Currently Offered Courses - Spring 2020
Anthropology was first envisioned as a holistic discipline, combining insights from the study of human anatomy and evolution, research on material remains of human settlements, and the analysis of social interaction in language and other cultural practices. Following this tradition, this course explores the questions about where humans came from, how societies live and communicate, and why human cultural groups vary.
Presents the fundamental areas of anthropological analysis through a series of comparative cases that emphasize social and cultural relations in global contexts. Directs attention to the anthropological history of global empires and colonial states, their cultural exchanges, and contemporary studies of culture, society, and globalization.
Using archaeological data, traces our prehistoric heritage and the processes which led to the evolution of agriculture, settled villages, and civilization in many areas of the world. Lectures range from the earliest Homo sapiens to Sumeria, Egypt, Mexico, Peru, and the United States.
Explores recent theoretical, methodological, and thematic developments in historical archaeology in North America and the Caribbean. The temporal coverage is 1500-1900 AD. Examines how historical archaeologists use artifactual, documentary and oral history evidence in interpreting the past, and how historical archaeology can contribute to our understanding of the ways by which material culture can be used to study race, class, gender, and ethnic identities. Same as AFRO 106.
Scientists are often taught that the skills they need are confined to conducting research in the lab, the field, or the observatory. Yet science is also a human endeavor. If scientists are not taught this lesson, mistakes can be made that have real implications for people's lives, for scientific progress, and for who gets to be a scientist. Therefore this course will introduce 1) a brief history of Western and non-Western science, 2) the influences of social categories and oppressions on scientific advancement, 3) the incentive and reward structure of science, and 4) stories of scientists who have chosen to walk a brave path in the way they conduct and disseminate their research. We will engage in a mix of ethnographic and case study work and bring interpretive and systematic analysis to bear on what it means to be a scientist. The ultimate goal of the course is to provide a substantive, rigorous, and broad introduction to the culture of science, and how that culture affects the people of science, its practice, and its process.
Examines the ways in which the ancient past has been interpreted, appropriated, represented, used, and misused for a variety of reasons by political parties, national governments, and religious and ethnic groups living in the present.
Latin America considered as a theater of conflict and cultural experimentation among Native American, African, and Iberian peoples; their survival and transformation as reported in selected ethnographies and eyewitness sources; and some modern theories and controversies about their experience.
Examination of tourism's social, political, economic, cultural, and physical dimensions from an anthropological perspective.
Introduction to the anthropological study of contemporary human societies; emphasis on the comparative study of social organization, interpersonal relations, cultural ecology, and processes of sociocultural change, but also includes some consideration of the method and theory of ethnographic field research.
Past and present evolution of the human species and population and individual biological variation; topics include genetic principles relevant to human evolution, primate phylogeny and behavior, fossil evidence for human evolution, and the origin and significance of biological diversity in modern humans. Prerequisite: ANTH 102 or ANTH 143; or an introductory life sciences course; or consent of instructor.
Examines the social organization, mating patterns, and group structure of free-ranging chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. Presents historical perspective focusing on misconceptions that have colored our understanding of ape social behavior; addresses questions concerned with learning potential, food sharing, social cooperation, aggressive behavior, self-awareness, and the appropriateness of the apes as models for understanding human behavior. Prerequisite: ANTH 102, ANTH 143, or an equivalent course in animal behavior; or consent of instructor.
History and theory underlying methods used in forensic science. Topics include the courtroom, the units of a crime laboratory, methods of securing and investigating a crime scene, and the analysis of evidence collected from a crime scene such as blood, fibers, hair and fingerprints.
Principles of modern evolutionary theory are applied to medical problems. Topics include: transmission, pathogen strategies, symptoms and spectrum of disease, evolution of virulence, concept of cause, antimicrobial resistance, emerging diseases, stress and adaptation, nutrition, diachronic overview of changing patterns of human disease, and ecological factors.
Course is identical to ANTH 270 except for the additional writing component. Credit is not given for both ANTH 271 and ANTH 270. Prerequisite: Completion of campus Composition I general education requirement.
Same as GLBL 272, SAME 272, and TURK 270. See TURK 270.
Examines urban development from its origins to the present day. Among the concepts covered are urbanism, urbanization, ceremonial centers and ceremonial cities, the city as a system, the spatial and economic organization of cities, and the built environment (sacred landscapes, vernacular architecture, places of power). Small field project is conducted in Champaign-Urbana.
Examination of how climate change impacts society. With the increasing need to understand how climate changes and society intersect at present, it is becoming important that we address critical questions about how lessons from the past inform present needs. Case studies from around the world are discussed.
Analysis of human skeletal remains of the medico-legal profession. Topics include the development of the field of forensic anthropology, biological profile and skeletal trauma analysis, interval since death estimation. Additional topics include investigation of crime scenes, the legal role of the biological anthropologist as an expert witness and case report preparation. Attention will also be drawn to the incorporation of anthropological and ethical approaches to dealing with death and using human remains for research. Prerequisite: ANTH 246.
Introduction to theories of performance and performativity or enactment, and applies these to an understanding of public events like political rallies, music, the arts, protests, and everyday life in the U.S. Emphasis on how these practices of production and consumption help articulate social identity, including gendered, sexual, racial/ethnic, religious, class, and generational affiliations. Focus on the contemporary U.S. with comparative case studies drawn from other parts of the world and some historical materials. Draws on anthropological studies, as well as scholarly literatures from communication studies, literature, the arts, and social history. Prerequisite: At least one course in anthropology or the social sciences.
Study of the lure and rejection of the U.S. around the world, by drawing on long-standing anthropological approaches to the histories of peoplehood, selfhood, and otherness. Examines the historical, political, cultural, economic, and social context of both anti- and pro-Americanism, in various parts of the globe. Prerequisite: Any previous course in cultural anthropology.
Examination of science as a cultural system. Utilizing ethnographic methods and social theories, the course will locate scientific knowledge, institutions and practices within enduring anthropological questions around rationality and truth, meaning, personhood, sociality, power inequalities, social transformations, and social justice. Prerequisite: Junior standing.
Supervised reading and research on anthropological topics chosen by the student with staff approval. Especially (but not exclusively) for students who are preparing for a summer field-work project, or who have some justifiable reason for doing independent study, but who do not qualify for the honors (departmental distinction) courses. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing; 12 hours in anthropology; consent of instructor. May not be taken concurrently with ANTH 391 or ANTH 495.
Topics are given on a one-time only, experimental basis. Faculty offer special topics in their areas of expertise that provide an opportunity for undergraduates to be exposed to some of the most current developments in faculty research. May be repeated.
Same as GLBL 403, GWS 403, HIST 434, REL 403, and SAME 403. See REL 403.
Same as CHLH 407, KIN 407, and REHB 407. See CHLH 407.
Exploration of qualitative forms of research used by sociocultural anthropologists when conducting field research. Emphasis is on formulating research questions, research design, and application of these ethnographic methods to a substantial research project. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
Supervised participation in biological anthropology research projects; techniques, methods, and procedures discussed and practiced under actual field or laboratory working conditions. Normally taken concurrently with ANTH 445. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics vary. Usually offered in the summer session only. Prerequisite: ANTH 240 or equivalent; consent of instructor.
Analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and organization of field and laboratory data in biological anthropology; preparation of written reports on research. May be taken concurrently with ANTH 444 or subsequently. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics vary. Usually offered in the summer session only. Prerequisite: ANTH 240 or equivalent; consent of instructor.
Human skeletal and dental remains form the basis for research in both bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology. We will examine the bases for making inferences about individual skeletons and past populations, with particular emphasis placed on paleodemography, reconstruction of diet, paleopathology, and biological distance analysis. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 graduate hours. Prerequisite: ANTH 347.
Methods, techniques, and results of archaeology in North America; focuses on divergent approaches to the regional archaeology of North America; and surveys and synthesizes the archaeology of the subcontinent. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: ANTH 220 or consent of instructor.
Lecture and laboratory on the principles and techniques of stone and bone artifact manufacture, identification, classification, metrical analysis, interpretation, and integration with other classes of archaeological evidence. Emphasis on the use of lithics to test human behavioral models. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: ANTH 220.
Participation in archaeological excavations; techniques, methods, and procedures discussed and practiced under actual working conditions. Normally taken concurrently with ANTH 455. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics vary. Usually offered in the summer session only. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Laboratory work including processing, classifying, dating, interpretation, evaluation, and preparation of written reports of archaeological research. May be taken concurrently with ANTH 454 or subsequently. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics vary. Prerequisite: ANTH 102 or consent of instructor.
Historical studies which deploy anthropological methods in the study of early modern and modern Europe; looks at processes of twentieth century modernization through ethnographic studies. Western, Central and Eastern Europe will all receive attention, but the study of Western Europe will predominate. 4 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: ANTH 103 and ANTH 230 or three history courses or graduate standing.
The second of a two-term individual study and research project for those students who are candidates for departmental distinction in anthropology. 2 to 4 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. Prerequisite: Senior standing; 3.25 GPA in anthropology; and consent of instructor. May not be taken concurrently with ANTH 390.
Supervised participation in field research in ethnography, ethnology, linguistics, or social anthropology; techniques, methods, and procedures discussed and practiced under actual working conditions. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics vary. Usually offered in the summer session only. Prerequisite: ANTH 230; some knowledge of the language of the area concerned; consent of instructor. Normally taken concurrently with ANTH 497.
Analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and organization of field data in cultural anthropology; preparation of written reports on research in ethnography, ethnology, linguistics, or social anthropology. May be taken concurrently with ANTH 496 or subsequently. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics vary. Prerequisite: ANTH 230; some knowledge of the language of the area concerned; consent of instructor.
Research seminar on specialized topics in anthropology. 4 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Analysis of selected topics of special interest in anthropology. May be repeated to a maximum of 8 hours in the same or subsequent semesters.
Seminar designed to involve students in the theoretical and methodological approaches to problem areas in physical anthropology. May be repeated. Prerequisite: ANTH 440, ANTH 441, or ANTH 443; consent of instructor.
Same as AAS 561, AFRO 531, GWS 561, and LLS 561. See AAS 561.
Individual guidance in intensive readings in the literature of one or more subdivisions of the field of anthropology, selected in consultation with the adviser in accordance with the needs and interest of the student. May be repeated in the same or separate semesters as topics vary. Prerequisite: One semester of graduate work in anthropology; consent of advisor.
Supervised individual investigation or study of a topic not covered by regular courses. The topic selected by the student and the proposed plan of study are approved by the adviser and the staff member who supervises the work. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.