INTRODUCTORY
COURSES
Anthropology
101, 102, and 103 are designed to give a meaningful survey of
anthropology, and are a recommended as a suite. There is no necessary
sequence.
101.
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology 3
hr.; 3 cr.
This
course introduces students to the range of human cultural diversity
through an exploration of the variety of societies and cultures of the
world. The course also familiarizes students with the methods and
theories that anthropologists use to describe, analyze and explain
cultures.
102.
Introduction to Human Evolution 3
hr.; 3 cr.
A
survey of the basic principles of: evolution and genetics, biological
variation in living human populations, a comparison of humans and other
primates, and the fossil evidence of human evolution.
103.
Introduction to Archaeology 3
hr.; 3 cr.
This
course traces major developments in human history and illustrates the
methods archaeologists use to study the past. It investigates the
origins of cultural behavior, domestication, social inequality, and
cities. Students will also explore how ancient and present-day people
use(d) material culture to understand, create, and commemorate their
histories.
104./LCD
104 Language, Culture, and Society 3
hr.; 3 cr.
The
role of language as a significant aspect of culture as well as
linguistic and cultural diversity around the world is considered in
this survey of anthropological linguistics.
108./LCD
101. Introduction to Language. 3 hr.;
3 cr.
A
survey of the study of language: Structure, language and society, first
and second laguage acquisition, and other related topics.
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INTERMEDIATE-LEVEL
COURSES
Intermediate-level courses are sophomore and junior-level courses
designed to provide focused examples of the methods and results of
anthropological research. The concepts presented in the Introductory
courses are
applied to geographical areas and theoretical issues. Each semester the
department publishes more detailed descriptions of the Area and Topics
courses.
200.
History of Anthropology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prerequisites: 6 credits in anthropology or permission of instructor.
A survey of anthropological theories, methods, and practitioners from
anthropology's inception to the present.
201.
Essentials of Cultural Anthropology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prerequisites: 6 credits in social science or sophomore standing.
Ethnography - the descriptive study of peoples - is the cornerstone of
anthropological endeavor. This course explores the relationship between
intensive examinations of small populations and broad interpretations
of the human condition. Emphasis is placed on close analyses of
ethnographies representing different theoretical positions.
204.
Anthropology of Islam. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq. ANTH 101 or permission of the instructor.
Introduction to the diversity of Islamic traditions and local practices
from an anthropological perspective. The course explores the variety of
Islamic practices and beliefs in the world, and also focuses on the
particular debates and transformations of religion in the modern world.
205.
Peoples of Mexico and Central America. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing. +
206.
Peoples of South America. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing. +
This
course will foster an ethnographic and historical understanding of the
peoples and cultures of South America. It will explore the concept of
Latin America and the peoples, institutions, and types of knowledge
that have helped produce it. We will review the multiple ethnic and
racial groups, social classes, government institutions, and cultural
manifestations found within modern South American nation-states, as
well as some key historical processes. We will consider South America's
relation to the rest of the world, emphasizing impact on the lives of
people, and the importance of Latin American nation-state formations to
the theories of the modern polity. We will focus on questions of
citizenship, exclusion and belonging through the lens of racial
ideologies, battles over land, labor and political autonomy, the
concept of indigeneity, gender relations, definitions of community, and
family and personhood.
207.
Native North Americans. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing.
208, 208W.
Peoples of South Asia. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing. ++
209.
Peoples of Europe. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing. ++
210.
Peoples of East Asia. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing. ++
This
course examines contemporary cultures of East Asia from an
anthropological perspective. Primary topics include popular culture,
globalization, media/film, gender, social movements, nationalism,
history, identity, and power.
211.
Peoples of Africa. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing. ++
What are the various historical imaginations of Africa both on the
continent and in diaspora? How has Africa as an idea been important to
radical imaginations for different futures? This course will address
the peoples, struggles, and institutions that are integral to the
production of Africa in the past, present, and future. Topics covered
will include race, class, politics, migration, gender, and religion.
Students will read a variety of literary and anthroplogical texts and
engage in media examinations of Africa as space, place, and idea.
212.
Peoples of the Middle East. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
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. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prerequisite: 6 credits in social science or sophomore standing.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing. ++
213.
Peoples of the Contemporary United States. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing. ++
What is "American culture"? How is it understood and experienced by
Native, white, black, Latino, and Asian Americans, and by persons of
different gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, immigrant/citizen
status, and economic position? Anthropologists engage these big
questions in ethnographic case studies of particular groups and
locales, and they interpret their findings within wider cultural,
historical, and political economic contexts. Through ethnographies,
films, and class lectures drawing on the instructor's fieldwork in
Queens, this course applies anthropological thinking to current debate
about race, immigration, family life, sexuality, youth culture, the
elderly, religious pluralism, and economic transformation in the
contemporary USA.
214.
Peoples of New York City. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing. ++
215W. Peoples of the Caribbean. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing. ++
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.
216. Peoples of Southeast Asia. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing.
Long a crossroads of trade and migration, Southeast Asia is one of the
most diverse, dynamic and complex regions of the world. home to inland
peasants and coastal traders; Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, and
Animists; economic "miracles" and crushing poverty; fledgling
democracies and cruel dictatorships; bustling globla cities and remote
highlands, Southeast Asia defies easy description. This course will
introduce students to this culturally diverse region and to some
contemporary themes in the anthropology of Southeast Asia.
219.
Topics in Cultural Area Studies. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing.
Topics will be announced. This course may be repeated provided the
topic is not the same. ++
220.
Food and Culture. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing.
This course introduces students to anthropological concepts and
research that bear on the subjects of food, eating, nutrition, and
disease. Topics covered include origins of human food-related
behaviors; changing dietary patterns as revealed by archaeology and
physical anthropology; cultural aspects of diet, disease, and
malnutrition; the relationship between diet and social organization, as
well as symbolic aspects of human food taboos and preferences. +
222.
Sex, Gender and Culture. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing.
This course will examine the social construction of gender in a wide
range of cultures. Beginning with the question of the degree to which
gender roles are biologically determined, we will focus our attention
on the divergence of gender roles and the nature of gender inequality
throughout the world. We will analyze power dynamics between men and
women at the household level, the community level, and in the larger
context of the state for a variety of societies ranging from foragers
in Africa to peasants in China, to professionals in the United States.
We will discuss the ways in which women in different cultures obtain
degrees of autonomy and power within their cultural contexts. The
course will draw on theoretical and ethnographic readings dealing
primarily with non-western societies. +
224.
Religion: Belief and Ritual. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing. ++
225.
Medical Anthropology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing.
This course focuses on the interaction of cultural, biological, and
ecological factors that may influence human health. Specific areas to
be covered will include the transmission of infectious disease,
nutritional deficiencies, and inherited diseases. +
232. Photography and the Visual World. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing.
Development of perceptual, interpretive, and technical skills for the
use of visual media in ethnographic representation.
233.
Race, Class and Ethnicity. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing.
Physical differences among human populations are complex, continuous
and include many more invisible than visible traits. After brief
consideration of human genetic variation around the world, we examine
cultural schemes that segment and compress this diversity into a small
number of "races." Racial systems emerge in particular historical and
cultural settings, always involve differences in power, and vary from
society to society. Readings and lectures focus on inequality and its
relationship to concepts of race, ethnicity, and class in different
parts of the world. ++
236. Culture and Learning. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Sophomore standing and English 110.
This discussion-based seminar focuses on critically
examining the concept of learning, as seen from an Anthropological
perspective. students will gain an understanding of learning as a
dynamic, culturally-framed process by exploring examples of child
socialization practices around the world and by considering the
continuation of enculturation into adulthood in varied cultural
contexts. We wil discuss ethnographic writings and films in order to
explore the theoretical and practical processes of learning in
childhood and beyond. In addition to regular reading responses on
ethnographic material, longer written student projects will provide
opportunities for building skills in critical thinking, analysis,
synthesis, and research.
237. Violence. 3 hr.; 3 cr.,+
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing.
Violence
takes many forms, from the everyday violence of inequality, poverty,
and discrimination to more spectacular forms such as war, terrorism,
and mass shootings. This course examines how anthropologists use
ethnographic methods to explore the many causes and forms of violence,
as well as the ways that individuals and communities try to rebuild
their shattered worlds in the aftermath of violent conflict.
238.
Research Design and Method. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in anthropology.
This course shows students how anthropologists go about answering the
questions they ask. We look at how research is designed, how data are
collected and analyzed, and how empirical results are presented.
Students will learn the fundamentals of sampling, descriptive and
inferential statistics, and techniques for displaying relationships
graphically. ++
239,
239W Topics in Cultural Anthropology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing.
Topics will be announced.
The Course may be repeated provided the topic is not the same. It may
be offered as a Writing Intensive Course. ++
240.
Essentials of Archaeology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing.
An examination of archaeological techniques and methods of
interpretation that provide the basis for reconstruction of the
lifeways of past cultures.
241.
The Aztecs, Maya, and Olmecs. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing.
The development of complex societies in Mexico and Central America
focusing on the Olmecs, Maya, Aztecs, Mixtecs, and Teothuacan. Pre-16th
century development of agriculture, the concept of zero, intricate
calendars, writing, political and religious hierarchies, and immense
ceremonial architecture in relation to general explanations for the
emergence and collapse of complex societies. ++
242,
242W. Archaeology of Europe. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing.
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. ++
243.
Archaeology of North America. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing.
Examines the development of North American cultures from the arrival of
humans on the continent, through the impact of European colonization. ++
245.
Archaeology of South America. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing. Examines
the development of cultures from the first peopling of South America to
the arrival of the Europeans. ++
246,
246W. Archaeology of the Near East. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing.
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. ++
248. World of the Vikings.3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Sophomore standing or permission of instructor.
This
course focuses on early Norse culture, migration, and settlement across
the North Atlantic ca. 750 - 1050 A.D. Issues related to Viking raids,
shipbuilding, social organization and integration, agriculture, and
religion are explored through archaeological evidence and historical
references. How we know what we think we know about the Norse is
critically examined so as to provide a more nuanced view beyond the
received wisdom and popular interpretations of the Vikings in the media.
249.
Topics in Archaeological Area Studies.3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing or
permission of instructor.
Topics will be announced. Course may be repeated provided the topic is
not the same. ++
250.
Field Methods in Archaeology. 250.1-250.6, 1-6
hr.; 1-6 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 103 or 240.
Field training in archaeological survey and excavation in actual
selected field sites. Basic archaeological field techniques will be
taught and students will develop skills in scientific data-recording
procedures. Prehistoric sites will be located, mapped, and
described, and cultural materials will be recovered in the field for
subsequent laboratory analysis. Course may be retaken, for a
maximum combined total of 6 credits.++
252. Historical Archaeology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing.
This course provides an introduction to Historical Archaeology and
explores the ways in which archaeologists use material culture, in
conjunction with the documentary record and oral history, to
reconstruct the details of the human past from 1500 to 1900 AD.
In particular, the course addresses the key research themes within the
subfield of Historical Archaeology: race, gender, class, ethnic
identity, migration & diaspora, trade & exchange, and
commensality. Drawing from recent theoretical and methodological
developments within the discipline, this course addresses the ways in
which Historical Archaeology is used to understand the daily lives of
individuals in North America, the Caribbean, Australia, Western Africa,
China, and Europe – especially those of underrepresented communities.
256. Archaeology of Food. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: ANTH 240.
As an intensely social activity, food plays a central role in our
lives. This course focuses on the study of food as a way to understand
past prehistoric and historic-period societies. Using case studies, we
will examine the origin, development, and cultural significance of the
foods we eat, delve into the fole of food in human evolution, follow
the development of foodways through time, and learn how archaeologists
use a wide range of artifacts, features, plant and animal remains, and
biochemical data to recover information about foods.
258. Cultural Property, Heritage and the Law. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Sophomore standing.
This
course addresses the politics of heritage, the destruction of
antiquities, indigenous rights, and control over cultural practices and
products. It introduces students to the debates and policies that have
developed around these issues over the past 40 years, and it introduces
how the U.S. and international legal systems work in the context of
cultural policy.
259.
Topics in Archaeology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 103 or 240.
Topics will be announced. Course may
be repeated provided the topic is not the same. ++
260.
Essentials of Biological Anthropology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 102 or any college biology course.
An
in-depth overview of the method and theory of biological anthropology
to solidify student understanding of the discpline's key concepts via
in-class discussion and hands-on exercises.
262.
Introduction to Primates. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 102 or permission of department.
A comprehensive overview of the Order Primates from both a biological
and a behavioral/ecological focus, this course examines the
similarities and differences between human and primate behavior and
biology and their implications for human evolution. +
264. Faunal Analysis. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 102 or any college biology course.
This
course gives students training in the study of animal bones from
archaeological and paleontological sites. It will begin with a broad
survey of skeletons from a variety of animals (mammals, birds,
reptiles, and fish) and then will focus on the bones of the
white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus),
a medium-sized ungulate commonly found at archaeological sites.The
class period is divided between lecture and lab time. Students will be
involved in hands-on identification of bones, and will learn how to
identify damage on bones made from a variety of processes including
weathering, butchery with stone tools, and carnivore feeding.
Experiments will be carried out to illustrate the relationship between
particular activities and specific types of bone damage.
270. Evolutionary Medicine. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 102 or any college biology course.
This course is an introduction to the principles and methods used by
epidemiologists to determine the causes and study the distribution of
diseases in human populations. Cultural aspects of disease are
integrated with archaeology and physical anthropology in a broad
historical survey to illustrate the impact of disease on historic
populations. +
271. Human Biology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 102 or any college biology course.
This course investigates the inner workings of human biology using a
biocultural approach. Biocultural perspectives consider the
evolutionary, social and biological factors that underpin human
biology, and shape health and disease. This course introduces the basic
structures of the integumentary (i.e., skin), blood, skeletal,
respiratory, endocrine, circulatory, lymphatic and reproductive systems
with interactive lab activities. We will move beyond simple mechanistic
explanations and explore biocultural and evolutionary explanations for
individual and population-level differences across these systems. This
course employs the critical lens of health inequity/disparity
literature to examine how risk of pathologies/disruptions to these
systems are focused on marginalized populations within the United
States. Case studies from anthropological research will be incorporated
into discussion across a range of topics including but not limited to
sickle-cell anemia, osteoporosis, psychosocial stress and health,
COVID-19, and premature births.
272.
The Human Skeleton. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 102 or any college biology course.
Using an anthropological and evolutionary perspective, this course
combines an anatomical and functional approach in order to acquaint
students with the human skeleton and identification of skeletal
remains. Also introduces students to metric studies and to the use of
osteometric and anthropometric instruments. ++
275.
Disease in the Past. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 102 or any college biology course.
Health and biocultural adaptations in prehistoric populations will be
explored by examining the effects that stressors such as infectious
disease, poor nutrition, traumatic injury, and occupational hazards
have on the skeletal system. ++
276,
276W. Human Growth and Development. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: ANTH 102 or permission of the instructor.
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.
279.
Topics in Biological Anthropology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 102 or 260 or any college biology course.
Topics will be announced. Course may be repeated provided the topic is
not the same. ++
280./LCD
280. Language and Social Identity. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: 6 credits in social science, in courses in the
Department of Linguistics and Communication Disorders, or by
permission of instructor.
This course will introduce the linguistic and social theories that are
used to examine the relationship between identities and the use of
language. It explores these issues through reading
ethnographic accounts and conducting projects in conversational
analysis. +
282. Linguistic Subjectivities in Latin America. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: ANTH 104 or LCD 101, or permission of instructor.
An exploration of the relationship between language and social life in
Latin America through ethnographic work. Students will be introduced to
some of the most important theoretical discussions in linguistic
anthropology and to relevant ethnographic cases that illuminate those
discussions. Ethnographic case studies will focus on Indigenous and
Black communities and will be divided into the following geographical
areas: Mexico and Central America, the Caribbean, the Andes and
Amazonia, and finally, Brazil and Venezuela.
285./LCD
205. Sociolinguistics. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anth 108/LCD101, or LCD 105, or Anth 104/LDC104
Introduction to the study of the relationship between language and
society. Socio-cultural factors which influence language
form, use, and history.
289.
Topics in Linguistic Anthropology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: 6 credits in social science or in courses in the Department of
Linguistics and Communication Disorders, or sophomore standing, or by
permission of instructor.
Topics will be announced. Course may be repeated once for credit
provided the topic is different.
290, 290W.
Topics in Anthropology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: English 110.
This course will have exams that include essay questions and 10-15
pages of writing (either several short papers or one longer paper done
in stages). Opportunity will be provided for students to
receive feedback or their writing and for explanation of the
necessary ingredients of a good paper and good
writing. May be repeated for credit provided the topic is
different.
295.
Independent Studies in Anthropology. 295.1-295.6,
1-6 hr.; 1-6 cr.
Prereq.:
Three of the introductory anthropology courses (101, 102, 103, 104),
one course from among Anthropology 201, 235, 240 or 260, and permission
of the instructor.
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ADVANCED COURSES
The 300-level courses are designed to integrate
the major with seminars and research. These are Senior level courses
often with frequent writing assignments.
302.
Ecology and Culture. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Nine credits in anthropology and junior standing.
This seminar focuses on the question, why do cultures change? Taking
ethnographic and archaeological examples of foragers, herders and
farmers, the class will examine the relationship between environmental
change, human population growth, technological change, the organization
of the economy, and the exercise of power. ++
304.
Anthropology of Development. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Twelve credits in anthropology including 200 and 201 as a pre-
or co-requisite or permission of instructor.
Third world and indigenous peoples are being incorporated more fully
into the modern world system by means of processes generally labeled as
"development." Through an examination of several cases, this course
will analyze the economic, political, cultural, demographic, and
ecological impacts of this process. ++
306.
Anthropology of Religion. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Twelve credits in anthropology including 200 and 201 as a
prerequisite or co-requisite or permission of instructor.
This course explores theoretical debates in anthropology concerning
religion. In doing so, it addresses both the issue of general theories
of religion and their applicability in specific cultural contexts .+
308.
Urban Anthropology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Twelve credits in anthropology including 200 and 201 as a
prerequisite or co-requisite or permission of instructor.
An introduction to cities in historical and global perspective, this
course examines urban origins, theories of development of
pre-industrial cities, transformations of urban life in the industrial
revolution, and the interplay of race, ethnicity, class and gender in
contemporary cities around the world. Final focus is on U.S. centers
and forms of cultural and economic integration that mark all
settlements in the contemporary global arena. +
309.
Psychological Anthropology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Nine credits in anthropology, including 201 or 240 or 260. ++
This course examines the major theoretical movements in the field of
psychological anthropology by surveying four major issues in the field:
the relationship of phylogeny and ontogeny; motivation, personality,
and mental illness; ethnopsychologies; and cognition. In all four, the
central theme is the relationship of culture to behavior or thought.
320.
Contemporary Anthropological Theory. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Twelve credits in anthropology including 200 and 201 as a
prerequisite or co-requisite or permission of instructor.
This course provides an overview of contemporary anthropological
theory, including symbolic, interpretive, Marxist, poststructuralist,
postmodern, feminist and historical anthropology. We will read articles
by leading theorists and ethnographies, which utilize contemporary
theory.++
330.
Seminar in Cultural Anthropology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Twelve credits in anthropology including 200 and 201 as a pre-
or co-requisite or permission of instructor.
Course may be repeated for credit provided the topic is different.
332. Anthropology of Memory. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Twelve credits in anthropology, including 200 and 201 as prerequisites or corequisites or permission of instructor.
Our memories are central to who we are. Although we generally think
about remembering as something that happens in our minds, even our most
personal recollections are shaped through social interactions and
practices. Moreover, nations, communities, families, and other social
groups also memorialize the past as part of the process by which
present-day identities are debated and consolidated. This course will
examine connections between individual and collective memory and the
processes through which representations of the past are produced and
challenged. We will pay special attention to the media of
memory—including visual images, rituals, oral histories, monuments, and
landscapes—that shape how the past is recalled and selectively
forgotten. Whose memories are heard, and whose are silenced? How do the
politics of the present affect our memories of the past? Students will
be introduced to a range of approaches scholars in anthropology and
other disciplines use to analyze the interplay of personal and cultural
memory and the relationship between power, memory, and forgetting. In
addition to reading, students will gain hands-on experience in
conducting interviews, workshopping proposals, designing a memorial,
and other exercises that we will do in class.
340.
Archaeological Method and Theory. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Twelve credits in anthropology, including 240 and at least one
course numbered 241 to 259, and junior standing.
In this seminar, students will examine the theories that have guided
archaeological research, and the methods developed to pursue these
goals.
342.
Origins of Complex Society. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Nine credits in anthropology, including at least two courses
numbered 200 or higher.
This course examines the appearance and development of
institutionalized inequalities, and the major forms of political
organization humans have devised. Proposed explanations for these
phenomena will be evaluated against ethnographic and archaeological
examples of complex societies. ++
350.
Seminar in Archaeology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Twelve credits in anthropology including at least one course
numbered 240 to 259 and junior standing.
Course may be repeated for credit provided the topic is different. ++
354. Time. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: ANTH 101 or 103, and 6 credits of courses which satisfy the
Analyzing Social Structures PLAS requirement, 3 credits of Culture and
Values, and 3 credits of Natural Science. The exploration of human
understanding and experience of time from multiple perspectives
including the social sciences, philosophy, literature, and the natural
sciences.
361, 361W.
Human Variation. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 260 or two college biology courses and junior
standing.
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.
362.
Human Paleontology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 260 or two college biology courses and junior
standing.
Human paleontology is a study of the fossil evidence for human
evolution. This class will examine morphological diversity of extinct
human taxa, to better understand the biological relationships,
behaviors, and adaptations of our extinct relatives, and to gain a
deeper understanding of when the characteristics defining modern humans
emerged.†
363. Interpreting the Human Skeleton. 3 hr. lec., 1 hr.
lab.; 4 cr.
Prereq.: ANTH 260 or two college level biology courses, ANTH 272, ANTH
103, and junior standing.
An interdisciplinary approach to research on human skeletal remains
from archaeological contexts, introducing students to widely accepted
methods for reconstructing patterns of subsistence, diet, disease,
demography, and physical activity based principally on the analysis of
such remains.
368. Evolution and Human Behavior. 3 hr.; 3 cr.,3 hrs. 3 credits. Prerequisites: 12 credits in Anthropology, including Anthropology 101 and 102.
This
course focuses on two general areas of inquiry that link evolutionary
theory with human behavior. The first is the use of behavioral and
ecological data from nonhuman primates and modern humans, in concert
with evidence from the fossil record, to reconstruct social and
ecological evolution in hominins from ca. 5 million years ago to the
present. The second is the use of evolutionary theory to elucidate
modern human cognition and behavior. This course involves a critical
examination of the theory behind these general areas of inquiry as well
as the research findings themselves. This is a seminar course that
involves reading and discussion of original research in a small
classroom setting.
369.
Primate Behavior and Ecology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.,
Prereq.: Anthropology 260 or 262 or two college biology courses and
junior standing, or permission of the instructor.
Examination of the behavior and ecology of non-human primates --
lemurs, lorises, galagos, tarsiers, monkeys and apes -- from a
biological and evolutionary perspective. Topics include feeding
ecology, predation, socioecology, sexual selection, kin selection,
altruism, dominance, life history, reproduction, mating behavior,
reproductive strategies, cognition, social intellegence, and
communication. The behavioral ecology of primates will also be compared
to that of other mammals as a means of seeing how primates fit into
their natural world.
370.
Seminar in Biological Anthropology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Twelve credits in anthropology, including at least one course
numbered 260-279, and junior standing.
Course may be repeated for credit provided the topic is different. ++
375. The Human-Primate Interface.
Prereq.: Senior standing.
Exploration of the interface between humans and nonhuman primates from
a multidisciplinary perspective. Topics include the behavioral biology
and ecology of nonhuman primates; the contribution that nonhuman
primates can make to the study of the evolution of social behavior and
language in humans; the history of primatology as a science; gender
issues in science and primatology; the cultural role of primates in
societies past and present; the relationship between humans and animals
from a philosophical perspective; and historical, economic, and
ecological issues related to nonhuman primate conservation,
commensalism, and human-wildlife conflict across the globe.
380.
Seminar in Linguistic Anthropology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: 12 credits in anthropology or linguistics, or by permission of
instructor.
Topics will be announced. Course may be repeated for credit provided
the topic is different.
Anth/LCD 388. Voices of New York. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Immigration
has brought hundreds of languages to our city, but what happens to
these languages and their speakers once they are here and in contact in
New York? What effects do they have on the English spoken here? Is the
traditional New York dialect dying out? Is it changing? How distinct is
the English of Latinos? East Asian Americans? Africans? South Asians?
Do people from different neighborhoods or boroughs speak differently?
Which heritage languages are being maintained and which ones are
disappearing? Why? How are immigrants' languages changing? What are the
effects of peer-culture such as Hip Hop, Skaters, Geeks, etc. on
language? Voices of New York is a seminar for students to explore these
questions by conducting their own original research. As they answer
their questions, students will learn how to design, conduct, analyze,
and present data and conclusions. They will thus gain valuable research
skills, which can be applied in other classes as well as in academics,
science, government service, and business.
390.
Senior Honors Thesis. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Major in anthropology, junior standing, at least 21 credits
completed, a grade point average of 3.5 and departmental permission.
Majors who have a grade point average of 3.5 or better and who would
like to receive high honors in Anthropology, may apply to write a
Senior Honors Thesis. They should apply to the department during their
junior year for permission. The honors thesis will be on a subject
chosen by them in consultation with a member of the faculty. A faculty
member will work with them to develop an appropriate research project,
prepare a bibliography and establish a research design appropriate to
the project. Students who complete this project with a B or better will
receive high honors in Anthropology.
395.1
- 395.6. Directed Studies in Anthropology. 1-6 hr.; 1-6
cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology major with at least 24 credits in anthropology
and junior standing, or permission of instructor.
The student undertakes a topic of study on an independent basis and
pursues it under the supervision of a member of the faculty. This
course may be repeated provided the topic is not the same. No more than
6 credits can be taken in the 395 series. ++
397.1
- 397.12. Directed Research in Anthropology. 1-12 hr.;
1-12 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology major with at least 24 credits in anthropology
and junior standing, or permission of instructor.
The student undertakes an individual research problem and pursues it
under the supervision of a member of the faculty. Maximum of 12 credits
applicable to Baccalaureate Degree. No more than 12 credits can be
taken in the 397 series.
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