Anthropology (ANTH)

ANTH 011 Cultural Diversity and Human Nature 4 Credits

A cross-cultural investigation of variation in human societies. Examines forms of social organization, kinship, religion, symbolism, and language through the consideration of specific cultural case studies in local and global contexts. Students will learn how anthropological research methods enhance understanding of contemporary social issues, help solve real-world problems, and foster an informed perspective on what it means to be human.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW

ANTH 012 Intro to Archaeology and Human Origins 4 Credits

Explore how archaeologists and biological anthropologists scientifically study human evolution and how diverse human societies arose. Examine theories and evidence showing what makes both species and cultures adapt and change. Specific topics include: genetics; natural selection; primate behavior; dating and excavation methods; beginnings of art, agriculture, and inequality; and how researchers respond to racist and pseudoscientific claims about the past. Use data from archaeology, biology, and geology to support evidence-based explanations for what forces have made us human.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, NS, NW, Q

ANTH 091 Special Topics 4 Credits

Special topics in anthropology.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW, W

ANTH 100 Seminar in Anthropology 1-4 Credits

Topics in anthropology.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

ANTH 106 (GS 106) Cultural Studies and Globalization 4 Credits

This course closely examines the complex relationship between culture and globalization. The impact of globalization on local culture is an essential topic. But the interaction of globalization and culture is not a one-way process. People around the world adapt globalization to their own uses, merging global cultural flows with local practices in transformative ways. The course will study the interaction of local culture with globalizing forces; immigration and culture; the localizing of mass culture; cultures of diasporic and migratory groups,.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW, W

ANTH 108 (GS 108) Not-so-Lonely Planet: The Anthropology of Tourism 4 Credits

Love to travel? This course explores tourist attractions around the world to understand why people leave home, why they visit resorts, monuments, historical sites, memorials, parks, museums, and more. By reading anthropological scholarship and by visiting nearby attractions ourselves, we examine the politics and economics of the global tourism industry, the impact of tourism on local communities, and tourists' search for an 'authentic' experience. And we see how Disneyworld, of all places, provides insight into each of these topics.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW, W

ANTH 117 (GS 117, LAS 117) Archaeology of Latin America 4 Credits

Explores the past of Latin America and the major civilizations that existed prior to European arrival and colonization. Extending from Mesoamerica through the Southern Andes, topics covered include the monumental structures, belief systems, and trade networks that made sure an entire continent was interconnected for millennia. This course also looks at the ways in which European colonialism has shaped the perception of these civilizations and how modern pseudoarchaeology continues to deny the accomplishments of indigenous cultures.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW, W

ANTH 118 The Science of Archaeology 4 Credits

Hands-on course, with separate lecture and lab components, in which you will practice the technologies and tools used in the scientific approach to archaeology. This course provides an overview of the chemistry, physics, and geology that inform an archaeologists’ understanding of the past and the ways in which the data collected from these tools can be interpreted through our knowledge of humanity at each step of the archaeological process. Concludes with a student project involving one of the tools covered.
Attribute/Distribution: NS, NW, Q, W

ANTH 121 (EVST 121) Environment and Culture 4 Credits

Impact of environment upon cultural variability and change. Comparative study of modern and past cultures and their environments as well as current theories of human/ environmental interaction.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW, W

ANTH 126 (GS 126) Urban Anthropology 4 Credits

When you think of anthropology, you probably picture exotic fieldsites: the Arctic, the Amazonian rainforests, the beaches of the South Pacific. But contemporary anthropologists are just as likely to study Tokyo, Berlin, or Bethlehem, PA. This course examines anthropology both in and of the city. How have anthropologists thought about the complexities of urban life? How can anthropology help us make sense of urban governance? What does belonging mean in a city that is racially or ethnically diverse?
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW, W

ANTH 140 (COGS 140, MLL 140) Introduction to Linguistics 4 Credits

Relationship between language and mind; formal properties of language; language and society; how languages change over time. May not be taken pass/fail.
Attribute/Distribution: SS, SW

ANTH 145 Human Evolution 4 Credits

Principles of biological anthropology focusing on the evolution of the human species. Topics include evolutionary theory, nonhuman primate diversity and behavior, the relationship between biology and behavior in evolutionary terms, the hominid fossil record, and genetic variability among contemporary human populations.
Attribute/Distribution: NS, NW, Q, W

ANTH 155 (GS 155, HMS 155) Medical Anthropology 4 Credits

Medical Anthropology is the study of how conceptions of health, illness, and healing methods vary over time and across cultures. Students will learn how social and cultural factors shape health outcomes in a variety of human contexts, and will study culturally specific approaches to healing, including Western bio-medicine. The course offers a broad understanding of the relationship between culture, health, and healing.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW, W

ANTH 173 (GS 173) Archaeology of the Middle East 4 Credits

Covers major archaeological findings from Iraq, Iran, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, and Turkey, as well as historical context surrounding those findings. Learn about palaces, temples, fortresses, pyramids, tombs, and ancient cities that archaeologists have excavated—but also about who excavated these sites and why. Answer questions like: Who built the pyramids? How did writing begin? And: Why is the Rosetta Stone now in England? How has our knowledge of the past been shaped by the relationship between archaeology and colonialism?
Attribute/Distribution: CC, Q, SS, SW

ANTH 176 (ARCH 176, ART 176, CLSS 176) Roman Archaeology 4 Credits

Cultures of the Roman Empire. Reconstructions of social, political, and economic dynamics of the imperial system from study of artifacts.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

ANTH 178 Mesoamerican Archaeology 4 Credits

Ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica: Olmec, Zapotec, Maya, Toltec, and Aztec. Reconstructions of urban centers, political and economic organizations, and theories of the Mayan collapse.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW, W

ANTH 182 North American Indians 4 Credits

Culture areas of native North America prior to substantial disruption by European influences north of Mexico. Environmental factors and cultural forms.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW

ANTH 184 (LAS 184) Indigenous Cultures of Latin America 4 Credits

This course examines social change in Latin America from the perspective of indigenous peoples. Main goals are to develop an appreciation for the diversity of cultures found in Latin America, explore anthropological concepts like cultural ecology, ethnicity, acculturation, and religious syncretism, and to apply these concepts to contemporary issues, including cultural survival, human rights, and environmental sustainability.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW, W

ANTH 187 (ASIA 187, GS 187) Contemporary Southeast Asia 4 Credits

Southeast Asia is said to be on the rise. But from where has Southeast Asia risen? And what are the social consequences of this so-called rise? Addressing these questions, this course provides a broad introductory overview of contemporary Southeast Asia, surveying the region’s extraordinary diversity and ongoing political, economic, and sociocultural transformations. Through engagement with ethnographic materials, the course further explores how everyday Southeast Asians negotiate and contend with ongoing challenges associated with the forces of globalization.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW

ANTH 191 Special Topics 4 Credits

Special topics in anthropology.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW, W

ANTH 212 Doing Archaeology 4 Credits

Principles of archaeological method and theory. Excavation and survey methods, artifact analysis, dating techniques, and cultural reconstruction. Includes field project. Mandatory lab.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.
Attribute/Distribution: NS, NW, Q

ANTH 213 Culture Theory 4 Credits

This course immerses students in anthropological theories that seek to explain global cultural diversity, patterns of similarities, and evolution of societies through time. Students will learn how anthropological theories help us to understand contemporary cultural issues, solve real-world problems, and foster an informed perspective on what it means to be human.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, HE, SS, W

ANTH 214 How to Study Culture 4 Credits

What is culture? How do anthropologists study the vast diversity of human cultures? How can we use anthropology to better understand our own culture? Through the hands-on practice of ethnographic methods, including participant observation and qualitative analysis, students will learn ethical, analytical, and practical considerations for doing research into human belief and behavior.
Attribute/Distribution: SS, SW

ANTH 215 Field School 1-8 Credits

Field school in archaeology or ethnography. Maximum of eight credits for a single season or field experience.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, NS, SW

ANTH 227 Archaeological Theory 4 Credits

Explores important issues in the interpretation of archaeological material. Issues include variable utility of anthropological analogies, unevenness of data, reconstructions of past cultures, processual and post-processual approaches. Students will write a sample NSF proposal.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, HE, SS

ANTH 300 Apprentice Teaching 1-4 Credits

Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.

ANTH 301 Violence of Science 4 Credits

We are living in a period of extreme skepticism about science. In this course, we will consider some reasons why, and examine how science has long been tied up with violence. We will learn about small, everyday violences of science as well as the long term histories of the violence of science, and will begin to imagine a future of peaceful science, inclusive science, healing science: science without violence.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW

ANTH 304 (EVST 304) Socio-cultural Foundations of Environmental Policy 4 Credits

This course is based on the premise that social and ecological sustainability require new policy approaches. Drawing on social, organizational, and behavioral theory, students will learn techniques for analyzing and critiquing existing environmental policies and designing more effective policies. Case studies highlight how cultural values, social norms, public opinion and politics shape policies and their outcomes. We examine the entire policy process from how environmental problems are defined, to how organizations implement policies and how policies are evaluated.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW, W

ANTH 311 (AAS 311, FILM 311) African Culture on Film 4 Credits

Cinematic representations of Africans and their culture are nearly as old as cinema itself.This course surveys films depicting African peoples, some made by outsiders but mostly by Africans themselves, to explore questions about culture, identity, race, and power. From ethnographic filmmakers like Jean Rouch and pioneers like Ousmane Sembene through today's flourishing Nollywood industry, cinematic depictions of life on the African continent have changed the way the world sees Africans and their place in the world.
Attribute/Distribution: HU, SS

ANTH 317 (AAS 317, GS 317) So You Want to Save the World: Anthropological Encounters with Humanitarianism and Development 4 Credits

We are often motivated by the desire to “give back”-- feed the hungry, heal the sick, and help those less fortunate than ourselves. Anthropological research on humanitarian aid, development projects, and other interventions meant to improve human lives in various contexts shows us why these efforts often go awry. Focusing primarily on settings outside the U.S., students will consider the pitfalls of developmental and humanitarian interventions as well as the crucial role of local knowledge in addressing complex global problems.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW, W

ANTH 320 (GS 320) Global Capitalism 4 Credits

Anthropological approach to the forms and effects of global capitalism. Topics include the structure of contemporary global capitalism, including the growth of multinational corporations, flexible corporate strategies, overseas manufacturing, and global branding and marketing; the impact of global capitalism on the environment and on the lives of people in "Third World" countries; consumer culture and the diversity of non-Western consumption practices; alternative capitalist systems.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW, W

ANTH 325 Economic Anthropology 4 Credits

Cross-cultural perspectives on the ways people produce, distribute, and consume goods; how these systems are organized; and how they are connected with other aspects of society, particularly political and ideological systems.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW

ANTH 335 (REL 335) Religion, Witchcraft And Magic 4 Credits

Addresses broad questions about supernatural beliefs as systems of meaning and as practical and moral guides, with a focus on theoretical explanations for supernatural beliefs and the function of religious specialists in the social organization of cultures.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW

ANTH 339 Seminar In Anthropology 4 Credits

Topics in anthropology. Varying semester to semester: human evolution, politics and law, introduction to linguistics, human use of space, anthropology of deviance.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.
Prerequisites: ANTH 001 or ANTH 011 or SOC 005 or SOC 021 or PSYC 021 or SOC 001
Attribute/Distribution: SS

ANTH 353 (EVST 353, GS 353) Ethnobotany: People and Plants 4 Credits

This course explores the meanings and uses given to plants by diverse cultures in their unique ecological settings. Ethnobotany combines botany and cultural anthropology to study how people classify, use, and manage plants for medicine, food, and ritual. This course introduces the history, methods, theory, and practical applications of ethnobotany, including plant conservation, sustainable development, and cultural survival. Special emphasis will be placed on learning to do ethnobotany through student research projects.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW, W

ANTH 366 (GS 366) Power, Preparedness, Precarity: Urban Resilience in an Age of Uncertainty 4 Credits

We have learned to expect the end of the world as we know it: sea levels are rising, carbon fuel reserves are diminishing, global power structures are shifting. This course asks how we can respond both socially and materially in the face of uncertainty. How can urban planning be used as an instrument of social control--or social change? How do we conceptualize themes like crisis and the natural? And how are new imaginations of the built environment emerging in response.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, W

ANTH 377 Archaeology Of Death 4 Credits

Examines what we can determine about the past from human remains. Class will study health, age, and disease from the analysis of human bone, the cultural aspects of burial and funerals, and take part in a field project in Nisky Hill Cemetery in Bethlehem.
Attribute/Distribution: CC, SS, SW, W

ANTH 389 Honors Project 1-8 Credits

ANTH 391 Special Topics 4 Credits

Special topics in anthropology.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

ANTH 393 Supervised Research 1-4 Credits

Conducting anthropological research under the supervision of a faculty member. Consent of department chair required.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

ANTH 395 Internship 1-4 Credits

Supervised experience in a setting suitable to anthropological or sociological analysis. May be repeated once for credit. Open only to department majors.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

ANTH 399 Senior Thesis 2-4 Credits

Research during senior year culminating in senior thesis. Required for anthropology majors seeking departmental honors. Consent of department chair required.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.
Attribute/Distribution: SS