AN 101 – Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Schwartz:  MWF 10:10 – 11:00 am

Introduction to the basic concepts, principles, and problems of sociocultural anthropology, emphasizing the study of traditional and complex societies. Special attention to the organization and meaning of religion, economic life, kinship and political order; and the problem of cultural variation in the contemporary world. Carries social science divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.

 

AN 102 – Human Biology, Behavior & Evolution

Glowacki: MWF 11:15 – 12:05 pm

Introduces basic principles of evolutionary biology, human origins, genetics, reproduction, socio-ecology, and the evolution of primate and human behavior and adaptions. Section activities include examination of fossil and skeletal material, and hands-on projects involving human and primate behavior and biology. Carries natural science divisional credit (with lab) in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.

 

AN 201 / AR201 – Indigenous Peoples of Americas

STAFF: MWF 11:15 – 12:05 pm

An introduction to the archaeology and Indigenous peoples civilizations of the Americas, with a focus on the precolonial era. Topics progress chronologically as well as comparatively, with cases drawn from Native American cultures of the North America, Mesoamerica, and South America. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Scientific Inquiry I.

 

AN 210 – Medical Anthropology

Shohet: TR 11:00 – 12:15 pm

This lecture and discussion-driven course uses ethnographic case materials and active learning strategies to introduce students to socio-cultural anthropological modes of understanding and analyzing health-related experiences and institutions, including political and ethical dimensions of illness and suffering around the globe. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.

 

AN 211 – Humans Among Animals

Shipton: TR 12:30 – 1:45 pm

This course focuses on the major special senses of primates, and how they have evolved in an ecological context. Students study the major sensory systems including vision, hearing, smell, and taste from a morphological, neurological, behavioral, and evolutionary perspective. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Scientific Inquiry I, Creativity/Innovation.

 

AN 250 / AR 250 – Aztec, Maya, & Predecessors

STAFF: MWF 9:05 – 9:55 am

Overview of the Aztecs, Mayas, and other native peoples of Mexico and Central America, including the chronological development of cultures and key topics. Focus on variability in individuals and groups by age, gender, ethnicity, class, and polities pre- and post-conquest. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.

 

AN 252 – Ethnicity & Identity

Sum: MWF 10:10 – 11:00 am

Explores anthropological approaches to community, belonging, and difference using case studies from the South Pacific, Europe, North America, and Africa. Special attention paid to how contemporary economic and political changes impact the ways people think about and belong to communities. Carries social science divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.

 

AN 283 / AR 283 – North American Archaeology

Campbell: MWF 10:10 – 11:00 am

North American prehistory from initial peopling of continent to development of complex societies. Explores human entry into the New World; migration across North America; subsistence changes; human effects on landscape; encounters with Europeans; role of archaeology in contemporary Native cultures. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry I

 

AN 287 / AA287 – Slavery & the In-Between 

Cunningham: TR 3:30 – 4:45 pm

This course examines the space between freedom and enslavement known as recaptivity. Course discussions will focus on historical and social conceptions of freedom, and how these conceptions relate to recaptive status. We will review receptivity contexts documented in both the historical and archaeological record. We will also examine the theme of returns in recaptives’ journeys and the contemporary journeys of Afro-descendants to the African continent.

 

AN 290 – Children & Culture

LaPorte: MWF 1:25 – 2:15 pm

Explores caregiving and child development from infancy to adolescence in different societies around the world. Topics include cultural concepts of childhood; the acquisition of language and culture; gender socialization and moral development; and the impact of modern schooling, nation-making, and media on childhood. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.

 

AN 311 – Culture & Biotech: Beyond the Nature/Culture Divide

Arkin: TR 12:20 – 1:45 pm

Biotechnologies–e.g., organ transplants, gene editing, life support–challenge the boundaries between what is “natural” and what is “man made,” what is “given” and what is “cultured.” We explore some of these innovations, their associated ethical dilemmas, and how they help make “culture” and “nature” in different contexts. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Writing-Intensive Course.

 

AN 218 / 718 – Southeast Asia: Tradition & Modernity (Area)

Hefner: TR 11:00 – 12:15 pm

Examines the dynamics of politics, religion, class, and gender across Southeast Asia today. Using both literature and film media, pays particular attention to the forces that have made Southeast Asia one of the most dynamic regions in the world today. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry I.

 

AN 327 – Islam in Africa (Area)

Ngom: TR 11:00 – 12:15 pm

Examines the Islamization of Africa and the processes of adaptation of Islam in the continent. It examines the religious beliefs, cultures, and histories of Muslim communities in Morocco, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Ethiopia, Senegal, and the Sudan, among others. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.

 

AN 333 / 733 – Human Population Biology

Schmitt: MWF 10:10 – 11:00 am

This course uses human genomic variation as a framework for better understanding our evolutionary history. Using hands-on population genetic analyses, we will analyze real human genomic data from the 1000 Genomes Project to investigate the evolutionary patterns underlying human diversity. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Scientific Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.

 

AN 344 – Modern Japanese Society: Family, School, & Workplace (Area)

Whitelaw: TR 2:00 – 3:15 pm

Contemporary Japanese society examined through social institutions such as family, school and workplace. Looking at social and historical change through critical moments in Japan’s modern history, we examine the experiences of individuals through social class, gender, and the impact of globalization. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness.

 

AN 336 / 736 – Primate Evolutionary Ecology

Schmitt: MWF 1:25 – 2:15 pm

Introduction to the various theoretical approaches to understanding the diversity and evolutionary ecology of wild non-human primates. Using lemurs, marmosets, chimpanzees and more, this course delves into behavioral ecology, genetic approaches to mating systems, foraging theory, community ecology, and conservation. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning I, Scientific Inquiry I, Creativity/Innovation.

 

AN 339 / 739 – Primate Biomechanics

Garrett: TR 2:00 – 3:15 pm

An introduction to the physical principles and anatomies underlying primate behavior, especially locomotion. Topics include mechanics, skeletal anatomy, primate locomotion, and the primate fossil record. Emphasis on bone biology and human bipedalism. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Critical Thinking.

 

AN 347 / 747 – Afghanistan (Area)

Barfield: TR 2:00 – 3:15 pm

Ethnographic and historical examination of Afghanistan’s traditional social organization, ecology and economy, political organization, and ethnic groups. What has happened to this complex world through 50 years of domestic political turmoil and foreign interventions? Whither Afghanistan today? Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in the following Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.

 

AN 351 – Language, Culture & Society

Kelley: MWF 11:15 – 12:05 pm

Examines the ways that language both reflects and shapes thought, culture, and relations of power. Particular emphasis is placed on three broad topical areas: language, ethnicity and race; language and the performance of gender; and the linguistic performance of youth identities. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, The Individual in Community, Research and Information Literacy.

 

AN 461 – Ethnography and Anthropological Theory I

Shohet: TR 3:30 – 4:45 pm

Examines foundational social scientific and anthropological theories and methods from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century. Discussion focuses on precursors to contemporary anthropological thought, including historical materialist, evolutionist, functionalist, structuralist, symbolic, and culture-and-personality theories and approaches. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings.

 

AN 532 – Literacy and Islam in Africa (Area)

Ngom: TR 2:00 – 3:15 pm

Examines the Islamization of Africa and literary traditions. Students learn about African texts written in the Arabic script (Ajami) and the spread of Islam and its Africanization throughout the continent. Texts written by enslaved Africans in the Americas are examined.

 

AN 550 / AR 550 – Human Osteology

Cunningham: TR 12:30 – 1:45 pm

Function, development, variation, and pathologies of the human musculoskeletal system, emphasizing issues of human evolution. Basic processes of bone biology and how they are affected by use, age, sex, diet, and disease. Meetings are predominantly lab oriented. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Scientific Inquiry I

 

AN 556 – Evolution of the Human Diet

STAFF: MWF 9:05 – 9:55 am

An investigation of human dietary evolution including primate and human dietary adaptations, nutritional requirements, optimal foraging, digestive physiology, maternal and infant nutrition, hunting and cooking in human evolution, and impacts of food processing and agriculture on modern diets and health. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Scientific Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.

 

AN 558 – Human Sex Differences: Behavior, Biology & Ecology

STAFF: TR 9:30 – 10:45 am

Are sex and gender instantiated in the body? This seminar explores evolutionary approaches to investigating sex differences in human behavior and physiology from phylogenetic, mechanistic, and developmental perspectives. Topics include gender expression, non-binary sex/gender, aggression, mate choice, cognition, and more. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings, Research and Information Literacy.

 

AN 559 – Evolutionary Endocrinology

STAFF: TR 2:00 – 3:15 pm

Focuses on current research in the field of evolutionary endocrinology. Examines how hormones act as mediators of a variety of fundamental evolutionary phenomena from circadian rhythms to sexuality. Explores how and why natural selection shaped the “inputs” and “outputs” of the endocrine system. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Scientific Inquiry II, Teamwork/Collaboration.

 

AN 565 / AR 565 – Memory in 3D

Berlin: R 3:30 -6:15 pm

Memorials and the spaces around them are charged zones, time portals where past and present co-exist. In this course we focus on the development of memorial culture in America, along with a comparative examination of the worlds of ancient Greece and Rome. The distance afforded by stepping outside our own time and place provides perspectives on aspects of form and message, as well as on how the meanings of memorial can change. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Historical Consciousness, Creativity/Innovation.

 

AN 568 – Symbol, Myth & Rite

Weller: TR 11:00 – 12:15 pm

Historical overview of ritual behavior, the role of symbolism in the study of culture, and the narrative quality of worldview and belief. Emphasis on verbal performance and public display events in specific cultural contexts. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.

 

AN 595 – Methods in Biological Anthropology

STAFF: W 2:30 – 5:15 pm

An exploration of field and laboratory methods used in biological anthropology, with students participating in hands-on exercises. Topics include health assessment, body composition, diet, energetics, morphological adaptations, reproductive status, habitat composition, spatial movements, and conservation. Professional skills are also developed. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Scientific Inquiry II, Teamwork/Collaboration.

 

AN 703 – Anthropological Theory: History and Practice

Arkin: TR 2:00 – 3:15 pm

An intensive introduction to the foundations of the discipline focusing on classic works from the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries. A critical analysis of the development of the discipline of anthropology, its literature, history, and contemporary research problems.

 

AN 705 – Theory in Evolutionary Anthropology: The Biological & Historical Past

Knott: TR 3:30 – 4:45 pm

Examination of major contributions and debates in biological anthropology focusing on humanity’s place in the natural world. Topics include evolutionary theory, fossil and living primates, human evolution, historical demography, human life histories, and the relationship between biology and culture.

 

AN 791 / AR 591 – Theory in Archaeology

West: T 12:30 – 3:15

Seminar dealing with the intellectual history of the discipline, research methods, concepts, and problems in archaeological theory, and the formulation of research designs.