Anthropology 101, 102, 103, and 104 each introduce one of the four subfields of anthropology. They can be taken in any order.
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.
This course is a survey of the study of language, including structure, language and society, first and second language acquisition, and other related topics. It is offered by the Department of Linguistics and Communication Disorders (LCD) but can count towards the Major in Anthropology.
INTERMEDIATE 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 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.
This course focuses on the lifeworlds of the peoples of Africa and African diasporic communities via an examination of the diverse communities, institutions, and practices that constitute Africa as a place and as an imaginary. Topics covered include race, class, law, politics, migration, religion, and gender, with a focus on the various peoples, struggles, and institutions that are integral in the production of Africa in the past, present, and future. We will read a variety of literary and anthropological texts and engage in media examinations of Africa as space, place, and idea.
212. Peoples of the Middle East. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Six credits in social science or sophomore standing.
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.
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 global 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.
This course will focus on a cultural or geographic area that is not covered in one of the standing courses listed above. The specific area of focus will be announced in the course list published by the department prior to the beginning of each semester. This course may be repeated for credit 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.
221. 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.
This course examines and analyzes the way religion is practiced and performed in diverse societies through reviewing central aspects of religion, such as mythology, symbolism, ritual, religious specialists, gods and spirits. Our inquiry will also move beyond the boundaries of conventional definitions of religion to analyze topics such as witchcraft, magic, and shamanism within the framework of the anthropology of religion.
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 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.
This course will focus on a topic in cultural anthropology that is not covered in one of the standing courses listed above. 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. This course is sometimes offered as a Writing Intensive (W) 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. Archaeology of Mesoamerica. 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.
247. Archaeology of Africa. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: sophomore standing or permission of instructor.
This course examines social developments in Africa through its material culture from the early Pleistocene era until the historical period. Topics covered include human evolution, the emergence and spread of agriculture, the development of complex societies and urbanism, the role of trade and exchange networks in shaping African societies, and the impact of colonialism and post-colonialism on African archaeology. Additionally, the course explores Africa’s contributions to other world civilizations through the Indian and transatlantic ocean trade, and critiques earlier archaeological studies that contributed to stereotypes of precolonial Africa as undeveloped and isolated.
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 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.
This course will focus on a cultural or geographic area that is not covered in one of the standing courses listed above. The specific area of focus will be announced in the course list published by the department prior to the beginning of each semester. This course may be repeated for credit provided the topic is not the same.
250. Field Methods in Archaeology. 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 introduces 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 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 role 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.
This course will focus on a topic in archaeology that is not covered in one of the standing courses listed above. 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.
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 discipline’s key concepts via in-class discussion and hands-on exercises.
262. The Nonhuman Primates. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 102 or permission of instructor.
A broad survey of the natural history and diversity of our closest relatives, the living nonhuman primates – lemurs, lorises, galagos, tarsiers, monkeys, and apes – focusing on anatomical, ecological, and behavioral differences among primate taxonomic groups and implications of this variation for human biology, behavior, and 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 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.
This course will focus on a topic in biological anthropology that is not covered in one of the standing courses listed above. 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.
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/LCD 101, or LCD 105, or Anth 104/LDC104
This course introduces the study of the relationship between language and society, including socio-cultural factors that influence language form, use, and history. This course is offered by the Department of Linguistics and Communication Disorders (LCD) but can count towards the Major in Anthropology.
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.
This course will focus on a topic in linguistic anthropology that is not covered in one of the standing courses listed above. 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.
290, 290W. Topics in Anthropology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: English 110.
This course will focus on a topic in anthropology that is not covered in one of the standing courses listed above. 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. This course is sometimes offered as a Writing Intensive (W) course.
295. Independent Studies in Anthropology. 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.
This is an independent study course that must be arranged in advance in consultation with a faculty advisor.
ADVANCED COURSES
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.
This is an advanced seminar course focusing on a topic in cultural anthropology that is not covered in one of the standing courses listed above. 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.
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.
This is an advanced course focusing on a topic in archaeology that is not covered in one of the standing courses listed above. 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.
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 intelligence, 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.
This is an advanced course focusing on a topic in biological anthropology that is not covered in one of the standing courses listed above. 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.
375. The Human-Primate Interface. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
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.
This is an advanced course focusing on a topic in linguistic anthropology that is not covered in one of the standing courses listed above. 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.
388. (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.
This is our Senior Honors Thesis course. To register for this course, a student must develop an Honors Thesis project and plan with a faculty advisor. Registration is subject to department approval.
395. 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.
This course involves independent research under the supervision of a faculty advisor. It is often taken prior to Anth 390, during the first semester of a student’s Honors Thesis research. To register for this course, students must develop a project and plan in consultation with a faculty advisor. Registration is subject to department approval. No more than 6 credits of Anth 395 are allowed.
397. 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.
This course involves collaborative research with a faculty advisor. To register for this course, students must develop a plan in consultation with a faculty advisor. Registration is subject to department approval. No more than 12 credits of Anth 397 are allowed.