This class provides a general overview of the field of anthropology. As it is a four sub-field discipline providing a holistic understanding of human life, the class will delve into each sub-field. Students are expected to leave with a fuller appreciation of Anthropology and with knowledge of linguistic anthropology, biological anthropology, archaeology, and socio-cultural anthropology. Through such an approach, students will have a deeper and more expansive understanding of human history and contemporary matters. One of the goals of this class is to better our grasp of anthropology and thus give us a socio-scientific toolkit to interpret our social worlds and thus prepare students for advanced classes in the major and in other social science fields.
3 hr./wk.
Humankind from its prehistoric beginnings in Africa and its evolution to the present; human nature; cultural bias and fallacies of cultural and racial superiority; society, social groups (ethnic, racial, class, etc.) and social stratification; cultural change and diffusion; the cultural vs. the individual and biological; the interaction among biology, environment, and culture; conflict, culture change and "modernization"; and ritual, symbol, beliefs, values, customs, and language.
3 hr./wk.
Humankind from its beginnings in Africa to the present. This course focuses on human biological and cultural evolution through prehistoric times, identification of cultural bias in attempts to understand the human experience past and present, and exploration of the fallacies of racial and cultural superiority. Topics include the development of social stratification, cultural definitions of reality, language and thought, alternative ways of generating cooperation and handling conflict, and culture change and "modernization."
4 hr./wk.
The Anthropological Research Laboratory offers students an opportunity to do independent research in any of the four fields of anthropology or in applied anthropology, and to have individual advisement in the collection, analysis, and summarizing of data. A project is chosen in cooperation with a faculty member with whom the student meets in one hour conferences each week. In addition the student is expected to devote three hours a week for each credit taken, to be spent in reading and/or data collection, analysis, and writing a report. One or 2 credits of ARL can be taken in conjunction with an Anthropology course in which a student is enrolled, enabling the student to do extra work on a project or term paper connected with that course.
Any other Anthropology or related course. For detailed information contact the Department of Anthropology (NA 7/108).
1-3 cr. with a maximum of 6 cr.
No more than six credits in any one department and no more than nine credits total will be permitted in the following courses: ANTH 13300-13600, ASIA 20402, BLST 20000-20400, PSY 23300-23600, SOC 23300-23600, UL 22000
Introduces students to archaeological method and thought through an examination of world prehistory from hominid evolution to the development of complex societies. Critical examinations of global heritage and colonialism sheds light on the politics of archaeology and the significance of the past in the present.
3 hr./wk.
This class provides a general overview of the field of socio-cultural anthropology. As this class is an excursion into the field of socio-cultural anthropology, our main goal will be to understand, complicate, and theorize “culture.” Students are expected to leave with a fuller understanding of socio-cultural anthropology, ethnographic method, and the complexities of cultural life. The main questions in this class will be: What is culture? How do cultural practices vary across social contexts? How can culture be multiple and contradictory? What does ethnographic method look like to study culture? Students will leave this class with a greater grasp of the “culture” concept and ethnographic methodologies.
3 hr./wk.
This course introduces students to the study of language from an anthropological perspective. Topics include the structure of language and its relationship to other kinds of communication; language use in face-to-face interactions; the relationship of language to class, race, ethnicity, gender, and other forms of social difference; and the role of language in mass-media.
3 hr./wk.
An introduction to biological anthropology, this course will explore the biological and cultural elements of what makes us human. The fossil record of our hominid ancestors and the behavior of our primate relatives will lead to considerations of human variation and issues of social consequence like race, genetics, and inequality.
3 hr./wk.
The archaeological study of the modern period, from Columbus’ first colonial contact in the Americas to the present day. This rotating thematic course will focus on essential topics of historical archaeological inquiry including colonialism, slavery, the African Diaspora, gender, social inequality, Indigenous archaeology, heritage, and archaeologies of the contemporary.
3 hr./wk.
Basic field experience in the creation of a research design, the excavation of selected sites, the recovery and classifying of artifacts, and laboratory analysis. Excavations will be conducted in the New York metropolitan area on local historic sites.
6 hr./wk., lab. and excavation
To develop the skills necessary for writing in the social sciences through the methods and techniques used in Anthropology. The focus of the course is on ethnography (a primarily descriptive account of a single cultural scene). Students will explore the steps used to create an ethnography, including reviewing previous research, formulating hypotheses based on this review, gathering data through fieldwork, and writing a research paper on the results.
3 hr./wk.
The advent of urban centers and complex societies from the origins of agriculture. State societies will be explored from the Mediterranean to the Americas to address social life, political organization, economics, inequality, and everyday life in the earliest state societies as seen through the written and archaeological record.
3 hr./wk.
Interrelationship of social organization with economical, political, and religious structures in selected societies chosen to represent various levels of integration in different parts of the world. Modern issues facing increasingly heterogeneous urban societies.
3 hr./wk.
Anthropological perspectives on the understanding of the urban experience. Urbanization and urbanism from an international perspective. The forces that shape people's lives in the metropolis. Topics will include the role of ethnicity, race, class, poverty and culture in urban life. Emphasis on urban institutions, ethnicity, race and class in New York City.
3 hr./wk.
Anthropological perspectives on the understanding of the urban experience. Urbanization and urbanism from an international perspective. The forces that shape people's lives in the metropolis. Topics will include the role of institutions, landscapes, ethnicity, race, class, poverty, gender, and culture in urban life with an emphasis on New York City. This course is offered as a HYBRID and students must be prepared to use online resources and participate in weekly online discussions.
4hr/wk
The impact of Western colonial systems on the politics and cultures of the Third World. The growth of new nations and national institutions in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
3 hr./wk.
The comparison of legal institutions and practices and of cultural concepts of danger and crime, conformity and conflict, and dispute management and settlement in non-Western societies and in the urban United States. Topics include law and social change; ordeals and verbal dueling; the relationship of marginal groups and individuals; American family law; and American Indian law.
3 hr./wk.
The relationship between social behavior and ideas about supernatural forces. Topics include the origin and role of religion in society; comparison of types of supernatural beings, powers, and religious practitioners; the practice of witchcraft and magic in different societies and ethnic groups; the interpretation of ritual symbols and mythology.
3 hr./wk.
This course explores how gender and sexuality are iterated, performed, challenged, and managed. Instead of seeing gender and sexuality as coherent and easily quantifiable categories, this class delves into the many contradictions in the categories of gender and sexuality in order to unpack everyday taken for granted assumptions. Furthermore, students will examine how these categories intersect, how they inform each other, and how they gain traction with race, class, and ethnicity.
3 hr./wk.
Traditional and modern African cultures viewed on their own terms; African roots of all humanity; the nature of pre-colonial societies; legacy of slavery and colonialism. Special topics include apartheid, African arts and music, African descendants in the Americas, alternate healing systems, and communal religion and trance.
3 hr./wk.
A group of courses devoted to the study of the cultures and societies of major world areas. Economic patterns, social structures, political organization and religious life. Relation of traditional cultures to contemporary politics.
This course examines the cultural formation of the Caribbean and the diversity of contemporary Caribbean societies. Both the colonial and post-colonial experience of the Afro-Caribbean and the Hispanic Caribbean will be explored. Among the topics to be discussed will be family, religion, rural and urban life, race, color and class, and international migration.
3 hr./wk.
This course offers a comparative perspective on contemporary Latin American societies and cultures and places those societies and cultures in historical perspective. Topics include the politics of indigeneity, race, and ethnicity; social movements and human rights; economic and environmental inequality; post-conflict and post-dictatorship political dynamics; and migration and the Diaspora.
3 hr./wk.
3 hr./wk.
Firsthand experience with cultural diversity in New York City, with emphasis on direct observation in various neighborhoods and institutional settings. Problems of gathering and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data, framing research questions, and the ethics of research in culturally unfamiliar settings.
3 hr./wk.
Selected world cultures and societies as viewed through the camera lens. Comparisons are drawn between visual and printed records, different styles of filmmaking, and changing cultural patterns. The evolution of anthropology as a discipline. Selected film topics include patterns of work, ritual, the construction of gender roles, and child socialization.
3 hr./wk.
Anthropological perspectives on contemporary United States culture: ethnic and class variations; effect of mass communication on cultural expression; impact of business and commercial enterprise on the development of culture. Critiques of American culture from national and foreign sources.
3 hr./wk.
The cultural and ecological aspects of human disease, the evolution of humanity and its ills, and the study of healing on a cross-cultural basis.
3 hr./wk.
The relationship between health and culture are explored. Rather than focusing on health and illness in terms of biology, students will learn how to analyze the ways in which different societal structures and cultural practices influence these categories. The course will look at medicine through a cross-cultural lens and will present both theoretical material and case studies to illuminate how health, disease, culture, and political-economic power meet up in both national and international settings.
4 hrs./wk.
This course introduces the interdisciplinary field of childhood studies through an anthropological lens. The category of “childhood” is analyzed through ethnographic studies that reveal the diversity of experiences, relationships, and values that surround childhood (infancy to adolescence) in different cultural contexts. Children as social and political actors are foregrounded.
3 hrs./wk.
This class examines the politics of language--how people use language as a political tool and how language can become the object of political struggle. Politicians, activists, citizens, journalists, diplomats, pundits, and celebrities all use language to pursue political goals. We will explore these uses as well as the ways that language can itself become the topic of political concern, as in debates over what counts as hate speech or in struggles for the recognition of certain dialects as legitimate.
3 hr./wk.
How television and film reflect the sociocultural environment in which they are produced. The emphasis is on the analysis of signs (language, nonverbal communication, and symbolism) in order to understand the ideological context of these media.
3 hr./wk.
The grammatical structure of Black American English and how it is used in Black culture and the educational system.
3 hr./wk.
The origin, history, and grammar of Haitian (French Creole) and related languages such as St. Lucian, Jamaican (Patois), and Guyanese. Topics include the use of Creole in education, Creole orthography, and the relationship of Creole languages to their European language lexifiers.
3 hr./wk., plus conf.
Interactions between humans and their environment in the past and present. Topics include climate change, the Anthropocene, health disparities and inequality, food politics, gender roles, population studies, and human ecology. A bio-cultural approaches to our world will be foregrounded to explore the complex relationship between nature and culture.
3 hr./wk.
Approval of Dean and department Honors Supervisor required. Apply in NA 4/144 no later than December 10 in the Fall term or May 1 in the Spring term.
Variable cr., usually 3 cr./sem.
An opportunity for an individual or small group to develop a research project or explore some topic in depth through directed readings with a faculty member chosen by the student(s). Research project: a problem will be developed (over several semesters, if necessary) leading to the completion of a research paper based on either library or field data. Tutorial: content of readings will be determined by all the participants, and weekly sessions will provide tutorial style discussion. Students are required to make arrangements for each course well in advance of the registration period. Credit may be from 1-3 credits to be determined before registration by the instructor with the approval of the Department Chair. Students may repeat course up to 6 credits.
Junior or senior standing and permission of instructor.
1-3 cr. each course with a maximum of 6 cr. Credits to be determined before registration by the instructor with the approval of the Department Chair.
Departmental and interdepartmental cooperative courses of advanced study in selected subjects.
Junior or senior standing, and permission of the department.
Hrs. and cr. flexible but usually 3 hr./wk.
A comparative and holistic study of concepts and practices of wellness and healing in various cultures. The course examines the origins, philosophies and applications of diverse cultures' healing systems to the prevention and treatment of selected dis-ease conditions. The class will also explore the many alternative modalities now available in this area.
3 hr./wk.
This course covers the main issues, causes and effects of mass population movements. It is a comparative study of selected recent and current immigrant and refugee groups, their origins, cultures and current socioeconomic situations. It covers their strengths, challenges and contributions to their new societies. The realities of particular class, ethnic, gender, generation and political groups will be analyzed. Refugee and immigrant groups within communities of North America and other areas will be studied.
3 hr./wk.
An introduction to basic beliefs, the socio-historical backgrounds of Islamic peoples, current geo-cultural spread, practices/acts of worship, and values and morals. The course examines Islam comparatively: traditional festivals and observances, family and community life, as well as customs and relationships with other communities. Also covered are Islamic contributions, issues, migrations and organizations, and frequent media stereotyping and misrepresentations.
3 hr./wk.
A review of the development of human rights accords and legislation, followed by an examination of international institutions overseeing and enforcing human rights standards. Special attention will be given to media and institutional responses to human rights issues, such as those tied to international, regional, and class injustices, with an emphasis on situations involving women and social minorities/oppressed groups.
3 hr./wk.
This course pursues an anthropological study of violence, specifically of war, aftermaths and the sequaelae of trauma. Theoretical and ethnographic work will address people’s experiences of a continuum of violence. Key thinkers, critical case studies, and topics such as women and war, insurgency, and ethical research will be examined.
3 hr./wk.
This course introduces students to the anthropology of disability. It explores cross-cultural and sociopolitical questions around the body, impairment, ability, and how disability is key to theorizing difference, inclusion and the making of a broader humanity across cultural contexts. Texts include memoirs, ethnographies, and theories of disability.
3 hr./wk.
The theories underlying the analysis of archaeological and cultural data and differing explanations for cultural regularities: evolutionary, ecological, symbolic, Marxist, structuralist, political, and ethical issues and anthropological theory.
ANTH 20100 and two additional elective courses in Anthropology or instructor's permission.
3 hr./wk.
History of the field of Anthropology. Nineteenth century evolutionary theories, and early 20th century historical particularism and structural functionalism. The personality and culture school. Colonialism and politics of anthropological theory.
ANTH 20100 and at least two electives in Anthropology, or instructor's permission.
3 hr./wk.
An examination of the idea of race from biological, sociocultural, and historical standpoints, particularly as it arose in support of the development of western European colonialism and imperialism. Also investigated will be the role of race/racism via-a-vis socioeconomic inequality, gender, class, ethnicity, and sexuality.
3 hr./wk.