Sociology and Anthropology
(Program Homepage)
Faculty: T. Beauboeuf, M. Bhan, C. Bondy, R. Bordt, A. Castaneda, N. Davis, T. French, K. Hall, T. Hall, J. Hollowell, M. Hopwood, D. La Lone, D. Newman, M. Oware, A. Suarez, R. Upton
Sociology & Anthropology foster a critical consciousness of how different cultures and social groups organize and make sense of their world. Majors explore the ways in which social interaction, social practices, culture and social structures promote solidarity, mark differences, legitimate power, create inequality, police deviance, maintain social order, promote resistance, and lead to movements for change. Majors discover the patterns, rules and logic that undergird criminal justice systems, gender and race relations, sexuality, family, work, law, medicine, religion, and the arts, as well as the cultural variability in these. Majors examine struggles for power and privilege and the ways in which humans have transformed their own societies and those of others.
Sociology and Anthropology majors also learn how to question received knowledge; think critically and imaginatively; interpret, situate, and evaluate an argument; design and carry out research on human behavior, social groups, and societies; formulate, articulate, and support a position; write cogently, persuasively, and with sensitivity to ethical issues; develop an historical and comparative gaze in tackling contemporary problems; and act in a world that is complex, global, and multi-faceted.
Sociology & Anthropology courses are interactive, combining lecture and discussion. Many majors enhance their understanding of other cultures and societies by studying abroad, e.g., in Australia, China, France, Italy, Mexico, Spain, and South Africa. Many also take courses in interdisciplinary campus programs such as Asian Studies, Black Studies, European Studies, Latin American & Caribbean Studies, Conflict Studies, and Women¿s Studies. Still others participate in off-campus internship programs, including in New York, Philadelphia, and London.
An Anthropology, Sociology, or combined Sociology/Anthropology major prepares students for a rich variety of post-graduate programs and professions. Majors have gone on to successful careers in law, publishing, academia, student affairs, environmental activism, criminal justice, counseling, medicine, museum curatorship, community organizing, policy analysis, urban planning, social work, public relations, business, government, and foundation work.
SOC 100 and ANTH 151 and 153 serve as introductory courses and as prerequisites for advanced courses. However, after their first year at DePauw, students may take 200-level courses without a prerequisite.
Requirements for a major in Anthropology
| Total courses required | Nine |
| Core courses | ANTH 151, ANTH 153, ANTH 380, ANTH 383, ANTH 452. The required courses in the major, including the required 300-level course, must be taken on campus. |
| Other required courses | Of the remaining four courses, one must be at the 300-level. Two courses in sociology may apply toward the anthropology major, but not toward the 300-level course. |
| # 300 and 400 level courses | Four |
| Senior requirement | The senior requirement consists of the completion of a thesis with a grade of C- or higher in ANTH 452. |
| Additional information | |
| Recent changes in major |
Requirements for a major in Sociology
| Total courses required | Nine |
| Core courses | SOC 100, SOC 303, SOC 401, SOC 410. The required courses in the major, including the required 300-level course, must be taken on campus. |
| Other required courses | Of the remaining five courses, one must be at the 300-level. Two courses in anthropology may apply toward the sociology major, but not toward the 300-level course. |
| # 300 and 400 level courses | Four |
| Senior requirement | The senior requirement consists of the completion of a thesis with a grade of C- or higher in SOC 410. |
| Additional information | |
| Recent changes in major |
Requirements for a major in Sociology and Anthropology
| Total courses required | Ten |
| Core courses | SOC 100, SOC 303, ANTH 151, ANTH 383; either SOC 401 or ANTH 380; either SOC 410 or ANTH 452. The required courses in the major, including the required 300-level course, must be taken on campus. |
| Other required courses | Five courses in each discipline must be completed. |
| # 300 and 400 level courses | Four |
| Senior requirement | The senior requirement consists of the completion of a thesis with a grade of C- or higher in SOC 410 or ANTH 452. |
| Additional information | |
| Recent changes in major |
Requirements for a minor in Sociology
| Total courses required | Five |
| Core courses | SOC 100 |
| Other courses | |
| # 300 and 400 level courses | One |
| Recent changes in minor | The number of courses required for the minor was increased from four to five, effective 2007-08. |
Requirements for a minor in Anthropology
| Total courses required | Five |
| Core courses | ANTH 151 or ANTH 153 |
| Other courses | |
| # 300 and 400 level courses | One |
| Recent changes in minor | The number of courses required for the minor was increased from four to five, effective 2007-08. |
Courses in Sociology and Anthropology
Courses in Sociology | ||
| SOC 100. Contemporary Society | Group 2 | 1 course |
| An introduction to sociology: its questions, concepts and ways of analyzing social life. The focus is on how human societies organize themselves; how culture, socialization, norms, power relations, social institutions and group interaction affect the individual; and how, in turn, societies are transformed by human action. Of particular concern are problems facing contemporary societies. Not open to seniors or for Pass-Fail credit. | ||
| SOC 197S. First-Year Seminar | 1 course | |
| This course, designed especially for first-year students, explores an innovative or timely issue in sociology. Sociological perspectives and ways of knowing are used to study a particular topic in depth. Ethical, historical and sometimes comparative dimensions to the issue will be examined. Topics may include: Popular Culture in the U.S., Culture Wars in American Society, Dilemmas in Health Care, and Justice and Society. Seminars are small and emphasize writing and class discussion. Prerequisite: first-year students only. | ||
| SOC 201. Sociological Perspectives | 1/2-1 course | |
| An exploration of a timely topic in sociology, sometimes interdisciplinary in nature, that is not offered in the formal sociology curriculum. Topics may include: Sociology of Education, Environmental Sociology, Sociology of Immigration, and other topics. The course may be repeated with different topics. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or sophomore standing. | ||
| SOC 210. Gender and Society | Group 2 | 1 course |
| This course examines the role of gender systems in human societies. How do societies vary in the positions assigned to men and women? In the power and privileges accorded each sex? How do we acquire a gender identity? What are the consequences of sex-typing and sex-stratified societies? The role of religion, intellectual traditions, language, families and schools, economic organization, labor markets and the state is explored. The focus is on contemporary U.S. society and recent changes in gender relations. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or sophomore standing. | ||
| SOC 211. Sociology of Childhood | Group 2 | 1 course |
| This course examines the years of two to eleven as a social construction. A particular focus is placed on how race, class, gender, and globalism create an array of childhood experiences and expectations. Throughout the semester, we will pose such questions as: What does it mean to be a child in our society? What social changes have most influenced our current understandings of childhood? How has the concept of childhood changed over the last century? How do various subcultures see the purpose and social value of childhood? How are children shaped by society and specific social institutions such as schools? How do children alter the families and cultures in which they live? How is childhood presented and exploited as a market? Prerequisite: SOC 100 or sophomore standing. | ||
| SOC 212. Sociology of Family | Group 2 | 1 course |
| This course examines issues associated with family life, such as gender role socialization, sexuality, mate selection, the internal dynamics of relationships, domestic violence and marital dissolution. The course also considers the social implications of current trends in family life and the expanding definitions of family that include non-traditional relationships that have until recently lacked institutional legitimacy. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or sophomore standing. | ||
| SOC 214. Sociology of Education | Group 2 | 1 course |
| This course examines schools as social institutions that draw heavily on our longstanding race-, class-, and gender-based notions of ability, productiveness, and social value. In viewing schools as microcosms of society, we explore historical and contemporary examples of how schools have participated in the socio-political processes of Americanization, segregation, social mobility, multiculturalism and social justice. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or sophomore standing. | ||
| SOC 215. Criminology | Group 2 | 1 course |
| The course explores theoretical explanations for criminal behavior, empirical research on crime in diverse contexts and policy debates on crime control and punishment in the U.S. We place particular emphasis on the intersection of race, social class and gender as a conceptual lens through which to analyze street crime, white collar crime and intimate familial crime. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or sophomore standing. | ||
| SOC 219. Sociology of Madness | Group 2 | 1 course |
| An examination of the history and social construction of the concept of mental illness. Explores the social, political, economic, legal and personal implications of the medicalization of madness. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or sophomore standing. | ||
| SOC 220. Sociology of Hip Hop | Group 2 | 1 course |
| This course is a socio-historical analysis of hip hop, examining the conditions for the creation and continued existence of this genre of music. We approach it through theoretical frameworks such as Marxism and feminism, address questions such as how capitalism and the commodification of hip hop affect our society. In addition, how do artists conceptualize and present masculinity and femininity? Is it really okay to be a P.I.M.P., hustler, or player? Finally, what role does race and ethnicity have in hip hop music? Are white artists such as Eminem really appropriating the culture from minorities? Our intent is to discover how the socially constructed characteristics of race, class, and gender are addressed and conveyed in hip hop music. | ||
| SOC 222. Social Deviance | Group 2 | 1 course |
| This course is an examination of the changing definitions and explanations of deviance. Conceptions of deviance are looked at within historical, political and cultural contexts. Implications for policies of social control are explored. Prerequisites: SOC 100 or sophomore standing. | ||
| SOC 225. Sexuality, Culture and Power | Group 2 | 1 course |
| An exploration of the diverse ways in which human sexualities have been conceptualized, molded, policed and transformed in particular cultures, social contexts, moral climates and political terrains. Investigated are how the seemingly personal and natural world of sexual desire and behavior is shaped by larger societal institutions (e.g., law, medicine, religion) and by cultural ideas. Also examined is how social categories that have primacy in a culture,(e.g., gender, race, class and age) are expressed in sexual ideas, behavior and politics. Prerequisites: SOC 100 or sophomore standing. | ||
| SOC 237. Racial and Ethnic Relations | Group 2 | 1 course |
| This course explores the origins, changes and possible futures of racial and ethnic relations. It is concerned with both the development of sociological explanations of ethnic and racial conflict, competition and cooperation as well as with practical approaches to improving inter-group relations. The course surveys global and historical patterns of inter-group relations but focuses on late 20th-century and early 21st-century United States. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or sophomore standing. | ||
| SOC 301. Topics in Sociology | 1/2-1 course | |
| An exploration of timely, often policy-oriented and/or interdisciplinary issues in sociology. A specific topic will be addressed each time the course is offered. Topics might include Principles of Population, Social Inequalities, and other topics. May be repeated with different topics. Prerequisite: one course in SOC or permission of instructor. | ||
| SOC 303. Social Theory | Group 2 | 1 course |
| This course involves the posing and answering of questions about the nature of the self and of social life. It investigates the fundamental issues of how social order is maintained and conversely, how social conflict and change occur. Central theoretical traditions in sociology--modernist and post modernist--are explored: their development, major ideas, research applications and implications for contemporary social life. Prerequisite: SOC 100 and Sociology or Sociology-Anthropology major, or permission of instructor. | ||
| SOC 319. The Individual and Society | Group 2 | 1 course |
| An introduction to social psychology from a sociological perspective. Several major theories in social psychology are discussed in relation to topics, such as interpersonal relationships, person perception, motivation, socialization, self and the social construction of reality. Prerequisite: one course in SOC 100, PSY 100 or ANTH 151. Not open to students who have credit in PSY 260 and 261. | ||
| SOC 320. Protest, Activism and Change | Group 2 | 1 course |
| An investigation of activists who have mobilized to change the shape of American society. Explores how protest has changed American society; the forces giving rise to it; the dilemmas in mobilizing social movements; tactical, ethical and organizational issues; and the role of movement opponents in affecting what can be achieved. Grassroots organizing and large-scale social movements. such as civil rights, labor, feminist, student, gay and lesbian, and peace activism, are considered. Prerequisite: one course in Sociology or permission of instructor. | ||
| SOC 322. Black Issues and Identity | Group 2 | 1 course |
| This course considers how oppressive social realities inform the lives and the study of socially marginal and politically disempowered groups. While emphasis is placed on the experiences of people of African descent, the class covers issues of power, definition, bias, resistance, and resilience that are also prominent in the histories of other marginalized groups in the U.S. Prerequisite: One course in Sociology or permission of instructor. | ||
| SOC 329. Social Inequalities | Group 2 | 1 course |
| This course examines multiple systems of privilege and oppression, such as gender, race, ethnicity, social class, and sexuality. The course considers how these systems of inequality intersect to influence people¿s experiences of social processes (e.g., discrimination, stereotyping, and violence) and various social institutions (e.g., family, paid labor, education, and media). | ||
| SOC 332. Women, Culture and Identity | Group 2 | 1 course |
| Drawing on sociology, psychology, and cultural and feminist studies, this course explores how understandings and experiences of womanhood are largely shaped by the gendered norms and expectations of our cultural contexts. Investigating the intimate connections between identity change and social transformation, the course emphasizes how women -- diverse with respect to age, ability, class, ethnicity, race, and sexual orientation ¿ encounter and at times resist circumstances they find oppressive. | ||
| SOC 333. Intimate Violence | Group 2 | 1 course |
| This course examines intimate violence from a historically grounded, cross-cultural and interdisciplinary perspective. We explore the meaning of intimate violence, its relationship to violence in general, its root causes, and its universal and parochial forms. In addition to exposure to various theories of violence, we consider the usefulness of these theories in explaining specific empirical cases of intimate violence (e.g., rape, child abuse, hate crimes, femicide and trafficking in women) with an eye toward understanding these micro-level phenomena in broader social, cultural, economic and political context. Prerequisite: one course in sociology or permission of instructor. | ||
| SOC 334. Prison History and Culture | Group 2 | 1 course |
| This course focuses on sociological analyses of prisons in the United States from their inception to present day. Racism, poverty and masculinity provide a central analytic frame for understanding this unique and powerful form of social control. We consider the following questions: Why do we incarcerate more people than any other country in the world? Why are poor, young, African-American men disproportionately represented in prison? Was convict leasing simply slavery in a different guise? Why is prison big business, and who benefits from it? Does prison create crime? What does prison do to those who live and work behind bars? What is the future of incarceration? Prerequisites: one course in sociology or permission of instructor. | ||
| SOC 340. Sociology of Popular Culture | Group 2 | 1 course |
| This course examines what is commonly referred to as popular culture. Of course, popular culture can constitute any number of aspects including, art, soap operas, comic books, sports, music, the clothes we wear, movies we see, the media, and the foods we eat, among other things. We will begin the course defining and dissecting popular culture from a sociological perspective. We will explore whether popular culture is high brow or low brow and who has the power to classify it as such. Also, we will address whether popular culture is created by and for the people, or whether it is created by a dominant or elite group that imposes their will on the masses. Who are the producers and consumers of popular culture? Are they one in the same? Along the way we will examine how various disciplines or groups such as Cultural Studies or the Production of Cultural Studies view and explain popular culture. Finally, no sociology course is complete without exploring how various theorists and theories, such as Marxism, Feminism, or Gramsci's idea of hegemony illuminate our understanding of popular culture. | ||
| SOC 401. Methods of Social Research | 1 course | |
| A seminar dealing with elements of the scientific method as they apply to research in sociology and other social sciences. Covers strategies of research design, scaling and measurement; questionnaires and interviews; projection and other indirect methods; processing, analysis, interpretation of data and testing of hypotheses. Prerequisite: junior Sociology major or permission of instructor. This course may not be taken pass/fail. | ||
| SOC 410. Senior Seminar in Sociology | 1 course | |
| A seminar of senior Sociology or Sociology/Anthropology majors focused around a major substantive or methodological area of sociology. The course involves a core of common reading, discussion and the writing and presenting of a senior thesis related to the general focus of the seminar. Topics might include: global struggles for human rights, cultural conflict in American society, social problems in global/historical perspective, and race & ethnicity. Prerequisite: senior Sociology or Sociology/Anthropology major. | ||
| SOC 413. Readings and Projects in Sociology | 1 course | |
| Prerequisite: permission of instructor. | ||
| SOC 414. Readings and Projects in Sociology | 1 course | |
| Prerequisite: permission of instructor. | ||
Courses in Anthropology | ||
| ANTH 151. Human Cultures | Group 2 | 1 course |
| An introduction to the perspectives, methods and ideas of cultural anthropology. Analysis of human diversity and similarities among people throughout the world, both Western and non-Western, through cross-cultural comparison. Topics include: culture and society; ethnographic research; ethnocentrism vs. cultural relativism; how societies adapt to their environment; different forms of marriage and social relationships; male, female and other forms of gender; the social functions of religion; and processes of socio-cultural change. May not be taken pass/fail. | ||
| ANTH 153. Human Origins | Group 1 | 1 course |
| An introduction to physical anthropology and archaeology, showing how biology and culture enable humankind to survive in many different environments. Topics discussed include primate behavior, fossil humans, tools and society, and the relationships between biology and human behavior. May not be taken pass/fail. | ||
| ANTH 156. Advanced Placement in Human Geography | 1 course | |
| Advanced placement credit for entering first-year students in Human Geography. | ||
| ANTH 197A. First-Year Seminar | 1 course | |
| This course, designed especially for first-year students, explores an innovative or timely issue in anthropology. Anthropological perspectives and ways of knowing are used to study a particular topic in depth. Ethical and comparative dimensions to the issue will be examined. Topics might include: Culture and Morality, Women and Work, Culture and Medicine, Human Rights and Cultural Survival, and Culture and Violence. Seminars are small and emphasize writing and class discussion. Prerequisite: first-year students only. | ||
| ANTH 251. Latin American & Caribbean Cultures | Group 2 | 1 course |
| This courses introduces students to the diverse cultures and societies of Latin America and the Caribbean via a multi-disciplinary approach. Through historical, ethnographic, and literary study, we will explore relations of power, ideology, and resistance from the colonial conquest to the present, including economic dependency, development, political institutions, the military, social movements, religious expressions and ethnic and class relations. | ||
| ANTH 252. Anthropology of Power and Violence | Group 2 | 1 course |
| Are humans by nature violent? If so, then how do we explain cooperation in human communities? If cooperation is the norm, then how do we account for warfare? What are the foundations of power and inequalities in societies? In this course we explore many of these classical topics from an interdisciplinary perspective that encompasses biology, philosophy, history, and ethics. But all of this is informed by anthropology's cross-cultural and cross-temporal perspective. | ||
| ANTH 253. Environmental Anthropology | Group 2 | 1 course |
| A study of the relationships between humans and their environment, with special emphasis on how human lifestyles may be understood as responses to environmental challenges. Prerequisite: ANTH 151 or 153 or sophomore standing. | ||
| ANTH 254. Anthropology of Religion | Group 2 | 1 course |
| The study of religious beliefs and rituals from different cultures around the world, mainly in small-scale and agricultural societies (e.g., Africa, Indonesia, Pacific Islands, South America) but may also include Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Instead of a theological perspective, the course studies religion in its socio-cultural context. Emphasis is on general theories that explain the functions of religion as well as case-studies that examine the particular meanings of religions. Topics may include: totemism; death, ghosts and the soul; magic versus science; myth; sorcery and witchcraft; male and female initiation ceremonies; purity and pollution beliefs; religion and social change. Prerequisite: ANTH 151, sophomore standing or permission of instructor. | ||
| ANTH 255. The Anthropology of Gender | Group 2 | 1 course |
| This class explores anthropological theories of gender differences and inequalities in cross-cultural contexts. The course examines the role of kinship, reproduction, politics and economic systems in the shifting determinations of gender in various contexts. It also questions the meanings of masculinity, transsexual/transgender issues and the roles of women in global contexts. In this course, the various ways that anthropology has theorized and understood questions of gender are explored and made relevant to contemporary societies. Prerequisite: ANTH 151, sophomore standing or permission of instructor. | ||
| ANTH 257. Culture, Medicine and Health | Group 2 | 1 course |
| What is sickness? What is health? How do these ideas vary across cultures and history? This course investigates how and why people explain what it means to be "well" or "unwell" in society. It examines such topics as: Western biomedicine, the body and gender; access to health care in differing cultural and political contexts, ethics, death and dying, birth and the politics of reproduction, drugs and how we think we "treat" illness or choose not to. | ||
| ANTH 258. Archaeology | Group 2 | 1 course |
| (formerly ANTH 354) Archaeology is much more than digging into the ancient past. It is also a form of detective work that allows us to understand ancient as well as modern societies by uncovering the clues of their material remains. In this course, we see how archaeologists show how and why civilizations rise and collapse. Prerequisite: ANTH 151, ANTH 153 or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for ANTH 354. | ||
| ANTH 260. Wars and Militarism | Group 2 | 1 course |
| This seminar is on wars and militarism and how these effect and shape human lives. We discuss whether or not wars and the concomitant militarization of human societies are inevitable aspects of our existence. Do wars and militarism reflect primordial human biological and psychological instincts and are therefore inevitable features of human existence? Or can these be traced to certain social, political, and economic contingencies and processes? Can wars be conceptualized only in terms of armed conflicts between nation-states or do wars encompass much more than is usually accepted or understood? This course is intended to blur several boundaries: normative understandings of wars and peace; differences between legitimate and unjust wars; and wars waged by nation-states and by insurgent and terrorist groups. Through an interdisciplinary lens that brings together insights from anthropology, security-studies, cultural-studies, feminist theory, political-science and history, we will define, identify, and understand the different kinds of wars that are being fought in contemporary times. The focus of the course will be to highlight the lived experience of wars and militarism, the strategies of survival that people employ in sometimes extremely adverse situations; the underlying assumptions of wars and militarism that are reflected in social institutions seemingly little connected to them; and most importantly, the power differences that underpin and drive contemporary wars. | ||
| ANTH 271. African Cultures | Group 2 | 1 course |
| In this course, students examine the cultural, political, economic, psychological and social aspects of life in Africa. Through lectures, discussions, films and a variety of readings, students will explore a number of issues, including ancient Egypt, slavery, colonialism, religion, music, art, African cinema and Pan-Africanism. Prerequisite: ANTH 151, sophomore standing or permission of instructor. | ||
| ANTH 273. Indigenous Peoples: South and Central America | Group 2 | 1 course |
| Indians of South and Central America range from hidden peoples of the Amazon to the builders of the Inca, Aztec and Maya civilizations. This course explores the ways of life of some of the world's least-known, yet most intriguing peoples. Prerequisite: ANTH 151 or sophomore standing. | ||
| ANTH 279. U.S. Latino Cultures | Group 2 | 1 course |
| This course explores the complexity of the Latino experience in the United States. It examines the diversity of culture groups that make up the Latino population (e.g. Mexican-American, Chicano, Puerto Rican-American, Cuban-American) through topics such as cultural assimilation and acculturation, language, education, border culture, Latino political movements, and Latino popular culture. Students conduct their own ethnographic projects among Latino communities in Indiana. | ||
| ANTH 290. Anthropological Perspectives | 1/2-1 course | |
| This course studies innovative, timely and often interdisciplinary topics that are not a formal part of the sociology and anthropology curriculum. Often these courses apply anthropological perspectives and insights to issues that we either take for granted or study in other disciplines. Topics may include Anthropology of Time and Space; Anthropology of the Body; Power and Violence; Men and Masculinity; Judaism and Bible; and other topics. Prerequisite: ANTH 151, sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. The course may be repeated for credit with different topics. | ||
| ANTH 351. Human Nature and Anthropology | Group 2 | 1 course |
| Human diversity has always been the central subject matter of anthropology. Cultural diversity is so great that most introductory cultural anthropology courses seem to lead to the conclusion that there is simply no such thing as human nature. However, biological anthropology shows that all humans are members of a single species and have more commonalities than differences. This course explores how biological as well as cultural evidence may give us new insights into what makes us all human. | ||
| ANTH 355. Anthropology of Development | Group 2 | 1 course |
| Development is often considered synonymous with progress and economic growth. This course seeks to challenge the framework within which development policies and practices have been conceptualized since the 1940s. How do discourses and practices of development reflect struggles over power, history, and culture? Why has development often been understood as a "neocolonial" endeavor that seeks to maintain the global hegemony of the first world over the third world? How has the trajectory of development shifted in the past five decades to encompass divergent agendas, practices, and meanings? How have these "macro" agendas shaped the lives of millions of men and women living across the globe? Can development be understood as a monolithic category or is it experienced differently by men and women cross-culturally? This course will also highlight some of the most pressing concerns over the merits and limitations of globalization thereby engaging students with ongoing social, political and economic debates. Using anthropological insights, we will explore the connections between colonialism, development, capitalism, and globalization to analyze how "development" is embedded in social inequities, and whether or not a more equitable form of development can be envisioned. | ||
| ANTH 360. African Diaspora Religions | Group 2 | 1 course |
| This course is designed to explore the history, functions, and communities, which encompass religions of the African Diaspora such as Santería, Vodou, and Candomblé. Lectures, discussions, films, and a range of ethnographic literature will introduce students to these religious systems. Among the topics and themes to be addressed in relation to relgiion are issues of identity, ethnicity, gender, performance, and class. Case studies in Brazil, Cuba, and among Latinos in the U.S. will illuminate the multivocality of the religious beliefs and practices found in the African Diaspora. | ||
| ANTH 366. Performing Latin American Culture | Group 3 | 1 course |
| This course focuses on the relationship between cultural performance and identity. Specific case studies include ethnographies on tango, rumba and Mexican corridos. Of particular interest are the interconnected roles of power and politics in the performance of culture¿how the two are performed in an attempt at re-forming and sometimes de-forming and mis-informing each other. This course examines the formal aspects of performance, audience/performer relationships as well as social and contextual influences on cultural performance. | ||
| ANTH 380. Ethnographic Methods | 1 course | |
| A course designed to introduce students to anthropological methods of qualitative research. Readings and discussion in seminar-like format on participant observation, formal and informal interviewing, research design and interpretation of data will prepare students to carry out their own ethnographic projects. The course will also cover ethics in fieldwork and the current debate on the subjectivity of ethnographic inquiry. | ||
| ANTH 383. History of Anthropology | Group 2 | 1 course |
| A survey history of the central theoretical perspectives, questions and data of socio-cultural anthropology. Focusing on significant scholars and case studies, the course explores the development of different ways that anthropologists have formulated and understood fundamental questions concerning human society, culture, change and universals. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior; Anthropology or Sociology-Anthropology major or permission from instructor. This course may not be taken pass/fail. | ||
| ANTH 390. Topics in Anthropology | 1/2-1 course | |
| An exploration of selected topics in anthropology, culture and society (see Anthropology of the U.S. and topics listed under ANTH 290.) Prerequisite: sophomore standing. May be repeated for credit with different topics. | ||
| ANTH 441. Readings and Projects in Anthropology | 1/2-1 course | |
| Prerequisite: permission of instructor. | ||
| ANTH 442. Readings and Projects in Anthropology | 1 course | |
| Prerequisite: permission of instructor. | ||
| ANTH 452. Senior Seminar in Anthropology | 1 course | |
| A seminar of senior Anthropology majors focused on contemporary theories and issues of culture, change, development, universals and diversity. The actual topic alters each year. Students discuss a common core of readings while researching-writing a senior thesis. Prerequisite: senior Anthropology or Sociology/Anthropology major. This course may not be taken pass/fail. | ||
