161. Introduction to Biological Anthropology. I and II. (4). (NS).
The course explores the biological basis for variation in human morphology, physiology, and behavior across different modern populations around the world, and through human evolutionary history. Major topics discussed are evolutionary theory, genetics, human adaptation, primate and human behavior, and the human fossil record. No special knowledge is required or assumed. Cost:2 WL:2 (Schepartz)
297. Topics in Biological Anthropology. (2).
(Excl). May be repeated for a total of 12 credits.
Section 101 – Nutritional Anthropology. Nutritional Anthropology
is a comprehensive course covering many aspects of diet and nutrition.
It begins with the basics of digestion, absorption, and metabolism
and then proceeds to a discussion of how the Recommended Daily
Allowances are determined. After covering these topics the course
will examine the relationship of diet, nutrition, and health by
examining first, the implications of diet and nutrition on growth
and development and second, the relationship of diet and disease.
Since different cultural practices and behaviors can have an important
impact on the diet and nutrition of an individual or population this aspect of diet and nutrition will also be examined. The last
section of the course will focus on the reconstruction of the
diet and nutritional status of past populations including the
fossils. This course will be primarily lecture with some discussion;
grades will be determined by three non-cumulative exams. Cost:2
WL:3 (Brandt)
Courses are arranged by groups: Introductory Courses, Ethnology-Regional Courses, Ethnology-Theory/Method, Ethnology-Topical Courses, Linguistics, Archaeology, and Museum and Reading and Research Courses.
296. Topics in Cultural Anthropology. (2).
(Excl). May be repeated for a total of 12 credits.
Section 101 – Gender and Archaeology. Through lectures and discussion of reading materials we will examine the implicit and explicit assumptions concerning gender that enter into the theory
and practice of anthropological archaeology: Why have questions
of gender been traditionally excluded from archaeology? why and how is this situation changing? How do we anthropologically theorize
gender? What archaeological methodologies allow questions of gender
to be addressed to prehistory? Topics include feminist, evolutionary
and historical perspectives, the sexual division of labor and gender inequality in societies from foragers to nation states, gender and socio-politics in archaeology, and archaeological approaches
to gender (through subsistence studies, mortuary analysis, spatial
analysis, and the analysis of stone tools, art, and human production).
No formal prerequisites are required for this course, but introductory
classes in anthropology and archaeology are helpful. Your grade
will be based on two essay examinations as well as presentation
of a short paper in class. Cost:1 WL:4 (Bonevich)
Section 102 – Culture, Anthropology, and Ancient Europe. This course presents the concepts of cultural anthropology and the subject matter of ancient Europe. No background is necessary; lecture presentation, grading by one exam and one 3-5 page paper. Material covered includes: (1) key concepts from modern cultural anthropology, archeology, and related fields (history, geology, sociology, and linguistics); (2) the prehistory and early history of Europe, including art and artifacts, the environmental context, economic, technological and social developments, and archeological attempts to reconstruct culture and society; and (3) topics of special interest – these include cave art, prehistoric "Goddess" cults, Stonehenge and megaliths, the "Indo-Europeans," Minoan and Mycenean societies and the Trojan War, the Etruscans, the origins of Rome, and the Celts. For each topic the basic archeological and non-archeological data will be presented, and we will critically review the range of interpretations proposed. A final topic is the relation between science, politics, and archeological pictures of the past. Cost:1 WL:4 (Robb)
298. Topics in Cultural Anthropology. (2).
(Excl). May be repeated for a total of 12 credits.
Section 101 – Globalization, Democratization, and Neonationalisms.
Background. Many contemporary analysts propose that the world is undergoing a far-reaching intellectual, philosophical, and political-economic movement or revolution comparable to the
Renaissance or the Enlightenment. Variously alluded to as the
postmodern condition, the new world order, or the postindustrial
global village, the transformations wrought by this highly complex
and multistranded "movement" have prompted a growing
number of academicians, politicians, and entrepreneurs to reexamine their theories, policies, and business practices. Although there
is usually an agreement that some sort of global transformation
is taking place, much controversy remains concerning the magnitude
and exact form of this transformation. This controversy calls
for a critical inquiry. Anthropology occupies a privileged position
to contribute both to methods of study and modes of analysis to
fuel this critical inquiry and enhance our understanding of this
movement. Content. In this course, we consider three of the most important submovements of this transformation
- i.e., globalization, democratization, and, what may be called
neonationalisms – and the ways in which anthropology provides
empirical and analytical tools for an integral examination of these processes. I have chosen to focus on these three processes
because they point to a major contradiction embedded in this global
transformation. Whereas globalization and democratization seem
to have a homogenizing effect, the rise of new nations and neonationalisms
along ethnic boundaries suggest the persistence and, indeed, accentuation
of social and cultural differences. It is an increased awareness
of those cultural differences that has brought anthropology to the forefront. That anthropology proves to be critical to an integral
understanding of recent global changes is attested to by the (re)discovery
of anthropology's indispensable role by a wide range of NGOs, governmental, and international organizations that seek anthropologists'
assistance to ensure effective implementations of a variety of
policies and projects. This interest in anthropology derives mainly
from the growing appreciation that globalization, democratization, and neonationalisms cannot be understood without grasping the
culture and local dynamics of relations that anthropologists are
especially equipped to study. Course Goals. This
course is meant to be a critical introduction to some of the most
salient issues related to processes of globalization, democratization, and the rise of neonationalisms. In addition to introducing students
to relevant topical issues, the course aims at sensitizing them
to analytical frameworks that explore local phenomena as these
relate to macro-level processes. The course is open to junior
and senior students without prior exposure to or background in
anthropology, political economy, or related fields. In topical
areas, such as democratization, in which anthropologists are just
beginning to conduct research, I rely primarily on studies carried
out by other social analysts. However, in reviewing this literature
we shall try to examine critically from an anthropological viewpoint the approaches these social analysts have used in their analysis
of these issues, and explore how anthropology can enrich those
studies. Organization & Requirements. The
course will be organized in a lecture and discussion format, and will be divided into three parts and a conclusion. The three parts
correspond to the three main themes of globalization, democratization, and neonationalisms. The conclusion will review and synthesize these themes. The amount of readings for this course ranges from
75 to 120 pages per week. Students will be asked to write three
papers of between five and seven pages each (best two will count), on a topic or theme drawn from each of the three main issues covered
in the course. This course is open to undergraduate students of
all standing. Cost:1-2 (Dashti)
Section 102 – Culture and the Environment. The primary objective of this course is to examine the interactions between perceptions and behavior in particular environments. Through a balance of lecture and discussion, the course will explore past and current theoretical frameworks for analyzing the environment. We will focus on a variety of approaches from both anthropology and history. In particular, the course will investigate the political nature of the construction of environmental images. Following on these insights, we will explore how various environmental movements and recent development strategies draw on culturally specific ways of contesting the meaning of "nature." We will use examples from the environmental movement and cases of environmental racism to discuss how race, gender, and class articulate and are articulated by images of the environment. Students do not require any special background in anthropology or environmental studies in order to take this course. Students will be graded upon the completion of a number of small projects and papers. Cost: 1 WL:3 (Cowie)
347/CAAS 420. Race and Ethnicity. (2). (SS).
See Afroamerican and African Studies 420. (Williams)
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