Class Schedules

An introduction to Cultural Anthropology, through the comparative study of the societies and cultures of Asia. Counts as the introductory course to Asian Studies, ASIA 111. Culture is the organizing concept underlying anthropology’s holistic approach, which seeks to understand what it means to be human in the broadest possible context. By understanding other cultural logics, anthropology seeks to hold up a critical mirror to our own assumptions, beliefs and ways of acting. In short, it provides you with a toolkit to engage with cultural difference, whether in a different country or at home. We will discuss the concept of culture and the way anthropologists use it to study humanity. The material is drawn from Asian societies, and will include such topics as kinship and marriage, politics and law, religion and ritual, and economic organization, examined comparatively. Students will be introduced to the method of ethnographic interviewing, and will complete a fieldwork-based research project during the semester based on three interviews with a consultant from a microculture of their choosing.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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. Prerequisite(s): Not open to students who've taken ANTH 101.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP
Internationalism OR U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

Taught by a medical anthropologist with a research interest in ritual healing traditions, this course uses the lens of cultural anthropology to examine magic, witchcraft, and alternative religions around the world. Major themes include: the relationships between science, religion, and magic; psychosomatic healing; shamanism and altered states of consciousness; spirit possession and exorcism; witch hunts both past and present; and the science and ethics of debunking psychic claims. Students will work in small teams to conduct research on a topic of mutual interest and develop their own question for an independent paper. This course fulfills the introductory requirement for the anthropology major, though our approach is very interdisciplinary. Students with all manner of interests in the sciences, humanities, and social sciences are most welcome.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 101 or ANTH 111 or permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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. Prerequisite(s): One of the following: ANTH 101, ANTH 112, ANTH 115, ANTH 223, BIOL 112, BIOL 190, or BIOL 200.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

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.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP
Internationalism OR U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

Forensic anthropology, an applied subfield of biological (physical) anthropology, is a social science that uses methods developed in skeletal biology, archaeology, cultural anthropology and forensics to solve cases of medico-legal significance. This course provides an overview of the techniques that forensic anthropologists use in the laboratory for human identification and trauma analysis of individuals who died as a result of war, suicide, homicide, accident, or mass disaster. Students will learn scientific methodology covering human variation, basic human osteology and odontology, assessment of age at time of death, sex, ancestry, trauma analysis, pathology, crime scene analysis, animal scavenging, and identification procedures. Class discussions, reading assignments, writing assignments, labs, films, and popular media (websites, tv shows, etc.) will enhance students’ understanding of forensic anthropology.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

Embark on a transformative journey at the intersection of tradition and innovation in this dynamic course. Applied Anthropology and Human-Centered Design unite to empower you with the knowledge and skills to address pressing social issues. From Anthropology, you will draw on essential and time-honored qualitative research methods such as surveys, interviews, and focus groups to unravel the intricacies of the human experience. But that’s just the beginning. As a change-maker, you will also embrace the practical world of Human-Centered Design (HCD). You will learn to generate insights, fostering creativity through brainstorming and crafting prototypes. These multidisciplinary skills will not only prepare you for making a meaningful impact with empathy and precision but will also position you for life after college with highly sought-after, job-market-relevant abilities to address real-world challenges. Throughout the course, you will refine your storytelling acumen, enabling you to effectively thread your research findings and design solutions into compelling narratives. It will all come together as you work in teams to research a local issue, design a solution for it, and present it in an innovative pitch at the end of the semester. Are you ready for this fusion of classic anthropology and HCD to set the stage for meaningful change and professional success?

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course will focus on the social practice of genocide in the Global North and the Global South comparatively and in historical perspective, and from an anthropological lens. We will critically examine how the category of genocide was constructed and its application to different case studies (Jews, Indigenous Peoples in North America, Rwandan Tutsis, Bosnians, Cambodians, Guatemalan Mayans, Sudanese Darfurians, and Palestinians). The aim is to examine under what conditions societies engage in genocide, what sectors of a society become victims and victimizers and why. We will also discuss the role the state plays in the development and justification of genocide; and what has been done and whose responsibility it is to stop and prevent genocide. In the last part of the course, we will engage with questions related to the aftermath of genocide to understand how societies remember and recover from such a traumatic experience.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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. Prerequisite(s): Basic knowledge or experience in world music and performance recommended.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

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. Prerequisite(s): Junior or senior standing.  Students should have at least two courses in anthropology including ANTH 101 or ANTH 111, or the permission of the instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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. Prerequisite(s): Not open to students who've taken ANTH 111.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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. Prerequisite(s): Not open to students who've taken ANTH 101.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP
Internationalism OR U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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.

General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q1

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

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.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 101 or ANTH 111 or permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 101 or ANTH 111.

General Education Requirements:
U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

These days, there is a lot of talk about the changing terms of formal employment, and related concerns have only intensified in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Entrepreneurs, gig workers, online contractors and now an unprecedented number of telecommuters are challenging conventional models of the nine-to-five job. But nine-to-five has hardly been the norm throughout history, nor does it describe the typical work experience around the world today. This course takes an anthropological approach to consider the contemporary diversity of working worlds and worker experiences, as well as important historical shifts that have brought us to this moment, are currently underway, and will carry us into new working futures. Gender, race, class, and age are all deeply implicated in unequal systems here, as are powerful environmental, economic and political forces. Who has to work? Who gets to work? Who is able to work safely? Who is empowered by it and who is exploited? Why do we work? What/Whose work is most valued? When will the robots come for our jobs? …What might a world without work look like? Drawing on examples from around the world, and materials ranging from ethnographic writing and film to popular media, u/dystopian fiction, as well as our own personal experiences, we will take a comparative approach to these and other pressing questions raised by today’s diverse and shifting worlds of work.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism OR U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

This course examines the intersections of art and politics through the lens of activism, exploringhow artistic practices foster radical imagination to envision alternative futures. Our primaryfocus will be on socially engaged, relational, and participatory art within the public sphere,aiming to raise awareness, inspire action, and build communities. We will critically examine howart has addressed diverse social issues, including AIDS, racism, environmental justice,neoliberalism, economic inequality, sexual violence, gender inequality, anti-democracy, war, andhuman rights abuses, among others. Students will explore—both theoretically andpractically—the potential of art-making to drive social transformation on local, national, andglobal scales. We will also reflect on how art and activism can be closely related toanthropology.This course will empower students to become more civic-minded through creative, critical, andengaged activities, with an emphasis on connecting with local communities and resources.Coursework includes two projects: a semester-long initiative developed in partnership with anon-profit organization and a team project centered on a social issue of the student's choice.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

Cultural heritage sites, including libraries, archives and museums, have existed in some shape or form for a very long time. Computers, on the other hand, have only been a part of these institutions for about sixty years. Although technologies offer more efficient and cost-effective ways to store and disseminate information and promise greater accessibility to materials, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they successfully facilitate the missions of these cultural heritage sites or the needs of their visitors. Why is this the case? Do digital technologies truly have the potential to decentralize and democratize these spaces? What can they tell us about what we value, as a culture? In this interdisciplinary course, we will reflect on the impact of digital technologies on cultural heritage sites, and museums in particular, starting in the 1960s and continuing through the present, including discussion of how museums responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other things, students will learn how to collect, curate, and digitize objects, write and design an object label, and create an online exhibition. No prerequisites.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials

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. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 112, or ANTH 115, or ANTH 240 or permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Natural science and mathematics

Course Materials

This course explores the human determinants of infectiousdiseases ranging from Paleolithic parasites to 21 st Century pathogens. Yet even as weexamine the latest disease threats, we will find that their evolution and emergence inhuman populations are largely based on ancient and recurring themes – i.e. the ways thatpeople have interacted with, and disrupted, their natural and social environments.These lessons will help us gain further understanding into current issues such as animal-human spillover events, the evolution of virulence, and the inevitable rise of antibioticresistance. This course is especially geared for students who enjoy making connectionsbetween the social and natural sciences. Previous courses in biology and anthropology arerecommended but not required.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

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. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 111 or ANTH 101, and either ANTH 387 or ANTH 487.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Social science

Course Materials