Course Directory

Introduces students to the nature of humanity and the human condition by exploring contemporary and past societies. Applies the four-field approach, emphasizing human diversity, origins of humans and culture, language, and archaeology. Each semester.

Surveys the human species in time, place, and culture, and investigates factors underlying human variation. Prerequisite: ANTH 211, or one semester in Biology. Alternate years.

Examines the functional interrelationships of humankind and the biophysical environment. No prerequisite. Alternate years.

Introduces the study of the lives of women in cross-cultural perspective. Explores gender issues including sexual division of labor, inequality, changing position of women in families, and the role of women in development. Alternate years.

Introduces students to theory and methods used in archaeological inquiry. Explores the history of archaeology, key researchers in the field, and important discoveries.

Introduces students to archaeology and to what archaeologists do. Provides a long-term perspective on human history starting with the first archaeological sites over 2.5 million years old. Addresses some of the more popular theories about the prehist,oric human past. Alternate years.

Introduces the major genres of American folklore: legend, tale, folk belief, song and ballad, and material folk culture; and various folk groups in America: occupational, gender, ethnic, age, regional, and their traditions. Analyzes examples of American literature and American popular culture through an examination of their American folk elements. Provides students with fieldwork experiences and methods of analysis of oral, customary, and material traditions. No prerequisite. Fall, annually.

Introduces the rich variety of ethnic groups and cultures of contemorary Latin America, including Central and South America. Topics will include social structures, economic organization, gender roles, religion, political systems, ethnic identity, and globalization. Focus will be on indigenous peoples, with an emphasis on their role in national societies and the international economy.

Examines the development of North American Indian cultures from the beginning of human migration in the late Pleistocene to the coming of Europeans. Emphasizes human interrelationships with the various New World environments in time and space which l,"ed to the rise of prehistoric cultures, food production, trade, etc. No prerequisite. Every second year.

Surveys American Indians ethnographically. Explores cultural processes, historic events, and ecological adjustments to understand the diversity of Indian culture at the time of their discovery by Europeans. Considers American Indian acculturation and contemporary Indian issues. No prerequisite. Every second year.

Provides detailed survey of prehistoric developments in North America east of the Mississippi from Late Pleistocene to the Colonial Period. Familiarizes students with the prehistory of the Amerind populations in the area, including the gradual emergence of the Woodland pattern. On demand.

An introduction to linguistic anthropology. Focuses on the main areas of intersection between language and culture. Topics may include: animal communication systems; primate language studies, the evolution of language; linguistic diversity; linguistic relativity (a.k.a. the Sapir/Whorf hypothesis); language and identity; language and gender; and the ethnography of speaking. From an examination of such topics students will learn to see how people use language to create and maintain their cult,"ures, and to recognize the ways in which language itself influences human thought and behavior.|

Deals generally with the nature of language and specifically with the grammatical structures of modern English, its regional and social varieties, and certain highlights of its historical development. Each semester.

Provides a hands-on overview of the major analytical methods in archaeology and a basic understanding of both the practical application of standard methodologies, and the questions archaeologists address. Prerequisite: ANTH 211. Alternate years.

Introduces the field of development anthropology, including its applied aspects. Explores the history of development theory; models of cultural change; contemporary issues of poverty and globalization; models of program design. Provides students with a practical background in project design, assessment, and management. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. Alternate years|

Provides intense study of one or more aspects of folklore study. Focuses on one or more folk groups, a particular folk genre, folklore and popular culture, or folklore and literature. Offers students a fieldwork experience-collection, transcription,classification-and methods of analysis of oral traditions. No prerequisite. Spring, annually.

Surveys Indian cultures from the beginnings in the Late Pleistocene to the coming of the Conquistadors. Emphasizes cultural developments, the rise of states, native agriculture, and the development of arts and crafts, including architecture and ceremonial art. No prerequisite. Every second year.

This course covers the cultural development of humanking from the Lower Paleolithic to the beginnings of urbanism in the Bronze and Iron Age. The course examines human development in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the New World; draws comparisons beweencultures; studies the diffusion of cultural traits; and summarizes recent developments in research. No prerequisite. Every second year.

Provides cross cultural comparative analysis of human environment with the supernatural. Explores the role of religion and theories dealing with the nature and function of various aspects of supernaturalism from an anthropological perspective. No pre,requisite. Every second year.

Provides a general overview of the history of anthropology as an academic discipline, combined with a survey of anthropological theory and research methods. Alternative years. Anth 211 plus at least 3 additional credits in anthropology, or permission of instructor.

Provides an introduction to American dialectology and sociolinguistics. Emphasizes the great diversity and vitality of American English. Covers the causes and mechanisms of linguistic changes, the role of language differences in society, and the relevance of dialectology to language teaching. Pays special attention to the regional speech patterns of Pennsylvania. No prerequisite. Spring, odd-numbered years.

Background of racial and ethnic identity. Examines contemporary aspects of inter-ethnic and inter-racial group relations. Considers proposals for alleviating and resolving problems and their implications. Prerequisite: SOC 211 or permission of the in,structor. Once annually.

Investigates how to research, write, and present a substantive anthropological project. Each student will work on an individualized project by developing a research design, performing background research, collecting and analyzing data, and writing a formal paper that will be presented in class. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing. Spring, alternate years|

Provides undergraduates with a practical and technical background in modern archaeological research. Includes an introduction to cultural contexts. Covers all phases of field investigation, including site reconnaissance, site survey and testing, site mapping, controlled excavation, specimen recovery techniques, and information regarding procedures. Includes laboratory methods such as catalog and preservation procedures.

Provides students with additional training in archaeological field methods. Students obtain supervisory skills and experience in site interpretation and report writing. Students will also learn applied archaeological (Cultural Resources Management), field techniques. ANTH 376 is offered concurrently with ANTH 375. Prerequisite: ANTH 375.

An introduction to linguistic anthropology. Focuses on the main areas of intersection between language and culture. Topics may include: animal communication systems; primate language studies; the evolution of language; linguistic diversity; linguis,tic relativity (a.k.a. the Sapir/Whorf Hypothesis); language endangerment and revival; nonverbal communication; linguistic field methods; ethnopoetics; sociolinguistics; language and identity; language and gender; and the ethnography of speaking. Fr,"om an examination of such topics, students will learn to see how people use language to create and maintain their cultures, and to recognize the ways in which language itself influences human thought and behavior.|

Allows students to develop their approach to a specific problem, by conducting individual research defined in conference with the instructor. Regular sessions with the faculty member in charge evaluate the progress of the work and chart its direction. Students expected to acquire research techniques in dealing with their topics. All branches of anthropology may be used to select a topic. Credit and grades will be given only if the project (term paper, survey, investigation, etc.) has been completed to the satisfaction of the project advisor and the departmental chair. Prerequisite: ANTH 211. On demand.

Provides students with field experience in cultural anthropology. Emphasizes practical, first-hand experience of ethnographic fieldwork. Focus is on research design, qualitative methodology, and communication results of research. Prerequisite: At least 6 credits in anthropology, or permission of instructor.

Focuses on a single topic of interest in Biological Anthropology and Archaeology. Course content varies. Topic will be announced in advance. Prerequisite: ANTH 211 or permission of instructor.

Focuses on a single topic of interest in cultural and/or linguistic anthropology. Course content varies. Topic will be announced in advance. Prerequisite: ANTH 211 or permission of instructor.