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.
Take me to the Spring Time Schedule
Introductory Courses
101. Introduction to Anthropology. Primarily for first- and second-year students. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 222 or 426. (4). (SS). (R&E).
This introductory course exposes and explores the structures
of inquiry characteristic of anthropology and surveys the field's
four subdisciplines (biological, archaeological, cultural, and linguistic anthropology), providing a first glimpse of the field's
overall context, history, present status, and importance. The
principal aim of the course is to help students develop a coherent
view of the essential concepts, structures, and intellectual methods that typify the discipline. It stresses unifying principles that
link the subdisciplines and thereby create anthropology's comprehensive, holistic world view. It teaches students various ways of learning
and thinking about the world's many designs for living in time
and space. It prepares them to integrate and interpret information, to evaluate conflicting claims about human nature and diversity, and to think critically. Topics covered include: the nature of
culture and ethnicity, human genetics, evolution, and the fossil
record, the concept of race, primate (monkey and ape) behavior, language and culture, systems of marriage, kinship and family
organization, sex and gender roles, economics, politics, and religion
in global perspective, the cultural dimension of economic development
and contemporary social change, and globalization. Required readings
may include an introductory text and various paperbacks. Lectures
and discussion. Two objective exams (multiple choice and true
or false questions) cover the two halves of the course. The second
exam is given on the last day of class. There is no final exam
and no term paper. Section leaders require quizzes and perhaps
a short paper. Cost:2
WL:1 ,3,4 (Caspari)
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Times, Location, and Availability
296. Topics in Archaeology.
(3). (SS). May be repeated for a total of twelve
credits.
Section 101 – The Archaeology of Everyday Life. This class
will use archaeological, textual, and ethnographic evidence to
reconstruct the daily life of the inhabitants of ancient Near
Eastern cities and villages. Instead of the traditional archaeological
focus on elites and their palaces and tombs, we will look at daily
life and death for the non-elites in two ancient civilizations.
Topics of study include the patterning of household activities
(family life, craft and tool production, child rearing, diet, and furnishing), social interactions (between men and women and different social classes), and settlement composition (within
villages, and cities). The geographical focus of the course will
be Egypt and Mesopotamia. Lectures will be supplemented by films
and discussions. Grades will be based on three short exams, a
4-6 page paper, and class participation. There will be two required
textbooks and a course pack. There are no prerequisites. Cost:2
WL:4 (Rainville)
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Times, Location, and Availability
298. Topics in Cultural
Anthropology. (3). (SS). May be repeated for a total
of twelve credits.
Section 101 – Racism and Violence in Cross-Cultural Perspective.
The course will be divided into three sections: one on nation-building, political rights, and `racial' violence in the United States in the 1880s-1920s; a second on WWII and National Socialism; and a third on contemporary issues, like the representation of the
past in the present and the rise of right-wing violence in Germany
and the U.S. in the 1980s and 1990s. The readings (relevant articles
and book chapters), lectures and discussions will consider how
questions of national identity, class, gender, and sexuality are
interrelated to issues of `race.' Furthermore, the class will
examine the relationship between violent racial practices and other expressions of prejudice/racism. Requirements for the course
will be weekly commentaries (1-2 pages) based on the readings, and a final paper (8-10 pages). Evaluation will be based upon
class participation, commentaries, and final paper. WL:4
(Lakein)
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Times, Location, and Availability
299. Topics in Linguistic
Anthropology. (3). (SS). May be repeated for a total
of twelve credits.
Section 101 – Storytelling in Cross-Cultural Perspective.
In this course we will examine the social and linguistic importance
of stories and storytelling in different cultures, drawing on
such diverse materials as myths and fairy tales, court testimony, jokes, life stories, and stories in conversation. Among the questions
we will discuss are: What are stories, and what activities constitute
storytelling? Are stories told in every culture? How are stories
and storytelling similar or different across cultures? Can storytelling
play a role in the building of group and individual identities?
Course materials analyze storytelling by children and adults from
numerous ethnic groups, in rural and urban settings from the U.S.
and throughout the world, including Appalachia, Mississippi, New
York, Arizona, Italy, Mexico, Ukraine, and Samoa. Class meetings
will balance lectures, active discussion, group activities, and student presentations. Requirements for the course include five
short field assignments in which students will collect and analyze
stories, and two exams. Cost:1
WL:4 (Dickinson)
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Times, Location, and Availability
Museum, Honors, Reading, Research, and Field Courses
398. Honors in Cultural
Anthropology. Permission of instructor. (2). (Excl).
(INDEPENDENT). May be repeated for a total of six credits with
permission of concentration advisor.
Section 101 – Honors Ethnology. This Honors course sequence
in cultural anthropology is designed for undergraduate anthropology
concentrators who are specializing in cultural anthropology and have applied for senior Honors in the Department of Anthropology.
This course is divided into two parts. During this term, the students
will meet once a week in seminar to read and discuss a selection
of significant monographs and papers in ethnology, and a selection
of writings on fieldwork methods and research strategies in ethnology.
This seminar provides background for the students to define their
own senior Honors thesis project. By the end of the term, the
students will have decided on a project, and begun preliminary
work on it. In consultation with the Honors advisor the student
may request any member of the Anthropology Department to serve
as a main thesis advisor or second reader. In 399, the students
will convene periodically in seminar with the Honors advisor to
discuss their research projects and get feedback from the group, as well as staying in contact with the Honors advisor and second
reader. By the end of the term, each student should have completed the research and write-up for their thesis so that they can make
a formal summary presentation of it for the group. Original field
research or library work may be used for Honors projects.
Section 102 – Honors Archaeology. This Honors course
sequence in archaeology is designed for undergraduate anthropology
concentrators who are specializing in archaeology and who have
applied for senior Honors in the Department of Anthropology. In
398, the students will meet in seminar to discuss the construction
of analytical models appropriate for archaeology and to analyze
methods for solving problems. This seminar provides the intellectual
and historical background to enable a senior Honors thesis. In
399, students work on an original thesis topic. A student, in
consultation with the Honors advisor, may request any Department
of Anthropology faculty member to serve as a thesis advisor. Periodically
students convene to discuss their research progress. At the end
of the term, each student completes a written Honors thesis and presents a seminar summarizing it. Original field research, library
sources, or collections in the Museum of Anthropology may be used
for Honors projects. Prior excavation or archaeological laboratory
experience is not required for participation.
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Times, Location, and Availability
499. Undergraduate Reading and Research in Anthropology. Permission of instructor. (1-3). (Excl). A maximum of three credits of independent reading may be included in a concentration plan in anthropology. (INDEPENDENT). May be repeated for a total of six credits
Independent reading and research under the direction of a faculty
member. Ordinarily available only to students with background
in anthropology.
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Times, Location, and Availability
Take me to the Summer Time Schedule
Introductory Courses
298. Topics in Cultural
Anthropology. (3). (SS). May be repeated for a total
of twelve credits.
Section 201 – Vodou and Spirit Possession. Starting in the
16th-century, millions of Africans were carried as slaves to the
expanding colonies of the Americas. On the plantations and in the towns of the Caribbean, North America, and South America, they brought together a variety of African traditions to create
new religions. These religions, forged out of slavery and slave
resistance, have had an enduring cultural and social impact and they continue to be practiced widely throughout the Americas.
This course will explore these religions through an examination
of rituals of possession. The focus of the course will be a historical
and ethnographic exploration of Haitian Vodou, but we will also
examine Cuban Santeria, Brazilian Candomblé and Rastafarianism.
We will also study the West African roots of the religions. The
course will cover the syncretism between African and Christian
practices and theology, gender and sexuality in ritual, and the
ways in which the religions invoke and challenge past and present
oppression. We will use ethnographic accounts, film, photography, and music to understand the experience and meaning of rituals
of possession. Requirements will include regular class participation
in the seminar, one class presentation, and a research paper.
WL:4 (Dubois)
Section 202 – The Anthropology of Human Rights. Female circumcision, abortion, torture, the death penalty ... whose responsibility is it to criticize a society's practices? Are there universally agreed-upon human rights? Do anthropologists have a special responsibility to protect the people with whom they work from human rights abuses? This course begins with a survey of how anthropological ethics and principles of cultural relativism have developed in relation to human rights issues. We will then focus on specific human rights issues related to indigenous people, children, women, fetuses/newborns, and state violence. Through the consideration of high-profile cases we will critically examine both the ethical obligations of anthropologists and the ethnocentric biases reflected in the popular media coverage of human rights. The course will be organized around class and small group discussions, short lectures, films, and group exercises. Evaluations will be based on class participation, weekly commentaries, and a final paper. Cost:2 WL:4 (Hastings)
Section 203 – American Indians of Michigan: People of the
Three Fires. Long before Europeans ever "discovered" the region that is now the State of Michigan, American Indian
societies thrived here. This course introduces the Anishnaabe
people (Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi) of Michigan, focusing
on: the traditional culture of the indigenous peoples; the history
of interactions between Native people and people of European descent;
and the contemporary issues that concern present-day Indian people
in Michigan. Furthermore, we will consider how American Indians
have been defined by European-Americans in terms of "race,"
and how Indian people are seeking to define themselves in terms
of their unique cultural heritage, or "ethnicity." There
are no prerequisites for this course, and no previous knowledge
of anthropology or Native American studies will be expected or
necessary. Grades will be based on quizzes and a short paper.
WL:4 (Jackson)
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Times, Location, and Availability
Museum, Honors, Reading, Research, and Field Courses
398. Honors in Cultural
Anthropology. Permission of instructor. (2). (Excl).
(INDEPENDENT). May be repeated for a total of six credits with
permission of concentration advisor.
Section 201 – Honors Ethnology. This Honors course sequence
in cultural anthropology is designed for undergraduate anthropology
concentrators who are specializing in cultural anthropology and have applied for senior Honors in the Department of Anthropology.
This course is divided into two parts. In 398, the students will
meet once a week in seminar to read and discuss a selection of
significant monographs and papers in ethnology, and a selection
of writings on fieldwork methods and research strategies in ethnology.
This seminar provides background for the students to define their
own senior Honors thesis project. By the end of the term, the
students will have decided on a project, and begun preliminary
work on it. In consultation with the Honors advisor the student
may request any member of the Anthropology Department to serve
as a main thesis advisor or second reader. In 399, the students
will convene periodically in seminar with the Honors advisor to
discuss their research projects and get feedback from the group, as well as staying in contact with the Honors advisor and second
reader. By the end of the term, each student should have completed the research and write-up for their thesis so that they can make
a formal summary presentation of it for the group. Original field
research or library work may be used for Honors projects.
Section 202 – Honors Archaeology. This Honors course
sequence in archaeology is designed for undergraduate anthropology
concentrators who are specializing in archaeology and who have
applied for senior Honors in the Department of Anthropology. In
398, the students will meet in seminar to discuss the construction
of analytical models appropriate for archaeology and to analyze
methods for solving problems. This seminar provides the intellectual
and historical background to enable a senior Honors thesis. In
399, students work on an original thesis topic. A student, in
consultation with the Honors advisor, may request any Department
of Anthropology faculty member to serve as a thesis advisor. Periodically
students convene to discuss their research progress. At the end
of the term, each student completes a written Honors thesis and presents a seminar summarizing it. Original field research, library
sources, or collections in the Museum of Anthropology may be used
for Honors projects. Prior excavation or archaeological laboratory
experience is not required for participation.
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
499. Undergraduate Reading
and Research in Anthropology. Permission of instructor.
(1-3). (Excl). A maximum of three credits of independent reading
may be included in a concentration plan in anthropology. (INDEPENDENT).
May be repeated for a total of six credits
Independent reading and research under the direction of a faculty
member. Ordinarily available only to students with background
in anthropology.
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
Take me to the Spring/Summer Time Schedule
Museum, Honors, Reading, Research, and Field Courses
398. Honors in Cultural
Anthropology. Permission of instructor. (3). (Excl).
(INDEPENDENT). May be repeated for a total of six credits with
permission of concentration advisor.
Section 001 – Honors Ethnology. This Honors course sequence
in cultural anthropology is designed for undergraduate anthropology
concentrators who are specializing in cultural anthropology and have applied for senior Honors in the Department of Anthropology.
This course is divided into two parts. In the Fall Term, the students
will meet once a week in seminar to read and discuss a selection
of significant monographs and papers in ethnology, and a selection
of writings on fieldwork methods and research strategies in ethnology.
This seminar provides background for the students to define their
own senior Honors thesis project. By the end of the term, the
students will have decided on a project, and begun preliminary
work on it. In consultation with the Honors advisor the student
may request any member of the Anthropology Department to serve
as a main thesis advisor or second reader. In the next term, the
students will convene periodically in seminar with the Honors
advisor to discuss their research projects and get feedback from the group, as well as staying in contact with the Honors advisor
and second reader. By the end of the term, each student should
have completed the research and write-up for their thesis so that they can make a formal summary presentation of it for the group.
Original field research or library work may be used for Honors
projects.
Section 002 – Honors Archaeology. This Honors course
sequence in archaeology is designed for undergraduate anthropology
concentrators who are specializing in archaeology and who have
applied for senior Honors in the Department of Anthropology. In
398, the students will meet in seminar to discuss the construction
of analytical models appropriate for archaeology and to analyze
methods for solving problems. This seminar provides the intellectual
and historical background to enable a senior Honors thesis. In
399, students work on an original thesis topic. A student, in
consultation with the Honors advisor, may request any Department
of Anthropology faculty member to serve as a thesis advisor. Periodically
students convene to discuss their research progress. At the end
of the term, each student completes a written Honors thesis and presents a seminar summarizing it. Original field research, library
sources, or collections in the Museum of Anthropology may be used
for Honors projects. Prior excavation or archaeological laboratory
experience is not required for participation.
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
499. Undergraduate Reading
and Research in Anthropology. Permission of instructor.
(1-3). (Excl). A maximum of three credits of independent reading
may be included in a concentration plan in anthropology. (INDEPENDENT).
May be repeated for a total of six credits
Independent reading and research under the direction of a faculty
member. Ordinarily available only to students with background
in anthropology.
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
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