Course Descriptions

Please note: The course descriptions displayed here are current as of Sunday, October 6, 2013, but the official Course Catalog should be used for all official planning.

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. Units: 6. 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. This course may not be taken on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis. Units: 6. 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 stasis; primate diversity, ecology, and behavior; morphological, ecological, and genetic perspectives on human evolution; and contemporary human biological variation, including racial variation. Units: 6. Prerequisite: Freshman or sophomore standing; consent of instructor required for juniors and seniors

ANTH 191
Directed Study in Anthropology

Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. Units: 1 TO 98. Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

ANTH 195
Internship in Anthropology

Applied work in anthropology arranged and carried out under the direction of an instructor. The academic component of the internship includes readings related to the substance of the internship, discussions with the faculty supervisor, and a written report appropriate to the discipline. Course grades are based on this academic work. Units: 1 TO 98. Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

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, structuralism, interpretive and postmodernist approaches, and also the significance of participant-observation and other field research strategies in shaping anthropological knowledge. Units: 6. 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. Units: 6. 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. Units: 6. 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 will take part in field research. Units: 6.
Also listed as Environmental Studies 260

ANTH 222
Historic Preservation Theory and Practice

Historic preservation endeavors to identify and conserve historic objects, properties, and landscapes. It has become a focal task for many anthropologists today. This course introduces students to the basic theory of historic preservation, the laws guiding practice, and the techniques used by historic preservation professionals. Units: 6.

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. Critical examination of evolutionary, materialist, structuralist, and practice theory approaches to understanding gender behavior and gender stratification. Topics such as transgendered sexuality, reproductive technologies, the anthropology of infancy and parenting address the diversity of ways in which cultures construct sex difference, gender, and sexuality. Units: 6. Prerequisite: ANTH 110 or GEST 100
Also listed as Gender Studies 350

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. Units: 6. Prerequisite: One anthropology course or consent of instructor
Also listed as Environmental Studies 365

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. Units: 6. Prerequisite: One anthropology course or consent of instructor
Also listed as Gender Studies 351

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. Units: 6. Prerequisite: ANTH 120

ANTH 324
Archaeology of Prehistoric Greece

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. Units: 6. Prerequisite: ANTH 120 or consent of instructor
Also listed as Classics 365

ANTH 326
Bizarrchaeology

Much of the public’s interest in archaeology focuses on “mysteries” of the past or allegedly “unexplainable” phenomena. Since the past is largely impossible to know, it is easy to uncritically fill it with products of the imagination rather than products of ancient peoples. This course examines some of these “imaginary” pasts and the practice of creating them. Units: 6. Prerequisite: ANTH 120 or consent of instructor

ANTH 328
Ethics in Archaeology: Who owns the past?

An exploration of ethical and legal concerns surrounding archaeology: the ownership and treatment of archaeological remains and relations between archaeologists and descendent communities. Topics include the ethics and legality of collecting looting, and the antiquities market; archaeology and nationalism; repatriation of skeletons and artifacts; and professional responsibilities of archaeologists. Units: 6. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing and ANTH 120, an ARHI course (preferably ancient to Renaissance), or consent of instructor
Also listed as Art History 325, Classics 368

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. Units: 6. Prerequisite: One anthropology course or one linguistics course, or consent of instructor.
Also listed as Linguistics 330

ANTH 340
Human Biology, Evolution, and Health

Students will develop an understanding of modern human biology as the outcome of interactions between evolved genomes and the myriad environments in which we are born, develop and live out our lives. Topics of study will include evolutionary approaches to reproduction, growth and development, health, behavior, adaptation, and life history. Units: 6. Prerequisite: ANTH 140 or consent of instructor, AND sophomore standing

ANTH 341
Human Variation

A survey of human biological variation and adaptation. Topics include the geographic distribution of human variation; evolutionary approaches to understanding human diversity; historic and modern concepts of race and ethnicity; human biological adaptations to disase, climate, poverty, and other stressors; and the genetics of simple and complex traits. Units: 6. Prerequisite: ANTH 140, BIOL 110, or consent of instructor
Also listed as Ethnic Studies 341

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). Units: 6. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing, and 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. Units: 6. Prerequisite: ANTH 140 or consent of instructor

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. Units: 6. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing
Also listed as Education Studies 345, Psychology 345

ANTH 347
Introduction to Forensic Anthropology

This course is an introduction to forensic anthropology and human osteology, including a comprehensive study of the human skeleton and sections on determining ancestry, sex, and age of a skeleton. Further topics include how to approach a crime scene, determining forensic significance, and the postmortem processes of the human body. Units: 6. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing required; ANTH 140 recommended

ANTH 348
Primate Behavior and Ecology

This course provides an introduction to the Order Primates. In addition to exploring the behavior and ecology of prosimians, monkeys, and apes, the course will cover techniques in primate behavioral observation. Further, biological and social adaptations will be examined in an evolutionary context. Units: 6. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing and one of the following: ANTH 140, BIOL 140, BIOL 150, consent of the instructor
Also listed as Biology 451

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. Units: 6. Prerequisite: ANTH 110
Also listed as Ethnic Studies 330

ANTH 358
Ethnography of the Middle East and North Africa

Introduction to the peoples and cultures of the Middle East and North Africa, an area of tremendous cultural, religious, linguistic, and economic diversity. Focus on the nature of ethnography as a research method and key areas of inquiry that have concerned anthropologists working in Arab and Muslim societies. Topics include social organization, tribalism, colonialism, gender, religion, nationalism, ethnic and religious minorities, and the politics of identity. Units: 6. Prerequisite: ANTH 110 or consent of instructor
Also listed as Ethnic Studies 332

ANTH 360
Anthropology of South Asia

Introduces the complexity of South Asian society and culture through the study of ethnographies of gender, religious life, kinship, social organization, and economy in the colonial and post-colonial periods. Units: 6. Prerequisite: ANTH 110 or consent of instructor
Also listed as Ethnic Studies 335

ANTH 363
Culture in the Pacific Islands

This course will explore specific ethnographic case studies from cultural groups throughout the Pacific Islands, paying particular attention to ways in which research in this region has let to important theoretical contributions in the field of cultural anthropology. We will explore similarities and differences across Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia, examining historical processes as well as contemporary cultural change in the face of political transformation, economic development, and globalization. Units: 6. Prerequisite: ANTH 110 or consent of instructor

ANTH 364
Ethnography of East Asia

A critical and comparative examination of key areas of sociocultural change in present-day East Asia. What do we mean when we speak of "tradition" in the East Asian context? Does tradition refer to an imagined past, or to actual practices that have been discarded in response to demographic, economic or political forces? Using ethnographic studies, we will see how society shapes assumed realms of private experience in Japan, China, and South Korea such as gender, identity, work, and the family, and how these realms of private experience are undergoing marked change. We will then address new areas of research in East Asian anthropology such as the body politic, sexuality, pop culture, consumption and national cultural identities. Units: 6. Prerequisite: ANTH 110 or consent of the instructor
Also listed as East Asian Studies 364

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. Units: 6. Prerequisite: ANTH 110 or sophomore standing
Also listed as East Asian Studies 366

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. Offered at the London Centre. Units: 6. Prerequisite: Must be attending the Lawrence London Centre.

ANTH 374
Identity and Place: Diaspora Experience in Comparative Perspective

An exploration of similarities and differences in refugee/diaspora communities. Issues explored include relationships between place and identity, memory and identity, notions of home and homeland, gender and class, assimilation versus resistance, social and cultural changes induced by migration and the impact of transnationalism. Units: 6. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing and one course in anthropology or consent of instructor

ANTH 378
Anthropology of Food

All humans must consume food in order to live, but how "food" is defined, produced, procured, and interacted with is subject to endless variation. This class examines how food becomes more than just sustenance: how food acts as a means of building identities, making meaning, organizing society, and exerting power. Units: 6. Prerequisite: ANTH 110 or consent of instructor

ANTH 390
Tutorial Studies in Anthropology

Advanced study of selected topics. Units: 1 TO 98. Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

ANTH 391
Directed Study in Anthropology

ANTH 395
Internship in Anthropology

ANTH 399
Independent Study in Anthropology

Advanced research. Students considering an honors project should register for this course, for one or more terms. Units: 1 TO 98. Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

ANTH 422
Practicum in Archaeological Collections Management

Applied work in all aspects of archaeological collections management from cleaning and conservation to cataloguing and storage. Students will work with Lawrence's existing archaeological collections and materials generated from ongoing field and laboratory research. Units: 1 TO 6. Prerequisite: ANTH 222

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. Offered in alternate years. Units: 6. Prerequisite: Must be attending the LU Francophone Seminar
Also listed as French 400

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. Units: 6. Prerequisite: ANTH 350 or consent of instructor
Also listed as Ethnic Studies 430, Film Studies 470

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 2013: Language, Gender, and Sexuality
This course will critically examine how language becomes a critical component in the construction of gender and sexuality. We will investigate how certain ways of speaking come to be associated with particular gendered identities and ideologies of cultural practice as well as how sexuality is constituted and performed through verbal and nonverbal communication. Covering a range of theoretical perspectives and case studies will allow us to understand the crucial role language plays in negotiations of power as theyrelate to gender and sexuality.
Topic for Winter 2014: Cultural Consensus Analysis
In this course students will study the theory, methods, and achievements of cultural consensus analysis in anthropology. Cultural consensus analysis is a method of describing shared understandings (culture) within a specific cultural domain (such as health, food, or success) using structured, empirical data and mathematical models. This course will include a group research project studying Lawrence student culture.
Topic for Spring 2014: Anthropology of/and Colonialism
As the anthropology of colonialism, this course will study colonial conquests, colonial expeditions, anti-colonial struggles, works of missionaries, settler culture, forced labor and colonial governance, just to list a few topics. As anthropology and colonialism, this course examines how the discipline of anthropology, its concept of culture and its methods of observation and data collection emerged out of colonialism. It affords the opportunity to reevaluate the methods, theory and disciplinary identity of anthropology.
Topic for Spring 2014: Critical Medical Anthropology
An advanced seminar, critical medical anthropology draws from critical theory (Marxism, poststructuralism, deconstructionism) to consider the influence of political-economic inequality on the distribution of disease, and to question fundamental assumptions of Western biomedicine. Subject areas will include: the political economy of health, global health, body politic and body praxis, gender and health. Units: 6. 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. Units: 6. 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. Units: 6. Prerequisite: Junior standing and at lease two courses in anthropology 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. Units: 6. 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. Units: 6. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing and at least two other courses in the social sciences
Also listed as Ethnic Studies 512

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 Fall 2013: Museum Anthropology
This course introduces students to the role of museums in the history of anthropology and to the history of museums themselves. It explores the diversity of museums, contemporary practice in museums, and future of museums in the twenty-first century. It also provides a survey of the educational, curatorial, and research activities that take place in anthropological museums. Units: 6. Prerequisite: ANTH 120 and junior standing or consent of instructor

ANTH 531
Semiotics

Semiotics is the study of signs, symbols, and signification in social life. This course will cover semiotic theory, including theorists such as Saussure, Peirce, Jakobson, Lévi-Strauss, Barhes, and Bakhtin, and the application of semiotics to the study of language and social life, conducted through lectures and seminar-style discussions. Units: 6. Prerequisite: ANTH 330/LING 330 or LING 150, and junior class standing
Also listed as Linguistics 531

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 Spring 2014: Primate Cognition and Communication
This seminar course critically examines the study of communication and cognition among primates. Brain morphology and function will be explored in correlation to communication and cognitive studies conducted in both human and non-human primates. Further, throughout the course the evolution of the human brain, cognition, and language will be analyzed. NOTE: This class may be applied to requirements for the neuroscience interdisciplinary area. Units: 6. Prerequisite: ANTH 140 and one other course in anthropology; or BIOL 140 and instructor's consent; and junior or senior standing
Also listed as Biology 450

ANTH 580
Topics in Neuroscience

A study of the nervous system from the perspectives of psychology, biology, and/or biological anthropology. Topics vary year to year and may include glial cells, neural development, and the evolution of nervous systems, and neurotransmitter systems. Lecture only. May be repeated with consent of instructor.
Units: 6. Prerequisite: CHEM 116 and either BIOL 140 and one course in psychology, or PSYC 360 and one course in biology; or consent of instructor

ANTH 590
Tutorial Studies in Anthropology

Advanced study of selected topics. Units: 1 TO 98. Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

ANTH 591
Directed Study in Anthropology

ANTH 595
Internship in Anthropology

ANTH 599
Independent Study in Anthropology

Advanced research. Students considering an honors project should register for this course, for one or more terms. Units: 1 TO 98. Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

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. Units: 6. Prerequisite: ANTH 501 and senior standing or consent of instructor.

ANTH 690
Tutorial Studies in Anthropology

Advanced study of selected topics. Units: 1 TO 98. Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.

ANTH 691
Directed Study in Anthropology

ANTH 695
Internship in Anthropology

ANTH 699
Independent Study in Anthropology

Advanced research. Students considering an honors project should register for this course, for one or more terms. Units: 1 TO 98. Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.