Courses

Please note that not every course listed is offered each year and students should consult STU Self Service for current course offerings.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

ANTH-1013. Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Special Topics

This is an introduction to the study of contemporary cultures and languages and to the methods of ethnographic fieldwork.

ANTH-1023. Introduction to Biological Anthropology and Archaeology

An introduction to the study of humans as a biocultural species. The focus of this course is on human evolution, human variation and genetics, nonhuman primates, and the work of physical anthropologists.

ANTH-1033. Introduction to Archaeology

This course overviews cultural diversity throughout the archaeological record, emphasizing cultural change. Topics such as adaptation, the development of complex societies, the rise of the state, and the role of archaeology in human history will be discussed. Basic archaeological methods, theory, and techniques will be presented. Multiple case studies, from different parts of the world, will illustrate how archaeologists recover, describe, and analyze the past.

ANTH-2003. Area Ethnography: Caribbean

Ethnographic and ethnological study of the culture of the Caribbean. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013.

ANTH-2013. Area Ethnography: South America

Ethnographic and ethnological study of the culture of South America. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013.

ANTH-2023. Area Ethnography: Circumpolar North

Ethnographic and ethnological study of the culture of the Circumpolar North. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013.

ANTH-2033. Indigenous Lifeways in Canada in Canada

Ethnographic and ethnological study of Indigenous cultures and processes in urban and rural Canada. Prerequisite: None, although ANTH 1013 is desirable.

ANTH-2043. Area Ethnography: Mexico and Central America

Ethnographic and ethnological study of the culture of Mexico and Central America. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013.

ANTH-2053. Area Ethnography: Europe

This course introduces students to the anthropology of Europe, and Europe as an ethnographic area of study. The main goals of the course are to familiarize students with the current European cultural landscape in a historical context, to prepare them for future encounters with the region, and to provide analytical tools to process contemporary sociocultural phenomena affecting us all, but perhaps manifesting most in the contemporary societies of Europe (no prerequisites).

ANTH-2063. Area Ethnography: North America

Ethnographic and ethnological study of the culture of North America. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013.

ANTH-2073. Area Ethnography: Canada

Ethnographic and ethnological study of the culture of Canada. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013.

ANTH-2083. Area Ethnography: Eastern North America

Ethnographic and ethnological study of the culture of Eastern North America. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013.

ANTH-2103. Area Ethnography: Southeast Asia

Ethnographic and ethnological study of the culture of Southeast Asia. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013.

ANTH-2123. Area Ethnography: Africa

Ethnographic and ethnological study of the culture of Africa. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013.

ANTH-2153. Area Ethnography: Australia

Ethnographic and ethnological study of the culture of Australia. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013.

ANTH-2303. Issues in Archaeology

The aim of this course is to explore critically current trends and issues in archaeological theory and methods, such as system theory, postprocessual theory, etc., and their impact on current practice in archaeology.

ANTH-2323. Archaeology of Early Societies: Eurasia, Africa, Oceania

The archaeological record of the origin and evolution of human culture and social behaviour. Emphasis is placed on earliest human culture and society, its development, and theoretical interpretations of this development.

ANTH-2333. World Archaeology

This course will introduce students to past cultural expressions in different parts of the world. Following a general introduction to archaeological methods and techniques and the nature of archaeological record, this course will proceed to discuss multiple archaeological cases related to the ways of life of hunter-gatherers and complex societies - chiefdoms and states - as well as the rise and fall of these forms of social and political organization. Past cultural practices and the processes that give rise to cultural change will be examined in different locations around the globe. Prerequisite: None.

ANTH-2343. Archaeology of Early Societies: North and Central America

This course will introduce students to past cultural expressions in North and Central America based on archaeological data. The peopling of the region, complex hunter-gatherers and the rise of chiefdoms, and the development of early states will be considered. Past cultural diversity as well as the process that gives rise to it will be examined in different geographical settings. A time span of more that 14,000 years will be covered during the academic term. Prerequisite: None.

ANTH-2353. Archaeology of Early Societies: South America

This course will introduce students to past cultural expressions in South America and the Caribbean region. The human colonization of the region and the adaptation of those early communities will be considered. The development of agriculture and the adoption of a sedentary life as well as the rise and collapse of complex societies will be examined. Past cultural diversity of both regions, as well as the process that gives rise to it will be examined in different geographical settings. A time span of more than 12,000 years will be covered during the term. Prerequisite: None.

ANTH-2363. Archaeology of the Early Societies: Mesoamerica

Mesoamerica is an area covering Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and Salvador. In this region hunter-gatherers' experimentation with plants gave rise to the cultivars, such as tomatoes and corn. Three thousand years ago urban centers developed there, political organizations arose and writing was invented. Two thousand years ago the first mega city in North America was created there. This course explores, using archaeological concepts and theory, 10,000 years of Mesoamerican cultural diversity and history.

ANTH-2413. Human Biological Variation

The course will examine visible human adaptations (e.g. differences in skin pigmentation) and invisible adaptations (e.g. thermal acclimatization, blood groups). An important component of the course will be anthropological demography, i.e. the study of population structure and cultural/historical influences on health and mortality. The format of the course will be a combination of in-class lab work/exercises and lectures. Not open to first-year students.

ANTH-2423. Human Evolution: Fact and Theory

This course is a study of the current knowledge and scientific debate regarding the origins and development of the human species. Fossil evidence and evolutionary theory from a historical and modern perspective are emphasized. Not open to first-year students.

ANTH-2443. Human Skeletal Biology

The focus of this course is the anatomy of the skeletal and skeletal muscular systems of the body. Students will learn the details of both the human and nonhuman skeleton in a concentrated lab format. Not open to first-year students.

ANTH-2513. Cultural Anthropology

This course examines culture both conceptually and in its diverse forms ranging from foraging to peasant and industrial societies. Both non-Western and Western value systems and their social expression in political, economic, and ideological institutions will be studied from cross-cultural and historical perspectives. The study of non-Western societies will also be used in a critical examination of contemporary Western industrial societies. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013.

ANTH-2523. Social Anthropology

This course investigates social forms such as kinship, marriage, descent, age groupings, and interest associations, as well as processes of stratification, change, and social control in society. Ethnographic examples are used to illustrate how social aspects of economy, political order, religion, and language constitute social systems. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013.

ANTH-2533. The Anthropology of Gender and Sexuality (WSGS)

This course examines male and female roles in a number of different cultural settings, especially non-Western societies. Particular attention is given to the cultural expectations of gender behaviour, the structure of economic opportunities for males and females, and how shifts in opportunity structures impact gender roles. Various examples illustrating the roles of males and females in the context of marriage, domestic group organization, economic decision making and political decision making, will be presented. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013.

ANTH-2623. Applied Anthropology

This course distinguishes between applied and basic anthropological research and examines new career opportunities for anthropologists in such areas as public health, urban and community development, international development, human rights, education, and social services. Important ethical and policy considerations are reviewed within the context of the profession of applied anthropology. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013.

ANTH-2633. Anthropology of Music and Sound

The aim of this course is to examine a range of key issues in ethnomusicology, from the classic works of the discipline to contemporary theories and approaches, and including aesthetic systems, the representation of music, music and cultural change, and the musical articulation of social identity. The course will not only offer an insight into musical diversity in cultures around the world, but will also develop the fundamental view that music both expresses and actively constructs social and cultural realities.

ANTH-3033. Issues in Archaeology

ANTH-3083. Anthropology of Education

This course meets at the crossroads of education and anthropology. By using the concepts and disciplined modes of inquiry contributed by anthropology, we will examine key issues in education. This course focuses on the nature of the relationship between school systems and the broader societies of which they are a part. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013 or permission of the instructor.

ANTH-3253. Queer Anthropology (WSGS)

This course will introduce students to the changing disciplinary trends in the anthropological study of Queer. We will evaluate the use of 'Queer' as a theoretical and cultural concept and as a method in queer anthropology and explore the relationship between a queer anthropological perspective and other, often marginalized traditions in anthropology. Students will critically analyze what queer anthropological perspectives, methods, and forms of knowledge teach us about the practice/field of anthropology more broadly.

ANTH-3303. Anthropology of Law and Justice

Law and justice are important components of culture. This course will survey the anthropology of law and justice from its earliest to its most current forms. Western and non-Western forms of law, justice, and dispute resolution will be analyzed. Critical examinations of formal and informal law and justice will reveal how both are socially constructed and practiced in everyday life in different ways and for different purposes across cultures, nations, and institutions. Prerequisite: None.

ANTH-3323. Hunter-Gatherers in Modern World (ENVS 3323)

This course begins by exploring the definitions of hunter-gatherers and by examining what sets them apart from other peoples. Early evolutionary views of hunter-gatherers are contrasted with current research on the diverse economic foundations of hunter-gatherer societies. The course covers questions of identity, property rights, gender, modes of production, and distribution of resources, drawing upon examples from various geographical areas. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013.

ANTH-3333. Economic Anthropology: Anthropology of Exchange

This course will explore how anthropologists have examined exchange, sharing, and transfers of goods within and between societies. Since Malinowski and Mauss, anthropologists have focused on gift giving and exchange. In this course we will contrast various forms of exchange paying special attention to the differences between gifts and commodities. We will explore what role money plays in subsistence economies and how some societies use levelling mechanisms to maintain egalitarian distribution. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013.

ANTH-3343. The Anthropology of Art

This course examines the aesthetics of non-Western and cross-cultural visual art production, as well as the political economy of that production. Students will gain an appreciation of the diversity of artistic systems and the ways in which art is an integral part of social and cultural organization, and will scrutinize the culturally-specific ways in which art is defined. A particular focus of the course will be the conceptual movement of non-Western art from the category of ethnographic object to the category of fine art. Prerequisite: None.

ANTH-3443. Forensic Osteology and Archaeology

The focus of this course is the application of skeletal biology to the medical-legal investigation of deaths, including description and identification, determination of cause and manner of death, and estimation of time of death, and the collection of physical evidence. The course will be taught in a combined lecture/lab format. Prerequisite: ANTH 2443.

ANTH-3453. Medical Anthropology

Medical anthropology is the study of health and disease patterns in human populations under different ecological settings. It takes an holistic approach, viewing humans as multidimensional biological organisms, social persons, and beings who communicate and maintain cultural systems. Each of these dimensions includes aspects of health maintenance that reflect larger cultural patterns. The focus of the course will be to emphasize a multidimensional view of health and disease in various geographical settings. The course will examine the health implications of interactions between human groups and their physical and biological environments, and how human populations adapt to environmental problems, maintain health, and persist over time.

ANTH-3463. Psychological Anthropology (PSYC)

This course introduces students to psychological anthropology, a major sub-field of cultural anthropology. Though similar to cultural and cross-cultural psychology in that it studies how thought, emotion, and experience relate to social and cultural processes, psychological anthropology is distinct from these fields in psychology in its emphasis on the ethnographic method. Though prior basic familiarity with cultural anthropology is an asset, no other previous knowledge is necessary in order to succeed in this course.

ANTH-3643. Anthropology of Religion

This course emphasizes an understanding of religious phenomena by viewing religion in the context of the diversity of cultures. Prerequisite: None.

ANTH-3663. Urban Anthropology

This course emphasizes a cross-cultural approach to the characteristics of urban society. Major themes of the course include the processes and patterns of urbanization in developing and developed countries, and theories of rural-urban migration. The effects of urbanization on work, family, sense of community, housing, health, education, and recreation will also be examined. Anthropological research methods such as holism and participant observation will be examined and students will have an opportunity to be involved in urban ethnographic research projects. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013

ANTH-3673. Music and Globalization

This course is an examination of music from different parts of the world with the intent of understanding the significance of music in diverse cultural contexts. The course will take as fundamental the idea that music does not merely express underlying cultural realities, but plays an active role in constructing those cultural realities. More importantly, however, this course analyzes the cultural, political, and economic implications of the process where by a wide range of the world's music have been commodified and sold in the global music marketplace through the mediation of the global music industry. Prerequisite: None.

ANTH-3683. The Anthropology of Sport

This course examines the role of sport cross- culturally in both Western and non-Western societies. It will focus on the role of sport in politics, religion, economics and mass media, surveying such issues as socialization, the social construction of identity, class, gender, ethnicity, ideology, power, representation and ritual. These issues will be addressed through in-class activity and fieldwork involving sporting events. Prerequisite: None.

ANTH-3693. Media Anthropology

What role do media play in cultural production and maintenance? Our primary concern will be to analyze the ways people engage with communications media to confer cultural meanings on their surroundings, to forge social relations, and to negotiate power. We will deal with questions of coding and decoding; the manipulation of audiences, audience reception, class relations maintained through media and examine the notion of cultural imperialism among others. We will also address some of the practical and theoretical issues anthropological media research poses looking to media production, circulation and reception in various parts of the world. This course reviews the burgeoning literature in media and newmedia anthropology and draws on specific cases throughout the world and across media to highlight methodological and conceptual challenges. The general aim is to promote interest and independent inquiry into this relatively new field of anthropological study. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013.

ANTH-3723. Human Ecology (ENVS 3723)

Since its beginning, anthropology has been interested in the relationship between people and the geographical setting where cultures develop. The history of the discipline is full of contrasting examples in which nature and culture are used, within different conceptual and methodological frames, to explain cultural change, social structure, cultural development, and landscape history, among other topics. The main objective of this course is to explore such different approaches using examples from different biogeographical regions. Prerequisite: None.

ANTH-3803. Reading Ethnography

This is a course in reading ethnographic literature. It emphasizes reading comprehensively and profoundly in order to gain a fuller appreciation of different cultures, and it examines issues of translating cultures into the terms of our own Western understanding. Reading examples range from classic ethnographies to recent experimental designs in writing culture. Prerequisite: None.

ANTH-3806. History of Anthropological Thought

This course is an intensive reading and seminar discussion on selected recent anthropological theories. Students will read and analyze original works from the second half of the 20th century to the present in an attempt to evaluate their explanatory value and their consequences in the development of anthropology as an academic discipline. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013 and one area ethnography course. Anthropology majors must take this course in their third year of study.

ANTH-3913. Research Methods: Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods

There are two main goals in this course. The primary one is to familiarize students with some of the basic research methods that anthropologists use to construct ethnographic case studies. In the course, the student will gain experience in gathering, recording, interpreting, and presenting qualitative research material. At the same time, we will consider the close relationship between data collection and ethnographic writing. In relation to the latter, students will carry out exercises designed to aid them in developing a clear and concise style of both more formal writing and less formal note taking. The overall goal of the class will be to learn to collect, analyze, and clearly present ethnographic data. Prerequisite: ANTH 1013 and one area ethnography course. Anthropology majors must take this course in their third year of study.

ANTH-4003. Issues in Anthropology

This is an advanced course in anthropological theory which focuses on an issue or set of issues that are of particular concern in anthropology today. The course will be oriented around intensive reading and discussion of theoretical materials drawn from anthropology and allied disciplines. Possible issues include the dialectic between structure and agency, the commensurability and translation of cultures, power and knowledge, and the writing of ethnographic texts,among others. Honours students may be required to fulfill separate course requirements from majors. Prerequisite: Prerequisites: ANTH 3806 and ANTH 3913. Anthropology majors must take this course in their final year of study. Register with permission by instructor.

ANTH-4013. Honours Seminar in Anthropology

This course is designed to help you with your practical work on your own thesis and a consideration of the written work of various anthropologists. The course will include a consideration of the importance of both macro (large-scale) and micro (small-scale) levels of analysis for contemporary ethnographic production. Special attention will be given to the fit between theory and empirical evidence. Both classic and new experimental styles of writing anthropology will receive consideration. Prerequisites: ANTH 3806 and 3913.

ANTH-4023. Celtic Musics and Invented Traditions In Atlantic Canada

This course examines the musical traditions of the Irish and Scottish diasporas in Atlantic Canada. The course materials consider the historical context of Irish and Scottish migration to Atlantic Canada in the 18th and 19th centuries, contact and cross-fertilization with other musics in the region, the development of locally-specific musical traditions (related to, but not the same as, Irish and Scottish musics), folk revivalism in the second half of the 20th century, and contemporary musical genres and practices. This course is intended for fourth-year students. Prerequisite: At least 15 credit hours in ANTH, or permission of the instructor.

ANTH-4443. Applied Forensic Anthropology

The focus of this course is the analysis of specific cases in forensic anthropology, demonstrating how the various components of the law enforcement agencies become involved, and at what stage. The class will analyze the skeletal material associated with each case and do background research as a means of solving the case. The format of the course will be mainly in-class lab work accompanied by extensive research and off-campus visits. Limited enrollment. Prerequisite: ANTH 3443 and permission of the instructor.

ANTH-4453. Special Topics

Directed research and seminar on a topic of current interest.

ANTH-4553. Independent Study

A programme of independent study under the direction of a member of the faculty selected by the student. It is designed for students who wish to pursue an area of special interest through reading, research, and writing.

ANTH-4556. Independent Study

ANTH-4666. Honours Thesis

The Honours thesis is a scholarly essay or research paper on a topic chosen by the student in consultation with a faculty member who agrees to serve as thesis adviser. When completed, the thesis is read and graded by the thesis adviser and two other members of the Department. A minimum grade of B is required on the thesis for an Honours degree. Honours students may also be expected to present their work publicly within the university community. Prerequisites: ANTH 3806 and ANTH 3913.