Undergraduate

Yearly Course Planner 2013-14

FALL CLASS SCHEDULE 2013

Anthropology studies humankind from a broad comparative and historical perspective: the biological evolution of the human species and aspects of the biology of living human populations, the comparative study of living primates, the origins of languages and cultures, the long-term development of human cultures over many millennia, and the social life of humans in groups – families, communities, and nations. Anthropologists attempt to describe specific cultural traditions, forms of social structures, languages, and specific transitions in human evolution and cultural history. They compare cultures and societies to assess what cultures are similar or different, and why. Anthropology is at once a biological science, a social science, and one of the humanities.

Anthropology’s breadth and its emphasis on biological and cultural change and cross-cultural comparison make it an ideal major for anyone seeking a solid liberal arts education as well as for those seeking careers in academic or applied anthropology or archaeology. It serves as an excellent background for students who plan to pursue specialized training in law, medicine, nursing, social work, education, conservation, international relations, or commerce. The world is an ever-smaller and more culturally mixed global community. Knowledge of the developmental processes that explain biological and cultural differences is relevant to a variety of careers. For example, prelaw students would profit from the cross-cultural study of conflict and conflict resolution; premedical students from courses in human evolution and population genetics as well as the cross-cultural study of health and disease.

The department has many strengths: the application of evolutionary and other biological perspectives to the development of humankind; North American, South American, and European prehistoric archaeology; the study of African societies; the anthropology of complex societies, political economy, and gender. The department is strong in basic theory and refinements of qualitative and quantitative analysis of anthropological data as well as ethnography. Field schools, in archaeology and in cultural anthropology, provide practical proving grounds for classroom theorizing. All majors receive training and supervision in field research from faculty.