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Course Offerings

Course #	Course Name	Professor	Time	Location
102-01	Introduction to Anthropology	Hardy	M/W 10:00-11:30	Dalton 300
102-02	Introduction to Anthropology	Pashigian	M/W 1:00-2:30	Dalton 300
220	Methods & Theory in Archaeology	Davis	M/W 10:00-11:30	Dalton 315
256	Applied Anthropology	Hardy	W 1:00-3:30	Taylor C
234	Forensic Anthropology & Lab Sessions (must take once/week)	Murphy	T/Th 1:00-2:30 T 3:30-4:30; 6-7; 7-8	Dalton 315
261	Palestine & Israeli Society	Neuman	M/W 10:00-11:30	GOB
342	Middle Eastern Diasporas	Neuman	TH 2:00-4:00	Dalton 25
354	Identity, Ritual & Cultural Practices in Contemporary Vietnam	Pashigian	T 1:00-3:30	Dalton 6

399

Senior Conference

Davis/Pashigian/ Hardy

M 2:00-4:00

Dalton 212A

 

Course Offerings

 

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Introduction to Anthropology. ANTH 101.
An introduction to the place of humans in nature, primates, the fossil record for human evolution, human variation and the issue of race, and the archaeological investigation of culture change from the Old Stone Age to the rise of early civilizations in the Americas, Eurasia and Africa. In addition to the lecture/discussion classes, there is a one hour weekly lab. (Davis/Murphy, Division I)

Introduction to Anthropology. ANTH 102.

An introduction to the methods and theories of cultural anthropology in order to understand and explain cultural similarities and differences among contemporary societies.

Human Ecology. ANTH 203.

The relationship of humans with their environment; culture as an adaptive mechanism and a dynamic component in ecological systems. Human ecological perspectives are compared with other theoretical orientations in anthropology. Prerequisites: Anthropology 101, 102 or permission of instructor. (Davis, Division I)

North American Archaeology. ANTH 204.

For millennia, the North American continent has been home to a great diversity of Native Americans. A rich archaeological record reflects ways of life from the initial migration of big game hunters more than 12,000 years ago to the high civilizations of Mesoamerica. Based on the evidence from archaeological excavations, this course will introduce the culture history of North America as well as explore explanations for culture change and diversification. Native American and Euro-American views and approaches to archaeology and history will be discussed. The class will include laboratory study of North American archaeological and ethnographic artifacts drawn from the College's Art and Archaeology collections. Prerequisites: ANTH 101, 102 or permission of instructor. (Davis, Division I)

Human Evolution. ANTH 209

The position of humans among the primates, processes of bio cultural evolution, the fossil record, and contemporary human variation. Prerequisition: ANTH 101 or permission of instructor. (Murphy, Division I)

Medical Anthropology. ANTH 210.

An examination of the linkages between culture, society, disease and illness. A wide range and distribution of health-related experiences, discourse, knowledge and practice among different societies and among different positionings within society are considered. Sorcery, witchcraft, herbal remedies, healing rituals, folk illnesses, modern disease, scientific medical perception, clinical technique, and epidemiology are examined as diagnoses and therapies embedded within social forms and practices that are culturally informed and anchored in a particular historical moment. Prerequisite: ANTH 102 or permission of instructor. (Pashigian, Division I)

Methods and Theory in Archaeology. ANTH 220.

An examination of techniques and theories archaeologists use to transform archeological data into statements about patterns of prehistoric cultural behavior, adaptation, and culture change. Theory development, hypothesis formulation, gathering of archaeological data and their interpretation and evaluation are discussed and illustrated by examples. Theoretical debates current in American archaeology are reviewed and the place of archaeology in the general field of anthropology is discussed. Prerequisite: ANTH 101 or permission of instructor.

(Davis, Division I)

Paleolithic Archaeology. ANTH 225.

A study of the Paleolithic archaeological record from Europe, Asia and Africa, focusing on the dynamics of cultural evolution; cultural and natural transformations leading to the Neolithic Revolution are also examined. Laboratory work with prehistoric materials is included. Prerequistie: ANTH 101 or permission of instructor. (Davis, Division I)

Nutritional Anthropology. ANTH 232.
This course will explore the complex nature of human experiences in satisfying needs for food and nourishment. The approach is biocultural, exploring both the biological basis of human food choices and the cultural context that influences food acquisition and choice. Material covered will primarily be from an evolutionary and cross-cultural perspective. Also included will be a discussion of popular cultue in the US and our current obsession with food, such as dietary fads. Prerequisites: ANTH 101 or 102. Enrollment limited to 20 students. (Murphy, Division I)

Forensic Anthropology. ANTH 234.
Forensic anthropology is a distinct subfield of biological anthropology that applies the techniques of osteology and biomechanics to questions in forensic science. It is a diverse and rapidly growing field of anthropology that has very practical implications for criminal justice. The class will examine the challenges of human skeletal identification and trauma analysis, as well as the broader ethical considerations and implications of the field. Enrollment limited to 30 students.  Prerequisites: ANTH 101 or permission of instructor. (Murphy, Division I)

Traditional and Pre-Industrial Technology. ANTH 240.

An examination of several traditional technologies including chipped and ground stone, ceramics, textiles, metallurgy (bronze), simple machines, and energy production emphasizing the physical properties of various materials, production processes and cultural contexts both ancient and modern. Weekly laboratory on the production of finished artifacts in the various technologies studied. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. (Davis, Division I)

Cultures of Technology: Aesthetics, Senses and the Body. ANTH 243

Examines the impact of technologies such as photography, film, sound recording and the Internet on ideas of authenticity and cultural value. Using readings on Western and non-Western contexts, considers how such technologies affect notions of space and time, the conceptualization of the body and the definition and status of the "human" itself. Prequisite: ANTH 102 or permission of the instructor. (Weidman, Division I)

Ethnography of Southeast Asia. ANTH 251.

An introduction to the social and cultural complexity of Southeast Asia--Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Classic and contemporary ethnographies explore the diversity and similarities among groups living in the region. Topics include contemporary political developments, cultural practices, ethnicity, gender and nationalism. Prerequisite: introductory course in any social science or permission of instructor. (Pashigian, Division I)

Childhood in the African Experience. ANTH 253.
An overview of cultural contexts and indigenous literatures concerning the richly varied experience and interpretation of infancy and childhood in selected regions of Africa. Cultural practices such as pregnancy customs, naming ceremonies, puberty rituals, sibling relationships and gender identity are included. Modern concerns, such as child abuse, street children, and other social problems of recent origin involving children are considered in terms of theoretical approaches current in the social sciences. Prerequisites: anthropology major, any social sciences introductory course, Africana Studies course or permission of instructor. (Kilbride, Division I)

Ethnohistory Seminar. ANTH 255.

Ethnohistory is an important area in anthropology and it allows the study of culture contact and change by means of a variety of methods and sources. It is truly an interdisciplinary study and combines history, anthropology, archaeology and linguistics. Prerequisite: Introduction to Anthropology, Introduction to History or permission of instructor. (Staff, Division I)

South Asian Ethnography. ANTH 262.

Recent anthropological work on South Asia has been motivated by a concern for issues of ethnographic representation and a heightened awareness of the relationship between power, whether colonial or state power, and the production of knowledge. This stems from historiographical discussions that call for a critical examination of categories such as "tradition," "modernity," "community" and "nation." This course will focus on the ways in which such critiques have been taken up as inspirations for ethnographic research in contemporary South Asia. Topics may include the legacy of colonialist ideas about tradition and modernity or the constructions of gender, community and nation. (Weidman, Division I)

ANTH 273. The Incas and Their Ancestors: Archeology and Ethnohistory of the Central Andes

This course provides an introduction to the pre-Columbian cultures of the Central Andes from the initial peopling of the New World through the conquest of the Incas and the aftermath of the Spanish conquest. The course integrates the four-fields of anthropology in its specific examination of the Central Andes while exploring themes that are broadly anthropological, such as the origin of civilization, power, ideology, cosmology and ritual, the role of art and iconography, warfare and resistance, death and ancestor worship. Prerequisite: ANTH 101.  (Murphy, Divison I).

Language in the Social Context. ANTH 281.
In the last two decades, studies of language in society have moved from the idea that language reflects social position/identity to the idea that language plays an active role in shaping and negotiating social position, identity, and experience. This course will explore the implications of this shift by providing an introduction to the fields of sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology. We will be particularly concerned with the ways in which language is implicated in the social construction of gender, race, class, and cultural/national identity. Some of the specific topics we will cover include: language acquisition and language socialization; the cultural construction of literacy; language and social inequality; poetics and verbal performance; and language ideologies. The course will develop students' skills in the ethnographic analysis of communication through several short ethnographic projects. (Weidman, Division I)

Cultural Perspectives on Ethnic Identity in the Post Famine Irish Diaspora. ANTH 286.

Theoretical perspectives and case studies on exclusion and assimilation in the social construction of Irish ethnic identity in the US and elsewhere in the Irish diaspora. Symbolic expressions of Irish ethnicity, such as St. Patrick's Day celebrations, will considser race and gender. A colonial model in various nations will be considered concerning Irish adjustment in Africa and elsewhere. Racism and benevolence in the Irish experience will highlight a cultural perspective through use of ethnographies, personal biographies and literary products such as novels and films. Prerequisite:  Anthropology majors (Bryn Mawr or Haverford) and/or ANTH 102 or permission of instructor. (Kilbride, Division I)

History of Anthropological Theory. ANTH 303.

A consideration of the history of anthropological theories and the discipline of anthropology as an academic discipline that seeks to understand and explain society and culture as its subjects of study. Several vantage points on the history of anthropological theory are engaged to enact a historically-charged anthropology of a disciplinary history. Anthropological theories are considered not only as a series of models, paradigms or orientations, but as configurations of thought, technique, knowledge and power that reflect the changing relationships among societies and cultures of the world. Prerequisite: at least one additional anthropology course at the 200 or 300 level. (Kilbride, Division I)

Anthropology of Reproduction. ANTH 312.

An examination of social and cultural constructions of reproduction and how power in everyday life shapes reproductive behavior and its meaning in Western and non-Western cultures. The influence of competing interests within households, communities, states and institutions on reproduction is considered. Prerequisite: at least one 200-level ethnographic area course or permission of instructor. (Pashigian, Division I)

Anthropological Demography. ANTH 333.
Examines human population structure and dynamics through the understanding of birth, death, and migration processes. It includes study of the individual's life history. Population dynamics in small and large scale societies, the history of human populations and policy implications of demographic processes in the developed and developing world will be discussed through a cross-cultural perspective. (Davis, Division I)

Cultural Perspectives on Sexuality, Marriage and the Family. ANTH 341.

This course considers various theoretical perspectives that inform our understanding of cross-cultural constructions of sexuality, marriage and the family. Sociobiology, deviance, feminism, social constructionism and cultural evolutionary approaches will be compared using primarily anthropological-ethnographic case examples. Applications will emphasize current U.S. socially-contested categories such as HIV/AIDS, same-sex marriage, plural marriage, gender diversity, divorce and rape. Prerequisites: any history, biology or social science major. (Kilbride, Division I)

Advanced Topics in Gender Studies:  African Childhoods. ANTH 350.

A gendered perspective on selected topics in the experiences of children and youth in Africa concerning indigenous cultural practices such as initiation ceremonies and sexual orientation. The extended family, sibling relationships and infancy rituals will be portrayed. Post-colonial concerns such as HIV/AIDS, street children and formal education also involving gender will be considered from a social, cultural and economic perspective. Life stories, case studies and ethnographic methodology will be featured. (Kilbride, Division I)

ANTH B354 Identity, Ritual and Cultural Practice in Contemporary Vietnam

This course focuses on the ways in which recent economic and political changes in Vietnam influence and shape everyday lives, meanings and practices there. It explores construction of identity in Vietnam through topics including ritual and marriage practices, gendered socialization, social reproduction and memory. Prerequisite: at least one cultural anthropology course at the 200 or 300 level, or permission of the instructor. (Pashigian, Division I)

Senior Conference. ANTH 398, 399.

The topic of each seminar is determined in advance in discussion with seniors. Sections normally run through the entire year and have an emphasis on empirical research techniques and analysis of original material. Class discussions of work in progress and oral and written presentations of the analysis and results of research are important. A senior's thesis is the most significant writing experience in the seminar. (Staff, Division I)

Supervised Work. ANTH 403.

Independent work is usually open to junior and senior majors who wish to work in a special area under the supervision of a member of the faculty and is subject to faculty time and interest. (Staff)

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