Department of Anthropology Course Offerings

This course has two broad aims. One is to introduce students to the field of cultural anthropology by paying close attention to what anthropologists do and how they do it. The other is to explore some of the ways in which people organize their lives and construct systems of meaning -- from kin relations and gender roles to economic systems and marriage patterns, religion and healing. In the process, we will be challenged to think about the value of cultural diversity in an increasingly interconnected world and to see ourselves from others' point of view.
Credits: 3

This course will introduce basic concepts and methods of anthropology. The four sub-disciplines of anthropology will contribute to an understanding of humans as biological and cultural beings. The focus of the course is to examine the diversity of human cultures, with a primary focus on the non-Western world.
Credits: 3

An introduction to biological anthropology, i.e. the study of humans as biological organisms. The course explores relevant theories, methodologies, and contemporary issues within this subdiscipline of anthropology, via lectures, lab work, and workshops. Topics to be covered are human genetics, evolution, variation, growth and development, and behavioral ecology, as well as primate evolution and behavior.
Credits: 3

An examination of how archaeologists generate and interpret knowledge about the human past based on data recovered from the archaeological record. Topics include exploring the fundamental methods and theories of archaeology including the role of science in understanding the past, the formation of the archaeological record, the measurement of archaeological variability in time, space, and form, the reconstruction of past social organization, and the understanding of prehistoric ideology.
Credits: 3

An introduction to the study of language as a social resource and speaking as a cultural practice. This course gives students theoretical tools to examine how human communities use language to create, sustain, and change the social world. Topics include: linguistic heritage, regional and social dialects, language and cognition, racism/ethnicity/gender/class, and global language shifts.
Credits: 3

This course is intended for first-year students in the Department of Anthropology (Sociomedical Sciences and Anthropology majors). Student work will focus on four areas: cultivating academic success by embracing good study habits, learning to navigate a diverse and inclusive campus, formulating strategies for campus and community engagement, and practicing healthy responses to stressors. Coursework will include self-reflective writing, seminar readings on success strategies, and hands-on work with advisement and goal setting.
Credits: 1

Credits: 1-6

Credits: 1-6

An in-depth examination of human evolution using a multidimensional approach. Students will gain an understanding of the phylogenetic history of the hominids through lecture, lab work using our extensive fossil cast collection, and presentations/discussions. Topics that will be covered fall into the general categories of: (1) the fossil evidence, (2) environmental pressures driving the various stages of hominid evolution, (3) biological and behavioral adaptations, and (4) hominid culture. Prerequisite: ANTH 105. Offered every spring
Credits: 3

Using Critical Social Theory and a biocultural perspective, this course explores the interplay between concepts of nutrition, health, illness and disease and the cultural contexts in which they are rooted. It addresses several issues, such as: explanatory models for the causes and treatments associated with illness and disease; the relationship between nutrition, growth and development and health; effects of globalization and environment on disease and health; and the way social inequalities, religious beliefs, and political-economic contexts influence disease prevalence and access to health care services.
Credits: 3

This course will examine the rich diversity of ancient Pre-Columbian North American cultures, religions, political organizations, and social structures and the variety of regional North American responses to post-Pleistocene environmental change. Possible topics include: human migrations into the New World, Pre-Columbian cultures of the Arctic, sub-Arctic, Eastern Woodlands, Great Plains, Southwest, Great Basin-Plateau, and Pacific coast regions, hunter-gatherer lifestyles, the origin and expansion of food-producing economies, and the rise and fall of complex societies. Credits: 3(3-0). Offered once every three years, in the spring semester
Credits: 3

The best and most significant anthropological writings describing (primarily) non-Western ways of life are studied. Students review ethnographic accounts, including examples from all parts of the world, representing writings ranging from the nineteenth century to the present.
Credits: 3

A study of the social organization and world-view of various Iroquoian groups, with special emphasis on Seneca-Iroquois of New York State during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Also covered are the position of Iroquois culture in the northeastern woodlands, its adaptability and persistence, and cultural vitality and contributions of Iroquois peoples. Prerequisites: ANTH 100 or ANTH 101. Offered fall, even years
Credits: 3

This course is an introduction to the traditional cultures of Native North Americans. The rich diversity of Native American cultures will be examined in relation to environmental adaptation and as a legacy for contemporary Native American ethnic identity. Not offered on a regular basis
Credits: 3

A survey of the peoples and cultures of both mainland and island Southeast Asia. Emphasis is on ethnographic description of the area, with special focus on the cultural systems of selected groups in Burma, Thailand, Java, and Borneo. Offered spring, even years
Credits: 3

A study of the prehistoric cultures of Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Focus is on Old World human origins, the evolution of human culture, Paleolithic cultural variability, the origin and expansion of food producing economies, and the rise and fall of state level societies. Specific attention will be given to interpretation of Oldowan and Acheulian sites, the Neanderthal question, and the development of complex forms of social organization in Greater Mesopotamia (i.e. the Fertile Crescent), Egypt, China, and India.
Credits: 3

This course takes an anthropological approach to the study of Latin America and the Caribbean, with a focus on Latin Americans of African descent. It briefly examines conquest, the legacy of colonialism, and slavery, before taking an in-depth ethnographic approach to study contemporary regional themes and issues, such as: race, racism and identity, gender, ethnicity, multiculturalism, indigenous social movements, human rights, globalization, tourism, urbanization, religion, health and coping with illness, popular culture, and food.
Credits: 3

This course is designed to explore ethnography and with a focus on the use of photography, film and video in the representation of individuals and groups. Students will be exposed to the history of ethnographic film and its current relationship to documentary and fiction film. What are the strengths and weakness of visual representations in anthropology compared to written representations? Students will be required to engage in data collection, analysis and interpretation in the production of a short ethnographic film and an accompanying website.
Credits: 3

This course introduces students to the sociolinguistic field of language and gender research. The view of gender adopted in the course is an intersectional one that attends to processes of power and oppression. The course explores how language varieties and linguistic choices reflect, reproduce, and reshape gender norms in diverse communities of practice. Course topics include: (1) how people use language as a means for performing gender, (2) how language practices come to be associated with one gendered identity or another, and (3) how gender norms are reproduced, negotiated, and changed in part via language practices and discourses. The course will utilize feminist pedagogy to foster a climate of mutual inquiry and exchange of ideas between faculty and students.
Credits: 3

An in-depth examination of primates with a special emphasis on behavior. Students will learn about the non-human primates of the world through lectures, assigned readings, films, and independent projects. Topics to be covered are primate evolution, taxonomy, ecology, behavior, social organization/group life, cognition, and research. Offered every spring
Credits: 3

A study of pre-Columbian societies in Middle America and South America. Focus is on the evolution of early hunting and gathering peoples through state organization. Major transformations in cultural evolution are treated (the domestication process, urbanization and the rise of the state). Alternative cultural and social systems are explored through analysis and interpretation of archaeological data.
Credits: 3

This course takes an anthropological approach to the study of "folk" and "traditional" biomedical and complimentary and alternative (CAM) health beliefs and practices in Latin America and the Caribbean. It focuses on cross-cultural notions of the body, health and illness, and healing practices. This course also examines the effects of globalization on local conceptions of health, illness, and approaches to healing. Offered fall, even years
Credits: 3

This course is intended for students in the Department of Anthropology's Peer Mentor Program. Students will attend class with students in the department's first year experience course and participate in peer mentoring activities.
Credits: 2

An archaeological introduction to the development of early agriculture in the New World. Agriculture appeared at different times throughout the world, transforming subsistence practices of Hunter-Gatherer societies wherever it appeared. The development of agriculture was the single-most important transition humanity experienced and was vital to control over food production and generating a surplus. Food production resulted in a sedentary lifestyle, increased population density, and the development of cultural traits associated with the ‘rise of civilization.’ This course explores the domestication of major plant species and the archaeological evidence for the appearance of agriculture, and examines the social consequences leading to the rise of classic civilizations in North, South, and Central America. An introductory course in archaeology or biology is recommended, but is not required. Credits: 3(3-0). Offered online during intersession.
Credits: 3

This course provides theoretical and practical training for language and cultural exchange with adult English language learners in the community. Students receive initial orientation and training, followed by weekly visits with a partner tutor for conversational English practice with a local immigrant family. Weekly course sessions provide time for debriefing and lesson planning. Students who have taken the course before will assist with orientation and leading discussion. All students will keep a log of lessons, a journal of their work with learners, and write a final reflection paper that addresses the achievements, affordances, and challenges of conversational language exchange. May be taken more than once. Prerequisites: permission of instructor. Credits: 1 to 2 (1-0 to 1-2). Offered every semester.
Credits: 1-2

Credits: 0-4

Credits: 1-6

A survey of the theories of religion based on a comparative study of ethnographic evidence from Western and non-Western cultures. Emphasis is on the cognitive roots, social functions, psychological impact, and cultural meanings of religion. The relevance of religion to the contemporary world in a time of modernization and globalization is probed, so is the nature of fundamentalism from a historical as well as contemporary perspective. Prerequisites: ANTH 100 or ANTH 101 or permission of instructor. Offered spring, odd years
Credits: 3

This course explores the cultural, social, economic, political, and environmental factors that affect health and well- being-as well as the practice of healing and medicine-across cultures. We will use theories and methods from critical medical anthropology to examine the social determinants of health and health inequality.
Credits: 3

This course provides theoretical and practical training in the methods used by linguistic anthropologists, applied linguists, and sociolinguists to study naturally occurring language use, "language in the wild". Students learn data selection, transcription, and analysis techniques as well as the ethical principles that govern this kind of research. The course introduces several traditions of discourse analysis and focuses on talk in institutional settings. Examples may include emergency service (911) calls, doctor-patient communication, courtroom discourse, and political news interviews. Students carry out an independent analysis on a type of discourse of their own choosing. Broadly speaking, this course teaches students to look and listen as a discourse analyst, interpret what they see and hear, and share what they learn with an audience of their peers.
Credits: 3

This course explores human growth and development from genetic, physiological, anatomical, cultural, and socio-economic perspectives. The main topics include the history of growth studies, genetic and environmental effects on growth, typical human growth patterns during all life stages, and the evolution of human growth patterns.
Credits: 3

This course explores how anthropologists have evaluated, criticized and contributed to international development. We will use anthropological perspectives to examine critically the theoretical configurations and practical applications of development paradigms, both historically and in the present. Key anthropological contributions to reformulating development knowledge and practice are derived from anthropological analyses of culture, social change, globalization, neoliberalism and alternative visions for development. Credits: 3(3-0). Offered every fall.
Credits: 3

This course will cover various topics in physical anthropology. Topics will rotate but will fall into the following categories: human ecology, primate behavior and ecology, human evolution, primate evolution, human anatomy, or primate anatomy. May be taken twice under different subtitles. Prerequisites: ANTH 201 or 204 or 233. Credits: 3(3-0) Offered every spring
Credits: 3

This course addresses two interrelated questions. What sorts of language practices support good health and promote healing and what sorts of language practices impair health and impede healing? We explore these questions cross-culturally through focused reading, critical discussion, and a participatory project in the tradition of embodied anthropology. Course themes include: symbolic healing, meaning response (placebo/nocebo effect), talk therapy, illness narratives, racialization and public health messages, and enduring debates concerning effective and humane doctor-patient communication. Students also receive instruction in ethnographic research methods and carry out a project related to a health-related practice of their choice.
Credits: 3

This study abroad course is an overview of the archaeology and colonial history of the Cusco (Peru) Region. The course begins with an online component with intensive reading and online testing, followed by three weeks in Cusco itself. Coursework traces the evolution of the area's cultural complexity culminating in the rise and conquest of the Inca empire and then focuses on the art and architecture of the Spanish colonial era until Peru?s independence in 1821. Students will attend lectures and field trips to local museums, galleries, archaeological sites, and historical places. Credits: 3(3-0) Offered during intersession or summer sessions, every third year.
Credits: 3

This course examines the effects of globalization on the health of people around the globe and relates disparities in the spread of preventable diseases and access to basic health services to the growing inequality between rich and poor nations. The course draws from contemporary global health research to explore issues such as, the spread of infectious and chronic disease, food and water insecurity, environmental health, and the effects of violence and war on global health. The theoretical perspectives used to analyze these issues draws on the work of critical medical anthropology, eco-social epidemiology, applied anthropology, and public health.
Credits: 3

This course explores major issues of topical or theoretical importance in linguistic anthropology. The variety of rotating or one-time topics in linguistics reflect topics of general interest or importance and/or the interests and needs of students, and/or the research expertise of faculty members. May be taken twice under different subtitles. Prerequisites: ANTH 120 or permission of the instructor. Offered fall, even years
Credits: 3

An examination of human ecology within an evolutionary, biocultural, and cross-species/cross-cultural framework. The course is divided as follows: (1) history, theories, and methods of ecological anthropology and human behavioral ecology; (2) human biocultural adaptations to the various global biomes via lectures, films, ethnographies, and discussion; (3) the adaptive significance of human behavior from a cross-species perspective, via assigned readings and discussion; (4) student presentations based upon individual research focused on relevant/related topics in human ecology; and (5) intertwined throughout is consideration of the sustainability of our past, present, and future activities.
Credits: 3

An in-depth introduction to the human skeleton via lecture, lab work using our extensive skeletal collection, and individual research. Topics to be explored are (1) anatomy, growth and development, biomechanics, pathologies, and aging and sexing of the human skeleton and (2) forensic theories and methodologies.
Credits: 3

An anthropological overview of gender and sexuality in Latin America from prehistory to the current day. Readings and student projects will change yearly to address topics including pre-contact concepts of gender and sexuality, changes in ideas and practices with European contact, and contemporary ethnographic studies of gender and sexuality in the region.
Credits: 3

The biological and social reproduction of the human species is a complex process that engages all major institutions of society: family, religion, morality, health, economy, and government. Using cross-cultural and social historical materials, this course will examine cases in which control over reproduction is contested. We will focus on the various ways anthropologists have theorized reproduction, as well as draw from research across the social sciences. Key topics will include: the medicalization of reproduction, reproductive technologies, ideas of "the family," activism, eugenics, reproductive justice, and queer family formation. Class materials will explore these topics in a global perspective; students will also select a topic of their choice in a non-US cultural context to examine throughout the semester's assignments.
Credits: 3

An introduction to basic field methods in archaeology. The course is primarily designed for anthropology students and/or those students interested in pursuing archaeological fieldwork as either a career or life experience. It emphasizes hands-on learning, and teaches basic excavation and surveying techniques, stratigraphic analysis, record keeping, data processing, horizontal and vertical mapping techniques, local and regional culture history, and implementation of excavation research designs. Field sites are typically off campus and may require students to camp. There is a program fee to cover transportation, housing, and equipment. Prerequisites: ANTH 110 or permission of instructor. Offered summers
Credits: 3-6

This course explores the border region as a space of crossing and encounter, one where people's lives are shaped by migration and the many legal, economic, historical, and cultural factors that impact the migration experience. Course content focuses on (1) the impacts of the border and of immigration enforcement policies on the lives of migrants and long-time residents in the region and (2) movements that are focused on social transformation of the border status quo.
Credits: 3

Standard methods of primatological research applied in the field, including research design and data collection. Data collection may be conducted at various research sites. Topics to be considered primarily fall into the categories of primate behavior and ecology. Prerequisites: ANTH 233 and permission of instructor. Offered during intersession as scheduled by Study Abroad Office
Credits: 3

Standard methods of research will be applied in the field, including research design and data collection. Data collection may be conducted at various research sites. Topics in the course will be specific to region and targeted subdiscipline in anthropology. Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor. Offered by individual arrangement
Credits: 1-6

This course examines race, racism and antiracism in the Americas from an anthropological perspective by exploring the perspectives and lived experiences of racialized people across the Americas. Instructed using the scholarship of BIPOC scholars, the course examines issues such as: the social construction of race and scientific racism; whiteness and privilege; the intersection of race, gender, and class; systemic racism and structural inequities; and the relationship between racism and health inequity. The course also explores antiracist social justice movements and acts of resistance against discrimination and pervasive racial violence and injustice in the Americas.
Credits: 3

This course investigates language acquisition from a sociocultural perspective. We explore processes related to the development of language skills across the lifespan and consider how patterns of language socialization within communities impact the vitality of languages differently, leading some to expand and others to contract, both in domain and speaker population. Students learn to employ observational and discourse analytic techniques to recognize, document, and describe language development and language learning phenomena. As an advanced course, a major objective of this course is for students to practice applying theoretical knowledge to interpret contemporary issues related to linguistic diversity in globalized society.
Credits: 3

The contributions of Social Anthropology are examined in detail, from intellectual foundations to culmination in the late twentieth century. The unique ethnographic contributions of Social Anthropology receive special emphasis as does its role in the development of modern anthropology. Prerequisites: ANTH 100 or ANTH 101. Credits: 3(3-0). Offered fall, odd years
Credits: 3

This course provides an overview of the goals and methods of forensic anthropology, which is the study of human remains relating to matters of law. Students will learn how to evaluate the forensic context as well as how to establish a biological profile of an individual (sex, age, ancestry and stature). Special attention will also be paid to determining pathological anomalies, evidence of trauma, and time since death, as well as learning crime scene investigation procedures.
Credits: 3

The things the people make and use, from fine art to consumer goods, provide valuable information on cultural ideas and practices. This course approaches art and material culture from an interdisciplinary perspective, across cultures and through time. Current theoretical approaches to art and material culture will be examined and applied to specific objects. Prerequisites: ANTH 100 or ANTH 101 or ANTH 110. Credits: 3(3-0) Offered spring, even years
Credits: 3

This course explores the context of women's lives and challenges to women's health across cultures. This course uses theories and methods from cultural anthropology and related social and health sciences to explain both the position of women in different societies and the connection between race, class, culture and gender roles, and to understand how cultural, social, economic, political, environmental and behavioral factors affect women's health across cultures. This course emphasizes the importance of examining women's health concerns in local as well as global contexts. Prerequisites: ANTH 100 or ANTH 101 or ANTH 202. Credits: 3(3-0) Offered fall even years
Credits: 3

This course explores archaeological studies of major topical or theoretical importance. The variety of rotating or one-time topics in archaeology reflect topics of general interest or importance within the study of archaeology, and/or the interests and needs of students, and/or the research expertise of faculty members. May be taken twice under different subtitles. Prerequisites: ANTH 101, ANTH 110 or permission of the instructor. Not offered on a regular basis
Credits: 3

A survey of both traditional and contemporary Native American and Arctic people's folktales, myths, legends, and lore, including extensive description and reading of source material, with emphasis on North American cultures. Major topics include creation myths, nature tales, trickster tales, the role of oral literature in Native American cultures, and analysis of myth and folklore. Prerequisites: ANTH 100 or ANTH 101 and at least one other ANTH course of 200 level or higher. Credits: 3(3-0) Offered every fall
Credits: 3

This course explores cultural anthropological topics of applied, ethnographic, or theoretical importance. Rotating or one-time topics in cultural anthropology reflect general topics of interest or importance and/or the research expertise of faculty. May be taken twice under different subtitles. Prerequisites: ANTH 100 or ANTH 101. Credits: 3(3-0). Not offered on a regular basis.
Credits: 3

In this course, students learn the science and art of anthropological field methods, including participant observation, qualitative interviews, and visual ethnographic methods. Students acquire the skills to design and conduct an individual research project on a social issue of their choosing. The course also covers topics such as the ethics of fieldwork, gender in the field, and the use of ethnographic field methods in community participatory research.
Credits: 3

An introduction to research in archaeology with an emphasis on the connections between method and theory. The course emphasizes research design, methods of artifact classification and analysis, and fundamental statistical methods. These topics and methods are approached through a combination of readings/lectures, written assignments on archaeological problems, demonstrations, and some laboratory work. Prerequisites: ANTH 110 and (ANTH 207 or ANTH 215 or ANTH 235).Offered spring, odd years
Credits: 3

In this course, students will learn ethnographic data analysis skills, including how to transcribe interviews and code interview transcripts and field notes for relevant themes using transcription and data analysis software. Students will also learn how to present ethnographic data in the form of a poster, short paper, or multi-media presentation. Prerequisites: permission of instructor. Credits: 1 to 3 (1-0 to 1-4). Offered every spring.
Credits: 1-3

Credits: 1-6

The internship will provide students with practical experience working in one of a wide range of public sector organizations. Relevant readings and a written project are also required.(3-15 semester hours as arranged). Offered: by individual arrangement Prerequisites: junior or senior standing, 6 hours in Anthropology, minimum 2.75 gpa, approval by agency supervisor and Anthropology Department internship coordinator. Offered by individual arrangement
Credits: 1-15

Intensive readings and research in anthropology under the supervision of a member of the faculty. (1 to 3 semester hours). Prerequisites: ANTH 100 and permission of instructor. Offered by individual arrangement
Credits: 0-6

This course is an in-depth examination of research in the sociomedical sciences. Students read and think critically about contemporary interdisciplinary research studies on health and medicine from across the globe. Students also learn how to design and conduct a study of an issue related to health, disease, illness and/or medicine.
Credits: 4

An intensive investigation of the development of theory in anthropology, offering advanced students a unified perspective on the discipline of anthropology as a whole. The course is designed to enable students to critique classic readings in anthropological theory, review commentary on these materials and summarize central concepts in the field of Anthropology.
Credits: 3

An intensive investigation of the development of method and theory in Anthropology. The course is designed to enable students to critique contemporary readings (post-1950) in anthropological theory, review in depth commentary on these materials, and summarize central concepts that are current in the field of Anthropology.
Credits: 3

Credits: 1-6

One semester of individual research, followed by one semester of writing and the presentation of a thesis to the Department. The thesis is to be directed by a faculty member of the Department of Anthropology. To be eligible to enroll in the research course students must have a minimum 3.70 cumulative grade point average. To begin the research course, students must have completed at least 90 credits, at least 30 of which must be within the major. Invitation to participate will be offered by the Department. Please note that taking this course for two semesters will fulfill the students Transformational Learning requirement for the major. Prerequisite: Permission of Department. Offered by individual arrangement
Credits: 3

Credits: 1-15

Credits: 1-6

Background lectures and readings, combined with site visits and studies of the Indian, particularly Seneca-Iroquois, occupation of the Genesee Valley and adjacent regions, from Late Woodland times to the Nineteenth Century; emphasis is on specific sites and locales of prominence in Iroquois life and history, especially community and reservation sites north and south along the Genesee River from Geneseo; site visits, on-site research, surface surveys, mapping, documentary studies, local history, and ethnohistory are all used to supplement traditional approaches to knowledge of the Iroquois of the Genesee country. Offered: when demand is sufficient
Credits: 3

A comparative review of the sources and the social history of pre-Hispanic societies at the time of contact with Europeans and during the early colonial period. Emphasis is on the institutions and ideologies and the variations in social, economic, and political patterns that developed in different areas and in different times. Offered: summer
Credits: 3

A study of pre-Columbian societies in Middle America and South America. Focus is on the evolution of early farming societies through state organization. Major transformations in cultural evolution are treated (The domestication process, urbanization and the rise of the state). Alternative cultural and social systems are explored through analysis and interpretation of archaeological data. Offered: summer
Credits: 3

Credits: 1-12

Credits: 0-6