Sociology & Anthropology

Fall 2005 Courses

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Anthropology

101. Introduction to Cultural Anthropology: Pamela Ballinger T 10:00 - 11:25, TH 10:00 - 11:25 Sills-Smith Auditorium; Cultural anthropology explores the diversities and commonalities of cultures and societies in an increasingly interconnected world. This course introduces students to the significant issues, concepts, theories, and methods in cultural anthropology. Topics may include: cultural relativism and ethnocentrism, fieldwork and ethics, symbolism, language, religion and ritual, political and economic systems, family and kinship, gender, class, ethnicity and race, nationalism and transnationalism, and ethnographic representation and validity.
101. Introduction to Cultural Anthropology: Jill Wightman M 10:30 - 11:25, W 10:30 - 11:25, F 10:30 - 11:25 Adams-208; Cultural anthropology explores the diversities and commonalities of cultures and societies in an increasingly interconnected world. This course introduces students to the significant issues, concepts, theories, and methods in cultural anthropology. Topics may include: cultural relativism and ethnocentrism, fieldwork and ethics, symbolism, language, religion and ritual, political and economic systems, family and kinship, gender, class, ethnicity and race, nationalism and transnationalism, and ethnographic representation and validity.
102. Introduction to World Prehistory: S MacEachern M 2:30 - 3:55, W 2:30 - 3:55 Sills-Smith Auditorium; An introduction to the discipline of archaeology and the studies of human biological and cultural evolution. Among the subjects covered are conflicting theories of human biological evolution, debates over the genetic and cultural bases of human behavior, the expansion of human populations into various ecosystems throughout the world, the domestication of plants and animals, the shift from nomadic to settled village life, and the rise of complex societies and the state.
201. Anthropological Research: Sara Dickey T 11:30 - 12:55, TH 11:30 - 12:55 Sills-209; Anthropological research methods and perspectives are examined through classic and recent ethnography, statistics and computer literacy, and the student�s own fieldwork experience. Topics include ethics, analytical and methodological techniques, the interpretation of data, and the use and misuse of anthropology.
202. Essentials of Archaeology: S MacEachern M 11:30 - 12:55, W 11:30 - 12:55 Adams-104; Introduces students to the methods and concepts that archaeologists use to explore the human past. Shows how concepts from natural science, history, and anthropology help archaeologists investigate past societies, reveal the form and function of ancient cultural remains, and draw inferences about the nature and causes of change in human societies over time. Will include a significant field work component, including excavations on campus.
203. History of Anthropological Theory: Pamela Ballinger T 1:00 - 2:25, TH 1:00 - 2:25 Adams-301; An examination of the development of various theoretical approaches to the study of culture and society. Anthropology in the United States, Britain, and France is covered from the nineteenth century to the present. Among those considered are Morgan, Tylor, Durkheim, Boas, Malinowski, Mead, Geertz, and L�vi-Strauss.
206. The Archaeology of Gender and Ethnicity: Leslie Shaw T 10:00 - 11:25, TH 10:00 - 11:25 Adams-104; Explores the lives of �people without history,� using archaeological data and emphasizing gender and ethnicity. Focuses on the Americas, and covers both prehistoric and post-conquest archaeological site research, including Maya, Inca, Native American, and African American examples. The long temporal aspect of archaeological data allows exploration of such issues as how gender inequality developed in emerging civilizations, how European contact affected indigenous gender roles within the economy, and how enslaved peoples maintained and reinforced an ethnic identity.
224. Christianity and Culture in Latin America: Jill Wightman M 2:30 - 3:55, W 2:30 - 3:55 Adams-208; Examines the impact and importance of Christianity in Latin America and its role in shaping Latin American culture. Begins by looking at the cultures - Iberian, native American, and African - that together forged the region now thought of as Latin America. Explores the formative role of Christianity and the blending of different religions in the "traditional" culture of Latin America. Discusses important 20th- and 21st-century developments in Christianity in Latin America, such as Liberation Theology, the rise of evangelical Protestantism, and the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.
227. Art and Anthropology: The Ethnography of Things in Secular and Religious Life: Liza Bakewell M 2:30 - 3:55, W 2:30 - 3:55 Searles-313; Provides a critical analysis of "things," beginning with: What is art? And what are things, if they are not art? Building on these questions, we consider issues of art for art's sake, art and "primitivism," globalization, identity, tourism, modes of production, consumerism, and theft and repatriation. Discussions will address how and what things communicate; how some are invested with sacred qualities, and carry memories of people, places, and events; and how they are given as gifts and in the process form alliances of friendships, families, communities, nations, as well as create discontent. Readings draw from cultural, linguistic, economic, and psychological anthropology as well as archaeology.
228. Discourses of Emotion: Krista Van Vleet M 11:30 - 12:55, W 11:30 - 12:55 Sills-209; Explores emotion as shaped by culture and language and as produced in interactions in a variety of social and cultural contexts. Focuses primarily on oral expression. Topics may include language acquisition and childhood; concepts of the self and subjectivity; emotional performances; cross-cultural concepts of emotion; class, gender, and emotional conventions; language and embodiment; bilingualism, solidarity, and cross-cultural communication; affect, literacy, and social transformation; aesthetics. Genres such as gossip, story-telling, sermon and prayer, ceremonial wailing, and love letters are included. Attention is given to the methods of linguistic anthropology.
231. Native Peoples and Cultures of Arctic America: Anne Henshaw T 11:30 - 12:55, TH 11:30 - 12:55 Searles-113; For thousands of years, Eskimos (Inuit), Indian, and Aleut peoples lived in the Arctic regions of North America as hunters, gatherers, and fishermen. Their clothing, shelter, food, and implements were derived from resources recovered from the sea, rivers, and the land. The characteristics of Arctic ecosystems are examined. The social, economic, political, and religious lives of various Arctic-dwelling peoples are explored in an effort to understand how people have adapted to harsh northern environments.
241. Native Peoples of the American Northeast: Leslie Shaw T 1:00 - 2:25, TH 1:00 - 2:25 Kanbar Hall - 107; The class will begin with a focus on what is known of the cultures and adaptations of the indigenous peoples living in the American northeast just prior to European contact. A consideration of the impacts of European settlement will then be addressed, followed by an exploration of current issues facing Native American communities today. Such modern issues will include tribal sovereignty, hunting and fishing rights, environmental controls on tribal lands, education, economic opportunities, and the movement to maintain tribal identity. The course will use an anthropological perspective, drawing on ethnography, ethnohistory, archaeology and the American Indian voice through literature, art, and memoir.

Sociology

010. Racism: H. Partridge W 1:00 - 3:55 Adams-104; Examines issues of racism in the United States, with attention to the social psychology of racism, its history, its relationship to social structure, and its ethical and moral implications.
101. Introduction to Sociology: Courtney Jackson T 11:30 - 12:55, TH 11:30 - 12:55 Adams-208; The major perspectives of sociology. Application of the scientific method to sociological theory and to current social issues. Theories ranging from social determinism to free will are considered, including the work of Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Merton, and others. Attention is given to such concepts as role, status, society, culture, institution, personality, social organization, the dynamics of change, the social roots of behavior and attitudes, social control, deviance, socialization, and the dialectical relationship between individual and society.
101. Introduction to Sociology: Janet Lohmann M 2:30 - 3:55, W 2:30 - 3:55 Druckenmiller-016; The major perspectives of sociology. Application of the scientific method to sociological theory and to current social issues. Theories ranging from social determinism to free will are considered, including the work of Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Merton, and others. Attention is given to such concepts as role, status, society, culture, institution, personality, social organization, the dynamics of change, the social roots of behavior and attitudes, social control, deviance, socialization, and the dialectical relationship between individual and society.
207. Women and Work: Courtney Jackson T 2:30 - 3:55, TH 2:30 - 3:55 Sills-111; Using gender as the lens for analysis, this course addresses the history of women�s work, access to different types of occupations and professions, globalization of gendered-care work, work-family balance, and differences among women in paid and unpaid work experiences.
211. Classics of Sociological Theory: Joe Bandy T 2:30 - 3:55, TH 2:30 - 3:55 Druckenmiller-004; An analysis of selected works by the founders of modern sociology. Particular emphasis is given to understanding differing approaches to sociological analysis through detailed textual interpretation. Works by Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and selected others are read.
213. Youth, Crime and Justice: Janet Lohmann M 11:30 - 12:55, W 11:30 - 12:55 Adams-208; This course examines the concept of juvenile delinquency as a distinct type of criminal activity from that committed by adults. The course will also critically assess the juvenile justice system that has evolved to handle juvenile crime as opposed to the criminal justice system, which handles criminal offenses committed by adults. Major course topics will include: a) the historical roots of delinquency and the juvenile justice system; b) the nature of definitions and distributions of delinquency and youth crime; c) risk factors and various explanations of delinquency; and d) the societal and legal responses to juvenile offending in the United States.
222. Introduction to Human Population: Nancy Riley M 8:00 - 9:25, W 8:00 - 9:25 Sills-117; An introduction to the major issues in the study of population. Focuses on the social aspects of the demographic processes of fertility, mortality, and migration. Also examines population change in Western Europe historically, recent demographic changes in Third World countries, population policy, and the social and environmental causes and implications of changes in births, deaths, and migration.
225. Globalization and Social Change: Joe Bandy T 11:30 - 12:55, TH 11:30 - 12:55 Kanbar Hall - 101 (computer lab); Focuses on social theories related to the international economy and its current restructuring. Explores the impact of globalization on the lives of working people, on the global division of labor, on human rights, on gender inequality, and on the natural environment. Examines the modern history of economic development, and the many social conflicts and resistance movements they have sparked. Touches upon various world regions and their unique positions in the global economy, including Latin America and East Asia.
251. Sociology of Health and Illness: Susan Bell T 10:00 - 11:25, TH 10:00 - 11:25 Kanbar Hall - 107; Examines the social contexts of physical and mental health, illness, and medical care. Deals with such topics as the social, environmental, and occupational factors in health and illness; the structure and process of health care organizations; the development of health professions and the health work force; doctor-patient relationships; ethical issues in medical research; and health care and social change.
253. Constructions of the Body: Susan Bell T 1:00 - 2:25, TH 1:00 - 2:25 Mass-McKeen Study; Explores the body as a reflection and construction of language, a source of metaphor, and a political and social �space.� Considers historical and cross-cultural studies about men�s and women�s bodies, sexuality, gender, and power. Throughout the course, we draw from and compare theories of the body in sociology, women�s studies, and gay and lesbian studies.
265. Gender and Family in East Asia: Nancy Riley M 11:30 - 12:55, W 11:30 - 12:55 Sills-117; Family and gender are central to the organization of East Asian societies, both historically and today. This course uses comparative perspectives to examine issues related to family and gender in China, Japan, and Korea. In the context of the enormous changes experienced in East Asia in recent decades, we will explore the place of Confucian influences in these societies, the different roles of the state and economy, and the ways that gender and family have been shaped by and shaped those changes.

Sociology & Anthropology

Fall 2005 Courses

Anthropology

Sociology

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