ANTH 105
International Perspectives on “American Culture”
A look at American culture from an “outsider’s” perspective, comparing views on topics such as family/kinship, language, religion, ethnic identity, and the economic system. “American” values such as individualism, equality, and freedom will be examined. Basic anthropological concepts will be used to understand these topics, including cultural relativity, ethnocentrism, and the ethnographic process. 6 units. Prerequisite: Freshman or sophomore standing or consent of instructor
ANTH 110
Cultural Anthropology
An introduction to the nature of culture, the organization of social relations, and the relationships between values and behavior. Attention to the human use of culture in adapting to environments and to language, technology, kinship, and religion as cultural systems. Case studies of Western and non-Western peoples. 6 units. Prerequisite: Freshman or sophomore standing; consent of instructor required for juniors and seniors
ANTH 120
World Prehistory
An introduction to the peoples and cultures of the world from 40,000 years ago to 2,000 years ago. Major events in world prehistory, such as the origins of agriculture, the rise of cities, and the spread of states, are examined and discussed. General trends in cultural evolution are proposed and evaluated. 6 units. Prerequisite: Freshman or sophomore standing; consent of instructor required for juniors and seniors
ANTH 140
Biological Anthropology
The study of humans as biological organisms. Topics addressed include processes of evolutionary change and status; primate diversity, ecology, and behavior; morphological, ecological, and genetic perspectives on human evolution; and contemporary human biological variation, including racial variation. 6 units. Prerequisite: Freshman or sophomore standing; consent of instructor required for juniors and seniors
ANTH 200
History of Anthropological Ideas
A study of the development of anthropology as a scholarly discipline and a method of inquiry. Consideration of theoretical perspectives such as evolutionism, historical particularism, functionalism, cultural materialism, interpretive approaches, and also the significance of participant-observation and other field research strategies in shaping anthropological knowledge. 6 units.
Prerequisite: ANTH 110, 120, or 140, preferably all three. Recommended for anthropology majors in the sophomore year; must be completed by the end of the junior year.
ANTH 207
Quantative Analysis in Anthropology
An introduction to the collection and manipulation of quantitative data in anthropological research. Topics include sampling, measurement, and basic nominal and ordinal statistics. 6 units. Prerequisite: ANTH 110, 120, or 140, preferably all three; non-anthropology majors must obtain consent of the instructor. Recommended for anthropology majors in the sophomore year; must be completed by the end of the junior year.
ANTH 210
Research Methods in Cultural Anthropology
An introduction to basic assumptions and methods of research in sociocultural anthropology, including participant observation, ethnographic interview, focus groups, cognitive methods, survey, and census. Students gain hands-on experience in research. 6 units. Prerequisite: ANTH 110, 120, or 140, preferably all three; non-anthropology majors must obtain consent of the instructor. Recommended for anthropology majors in the sophomore year; must be completed by the end of the junior year.
ANTH 220
Research Methods in Archaeology
Presents the research process in archaeology and offers an overview of essential data-collection and analysis techniques, including site survey and excavation, settlement pattern analysis, lithic analysis, and ceramic analysis. Students work with material from the Lawrence University collections and take part in field research. 6 units. Prerequisite: ANTH 110, 120, or 140, preferably all three; non-anthropology majors must obtain consent of the instructor. Recommended for anthropology majors in the sophomore year; must be completed by the end of the junior year.
ANTH 304
Ritual, Power, and Ecstasy
An introduction to classical and contemporary approaches to the interpretation of myth, ritual, belief, and religious experience. Though the course reviews a wide variety of religious forms, special attention is paid to mystical and ecstatic experiences, spirit possession, and altered states of consciousness. Additional focus on the relationships among religion, power, and social hierarchies. 6 units. Prerequisite: One course in either anthropology or religious studies
ANTH 306
Women and Men in Cross-Cultural Perspective
An anthropological approach to the study of gender, the sexual division of labor, marriage, and reproduction. Emphasis on biosocial and comparative/historical perspectives that emphasize universals and commonalities across cultures as well as the uniqueness of male/female experience cross-culturally. 6 units. Also listed as Gender Studies 350. Prerequisite: ANTH 110 or GEST 100
ANTH 308
Emotion, Identity, and Culture
Analysis of the ways that culture shapes the emotional life and identity of the individual. Attention to the development of a sense of self in childhood experience, to life cycle changes and rites of passage, and to the expression of emotion and identity in cultural poetics, gender concepts, religion, and everyday life. 6 units. Prerequisite: One anthropology course or consent of instructor
ANTH 310
Ecological Anthropology
A study of relationships between human communities and their natural environments (i.e., humans studied as members of ecosystems). Topics include the interactions between environment, human biology, and social organization and anthropological perspectives on global environmental problems. 6 units. Also listed as Environmental Studies 365. Prerequisite: One anthropology course or consent of instructor
ANTH 320
Archaeology of Gender
An examination of the relationship between gender and material culture. Focus on how gender and gender roles are reflected in the archaeological record and on the problems in identifying and determining gender roles in prehistory. Readings include studies from both the Old and New Worlds and modern theoretical approaches. 6 units. Also listed as Gender Studies 351. Prerequisite: One anthropology course or consent of instructor
ANTH 322
Archaeology of North America
An introduction to the ancient peoples of North America from the initial colonists to the peoples who encountered European colonists some 13,000 years later. Special emphasis is given to the ancient inhabitants of the Great Lakes region. 6 units. Prerequisite: ANTH 120
ANTH 324
Archaeology of the Prehistoric Aegean
A study of archaeological investigations in the Aegean region — Greece, Crete, the Cycladic Islands, and western Turkey. Emphasis on the evidence of cultural development from Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers and Neolithic farmers and herders through the development of the Bronze Age “palace” civilizations of the Minoans and Mycenaeans. 6 units. Also listed as Classics 365. Prerequisite: One anthropology course or consent of instructor
ANTH 330
Language and Culture
An examination of language and other cultural symbolic systems used to formulate and communicate meanings. Attention to social factors in language use, including ethnicity, social class, gender, and the nation-state. Some consideration of the ways that language both reflects and influences people’s ways of thinking. 6 units. Also listed as Linguistics 330. Prerequisite: ANTH 110
ANTH 342
Medical Anthropology
A cross-cultural study of health, healing, and beliefs about the body and illness. Particular attention is paid to the cultural construction of medical beliefs and practices (our biomedical model is only one of many possible world views). 6 units. Prerequisite: ANTH 110 or 140
ANTH 344
Nutritional Anthropology
This course provides a basic introduction to human nutrition. It then considers the evolution of human nutrition through the study of primate nutrition and the putative diets of human ancestors. Finally, it considers anthropological approaches to understanding cross-cultural, intracultural, and life-cycle variation in modern human nutrition. 6 units. Prerequisite: ANTH 140 or instructor’s consent
ANTH 345
Distributed Cognition
Distributed cognition explores the role of the environment, artifacts, social interaction, and culture in human reasoning, problem-solving, and learning. Domains of study range from the sophisticated (ship navigation) to the everyday (time-telling). Emphasis is placed on studies of cognition in real-world settings. 6 units. Also listed as Psychology 345, Education Studies 345. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing
ANTH 350
Indians of North America
A cultural study of the Indians of North America, including examination of the impact of European ideas and technology on Indian societies. Emphasis on environmental adaptations, levels of social and cultural complexity, problems of historical interpretation, and the methods and theories of ethnology and their applications to North American cultures. 6 units. Also listed as Ethnic Studies 330. Prerequisite: ANTH 110
ANTH 354
Anthropology of Mediterranean Europe
An examination of popular culture in 19th- and 20th-century Europe, concentrating on Spain, Italy, and Greece. Topics include gender and familial relationships; social stratification; religion, ritual, and belief; regional and ethnic identities; and relations between the city and the countryside. 6 units. Prerequisite: ANTH 110
ANTH 358
Ethnography of the Middle East and North Africa
Introduction to the diversity of social organization and cultural practice in the Middle East and North Africa. Focus on contemporary Arab and Islamic societies and their ethnic and religious minorities. Topics include tribalism, colonialism, gender, religious practices, migration, and the politics of identity. 6 units. Also listed as Ethnic Studies 332. Prerequisite: ANTH 110 or consent of instructor
ANTH 362
Ethnography of Sub-Saharan Africa
Through an intensive study of a small number of African societies, this course explores key areas of inquiry that have concerned anthropologists working in Africa and the role Africa has played in the history of anthropology and the development of anthropological theory. Readings will consist of class ethnographies and contemporary ethnographies exploring post-colonial transformations. Topics include colonialism, post-colonialism, and African viewpoints on magic, religion, gender, war, human rights, and politics. 6 units. Also listed as Ethnic Studies 230. Prerequisite: ANTH 110 or consent of instructor
ANTH 364
Ethnography of East Asia
An examination of ethnographies on “traditional” as well as contemporary East Asia. Questions of social change and continuity, social organization (including kinship, religious, and political structures), economic structures and change, gender, ethnicity and nationalism, and contemporary issues are explored. 6 units. Also listed as East Asian Studies 364. Prerequisite: ANTH 110 or consent of the instructor
ANTH 366
Ethnography of Japan
Critical examination of social and cultural (re)presentations of Japan from the postwar to the postmodern. Exploration of diversities of lived reality and social change in contemporary Japan. Topics include: nationalism and historical consciousness, family and gender ideologies, invisible and visible others, sexuality, pop culture, and the Heisei recession. 6 units. Also listed as East Asian Studies 366. Prerequisite: ANTH 110 or sophomore standing.
ANTH 372
Urban Anthropology of London
This seminar combines a variety of methods to explore contemporary British culture. In addition to the readings and field trips, students conduct ethnographic fieldwork in London on a topic of their own interest. This may be based in a particular place or, more broadly, focus on a certain group of people. The course provides an introduction to field research methods. Throughout the term, students participate in shorter exercises designed to develop their confidence in the skills of observation, interviewing, description, and analysis. Readings on topics such as neighborhoods, social use of language, class, education, and migration experience provide a framework for understanding the detail of the individual projects. Students are expected to make presentations and participate in discussions. 6 units. Offered at the London Centre
ANTH 374
Identity and Place: Diaspora Experience in Comparative Perspective
An exploration of similarities and differences in diaspora experiences. Issues explored include the relationship between place and identity, memory and identity, notions of home and homeland, gender and class in diaspora communities, and assimilation versus resistance. Emphasis is given to African or black diaspora communities. 6 units. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing and one course in anthropology or consent of instructor
ANTH 376
Urban Communities of the United States
An exploration of the contemporary dynamics of the city in the United States using ethnographic accounts of particular urban communities. Attention to the concept of community, the dynamics of urban space, the roles of ethnicity and social class, and current policy issues. Students conduct research in the local area. 6 units. Also listed as Ethnic Studies 231.
ANTH 450
Senegalese Culture
This course is part of the Lawrence Francophone Seminar in which students study in French-speaking West Africa for ten weeks. 6 units. Also listed as French 400. Prerequisite: Must be attending the Lawrence Francophone Seminar. Offered in alternate years
ANTH 470
American Indians on Film
The course examines the ways in which American Indians have been depicted on film. Ethnographic, documentary, and feature films are examined and compared to understand how film has shaped our image of American Indians. 6 units. Also listed as Ethnic Studies 430. Prerequisite: ANTH 350 or consent of instructor
ANTH 500
Topics in Anthropology
An examination of a particular topic in contemporary anthropology. The specific topic investigated changes each year. Students are expected to carry out independent research on the topic, either through a review of relevant literature or through field or laboratory work.
Topic for Fall Term 2007:
Gender and Health
There are exciting innovations in the field of medical anthropology concerning the gendered dimensions of health and illness cross-culturally. Although most work being conducted is about femininity, we will try to also consider masculinity with respect to health. We will focus particular attention on the connection between gender and health in the experience of bodily illness, the social production of health problems, and the political economic context of health care on a global scale. Our studies will be cross-cultural in focus. 6 units. Also listed as Gender Studies 510. Prerequisite: Junior standing and at least two courses in anthropology or consent of instructor
ANTH 501
Research Questions in Anthropology
An introduction to formulating a research question in anthropology. Students will explore the research literature in an area of interest within anthropology and develop a researchable question grounded in a review of existing theory and empirical research. Graduate training and careers in anthropology will also be discussed. 6 units. Prerequisite: ANTH 200, 207, 210, and junior or senior standing
ANTH 502
Ethnographic Writing
An examination of ethnographic writing as a disciplinary, social, and creative practice among anthropologists. Three themes are considered: dominant practices in ethnographic writing (both current and historical), genres and stylistic practices (e.g., journalistic travel writing, poetry, as well as conventional anthropological accounts), and the experience of ethnographic writing (in which students compose their own ethnographies). An ideal course for students writing up summer field/internship reports or planning senior projects. 6 units. Prerequisite: Junior standing and at lease two courses in anthropology or consent of instructor
ANTH 506
Anthropology of Human Rights
An examination of human-rights issues from an anthropological perspective. Attention is paid to cultural relativism, changing notions of culture and agency, and universalist models of human rights. Issues such as female circumcision, abortion, child abuse, and indigenous rights are examined in larger global contexts with specific consideration of the varying notions of personhood, childhood, and gender they invoke. 6 units. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing and at least two courses in the social sciences
ANTH 508
Freaks, Deviants, and Stigmatized People: Cultural Perspectives on Normality
An exploration of the concept of difference as defined and used in various cultures. Cross-cultural analysis of stigmatizing behavior, including physical, social, and psychological definitions and discussion of how difference helps to define a particular view of “normality,” thus reflecting specific assumptions about an individual’s relationship to society. 6 units. Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor.
ANTH 510
Contemporary Debates in Anthropology
A consideration of current debates in anthropology on issues surrounding representation, ethics, research techniques, the nature of culture, and political positions. These issues are examined in relation to previous anthropological theory and current social scientific thought. 6 units. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing and at least two courses in the social sciences
ANTH 512
Fictions of Africa
An exploration of African culture and history through literature and film by African authors/directors. Issues to be explored include African debates on colonialism, post-colonialism, gender, class, and ethnic stratification, religion, modernization and development. Fictional works will be discussed in tandem with ethnographic monographs and critical essays. 6 units. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing and at least two other courses in the social sciences
ANTH 520
Topics in Archaeology
An examination of a particular topic in contemporary archaeological research. The specific topic investigated changes each year. Students are expected to carry out independent research on the topic, either through a review of relevant literature or through field or laboratory work.
Topic for Spring Term 2008:
Bizaarchaeology
Archaeology attracts a lot of interest from the general public. Much of this public interest seems to focus on “mysteries” of the past or allegedly “unexplainable” phenomena. In many ways this focus of interest is logical, as the past is inherently difficult, sometimes impossible, to know. But, since the past is largely impossible to know, there is a tendency to uncritically fill it with products of the imagination rather than products of the peoples of the past. This course examines some of these “imaginary” pasts and the practice of creating them — a practice I call “bizaarchaeology.” 6 units. Prerequisite: ANTH 120 and junior standing or consent of instructor
ANTH 540
Topics in Biological Anthropology
An examination of a particular topic in contemporary biological anthropological research. The specific topic investigated changes each year. Students are expected to carry out independent research on the topic, either through a review of relevant literature or through field or laboratory work.
Topic for Winter Term 2008:
Primate Ecology and Behavior
This course will explore current research in anthropological primatology. It will begin with an overview of the field and move quickly to a critical examination of primary research literature. Topical foci will be developed by students, as well as the instructor. Examples of appropriate topics for study include predation, mating strategies, parental investment, foraging, growth and development, conflict and reconciliation, dominance, aggression, affiliation and coalition formation, social group dynamics, and communication. 6 units. Prerequisite: ANTH 140 and one other course in anthropology; or BIOL 140 and instructor’s consent; and junior or senior standing
ANTH 601
Research Design in Anthropology
An introduction to designing a research project in anthropology. Students will build a conceptual model and design both data collection protocols and analysis strategies that will address the research question they developed in ANTH 501. Seminar meetings will be spent discussing problems and issues raised by individual students’ projects. 6 units. Prerequisite: ANTH 501 and senior standing or consent of instructor.
ANTH 190, 390, 590, 690
Tutorial Studies in Anthropology
Advanced study of selected topics. Variable units. Prerequisite: Counter registration required
ANTH 195, 395, 595, 695
Internship in Anthropology
Applied work in anthropology arranged and carried out under the direction of an instructor. Variable units. Prerequisite: Counter registration required
ANTH 199, 399, 599, 699
Independent Study in Anthropology
Advanced research. Students considering an honors project should register for this course, for one or more terms. Variable units.
Prerequisite: Counter registration required
Recent tutorial topics in anthropology
Myth, Symbolism, and Ritual
Women of Africa
Language Diversity and Language Policy in India
Ecological Feminism
Archaeology in Cultural Resource Management
Plagues