members to address a relevant social problem.
Frequency: Every other year.
ANTH 239 - Medical Anthropology
This course examines issues of health, illness, and healing from a variety of anthropological perspectives. From a cross-cultural perspective, we will examine the diversity of beliefs about human health and sickness, and a variety of healing practices by which people treat them. From the perspective of critical epidemiology, we will wrestle with recurrent problems of socioeconomic inequalities, ecological disruptions, and their impact upon the differential distribution, prevention, and treatment of human diseases. Previous courses in anthropology are recommended but not required.
Frequency: Alternate years.
ANTH 240 - Human Osteology and Paleopathology
The study of the human skeletal system is basic to the disciplines of biological anthropology, forensic science, medicine and even archaeology. This class will examine the fundamentals of osteology. It will also explore numerous pathological conditions associated with both infectious and non-infectious diseases in addition to those caused by traumatic events. Students will learn to identify and analyze human bone and pathological conditions of the skeleton to aid in the reconstruction of life histories from human remains.
ANTH 241 - Anthropology of Death and Dying
This course examines the dying process and the ways that humans beings come to terms with their mortality in different societies. We will learn how people die in major illnesses and critically analyze controversial issues regarding brain death, suicide, and euthanasia. We will survey funerary traditions from a variety of cultures and compare the social, spiritual, and psychological roles that these rituals play for both the living and the dying. We will examine cultural attitudes towards death; and how the denial and awareness of human mortality can shape social practices and institutions. Finally, we will consider issues regarding the quality of life, the opportunities and challenges of caregiving, and hospice traditions around the world.
Frequency: Offered alternate years.
ANTH 243 - Psychological Anthropology
This course explores the relationship between self, culture and society. We will examine and discuss critically the broad array of methods and theories anthropologists use to analyze personality, socialization, mental illnes and cognition in different societies. Our aim is to address questions related to the cultural patterning of personality, the self and emotions and to understand how culture might shape ideas of what a person is. We will also seek to understand how cultures define behavior as abnormal, pathological or insane, and how they make sense of trauma and suffering.
Frequency: Alternate years.
Cross-Listed as: PSYC 243
ANTH 246 - Refugees/Humanitarian Response
This course provides an overview of issues related to refugees and humanitarian response in U.S. and international settings. Students explore the meaning of "humanitarian" and inherent issues of power, ethics, and human rights in responses to conflict by examining the roles of those who engage in humanitarian work.
Frequency: Offered occasionally.
ANTH 248 - Defense Against the Dark Arts
This course uses the lens of cultural anthropology to examine witchcraft and magical traditions around the world. Major topics include psychosomatic healing, the social roles of shamans and possession mediums, recurring themes in witchcraft accusations, and the psychoanalysis of Harry Potter. Throughout these topics, we will wrestle with the distinctions between science, religion, and magic while gaining an appreciation of historically marginalized beliefs and practices. The course employs a combination of lecture and film as well as small group discussions and research presentations.
Frequency: Alternate spring semesters.
Prerequisite(s): A prior course in cultural anthropology is recommended but not required.
ANTH 251 - Politics of Memory in Latin America
This course examines and critically analyzes various approaches to the study of how different individuals and communities in particular historical and cultural scenarios in contemporary Latin America create meanings about their past experience with political violence. The course addresses questions related to the tension between remembering and forgetting, the presence of conflicting memories and truths and how these are negotiated or not through distinct forms of representation. The cultural analysis of different means of representation: human rights and truth commission reports, testimonials, film, art and memorials will be the basis for class discussions on different notions of truth and different forms of truth-telling. A close examination of these forms of representation will reveal the extent to which they can conflict with each other while at the same time feed on each other, creating "effects of truth" and leaving room for secrecy as a mode of truth-telling. Finally, the course will also compel students to think about what consequences the politics of memory have for the future.
Frequency: Alternate years.
Cross-Listed as: LATI 251
ANTH 253 - Comparative Muslim Cultures
This course examines the Qur'an and hadith, and other authoritative texts that ground Islamic jurisprudence, and explores the diverse ways in which Muslims have understood and interpreted these teachings in locations across the world (i.e. Indonesia, the Middle East, South Asia, Europe and the United States) and at various points in history.
Cross-Listed as: INTL 253
ANTH 255 - Latin America in Motion
This course is an introduction to the cultural diversity and complexity of Latin American societies. We will examine regional differences from an anthropological perspective and discus how social institutions and cultural practices and traditions have been shaped, and how they have dealt with continuity and change. Ethnographic case studies will allow us to explore relevant topics related to ethnicity, social stratification, gift-giving/reciprocity, kinship, rural/urban relationships, cosmology and religion, and gender. These issues will be examined within the context of particular histories, considering the legacy of colonialism, the formation of the nation-state, the emergence of social movements, post-colonial nationalism, the impact of migration and urbanization, and the effects of neo-liberalism and globalization.
Frequency: Alternate years.
Cross-Listed as: LATI 255
ANTH 256 - India and its Neighbors: The Anthropology of South Asia
Introduces students to anthropological knowledge of the peoples and cultures of South Asia and to the ways in which Western knowledge of that region has been constructed. The course examines the historical and social processes that have shaped the culture and lifeways of the people who live on the subcontinent and that link the modern states of South Asia to the world beyond their frontiers.
Frequency: Alternate years.
Cross-Listed as: ASIA 256
ANTH 258 - Dynamic Africa
Africa has long been a continent on the move. This course introduces students to concepts associated with systems, process, and change in Africa by juxtaposing classic and contemporary ethnography that aims to get at how lives, subjectivities, and intimacies on the continent mediate and are shaped by global historical processes and how anthropologists have inhabited and tried to grasp such contexts. Toward this end, we draw on diverse representations of Africa that include fiction, film, and more traditional forms of scholarship.
Frequency: Alternate years.
ANTH 259 - Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic
The Arctic represents one of the most extreme environments to which humans have adapted. These adaptations include both biological and cultural changes required to settle and flourish in this formidable setting. This course looks at some of the cultural practices that appear to be ubiquitous throughout the Arctic, as well as those specializations that have developed as a result of some of the more localized environmental pressures. It also explores the consequences of rapid global climate change as well as modernization on these unique cultures to get a sense of what the future might hold for the indigenous peoples of the Arctic.
Frequency: Alternate years.
Cross-Listed as: ENVI 259
ANTH 260 - Digital Cultures
In the early days of the internet, many people predicted that the increased speed and scale of communications would make for a more homogenous world. Now, decades later, we see something different: a proliferation of cross-fertilizing cultures, sub-cultures, and counter-cultures online. This course explores some of this rich variety, studying online social worlds (from influencers to hacktivists) and the ways in which IT-informed ways of being seep into social life offline (from ideologies of innovation to algorithmic oppression). Critically deploying the concept of culture and the tools of ethnography to understand these emergent formations, this course will pay particular attention to difference and power while situating "the digital" in international context.
Frequency: Every year.
Cross-Listed as: INTL 260
ANTH 263 - Things with Feathers: Birds in Science, Culture and Myth
Birds are among the most visible and colorful members of the natural world. Across societies and over time, that fact has generated considerable human engagement with and awareness of birds, which have been utilized for both utilitarian and symbolic purposes. This course introduces you to the knowledge that different cultures have of birds, and to their formal scientific study in modern times. The topics we will examine include the place of birds in myth and religion; indigenous ways to classify birds; how local traditions relating to birds can serve as models for conservation; the relationship of local and traditional knowledge to the development of modern ornithology; the colonial roots of ornithology; and the part played by amateur birders and other non-professionals in the emergence of ornithology as a science. The course includes a number of field trips, to birding sites to develop our own engagement with birds as wild things, and to museum collections, to understand the scientific value of birds as dead things.
Frequency: Alternate years.
ANTH 270 - Cultural Resource Management
Archaeology in the United States is no longer practiced exclusively by universities and museums. In fact, since the 1970s, the vast majority of archaeological projects undertaken involve individuals employed in either private industry or with the federal or state government. This shift toward cultural resource management (CRM) archaeology transformed the traditional role of archaeology practiced during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. So what changed? This course explores the role of public archaeology in the United States through an examination of the laws and practices dictating the protection of historic properties, consultation with descendant communities, and the design of archaeological management plans.
Frequency: Occasionally offered.
Cross-Listed as: CLAS 270
ANTH 294 - Topics Course
Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.
ANTH 311 - Ritual
The word "ritual" is used in many contexts to refer to types of practice that are considered centrally important, as well as formalistic and repetitive. This seminar-style course concentrates on the concept of ritual as a central component of social practice, within and without religious groupings. Focusing on developing the concept of ritual, we will focus on ritual across traditions. This requires students to 'work with' concepts - forming a conception of what they mean by ritual, and be willing to change that conception when faced with contradictory evidence.
Frequency: Offered alternate years.
Cross-Listed as: RELI 311
ANTH 335 - Global Generosity
From Italian Mafia dons to famous American philanthropists; from the knitting of "trauma teddies" in Helsinki to gift shopping in London; and from ceremonial exchange rings in Melanesia to the present day global refugee crisis: this course will investigate how generosity is understood and practiced in global perspective. We'll begin the semester by examining key debates surrounding reciprocity, gifts, and exchange, theories of altruism and generosity, and patron-client relations. We'll then explore the birth of the "humanitarian spirit," and the complicated ethics and politics of humanitarian intervention. We will compare diverse religious traditions' approaches to giving, including Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Jainism. And we'll explore contemporary debates surrounding volunteerism within sectarian and neoliberal political regimes.
Frequency: Offered occasionally.
Cross-Listed as: INTL 335
ANTH 340 - Human Evolution
An exploration of the interaction between ecology, morphology, and culture in human evolution. Topics include the evolutionary adaptation of non-human primates and hominins to their various ecological and social environments, taxonomic classification systems, and techniques used in the analysis of primate fossils to help determine both their geological age and phylogenetic placement.
Frequency: Alternate years.
ANTH 358 - Anthropology of Violence
Faced with the escalation of political and ethnic violence in the modern world, anthropologists have become increasingly aware of the need to address these realities which have forced a rethinking of the meaning of violence as a social and cultural phenomenon. This course interrogates the slippery concept of violence in the light of theoretical approaches from different disciplines. The course will begin with a discussion of how anthropologists have reexamined the concept of violence within the context of complex and large-scale societies. It will then address the preponderate weight that the concept of the state has played within the social sciences in interpretation of violence, followed by a consideration of how notions of community and cultural difference figure prominently in the ideology of conflict.
Frequency: Alternate years.
ANTH 362 - Culture and Globalization
The world is far more interconnected today than ever before, but what does this mean in terms of culture? This course looks at the impact of globalization on cultures and at examples of global cultures such as immigrants, media and popular cultures, world cities, and transnational intellectuals, ethnicities and ideologies. It also looks at the way cultures interact at geographic borders and in the margins of society.
Cross-Listed as: INTL 362
ANTH 363 - Anthropology of Development
The goal of this course is to develop an anthropological understanding and critique of development. It aims to examine both the discourse of development and its practice. The course focuses on the construction of the Third World as an "underdeveloped" area, and discusses the dominant theoretical paradigms of development and modernization. It assesses the reasons for the general failure of development programs based on these models to bring about meaningful and substantive change in societies in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and discusses possible alternatives to "development" as it is currently practiced.
Frequency: Alternate years.
ANTH 368 - Life Histories/Cultures/Selves
This seminar focuses on the relationship between individuals and their culture. Students will record, edit, and analyze personal documents such as diaries, letters, interview transcriptions, and autobiographies. Analysis of life events such as childhood play activities, family meals, kinship relations, and modes of communication, will lead to the identification of cultural themes.
Frequency: Offered occasionally.
ANTH 369 - Food and Culture
This course is an introduction to the anthropology of food, focusing on how food creates community and shapes identity, class and gender. The course also covers the transition from foraging to agriculture, the role of particular foods in the making of the modern world, and the nature of the modern industrial food system.
Frequency: Alternate years.
ANTH 380 - Stigma and Disabilities
This course provides an in-depth focus on a major topic in medical anthropology as it pertains to human health, illness, and/or healing. Specific topics vary from year to year, ranging from traditional healing systems, to health related stigma and social inequalities. Students will learn to apply social theories to important health issues, and will critically read, analyze, and discuss the clinical, epidemiological, and social science literature pertaining to the most recent discussions and debates about the topic.
Frequency: Alternate years.
ANTH 381 - Emerging Infectious Diseases
This course examines the human determinants of infectious diseases from the Paleolithic to the present day using the combined frameworks of evolution, human ecology, critical history, and social epidemiology. We will consider the co-evolution of culture and disease: the ways that human subsistence, ecological disruptions, social inequalities, and demographic changes have created selective conditions for new infections, re-emerging infections, and antibiotic resistance. We will also address the social dynamics of current epidemics, and major controversies over biosecurity and bioterrorism.
Frequency: Alternate years.
ANTH 387 - Darwin and Evolutionary Thought
This course examines the influence of Charles Darwin on both the discipline of Anthropology and general scientific thought in the 20th century. It begins with an exploration of the emergence of modern evolutionary theory, its role in society, and how it is essential to the field of Anthropology. We consider some of the work of Darwin's predecessors, who laid the intellectual and scientific foundations that Darwin built upon, as well as those who adapted Darwin's concepts to theories of social change. Students also read and discuss some of the biggest debates surrounding the theory of Evolution by Natural Selection, both past and present. Finally, we look at the future of evolutionary theory in light of recent developments in molecular biology and the fossil record.
ANTH 394 - Topics Course
Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.
ANTH 405 - Ethnomusicology
This course introduces students to the field of ethnomusicology through its philosophical foundation, theoretical models, and disciplinary practices. Topics include comparative approach, structuralist/functionalist models, cultural relativism, organology, bi-musicality, reflexivity, post/modernism, among other recent research directions. Assignments are designed to develop skills in musical fieldwork, transcription and analysis, as well as preparing and presenting scholarly findings in ethnographic disciplines. This course is aimed primarily for students of music and/or anthropology.
Frequency: Offered occasionally.
Prerequisite(s): Basic knowledge or experience in world music and performance recommended.
Cross-Listed as: MUSI 405
ANTH 487 - Theory in Anthropology
This course introduces students to the broad range of explanations for social and cultural phenomena used by anthropologists since the emergence of the discipline in the 19th century. The course focuses on the development of three broad theoretical approaches: The American school of cultural anthropology, British social anthropology, and the French school that emerged from the work of Durkheim and his followers. The course also examines theoretical approaches such as cultural materialism, and symbolic and interpretive approaches to the study of culture.
Frequency: Fall semester.
ANTH 490 - Senior Seminar
The senior seminar is for Anthropology majors who are working on their senior capstone project and is designed to help students develop that project for presentation. The seminar will also include reading of Anthropological works, guest speakers and discussion of current controversies in the discipline.
Frequency: Every year; Spring semester.
ANTH 494 - Topics Course
Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.
ANTH 601 - Tutorial
Closely supervised individual (or very small group) study with a faculty member in which a student may explore, by way of readings, short writings, etc., an area of knowledge not available through the regular catalog offerings.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
ANTH 602 - Tutorial
Closely supervised individual (or very small group) study with a faculty member in which a student may explore, by way of readings, short writings, etc., an area of knowledge not available through the regular catalog offerings.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
ANTH 603 - Tutorial
Closely supervised individual (or very small group) study with a faculty member in which a student may explore, by way of readings, short writings, etc., an area of knowledge not available through the regular catalog offerings.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
ANTH 604 - Tutorial
Closely supervised individual (or very small group) study with a faculty member in which a student may explore, by way of readings, short writings, etc., an area of knowledge not available through the regular catalog offerings.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
ANTH 611 - Independent Project
Independent project in Anthropology. Projects might include intensive ethnographic research, the analysis of ethnographic data, or a variety of other projects.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
ANTH 612 - Independent Project
Independent project in Anthropology. Projects might include intensive ethnographic research, the analysis of ethnographic data, or a variety of other projects.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
ANTH 613 - Independent Project
Independent project in Anthropology. Projects might include intensive ethnographic research, the analysis of ethnographic data, or a variety of other projects.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
ANTH 614 - Independent Project
Independent project in Anthropology. Projects might include intensive ethnographic research, the analysis of ethnographic data, or a variety of other projects.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
ANTH 621 - Internship
Work that involves the student in practical (usually off campus) experience. Students may intern in any of the variety of internships listed by the college or arrange their own internships. Students will be expected to produce an ethnographic paper for the instructor in addition to approximately 10 hours per week at the internship site. Only one internship may count towards an Anthropology major. The department views internships as a valuable experience in which the student has an opportunity to "study" a job. Offered as S/N grading only, but may be included on Anthropology major plans.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.
ANTH 622 - Internship
Work that involves the student in practical (usually off campus) experience. Students may intern in any of the variety of internships listed by the college or arrange their own internships. Students will be expected to produce an ethnographic paper for the instructor in addition to approximately 10 hours per week at the internship site. Only one internship may count towards an Anthropology major. The department views internships as a valuable experience in which the student has an opportunity to "study" a job. Offered as S/N grading only, but may be included on Anthropology major plans.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.
ANTH 623 - Internship
Work that involves the student in practical (usually off campus) experience. Students may intern in any of the variety of internships listed by the college or arrange their own internships. Students will be expected to produce an ethnographic paper for the instructor in addition to approximately 10 hours per week at the internship site. Only one internship may count towards an Anthropology major. The department views internships as a valuable experience in which the student has an opportunity to "study" a job. Offered as S/N grading only, but may be included on Anthropology major plans.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.
ANTH 624 - Internship
Work that involves the student in practical (usually off campus) experience. Students may intern in any of the variety of internships listed by the college or arrange their own internships. Students will be expected to produce an ethnographic paper for the instructor in addition to approximately 10 hours per week at the internship site. Only one internship may count towards an Anthropology major. The department views internships as a valuable experience in which the student has an opportunity to "study" a job. Offered as S/N grading only, but may be included on Anthropology major plans.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.
ANTH 631 - Preceptorship
Work in assisting faculty in the planning and teaching of a course, precepting or tutoring.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.
ANTH 632 - Preceptorship
Work in assisting faculty in the planning and teaching of a course, precepting or tutoring.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.
ANTH 633 - Preceptorship
Work in assisting faculty in the planning and teaching of a course, precepting or tutoring.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.
ANTH 634 - Preceptorship
Work in assisting faculty in the planning and teaching of a course, precepting or tutoring.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.
ANTH 641 - Honors Independent
Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
ANTH 642 - Honors Independent
Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
ANTH 643 - Honors Independent
Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
ANTH 644 - Honors Independent
Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.