208, 208W. Peoples of South Asia. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing; for 208W, English 110 is an additional prerequisite.
The region of South Asia comprises India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal and contains over one billion people, hundreds of languages and cultures and thousands of years of history. This is an area of ancient cultures, philosophies, and religions, but also a region of modern nations populated with film enthusiasts, cricket lovers, and literary stars. A variety of these classical and contemporary aspects of South Asian cultures will be examined. The course will feature an in-depth examination of the partition of India and Pakistan and its aftermath through readings and a “Reacting to the Past” role playing game. The course will also examine debates on the meaning of the caste system and an ethnographic study of social mobility and the meaning of “progress” in a South Indian community. In addition, students will be introduced to aesthetic features of South Asian cultures through eating South Asian foods and viewing a Bollywood film.
212, 212W. Peoples of the Middle East. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing; for 212W, English 110 is an additional prerequisite.
This course examines anthropological approaches to the Middle East and North Africa. We will investigate who inhabits this vast geographical area, as well as the region’s diverse traditions, beliefs, histories and practice. We will discuss the cultural changes that have emerged in the wake of social, political and economic transformations from the colonial period to the present. Previous knowledge of Middle Eastern history, geography or anthropology is not required.
215W. Peoples of the Caribbean. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing & English 110.
This course addresses the culture and societies of the Caribbean. Because of the Caribbean’s long history of economic exploitation and cultural diversity, it has been a region in which peoples meet. This has generated both innovation and enmity. Consequently, this course will examine relationships of the different groups which inhabit the region, their conflicts and creations, and the influence of global economic and political factors on the region.
235W. Ethnographic Writing. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: English 110 and a social science class.
A practice-based class in which students learn to write ethnographic accounts based on methods such as observation, interviewing, and oral history. Students read and discuss ethnographic texts, explore the politics and ethics of representation, and develop descriptive and analytical writing skills. Students also engage in peer review and revise drafts.
239, 239W. Topics in Cultural Anthropology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing; for 239W, English 110 is an additional prerequisite.
This course focuses on a topic in cultural anthropology that is not covered by one of our standing courses in cultural anthropology. The specific topic will be announced in the course list published by the department prior to the beginning of each semester. The course may be repeated provided the topic is not the same.
242, 242W. Archaeology of Europe. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing; for 242W, English 110 is an additional prerequisite.
This lecture course traces the major themes in the cultural development of Europe. From the florescence of Paleolithic art through the spread of Indo-European languages to the impact of the Roman Empire on the Celtic world, this course tracks the changing forms of social integration.
246, 246W. Archaeology of the Near East. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing; for 246W, English 110 is an additional prerequisite.
The Near East is considered the locus of many of the world’s most significant sociocultural “firsts,” including the origins of agriculture, the earliest cities, the earliest writing system, and some of the world’s oldest empires. This course reviews the archaeology of the Near East from the Mesolithic (ca. 18,000 BC) to the aftermath of the Bronze Age (ca. 1000 BC) and discusses current academic debates over some of the sociocultural “firsts” attributed to it. In addition, we will look at the history of archaeology in the region and consider its political context in the past and present.
276, 276W. Human Growth and Development. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: ANTH 102 or permission of the instructor; for 276W, English 110 is an additional prerequisite.
An examination of the human life cycle from an evolutionary perspective. Features of the human life cycle such as pregnancy, childbirth, child growth, parental behavior, reproductive behavior, and aging will be compared to those of non-human primates and extinct hominins to try to understand how, when, and why the particular features of the human life cycle evolved.
290, 290W. Topics in Anthropology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: English 110; for 290W, English 110 is an additional prerequisite.
This course focuses on a topic in anthropology that is not covered by one of our standing courses in cultural anthropology. The specific topic will be announced in the course list published by the department prior to the beginning of each semester. The course may be repeated provided the topic is not the same.
361, 361W. Human Variation. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 260 or two college biology courses and junior standing; for 361W, English 110 is an additional prerequisite.
Humans live in a greater variety of environments than any other animal. This course will examine the ways in which humans adapt biologically and culturally to different environments, and how this adaptation has produced the biological variation seen in contemporary human populations. Major topics to be covered include human growth, nutritional variation, disease, and adaptations to climatic stresses such as heat, cold, high altitude and solar radiation.