Anthropology
AN 101 Introduction to Anthropology. One unit. A survey course to acquaint students with the basic principles of anthropological thinking, as well as with some of the discipline's research techniques. These will be explored through work in the four traditional subfields of anthropology: human biology, archaeology, linguistic and cultural anthropology. Offered fall and spring semesters.
Mark McEwan (01) T,R 2:40 – 4:10 PM
Alexa Dietrich (02) W,F 11:20 -12:50 PM
Michael Scholl (03) W,F 8:00 – 9:30 AM
AN 201(I) Comparative Cultures . One unit. This course will introduce basic concepts and theories of cultural anthropology, engaging students in an ongoing discussion of what culture means and how it is enacted and reflected in everyday life. The course will focus on the in-depth reading of /ethnographic research/ (case studies of how people live in the world and the kinds of problems they face). Through hands-on activities students will also learn how cultural anthropologists formulate their questions, and how they gather and process ethnographic information, paying particular attention to ethical issues. Students will learn how to think critically about present-day debates on diversity, cultural relativism, the social invention of categories, and other common areas in which the idea of culture is often used. This course provides a foundation for students in fields that utilize or benefit from cultural analysis, including, though not limited to, those majoring or minoring in Anthropology. Offered spring semester
Alexa Dietrich W,F 9:40-11:10 AM
AN 212 Archaeology. One unit. An introduction to archaeology as a method of studying the human past. This course explores field methods, data interpretation, archaeological theory, and the relevance of archaeology to the modern world. Offered spring semester
Mark McEwan T,R 11:20 – 12:50 PM
AN 235(D) North American Archaeology: The Prehistory of Native Americans. One unit. This course is an introduction to prehistory and early history of North America. Using the tools of archaeology and anthropology we will explore Native American cultures and economies from the earliest colonization of North America through the early period of European contact. Throughout the course we will focus on how human cultural, social, and political activities shaped and were shaped by the environment. This information will provide a context for understanding more recent historical and present day conditions of Native Americans. Offered alternate spring semesters
Celeste Gagnon T,R 9:40 – 11:10 AM
AN 240(I) The Raw and the Cooked: Anthropological Perspectives on Food . One unit. Everybody eats, but how do we choose what to eat? The answers to this question are constrained by our metabolic needs, the foods that are available to us, and our beliefs about food and nutrition. Using a biocultural perspective we will examine the ways in which foods have shaped our evolution, our history and environment, and our current world. We will investigate the complex activities through which people produce, prepare, present, consume, and think about food. This course provides an introduction the discipline of anthropology and the methods and questions of its main subdisciplines. Offered alternate spring semesters.
Celeste Gagnon M,W 1:00 – 2:30 PM
AN 241 Forensic Anthropology and Human Osteology. One unit. Five hours combined lecture and laboratory weekly. This course is an introduction to the field of forensic anthropology, the application of biological anthropology in legal contexts. This course will also introduce students to human osteology, the study of the human skeleton. Students will explore the principles and methods of forensic anthropology through lecture, reading, and laboratory experience. The course will focus not only on the sciences of human osteology and forensic anthropology, but will examine the legal framework in which they are applied, including criminal contexts, mass disasters, and human rights violations. Offered alternate spring semesters
Celeste Gagnon T,R 1:00 – 2:30 PM
AN 325 (H) (HI)Culture, Power and Place . One unit. This course introduces the student to the field of political anthropology, the study of power in situated cultural contexts, with an emphasis in international examples. Case studies examine a variety of social movements, notably environmentalism and nationalism. We will consider the importance of ecology, religion, symbolism, and local politics in the context of a long and continuing process of globalization. Offered alternate spring semesters.
Alexa Dietrich T,R 11:20 – 12:50 PM