Anthropology - ANT (46)
Administered by Department of Anthropology
Effective Spring 2009
46.101 Introduction to Anthropology (3) - A beginning course for students with no
background in anthropology. Provides an overview of peoples and cultures of the
world today and of the past as well as the fossil evidence for human evolution.
Topics may include living primates, magic and religion and kinship, marriage and
sex roles. Three hours lecture per week. Not for students who have taken
46.200, 46.210 or 46.220. This course is approved as a Diversity General
Education Course/This course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral
Sciences General Education Requirements.
46.102 Anthropology and World Problems (3) - Explores the origins of global
problems and evaluates the variety of cultural solutions to those problems.
Investigates cultural values and solutions of tribal peoples holistically and
compares them to those of industrialized nations in terms of their consequences
and implications. Three hours lecture per week. This course is approved as a
Diversity General Education Course/ This course approved as 3 credits of
Values, Ethics and Responsible Decision Making toward general education
requirements/This course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences
General Education Requirements.
46.200 Principles of Cultural Anthropology (3) - Provides a cross-cultural study of
all human behaviors in contemporary cultures. Topics surveyed include
socialization; language; sex, age and kinship roles; religion and magic; marriage
and the family; political and economic behavior; cultural change; and the arts.
Anthropological methodology and the concept of culture also are stressed. Three
hours lecture per week. This course is approved as a Diversity General
Education Course/This course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral
Sciences General Education Requirements.
46.210 Prehistoric Archaeology (3) - Provides a worldwide examination of human
prehistory from the origins of humankind to the development of early writing.
Focuses on regional differences and similarities in key evolutionary transitions
including sedentary lifeways, urban origins and the rise of states. Field methods
are also discussed. This course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral
Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
46.220 Human Origins (3) - Studies the emergence and development of humans,
the biological basis of human culture and society and the origin of the social units
of fossil humans. A review of non-human primates and their behavior is also
addressed. This course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences
General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
46.221 Forensic Anthropology (3) – This course is designed to explore the
methods of physical anthropology and archaeology in the analysis of human
skeletal remains resulting from unexplained deaths. Students will learn how race,
sex, age, stature, and cause of death are determined from the human skeleton.
Special attention will be paid to the cause and manner of death in fleshed bodies
so that students will take away a general knowledge of forensic pathology. This
course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education
Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
46.250 Neanderthals (3) – Explores the origin and fate of the prehistoric
population called Neanderthals. It will explore the historical and social
foundations of the Neanderthal debate and show how this debate is relevant to
our understanding of human biological, behavioral, and cultural differences. This
course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education
Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisite: None.
46.290 Race and Racism (3) – Examines race from holistic and cross-cultural
perspectives. The biological nature of race will be explored through the
investigation of the origins of human skill color, genetics, adaptation, and
variation. The socio-cultural aspect of race will be considered through the
comparative study of racial categories in cultures and societies from around the
world. Three hours lecture per week. This course is approved as a Diversity
General Education Course/This course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral
Sciences General Education Requirements. Prerequisites: None.
46.300 Archaeological Method and Theory (3) - Explores the modern theoretical
foundations of archaeology. Students read and discuss original contributions to
the field and learn methods in preparation for actual fieldwork. This course
counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education
Requirements.Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisite: 46.210 or consent of
the instructor.
46.301 Field Archaeology (3-6) - Provides field investigation of various prehistoric
cultures in northeastern United States. Students learn excavation and recording
techniques, visit important sites during field trips and become part of a unique
community that studies our past.
46.310 Aztecs and Mayans (3) - Surveys the prehistoric cultures of Mexico and
Central America. Emphasis on the development of Aztec and Mayan civilizations.
This course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General
Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. This course is approved
as a Diversity General Education Course.
46.311 Archaeology of Northeastern North America (3) - Surveys the prehistoric
cultures of the area from arrival of the first inhabitants through early historic
times. Provides a laboratory for the study of broader issues of socio-cultural
processes. This course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences
General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisite:
46.210 or consent of the instructor.
46.312 South American Archaeology (3) - A survey of prehistoric cultures of
South America. Emphasizes the civilizations of the Andean zone and the role
played by the Amazonian region in the development of Andean Cultures. This
course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education
Requirements/This course is approved as a Diversity General Education Course.
Prerequisites: 46.101 or 46.200 or 46.210 or consent of the instructor. Three
hours lecture per week.
46.320 Contemporary World Cultures (3) - Presents a comparative analysis of
selected non-European societies in contrasting cultural and natural areas.
Indicates stresses on the natural and social environment; national character;
religion and world view; and literary, artistic and musical expression. This course
counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education
Requirements/This course is approved as a Diversity General Education Course.
Three hours lecture per week.
46.330 Peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa (3) – Examines the prehistory of Africa
from the invention of agriculture to the rise of state-level civilizations; traditional
cultures of Sub-Saharan Africa; the colonial history and the emergence of
modern Africa; and the economic, political and health-related problems of
contemporary Africa. This course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral
Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
46.333 Ethnic Identity in the United States (3) - Explores the varieties of ethnic
experience in the United States. A uniquely anthropological perspective is utilized
to give students a sense of how a cultural-ethnic identity is formed and
maintained in our society. Special attention paid to Italians and Latinos (including
Puerto Ricans) as examples of extremely different immigrant experiences. This
course is approved as a Diversity General Education Course/This course counts
as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements.
Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisite: 46.200.
46.350 Medical Anthropology (3) - Studies of cross-cultural concepts of health,
illness and curing as well as health care delivery in industrialized cultures.
Includes the topics of divination and diagnosis, sorcery and witchcraft in healing,
public health and preventive medicine, alcoholism and drug use and the medical
knowledge of tribal and peasant societies. This course counts as a Group B,
Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours
lecture per week. This course is approved as a Diversity General Education
Course.
46.360 Pseudoscience (3) - Sharpens critical thinking skills and deepens
understanding of human belief systems and ethics by examining how science
operates and evaluating extraordinary ideas that claim to be scientific.
Investigates scientific-creationism, ESP, UFOs, fantastic archeology, dowsing
and others. This course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences
General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
46.370 Indigenous Cultures of Modern Mexico (3) - Presents an introduction to
the indigenous cultures of modern Mexico, including Nahua, Otomi, Purépecha,
Huastec, Zapotec, Mixtec and Maya. Focus is both historical and contemporary.
Treats such subjects as religion, sacred and secular rituals, customs, folk art,
sociopolitical organization, economics and culture change from an
anthropological perspective. Three hours lecture per week. This course is
approved as a Diversity General Education Course/This course counts as a
Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements.
Prerequisite: 46.101 or 46.102 or 46.200 or 46.310 or 46.430 or 46.333 or 46.340
or consent of instructor.
46.380 Men and Women: An Anthropological Perspective (3) - A cross-cultural
and evolutionary perspective on sex role behavior in past and contemporary
cultures. Examines sex roles in nonhuman primates and humans. Examines sex
roles in hunting and gathering, horticultural, pastoralist, peasant and other
preindustrial societies are described as well as sex roles in modern industrial
societies. Covers genetic and environmental theories of sex role behavior. This
course is approved as a Diversity General Education Course/This course
approved as 3 credits of Values, Ethics and Responsible Decision Making toward
general education requirements/This course counts as a Group B, Social &
Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements.Three hours lecture per
week. Prerequisite: 3 semester hours of anthropology.
46.385 Anthropology Research and Writing Skills (3) - Familiarizes students with
information sources in anthropology. Students learn how to access those sources
and to write and present research paper in anthropology. Basics of statistical
analysis are covered. Students write, revise and present a research paper on an
anthropological topic. This course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral
Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
Prerequisite: 46.200, 46.210, 46.220.
46.390 Socialization of the Child (3) - Examines life experience and adjustment
of the individual through infancy, middle childhood and youth. Reviews
contrasting methods of introducing children to adult economic, social and
religious activities. This course is approved as a Diversity General Education
Course/This course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General
Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisite: 46.200.
46.405 Primates (3) - Studies the various phenomena affecting primate behavior,
ecology, social life and socio-cultural adaption, with emphasis on the
development of socio-biological traits relating to human origins. This course
counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education
Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisite: 9 semester hours of
anthropology or 46.220 or any biology course.
46.440 Language and Culture (3) - The place of oral or non-oral language in
human evolution and contemporary cultures. Topics discussed include: dialectal
variation, discourse analysis, multilingualism, language and cognition and the
role of language in education. This course is approved as a Diversity General
Education Course/ This course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral
Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
46.450 Peoples and Cultures of South America (3) - Surveys introduction to the
aboriginal, non-literate cultures of South America including the ecological
background, archaeology and cultural patterns. This course is approved as a
Diversity General Education Course/This course counts as a Group B, Social &
Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per
week.
46.460 Applied Anthropology (3) - Provides an introduction to and critical
evaluation of the various specializations, ethical issues, career opportunities,
methods and theoretical orientations of applied anthropology, which involves the
application of anthropological knowledge to identify and solve human problems.
The course will utilize a holistic perspective through the synthesis of applied
specializations in cultural, biological, linguistic and archaeological anthropology.
This course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General
Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: 46.200,
46.210, 46.220 or consent of the instructor.
46.466 Independent Study in Anthropology (3) - Independent study by a student
with faculty guidance of a particular research problem in anthropology. The
research problem either extends current course content or deals with an area not
covered in the current course offerings in anthropology. A problem is chosen by
the faculty member and the student working together. This course counts as a
Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements.
46.470 History of Anthropological Thought and Theory (3) - Intensive survey of
the leading methods and theories of anthropological and ethnological
interpretation with special emphasis on the concept of culture and its practical
application to modern problems. This course counts as a Group B, Social &
Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per
week.
46.475 Field Methods in Cultural Anthropology (3) - Provides class discussion
and field experience in participant observation. Experience in interviewing,
surveying, kinship charting, mapping, studying complex organizations and writing
ethnographic field reports. This course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral
Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
46.480 Religion and Magic (3) - A comparative analysis of the origins, forms,
elements and symbolism of religious beliefs and behavior; the role of religion in
society with particular reference to nonliterate societies. Anthropological theories
and methods of religion, historical and contemporary. This course is approved as
a Diversity General Education Course/This course counts as a Group B, Social &
Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements.Three hours lecture per
week.
46.495 Special Topics in Anthropology (3) - Provides for instruction and student
research within selected areas of interest not available in other courses. This
course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education
Requirements. Prerequisite: 18 semester hours of anthropology or consent of the
instructor. Three hours lecture per week.
46.497 Internship in Anthropology (3-15) - An on-site training and learning
experience in anthropology that provides opportunities to apply theoretical and
descriptive knowledge of archaeology, cultural anthropology and physical
anthropology in private and government institutional settings.