Anthropology

Minor in Anthropology 18 credit hours

Faculty: Dr. Kate Gillogly, Dr. Richard G. Milo

The Department of Geography, Sociology, Economics, and Anthropology offers an 18-hour minor in anthropology. Anthropology brings a uniquely bio-cultural approach to the study of the human condition. It considers people both as biological and as cultural organisms. It is the “science of culture.”

Anthropology’s comparative, cross-cultural perspective and its focus on non-Western and traditional cultures are directly relevant to the student planning a future in the multicultural modern world. Through biological anthropology, students gain an insight into the origins and significance of human biological diversity and our evolutionary heritage, while archaeology investigates the origins of culture and the rise and fall of the great civilizations of the ancient world.

Required Courses (6 credit hours)

ANTH 1010, 1020.

Elective Courses (12 credit hours)

Completion of 12 credit hours including two 2000-level and two 3000-level courses selected with the approval of the department. The department will accept only courses with grades of C or above for completion of the minor.

Anthropology (ANTH) Course Offerings

1010/101 INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY (3)

Culture, society, language, and their influence on personality; emphasis on non-Western societies. (A writing emphasis and enrichment core course.) IAI: S1 901N

1020/102 INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND ARCHAEOLOGY (3)

The biological and cultural heritage of the human species in worldwide evolutionary context. Methods and theories used to learn about and understand human prehistory. 

2010/203 GLOBAL CULTURES (3)

Prerequisite: ANTH 1010/101 or equivalent.

Traditional cultures in selected areas. Writing emphasis course.

2160/205 CULTURE CHANGE (3)

Prerequisite: ANTH 1010/101 or equivalent.

Culture viewed as dynamic processes of origination, diffusion, and acculturation. Theories of change: evolution, revolution, revitalization. The individual and culture change. IAI: S1 904D

2100/210 INDIANS OF ANGLO-AMERICA (3)

Prerequisite: ANTH 1010/101 or equivalent.

Interrelations of Indians of Anglo-America. Pre- and post-contact cultures. Cultural effects of contact and conquest.

2110/211 INDIANS OF LATIN AMERICA. (3)

Prerequisite: ANTH 1010/101 or equivalent.

Latin American Indians, pre-Hispanic cultures. Cultural effects of contact and conquest.

2120/212 CULTURES OF AFRICA (3)

Prerequisite: Successful completion of English qualifying examination.

Overview of African cultures. Regional patterns of behavior and social structures. Recent cultural change. Writing emphasis course. (This course satisfies the elective course requirements for the African American Studies major or minor.)

2130/250 CULTURES OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND SOUTH ASIA (3)

Prerequisite: Successful completion of the English qualifying exam

Traditional cultures of the Middle East and South Asia, including the spread of Islam and the impact of the modern world.

2140/251 AFRICA AND AFRO-AMERICA (3)

Prerequisite: ANTH 1010/101 or equivalent.

Indigenous, tribal, and state cultures of Africa. Relevance to historical and cultural patterns of Afro-America. (This course satisfies the elective course requirements for the African American Studies major or minor.)

2150/261 TRADITIONAL AND FOLK RELIGIONS (3)

Prerequisite: ANTH 1010/101 or equivalent.

Theories and concepts of religious behavior, development of traditional and folk religions.

2210/202 PHYSICAL. ANTHROPOLOGY (3)

Prerequisite: ANTH 1010/101 or equivalent.

Evolution of man and primates from the viewpoints of population genetics and the fossil record. Evolutionary growth of man’s capacity for culture. Additional course fee. IAI: S1 902

2220/265 ORIGINS OF CIVILIZATIONS (3)

Prerequisite: Successful completion of the English qualifying exam

Origins and development of the great civilizations of the ancient world as revealed by archaeology. Credit not given for both ANTH 265 and HIST 265. IAI: S1 903

2990/299 SPECIAL TOPICS IN ANTHROPOLOGY (3)

Prerequisite: ANTH 1010/101 or equivalent.

In-depth consideration of a contemporary issue in anthropology: ethnic conflicts, vanishing languages and cultures, global development, the urban cultural milieu, etc. May be repeated twice under different topics for a total of 6 credit hours.

3010/270 RESEARCH METHODS IN ANTHROPOLOGY (3)

Prerequisite: ANTH 1010/101 or equivalent.

Methods of scientific anthropological study. Examination and evaluation of current research.

3020/302 ADVANCED ETHNOLOGICAL THEORY (3)

Prerequisite: ANTH 1010/101 and 2010/203.

Comparative analysis of primitive, folk, and urban cultures in selected areas.

3130/309 ETHNIC DYNAMICS (3)

Prerequisite: ANTH 1010/101.

Comparative analysis of traditional, folk, and urban cultures in selected areas.

3140/310 ANALYSIS OF CULTURAL PATTERNS (3)

Prerequisite: ANTH 1010/101 or equivalent.

Various cultural patterns. Development of understanding of contemporary cultural conflicts, urbanization and acculturation.

3150/315 URBAN CULTURE ` (3)

Prerequisite: ANTH 1010/101 or equivalent.

The city as a complex of interrelated institutions set up to serve the needs of a culturally heterogeneous population. The city as a focal point of acculturation and cultural change.

3180/318 MEXICAN AND PUERTO RICAN CULTURES (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Introduction to cultural development, pre-Hispanic to present. Interactions of urban Latin communities with Anglo American culture.

4120/301 CULTURE AND PERSONALITY (3)

Prerequisite: ANTH 1010/101 or equivalent.

Personality in different cultures. Change from infancy through old age.

4160/320 LATINOS IN THE UNITED STATES (3)

Prerequisite: ANT H 1010/101 or consent of the instructor.

The courses traces the increasing impact of Hispanic, Afro-Hispanic, and Indio-Hispanic groups in what is now the United States from colonial times to the present.

4230/323 AGING ACROSS CULTURES (3)

Prerequisite: SOC 1010/101 or ANTH 1010/101 or consent of department, and successful completion of the qualifying examinations in English and reading or equivalent.

The experience of aging in cross-cultural contexts: age sets, the roles of elders, care of the aged, gender and aging, and age-related mental changes. Stresses the role of culture in shaping attitudes toward aging and the elderly.

4250/325 MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY (3)

Prerequisite: ANTH 1010/101 or 1020/102, and successful completion of English Qualifying Examination, and successful completion of the Mathematics Qualifying Examination or the required developmental mathematics courses, or consent of the department.

Explores the relationships between cultural factors and illness and examines the cross-cultural similarities and differences in the ways in which people cope with health problems.

4900/399INDEPENDENT STUDY IN ANTHROPOLOGY (1-3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Individually supervised study in selected topics in anthropology. May be repeated for a maximum of six credit hours under different topics.