DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY
Spring 2007
The field of anthropology is concerned with the study of humankind. It includes the evolution of the human species and the development and varied nature of the cultures and societies in which people live. For all students at the College, regardless of their major, anthropology offers a holistic and cross-cultural perspective on human culture that is essential to a liberal arts education.
ANTH-10300-01 BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY NS LA 2a
3 CREDITS
INSTRUCTOR: Lisa Paciulli, Gannett 117, Ext. 4-3574, lpaciulli@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 70
PREREQUISITE: None
OBJECTIVES: This course examines the past and ongoing biological evolution of humans. The first part of the course deals with the biological basis of evolution. The second part looks at both our living primate relatives and the human fossil record and is especially concerned with who our ancestors were; when, where, and how they lived; and how they evolved. The last part of the course examines the present patterns of human biological differences and seeks the genetic, environmental, and cultural sources for these differences.
STUDENTS: This course is for students with an interest in an introduction to primate behavior and human evolution and diversity.
FORMAT AND STYLE: Lecture and discussion. Casts of skeletal material, slides and video clips used for illustration.
REQUIREMENTS: There will be one text, plus supplemental readings.
GRADING: Based on exams, assignments, and several other criteria.
ANTH-10400-all sections CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY SS LA 1, g
3 CREDITS
INSTRUCTORS:
Sections 01 & 02: Joel Savishinsky, Gannett 119, Ext. 4-3541, savishin@ithaca.edu.
Sections 03 & 04: Brooke Hansen, Williams 119G, Ext. 41735, bkhansen@ithaca.edu
Section 05: David Turkon, Gannett 102, Ext. 4-1784, dturkon@ithaca.edu
Section 06: Barbara Johnson, Gannett 101, Ext. 43280, johnsonb@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 32, sec. 01, 02, 03, 04, 06; 70, sec. 05
PREREQUISITE: None
OBJECTIVES: Cultural Anthropology explores the diversity of the world's societies, including "primitive" hunter-gatherer societies, herding pastoralists, peasant agriculturalists, and industrial peoples in rural and urban places. It emphasizes the role of culture in shaping human adaptations and human actions, and promotes understanding of other cultures. This course examines the way anthropologists do fieldwork in varied settings and looks at the contributions anthropology can make to an understanding of modernizations, social change, urbanization, race relations, and cross-cultural communication. Professors of the different sections of this course draw on their own research in such areas as Asia, the Caribbean, Africa, Latin America, the United States, and the Arctic to illustrate these processes. The course provides an introduction to the field of cultural anthropology and a basis for taking upper level courses in anthropology.
STUDENTS: Open to students from all areas of the college, and of all years.
FORMAT AND STYLE: Each professor teaches her/his sections independently, with different emphases, examples, and readings. For each section, the format combines discussions, lectures, fieldwork slides, and films. Grading, readings and specific requirements are set by the professor of each individual section.
ANTH-10700-01 & 02 WORLD PREHISTORY SS LA 1, h, g
3 CREDITS
INSTRUCTOR: Michael Malpass, Gannett 121, Ext. 4-1363, malpass@ithaca.edu.
ENROLLMENT: 32 per section
PREREQUISITE: None
OBJECTIVES: This course is an introduction to archaeology and world prehistory. A basic introduction to concepts and archaeological methods will begin the course. The origins of humans in Africa and our spread into all parts of the world will be briefly discussed. Our social development from hunter-gatherers to chiefdoms to complex states will then be considered, focusing on important issues of those changes and what they tell us about ourselves. The issue of why did people all over the world settle down and become farmers and herders will be discussed. The great civilizations of the ancient world will then be individually considered: how were they alike and different? In what ways did they endure or “disappear?" Current issues in archaeology will be discussed at the end of the class, to show how the field is still changing and contributing to our understanding of the modern world as well as the ancient one.
STUDENTS: The course is for the seriously curious-those who know something about prehistory but who would like to know more and those who know nothing but would like to learn something.
FORMAT AND STYLE: The course will be taught primarily as lectures, with questions and discussion encouraged. Films and slides will supplement the class.
REQUIREMENTS: Book and readings.
GRADING: Based on exams, written work and other criteria.
ANTH-26900-01 MESOAMERICAN PREHISTORY SS LA 1, h, g
3 CREDITS
INSTRUCTOR: Paula Turkon, Muller 320, Ext. 43327, pturkon@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 20.
PREREQUISITE: ANTH-10400 or ANTH-10700.
OBJECTIVES: An examination of the origins and development of the Aztec, Maya, and other civilizations of Mexico and Central America from the first human occupation of the region to the Spanish Conquest. The course uses evidence from archaeology and the writings of Pre-Columbian and European chroniclers to reconstruct the life ways of ancient Mesoamerican cultures and examine the processes that propelled their evolution.
STUDENTS: All those interested in the ancient civilizations of Mexico and Central America.
FORMAT AND STYLE: Lectures and in-class discussions, supplemented by slides and films.
REQUIREMENTS: Text books and other readings.
GRADING: Based on examinations, individual and group projects, and class participation.
ANTH-27000-01 NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS SS LA 1, h
3 CREDITS
INSTRUCTOR: Brooke Hansen, Williams 119G, Ext. 41735, bkhansen@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 20.
PREREQUISITES: ANTH-10400
OBJECTIVES: This course explores cultural experiences in Native America through a discussion of cosmology, or how various Indian groups have conceptualized and lived in the world, and conquest, or how cultural contact and domination by non-Natives have affected the Indian experience over the last 500 years. Contemporary debates surrounding the issues of sovereignty, land claims, and spirituality will be discussed. The role of the media and popular culture in shaping conceptions of Native American identity is explored through an examination of popular literature and film. Metaphysical and ritual themes are explored by looking at the role of dreams, visions, shamanism, healing, and the sacred. During the course, cosmological beliefs are related to ecological practices, political structures, and economic systems, and we examine how these have been altered by the relations of conquest. The focus of this course is not on listing customs and traits of different Indian groups through history, but on the dynamic experiences and complex identities of Native Americans.
STUDENTS: All students with an interest in Native American studies are welcome.
FORMAT AND STYLE: A mix of lecture, discussion, group activities, and multimedia presentations.
REQUIREMENTS: Research/theme papers, exams, and students are strongly encouraged to experience some of the local Native American culture through events and activities announced in class.
GRADING: Based on course papers, exams, and participation in class and group exercises.
ANTH-28300-01 INTEGRATIVE HEALTH CARE IN THE US SS LA
3 CREDITS
INSTRUCTOR: Brooke Hansen, Williams 119G, Ext. 41735, bkhansen@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 20
PREREQUISITES: ANTH-10400; for non-anthropology students, sophomore standing and one introductory course in the social sciences.
OBJECTIVES : This course is designed to provide students with an overview of the rapidly expanding and dynamic arena of integrative health care in the U.S. The course examines the history, scope, cross-cultural bases, and theoretical foundations of the many healing modalities that are being employed in integrative approaches, including Chinese medicine, biomedicine, herbalism, massage therapy, chiropractic, naturopathy, and homeopathy. The role of American culture in shaping integrative medicine in the west is closely examined. Multiple paradigms of health care are examined, identifying areas of debate and convergence. For example, are alternative modalities incorporated into hospital and clinic settings after being approved as “evidence based” approaches? What are the benefits and limits of science-based approaches to healing efficacy? How does the literature on cross-cultural healing modalities add additional perspectives? What is the scope of multicultural healing in the U.S.? Both quantitative and qualitative approaches to assessing health care are examined, in addition to the politics of integrative health care as they relate to political economy, marketing licensing, status, ethnicity, and gender (e.g., 75% of chiropractors are men). The materials and perspectives presented in the course are augmented with guest lectures by integrative health care practitioners from the campus and the community.
STUDENTS: Anyone interested in health care, culture, and medical pluralism. Especially pertinent for students entering in allied health professions or those planning to work with multiethnic populations.
FORMAT AND STYLE: A mix of lecture, discussions, audiovisual materials, and guest lectures from practitioners.
REQUIREMENTS: Exams, review papers, group project and attendance.
GRADING: Based on written work, participation, group project and attendance.
ANTH-29001-01 SEMINAR IN WORLD ETHNOGRAPHY: SS LA
TOPIC: Southwestern U.S. Archaeology and Ethnography
3 CREDITS
INSTRUCTOR: Paula Turkon, Muller 320, Ext. 43327, pturkon@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 20
PREREQUISITE: ANTH-10400 or ANTH-12900.
OBJECTIVES: This course takes advantage of the exceptional preservation of archaeological materials and prevalence of ethnohistoric and ethnographic resources available from the U.S. Southwest to address the processes of cultural change from Paleo-Indian period to the present. Emphasis will be on the Hohokam, Mogollon, and Pueblo cultures.
STUDENTS: All those interested in the cultures of the U.S. Southwest.
FORMAT and STYLE: Lectures and in-class discussions, supplemented by slides and films.
REQUIREMENTS: Text books and other readings.
GRADING: Based on examinations, individual and group projects, and class participation.
ANTH-29101-01 SEMINAR IN WORLD ETHNOGRAPHY: SS LA
TOPIC: Human Variation: ‘Race,’ Biology, and Culture
3 CREDITS
INSTRUCTOR: Lisa Paciulli, Gannett 117, Ext. 4-3574, lpaciulli@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 20
PREREQUISITES: ANTH-10400 or ANTH-12900
OBJECTIVES: One of the focuses of biological / physical anthropology is on recent and/or current factors that affect humans (Homo sapiens) as a species including aspects of adaptation, responses to environmental stresses, and concepts of ‘race,’ ethnicity, and ancestry. This course will focus on human variation from a biological as well as an anthropological perspective. Topics covered will include traits of inheritance, human variability and behavior, and adaptations to various ecosystems. Students will conduct research on human variation.
STUDENTS: For students with an interest in human diversity from a biological anthropological perspective.
FORMAT & STYLE: Weekly discussions and lectures.
REQUIREMENTS: There will be three texts plus supplemental readings.
GRADING: Based on assignments, class participation, exams, and several other criteria.
ANTH-30200-01 ANTHROPOLOGICAL FIELD METHODS SS LA
3 CREDITS
INSTRUCTOR: David Turkon, Gannett 102, Ext. 41782, dturkon@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 15
PREREQUISITES: ANTH-10400 and two courses in social sciences.
OBJECTIVES:
To learn about and gain practice in the techniques of anthropological field work by conducting original research.
To see how other anthropologists have been able to obtain and interpret the data on which they base their monographs, reports, recommendations and studies.
To see the relationship between method and theory in anthropology.
To consider consciously the ethical aspects of anthropological field work.
STUDENTS: Mostly students in the social sciences; but students in other fields who utilize “qualitative methods” would also benefit, including journalism, communications, and the health professions.
FORMAT AND STYLE: The course utilizes a seminar format, emphasizing local fieldwork exercises, and writing assignments and class presentations, based on those projects. There are also readings, films and discussions exploring the conduct of ethnographic research, and an emphasis on class members offering constructive feedback to one another on their respective projects.
REQUIREMENTS: Full participation in local fieldwork exercises, and an original research project, including writing up, presenting and discussing their results in class. Readings for the course may include: Julia Crane and Michael Angrosino: Field Projects in Anthropology: A Student Handbook, and James Spradley and David McCurdy: The Cultural Experience: Enthography in Complex Society.
GRADING: Based on class participation, fieldwork exercises, short papers, and a term research project.
ANTH-38200-01 ETHNOARCHAEOLOGY SS LA
3 CREDITS
INSTRUCTOR: Jack Rossen, Gannett 120, Ext. 43326, jrossen@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 15
PREREQUISITES: ANTH-10400 or ANTH-10700 and two other courses in the social sciences.
OBJECTIVES: Today archaeologists study not only the silent record of past societies, but also the material culture of living societies as they create their own archaeological record in the present. This study of "living archaeology" is called ethnoarchaeology. On the one hand, ethnoarchaeology helps archaeologists interpret the past by allowing them to observe the behaviors that produce variations in architecture, artifacts, and material by-products. On the other hand, it gives non-archaeologists a deeper appreciation of the technological, economic, and symbolic roles of material culture in today's societies. In this course you will explore the goals, results, and theoretical underpinnings of ethnoarchaeology through examples drawn from contemporary societies ranging from hunter-gatherers such as the Inuit (Eskimo) of Alaska and the !Kung bushmen of southern Africa to peasant farmers of Latin America, to the industrial United States of America. This is an experimental learning class, with students conducting field exercises and an ethnoarchaeological study here in Tompkins County.
STUDENTS: Sophomores, juniors, and seniors with some background in archaeology or cultural anthropology.
FORMAT AND STYLE: Seminar-style discussion
REQUIREMENTS: Readings drawn from articles in journals and edited volumes. A textbook may also be required. Students will present the results of semester projects in class.
GRADING: Based on term project report, classroom presentation and participation.
ANTH-38600-01 HUNTER-GATHERERS SS LA
3 CREDITS
INSTRUCTOR: Jack Rossen, Gannett 120, Ext. 43326, jrossen@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 15.
PREREQUISITES: ANTH-10400 and two courses in the social sciences.
OBJECTIVES: Hunter-gatherers represent 99% of the human experience on this planet. Until 10,000 years ago, hunting-gathering was a human universal, but the few remaining hunter-gatherers are disappearing or changing their lifestyles. This course considers the incredible diversity of hunter-gatherers (past and present) in a true reading and discussion-based seminar format. Topics include Marxist, structural, and neo-Darwinian models, technology, social relations, economics, territories and property rights, gender, ideology, cultural evolution and change, culture contact, government intervention, and Native perspectives. Students will, with guidance, run and moderate discussions. We will together reflect on what hunter-gatherers tell us about basic human nature and modern societies.
REQUIREMENTS: Attendance, reading, active participation, leadership of one discussion session, term paper.
GRADING: Based on attendance, participation, discussion leadership, and in-class presentation.
ANTH-39001-01 SEMINAR ON ANTHROPOLOGICAL ISSUES SS LA
TOPIC: Asian Jewish Cultures
3 CREDITS
INSTRUCTOR: Barbara Johnson, Gannett 101, Ext. 43280, johnsonb@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 15
PREREQUISITES: Junior standing and anth-10400 or jwst20200 or hist18100 or permission of instructor.
OBJECTIVES: This is an ethnohistorical study of varied Asian Jewish cultures in the past and the present. After an overview of Jewish involvement in early travel and trade between the Middle East and Asia, we look in depth at two Jewish communities with ancient roots in India and one in China (The “Cochin” Jews of Kerala, the Bene Israel of western India, the Kaifeng Jews on the Yangtze River) and at the Iraqi Jewish diaspora in India, Southeast Asia and China. Topics considered include the interaction of Jewish, Hindu and Confucian beliefs and customs; how Jews fit into the Indian caste system; different reactions to colonialism; and examples of Asian Jewish music, art and architecture, ritual practices, food and material culture. We also glance briefly at some Central Asian Jewish cultures, at European Jewish enclaves in 19th and 20th century China, and at a group of new or newly discovered Indian Jews (The Bene Menashe). The course will end with ethnographic information on Asian Jewish communities today in India, Israel and the U.S.
STUDENTS: Anthropology majors & minors and other interested students with background in Jewish Studies, Asian Studies, or world history.
FORMAT AND STYLE: Seminar style with emphasis on class participation. The first half of the semester will be taken up mainly with discussion of readings, interactive lectures, films, speakers – an immersion in information about these varied cultural groups. Each student will then carry out a research project relating to one of the communities studied and present the results during the second half of the semester.
REQUIREMENTS: Readings (books & articles), critical response papers, midterm exam, research paper and student presentations.
GRADING: Based on participation, papers, exam, and class presentation.
ANTH-46000-01 ADVANCED READINGS IN ANTHROPOLOGY U LA
VARIABLE CREDIT
INSTRUCTOR: Staff.
PREREQUISITES: ANTH-10400 and three other anthropology courses and permission of instructor.
OBJECTIVES: For individual advanced work in topics not covered in regular course offerings.
STUDENTS: Majors and upper level students who have made prior arrangements with the individual professor for the desired topic.
ANTH-47500-01 ETHNOGRAPHIC FIELDWORK AND RESEARCH U LA
VARIABLE CREDIT
INSTRUCTOR: Staff.
PREREQUISITES: ANTH-30200 and consultation with and permission of instructor.
ANTH-47600-01 ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELDWORK AND RESEARCH U LA
VARIABLE CREDIT
INSTRUCTOR: Staff.
PREREQUISITES: ANTH-30500 and consultation with and permission of instructor.
ANTH-47700-01 FIELDWORK AND RESEARCH: SPECIAL PROJECTS U LA
VARIABLE CREDIT
INSTRUCTOR: Staff.
PREREQUISITES: ANTH-30200 or ANTH-30500, and consultation with and permission of instructor.
ANTH-49000-01 SEMINAR: ANTHROPOLOGY CAPSTONE SS LA
3 CREDITS
INSTRUCTOR: Michael Malpass, Gannett 121, Ext. 41363, malpass@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 15
PREREQUISITES: ANTH-10400; one level-2 course in anthropology; senior standing or equivalent.
OBJECTIVE: This course has several objectives. Students are asked to reflect on the field, and identify how anthropology is a holistic discipline, and how that will be useful in the student’s life. The main one is to prepare the student for life after college, and how his/her degree in anthropology relates to this preparation. The student evaluates his/her courses, fieldwork, and other educational activities (overseas programs, readings, etc.) and prepare resumes, letters of introduction and other formal documents. Career opportunities will be identified, and ways to approach and succeed in those careers will be discussed.
STUDENTS: Senior anthropology majors are the audience, but other students of related fields are welcome.
FORMAT AND STYLE: Classes will involve discussions of the topics of importance to them.
REQUIREMENTS: The main requirement will be the preparation of a portfolio that the student can use in career advancement, but readings and other assignments will also be used.
GRADING: Based on the assignments and participation in class.
