Spring 2019

ANTH 1120 Pueblo Indians of the US Southwest

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 17:40:12 +0000

ANTH 1120 Pueblo Indians of the US Southwest Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/26/2018 - 10:40

Pueblo Indian communities are some of the most vibrant and distinctive native societies in the US today. In this course we will examine the archaeology, history, geography, social institutions and religious values of Pueblo Indian peoples. In the process, we will see how Pueblo cultures illustrate important ideas and debates in anthropology, including: the concept of culture; the influence of language on thought; the grounding of culture in human biology; belief vs. reason; oral tradition and history; and relationships between society and the environment.

Professor Scott Ortman

See the University Catalog for specifics, recommendations, and prerequisites.

Traditional

White

ANTH 1155 Culture and Environment

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 17:39:42 +0000

ANTH 1155 Culture and Environment Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/26/2018 - 10:39

Many researchers in the environmental sciences argue that human activities on the planet have created a new geological epoch: the Anthropocene. Arguments abound about what date should demarcate the onset of the Anthropocene – the rise in global consumption of goods and resources since the 1950s, the Industrial Revolution in 1800, or perhaps the origins of agriculture thousands of years ago. The goal of this class is to explore this topic. How long have humans been impacting the planet? What kinds of changes can we see from human activities on the global biosphere? And most importantly, what have we done and what can we do in the future to mitigate ecological degradation, biodiversity loss, massive extinctions, and climate change? This course will approach these questions anthropologically through an appreciation of how different cultures and peoples interact with their environments. We will thereby gain a deep understanding through both time and space of the varied relationships that humans have had with the plants, animals, and material resources found on their landscapes.

Professor Jerry Jacka

See the University Catalog for specifics, recommendations, and prerequisites.

Traditional

White

ANTH 3000 Primate Behavior

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 16:40:31 +0000

ANTH 3000 Primate Behavior Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/26/2018 - 09:40

While we humans tend to focus on ourselves, the goal of this course is to examine the natural history and behavior of your closest relatives, the nonhuman primates. Through lectures, streaming videos and web based materials, you will explore the diversity of primates from an evolutionary, biological and ecological perspective. Topics will include a broad survey of primate taxonomy and adaptations, primate ecology, social behavior, life history and cognition. By the end of the course you will 1) have a working knowledge of primate taxonomy; 2) understand the basic primate biology and adaptation and the ecological and social context that selects for these traits and 3) better understand yourself as a mammal, a primate and a human! This course is approved for the arts and sciences core curriculum in the natural sciences.

Professor Michelle Sauther

See the University Catalog for specifics, recommendations, and prerequisites.

Traditional

White

ANTH 4020 / 5020 Explorations in Anthropology: Landscape Archaeology

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 16:30:19 +0000

ANTH 4020 / 5020 Explorations in Anthropology: Landscape Archaeology Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/26/2018 - 09:30

Throughout history, landscapes have affected human actions, and human actions have affected landscapes. The complex interactions between humans and the environment help shape who we are, where and how we live, and what we do. In this course, we will consider what landscapes are, how archaeologists study them, and why such study is important. We will examine features that lie between archaeological sites, as well as different types of landscapes, including sacred and political ones. Perhaps most importantly, we will consider landscape archaeology’s practical impacts and tangible benefits.

Professor Sarah Kurnick

See the University Catalog for specifics, recommendations, and prerequisites.

Traditional

White

ANTH 4020 / 5020 Explorations in Anthropology: The Anthropology of Mining

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 16:28:00 +0000

ANTH 4020 / 5020 Explorations in Anthropology: The Anthropology of Mining Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/26/2018 - 09:28

This course examines contemporary issues in the anthropology of mining. We begin with a historical approach, looking at the antiquity of mineral extraction around the world, plus the effects of pre-20th century gold rushes - especially in the US - and how these have shaped the relationships between indigenous peoples and colonial settler societies. We will also explore contemporary gold rushes in Latin America and SE Asia to understand how these have impacted society and environment. Other topics will include: the quest for digital minerals and rare earth minerals in Africa and China; gender issues in mining; policy issues around mining and mining cleanup; sustainability in post-mining landscapes; and other topics. Grades will be based on writing reaction papers, conducting and writing a social impact analysis for a potential mine in a country of your choosing, and a final where students will do a poster presentation session of their social impact assessment.

Professor Jerry Jacka

See the University Catalog or specifics, recommendations, and prerequisites.

Traditional

White

ANTH 4020 / 5020 Explorations in Anthropology Kinship: Being and Belonging

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 16:26:00 +0000

ANTH 4020 / 5020 Explorations in Anthropology Kinship: Being and Belonging Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/26/2018 - 09:26

What does it mean to describe a friend as “like family”? When is “family” actually about disconnection rather than connection? In what ways do people “choose” their own family members? Are members of a nation part of a “national family”? How do processes like international adoption shape understandings of race within families? How do caregiving ties constitute or complicate kinship relationships?

Professor Kathryn Goldfarb

See the University Catalog for specifics, recommendations, and prerequisites.

Traditional

White

ANTH 4700 / 5700 Practicing Anthropology: Applying Ethnographic Theory and Methods

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 15:59:59 +0000

ANTH 4700 / 5700 Practicing Anthropology: Applying Ethnographic Theory and Methods Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/26/2018 - 08:59

In this hands-on ethnographic research course, advanced anthropology students will learn how to use anthropological methodologies to collaboratively investigate social problems and positively impact society. We will develop a model of ethnographic research oriented toward facilitating dialogue between student ethnographers and research interlocutors (community members, policy makers, elected representatives, scientists). Readings will give students background in research methods as well as a theoretical framework for applied, engaged, and activist anthropology and community-based research. Students will disseminate research findings in publicly accessible, multi-media formats: photography exhibits, podcasts, story maps, videos. This course may be especially of interest to third-year majors considering an honors thesis in their fourth year, fourth-year majors wanting a “capstone” experience, and MA students.

Professor Kathryn Goldfarb

See the University Catalog for specifics, recommendations, and prerequisites.

Traditional

White

ANTH 4755 / 5755 Cultures of Expertise: Science, Power, and Knowledge

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 15:55:00 +0000

ANTH 4755 / 5755 Cultures of Expertise: Science, Power, and Knowledge Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/26/2018 - 08:55

Who counts as an expert? This course will examine expertise as a cultural category through an exploration of the processes by which certain individuals and groups are accorded intellectual authority, while the knowledge claims of others are simultaneously delegitimized. What forms of training and socialization make it possible for a person to speak, act, write, and think as an expert? By considering the historical and cultural contexts of various forms of expertise, students will be encouraged to analyze intersections between authoritative knowledge and modern political power. Course readings in science and technology studies and anthropology will help students to develop theoretical frameworks and methodological skills appropriate to the challenges of “studying up,” or conducting ethnographic research with elite and powerful actors. Throughout the course, students will be given opportunities to reflect analytically on their own experiences with increasingly specialized education as they develop their “professional vision” in their chosen fields.

Professor Alison Cool

See the University Catalog for specifics, recommendations, and prerequisites.

Traditional

White