All Course Descriptions

ANTH 1010 Anthropology:Humanknd in Cntxt (4 credits)

This course is a basic one in Anthropology that covers all four major subfields of the discipline including Physical Anthropology (Biological), Archaeology, Linguistics and Cultural Anthropology. It focuses on many aspects of anthropology that have applicability today in understanding our species' place in the world, the development of cultural and biological diversity over time, the growth of complex societies and analyses of contemporary cultures. This class allows us to view ourselves inclusively, taking a broad look at many aspects of our shared humanity on a world-wide basis. This is accomplished by not only studying modern cultures, but also by looking at the history of our species over millions of years.

ANTH 1910 Ancient Worlds (4 credits)

This particular course uses the field of archaeology to illustrate the perspectives, methods and results of humanistic inquiry. It investigates human belief, creativity and spirituality in what we?ll call deep history: the 50,000 years or so between the appearance of modern Homo sapiens and the rise of the first great civilizations of the Old and New Worlds. These aspects of life are examined through the study of human material culture, including portable objects, representational art, architecture, monuments and culturally-modified landscapes. A key underlying concept of the course is that material culture forms a unique narrative or ?text? about the past history of humankind. This text is unique because everyone who has ever lived has helped to write it. Students learn how to interpret this text, recognize its multiple authors, and distill its larger social and cultural meaning.

ANTH 1992 Directed Study (1 to 10 credits)

ANTH 2000 Pioneers of Anthropology (4 credits)

Explores the development of anthropology as a field of study, including important thinkers, ideas and relationships between the discipline and its wider intellectual and societal context. Prerequisite: ANTH 1010.

ANTH 2010 Cultural Anthropology (0 or 4 credits)

An introduction to the subfield of cultural anthropology, including investigation of varied subfield specializations such as political anthropology, economic anthropology, psychological anthropology, medical anthropology, environmental anthropology and the anthropological study of gender, kinship, religion and globalization.

ANTH 2020 Artifacts, Texts, Meaning (4 credits)

How is it that anthropologists can look at an object in a museum collection and state with confidence what it once was a part of, how it was used, where it came from, how old it is, and even, perhaps, what it meant to the people who made it? What is an anthropological approach to documentation, an important accompaniment to the objects held in museums? In this course, participants learn about the ways anthropologists have approached researching material items and texts (both written and oral), ranging from time-tested techniques to materials science approaches. Each student in the class completes an original research project on an item held in the DU Museum of Anthropology (DUMA) collections. The class involves hands-on work with artifacts, lecture and discussion.

ANTH 2040 Historical Archaeology (4 credits)

Because it is the archaeology of periods for which there is also written history, historical archaeology is a dynamic and interdisciplinary field. It also has a distinct set of concerns and methods that builds upon, but does not replicate, those of prehistoric archaeology. This course is designed to engage students in the practice of historical archaeology through readings, discussions and the hands-on analysis of archaeological materials. The first class of each week will be a discussion of readings in historical archaeology. The readings will introduce students to theoretical and methodological issues in the discipline, as well as important case studies. Many of the readings will have a North American focus but will also address international practice. The second class of each week will have a hands-on focus. Backed by readings on historic materials analysis, we will discuss and practice the types of research historical archaeologists perform on actual materials, focusing on different material types each week. Students in the course will each process and analyze a set of materials excavated from a historic site. Prerequisite: ANTH 2310 or permission of instructor.

ANTH 2060 Human Migration (4 credits)

This course on transnational migration introduces students to the important theoretical discussions of why and how people migrate and maintain transnational lives. The course examines how migrants change, and in turn bring social, economic and cultural changes to their new destinations as well as to the places that they left behind. Research on transnational migration examines the flows of people, ideas, behaviors, and goods that tie together migrants' communities of origin and destination, and the subsequent creation of new cultures and identities. While the process of transnational migration is not new, the scale of current transnational migration patterns makes today's migration streams different from earlier ones. The lives of migrants today span multiple countries as they maintain social and economic networks across national borders. The ethnographic studies assigned give students an understanding of the changing gender roles and expectations of migrants; the transnational practices migrants carry out to maintain ties to their counties of origin; the maintenance of households in which members are dispersed across borders; and the collective involvement of migrants in the political process and economic development of their countries of origin.

ANTH 2061 Gender, Change, Globalization (4 credits)

Gender, Change and Globalization introduces students to anthropological approaches to the study of gender and globalization with a focus on social and cultural change. Globalization involves interconnected linkages and flows of commodities, and people and media that are dictated by market demands, facilitated by advanced technologies and regulated by state policies. Difference groups of individuals are located in varying positions within global flows that reflect larger power structures. While globalization brings about uniformity, it also produces differences as people respond to and oppose changes to local cultural practices and economic conditions. The reach of global processes has social and cultural implications for locally established gender ideologies, norms and division of labor. The course presents a survey of cross-cultural variations in gender identities and practices and analyzes how men and women are affected differently by the economic and cultural changes brought about by globalization, such as international development policies, migration and media productions. Contemporary social issues are discussed to explore these transformations and the effects they have on people's everyday lives.

ANTH 2105 Human Nature (4 credits)

Human biological variation in time and space; investigation of the environmental and cultural impacts on the human organism that have led to the present diversity of the species. A scientific, evolutionary approach to human nature. Required for all anthropology majors.

ANTH 2200 Native North America (4 credits)

Survey of the Native American culture, society, economy, religion and history north of Mexico.

ANTH 2250 Ancient North America (4 credits)

Archaeological and historical examination of Native North American cultures from their appearance on the continent up to initial contact with Europeans. Illustrates the diversity and richness of indigenous lifeways, and provides a forum for examining broad issues of human cultural evolution. Compares and contrasts scientific and indigenous accounts of North America's cultural past.

ANTH 2310 Fundamentals of Archaeology (4 credits)

This course focuses on the practice of archaeology--why and how archaeologists recover and analyze their data. By the end of this course, students have an understanding not only of the nature of the archaeological record, but also how models of the past are built and interact with general public knowledge.

ANTH 2400 Social Change in Latin America (4 credits)

Modern Latin America as part of the contemporary Third World, focusing on the social anthropology of peasant and urban peoples, and how economic development and dependency affect them; emphasis on Mexico, Brazil and the Andean nations.

ANTH 2459 Who Are 'The Folk'? (4 credits)

The answer, to paraphrase that paradigm of insightful thinking, Pogo, is, "they is us!" The conventional wisdom is that "the folk," "folk communities" and "folklore" (whatever they may be) are dying out. This course will argue that the folk are not dying out and that, in fact, we are the folk and that we each belong to a number of groups that possess traditions, arts, foods and material artifacts that include us in specific folk communities. Each of us belongs to many communities, and we situate ourselves accordingly by, as another scholar put it, presenting "situational identities" and group memberships. Many of these are ephemeral and unimportant, but some reach to the heart of who "we" are: those, for example, that draw on our own traditions, history and sense of the past.

ANTH 2600 Museums and Public Culture (4 credits)

A critical introduction to how cultures and peoples are presented in museums, festivals, tourism venues and the popular media. The course introduces students to the historical and contemporary role of museums and anthropology in public culture and the importance of both in civic life.

ANTH 2650 Archaeological Method & Theory (4 credits)

Theories and analytical techniques used to assign meaning to archaeological materials. Prerequisite: ANTH 2310.

ANTH 2992 Directed Study (1 to 10 credits)

ANTH 3000 Anthropology of Tourism (4 credits)

Considers the interaction of host and visitor cultures in foreign tourism. Explores the effects of tourism on the host culture and the expectations of the visitors. Discusses tourism's relationship to development and the various levels of needs of the tourists.

ANTH 3020 Native Religions (4 credits)

A cross-cultural survey of concepts used to understand and talk about "religion," "the supernatural," and associated behavior among Native peoples of Turtle Island. Topics include healing and techniques of controlling and channeling supernatural power; sacred places and their significance; myths and symbols in their cultural contexts; initiation rites; conceptualizations of male and female deities; and responses of indigenous people to attempted missionization.

ANTH 3030 Digital Anthropology (4 credits)

Digital Anthropology introduces students to computer technology used in anthropological research. Students study and then produce a number of digital products useful in the analysis and interpretation of museum collections, for archaeological mapping and research, and for the dissemination of anthropological knowledge online. This process covers the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for spatial analysis, three-dimensional imaging programs ranging in scale from broad landscape mapping to detailed digital artifact analysis. In addition, the use of geophysical methods for imaging what is below the surface will allow students to produce images of what lies below the ground in archaeological contexts.

ANTH 3040 Anthropologies of Place (4 credits)

This class is an exploration of the relationship between people and places from an anthropological viewpoint. We will concern ourselves with a variety of ideas about place, emphasizing not just how places are used, but how they infuse themselves into the lives, histories and ethics of those who interact with them. The course readings will include book-length anthropological case studies interspersed with interdisciplinary readings about place and landscape. The course will include seminar-style discussions of readings, workshops and observations in the field. On several occasions, we will take our class on the road, working together to think about how people and place interact. By the end of the class, each student will create his or her own anthropology of a place. Must be junior standing or above.

ANTH 3060 Cultural Narratives (4 credits)

Human beings are natural storytellers. Whether reciting oral traditions or recounting personal experience, people everywhere use narratives as a way to express and to understand themselves. This course approaches cultural narratives from two angles. First, it explores the ways that anthropologists, usually trained in the social sciences, make use of and study narratives, whether through ethnographic observation, conducting an interview, gathering folklore or archaeological interpretation. Second, the class investigates narratives that, although produced by non-anthropologists, engage with anthropological issues such as kinship, gender, work, tradition and identity. The narratives will range broadly from fiction, to poetry, to film. These two approaches will be framed by theoretically informed readings about narrativity, both from the social sciences and the humanities. The class will involve intensive reading and writing, as it will make use of both discussion and workshop formats. Each student in the course will complete a research and writing project culminating in his or her own cultural narrative. Must be junior standing or above.

ANTH 3070 Folklore & Cultural Heritage (4 credits)

Folklore and Cultural Heritage is the study of the expressive behaviors and practices that constitute the ordinary, everyday life of communities. Folklore includes the intangible cultural heritages of all peoples, for example, the artistic expression reflected in stories and storytelling, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, customs, dialects and ways of speaking. Everyone has folklore and participates in the "folklore process." Prerequisite: introductory social science course.

ANTH 3130 The Archaeology of Gender (4 credits)

This course examines the ways archaeology can contribute to the study of gender through investigations of the deep through recent past. The class will include readings on gender theory, the uses of archaeological data and specific case studies of engendered lives in the past.

ANTH 3135 The Anthropology of Food (4 credits)

Feasting, Fasting and Food focuses on foodways and food culture. Food and its acquisition and preparation are tied to the historical, social and cultural lives of all peoples. By drawing on historical sources, ethnography and a number of anthropological perspectives, we look at foodways as symbols of identify, culinary tourism, food work as trade or profession, the study of food as art and theater, and food and memory. Prerequisite: ANTH 2010.

ANTH 3170 Applied Heritage Management (4 credits)

Considers the role of archaeology in preservation and the management of cultural resources in terms of legislation, ethics and practical application, with emphasis of the utility, necessity and reality of doing archaeology today in the public sector. Site report writing, governmental regulations and the business side of archaeology will be stressed. Archaeological information from site reports and artifact analysis will be compiled and presented in a digital format. Prerequisite: ANTH 2310.

ANTH 3200 Human Origins and Evolution (4 credits)

Examines the fossil record for human evolution from 6 million years ago to the origin of modern Homo sapiens, including current theories, evidence and controversies. Considers the historical and sociological contexts of human evolutionary studies, popular myths and misconceptions, and alternative scenarios for the future evolution of the human species.

ANTH 3250 Guatemalan Field School (4 credits)

This class provides students with the chance to interact with highland Guatemalan women involved in an on-going development project. Students are participant observers who will be gathering socio-demographic data from locals. They will apply their Spanish language skills.

ANTH 3290 Art and Anthropology (4 credits)

Study of the concept of art and its multiple roles in society from a cross-cultural and historical perspective. Commodification of culture through tourism and the global art market; arts of resistance and survival; and cultural expression and community development.

ANTH 3310 Indigenous Environment (4 credits)

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to particular environmental issues that affect indigenous peoples, including subsistence and economic issues; sacred lands; cultural property dilemmas; and the impact that use of traditional cultural properties by others - including nation-state governments, corporations and tourists--have on indigenous peoples' cultural and social integrity. Particular focus is on one of these issues--travel and particularly "ecotravel" and "ecotourism."

ANTH 3350 Latin American Archaeology (4 credits)

Covers the prehistory of the Western Hemisphere south of the Mexico-U.S. border, from initial colonization of the hemisphere by Paleoindian people, to the origins of agriculture and the rise of civilization. Olmec, Mayan, Aztec, Chavin, Moche and Inca cultures will be covered in detail.

ANTH 3360 Cross-Cultural Perspective Wmn (4 credits)

Confronts question about women's lives and women's status in a global perspective. It addresses issues such as why women have been subordinate to men in so many cultures, how one actually measures dominance and subordination, and whether there is some biological basis for gender inequality. Broad theoretical questions on the status of women are discussed and form the basis for the analytical inquiry which follows.

ANTH 3380 Women and Development (4 credits)

A case study approach to understanding women's status and the problems of combining productive and reproductive responsibilities in developing countries.

ANTH 3390 Geoarchaeology (4 credits)

Use of geological methods to interpret archaeological sites, ancient landscape reconstruction, study of environmental change and habitation.

ANTH 3430 Visions, Utopias and Messiahs (4 credits)

Ghost dance, peyote religion, cargo cults, peasant revolution, charismatic leaders, messianic movements in cross-cultural perspectives; roles played by cultural systems, historical circumstances and social conditions in generating social movements.

ANTH 3470 Applied Anthropology (4 credits)

The practical application of cross-cultural knowledge and awareness to the solution of social and cultural problems. Ethnographic methodologies, a review of the history of applied anthropology and a consideration of the ideological and ethical components of applied anthropology are covered.

ANTH 3485 Anthro and Underdevelopment (4 credits)

Anthropological approach to some of the developing world's most pressing social problems and how anthropologists can make a relevant contribution in confronting, studying and changing the nature of underdevelopment.

ANTH 3500 Culture and The City (4 credits)

Examines the past and future of the city as a human built environment that reflects and reproduces social, political, economic, and cultural forces and ideals. Begins with the origin of cities in antiquity and ends with contemporary urban landscapes. Analysis is sensitive to both the technologies and aesthetics of urban form. Emphasis is on the possibilities for urban redesign to meet the problems of 21st-century city life.

ANTH 3540 The Nature of Language (4 credits)

Language as social, psychological, cultural phenomenon; relationship between culture, semantics; language as medium of cultural unification; relationship between dialects, social structure.

ANTH 3550 Africa: Peoples and Cultures (4 credits)

Survey course in the anthropology of Africa designed to explore the diversity of African people and cultures. The course examines issues of contemporary life in the continent as well as the way if has been portrayed by the media, anthropologists, historians, and writers. Topics such as geography, history, society, politics, religion, ethnicities, and material culture of different regions are central to the discussion.

ANTH 3650 Dynamics of Culture Change (4 credits)

Considers culture change and the agents of change. Focuses on changes in indigenous cultures around the world resulting from colonialism 1850-1950, forced acculturation, the tension between worldwide economic development and human rights, and the changing nature of the post-colonial world.

ANTH 3660 Anthropological Theory, Method (4 credits)

History and development of particular schools of thought, paradigms, methods and methodologies that characterize contemporary anthropology. Intellectual, artistic developments, world-wide sociopolitical and economic processes that shaped much of anthropological thinking of the times. Research methods in reconstruction of human history and qualitative ethnolographical research.

ANTH 3661 Museums and their Visitors (4 credits)

This course is designed to be a comprehensive introduction to museums and their approaches to serving visitors, primarily through exhibitions and education. It examines current research and museum practice as it relates to the museum as an environment for meaningful visitor experiences and learning. The course is organized around the following core issues: (1) What do visitor experiences look like in a museum context? (2) How do museums design for different audience types? (3) What do we learn from assessing visitors' experiences? (4) How do objects, ideas and spaces affect visitor learning and experiences?

ANTH 3680 Quantitative Methods-Anthro (4 credits)

The use of statistics in all branches of anthropology; data screening; parametric and nonparametric statistics. Prerequisite: any course in basic statistics.

ANTH 3701 Topics in Anthropology (4 credits)

Specialized topics in anthropology. Check with the Department of Anthropology or the Schedule of Classes for further information; open to students who are nonmajors; may be repeated for credit.

ANTH 3702 Topics in Anthropology (4 credits)

Specialized topics in anthropology. Check with the Department of Anthropology or the Schedule of Classes for further information; open to students who are nonmajors; may be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: ANTH 1010.

ANTH 3703 Topics in Anthropology (4 credits)

Specialized topics in anthropology. Check with the Department of Anthropology or the Schedule of Classes for further information; open to students who are nonmajors; may be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: ANTH 1010.

ANTH 3741 Introduction to Conservation (4 credits)

Introduction to physical properties of materials found in museum artifacts and specimens. Discusses preventative conservation principles and methods.

ANTH 3742 Museum Exhibit Development (4 credits)

Introduces general principles of planning, development, production and evaluation of museum exhibits. Explores design elements and methods of evaluation. Students will have the opportunity to do exhibit mockups and exhibit evaluation.

ANTH 3743 Managing Collections (4 credits)

Principles and methods regarding acquisition, documentation, conservation and accessibility of collections. Law, registration methods, computerization, policy, development, ethics and preventive conservation are also discussed.

ANTH 3750 Ethnographic Methods (4 credits)

In this course, students study the art and science of ethnographic research methods, conduct quarter-long field research projects, and write practice ethnographies. The course requires students to apply the American Anthropological Association's Code of Ethics in their research and to write Institutional Review Board applications for their projects. Course readings include texts on ethnographic methods as well as controversial and exemplary ethnographic publications for student dissection and debate.

ANTH 3790 Field Methods in Archaeology (4 credits)

Introduces basic methods of archaeological survey, excavation, artifact collection strategies and field interpretation. Students will learn to create field maps and cross-sectional drawings of archaeological phenomena. Prerequisite: ANTH 2310.

ANTH 3800 Capstone Sem Anthropology (4 credits)

This seminar brings anthropology to bear on a topic of special significance. It assesses grasp of the key concepts, theories and insights of anthropology, and critically reflects on the nature and history of the discipline. Prerequisite: Senior standing.

ANTH 3890 Context of Material Culture (4 credits)

Examines how material culture both reflects and actively structures political, economic and cultural life. Considers the relationship between people and their material culture (portable objects, non-portable objects, buildings, socially-created landscapes) in Western, non-Western, ancient, and contemporary cultural contexts. Reading materials draw from the fields of ethnology, archaeology, folklore, geography, history, art and architecture.

ANTH 3981 Museum Internship (1 to 6 credits)

ANTH 3990 Summer Field Sch-Archaeology (4 to 6 credits)

Archaeological excavation, survey and recordings; analysis and conservation of artifacts in the field.

ANTH 3991 Independent Study (1 to 15 credits)

ANTH 3992 Directed Study (1 to 10 credits)

ANTH 3995 Independent Research (1 to 10 credits)

ANTH 4000 Advanced Anthropology (4 credits)

ANTH 4040 Historical Archaeology (4 credits)

Because it is the archaeology of periods for which there is also written history, historical archaeology is a dynamic and interdisciplinary field. It also has a distinct set of concerns and methods that builds upon, but does not replicate, those of prehistoric archaeology. This course is designed to engage students in the practice of historical archaeology through readings, discussions, and the hands-on analysis of archaeological materials. The first class of each week will be a discussion of readings in historical archaeology. The readings will introduce students to theoretical and methodological issues in the discipline, as well as important case studies. Many of the readings will have a North American focus, but will also address international practice. The second class of each week will have a hands-on focus. Backed by readings on historic materials analysis, we will discuss and practice the types of research historical archaeologists perform on actual materials, focusing on different material types each week. Students in the course will each process and analyze a set of materials excavated from a historic site.

ANTH 4070 Folklore and Cultural Heritage (4 credits)

Folklore and Cultural Heritage is the study of the expressive behaviors and practices that constitute the ordinary, everyday life of communities. Folklore includes the intangible cultural heritages of all peoples, for example, the artistic expression reflected in stories and storytelling, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, customs, dialects and ways of speaking. Everyone has folklore and participates in the "folklore process."

ANTH 4200 Native North America (4 credits)

Native American cultures north of Mexico.

ANTH 4250 North American Archeology (4 credits)

Prehistoric archeology in North America from earliest traces of human occupation to European contact; emphasis on cultures north of Mexico, east of Rockies.

ANTH 4290 Art and Anthropology (4 credits)

This class introduces students to anthropological approaches to the study of art and visual culture. The first part of the course covers foundational work in the field, introducing key concepts as well as methods for viewing and understanding art from a cross-cultural/comparative and interdisciplinary perspective. We examine the relationships among art, technology and the environment, as well as the importance of form, function, style, meaning, and aesthetics in the study of art. The second part addresses issues of contemporary concern in art and anthropology, such as the influence of market forces and tourism on artistic traditions and cultural expressions; the intersection of art and identity; the politics of cultural representation. The course also explores the ethnographic turn in some forms of contemporary art as well as doing ethnography as art.

ANTH 4360 Cross-Cultrl Perspectives Wm (4 credits)

ANTH 4370 Sex & Class in Latin America (4 credits)

Evolving role of women in Central and South America from precolonial states to modern cities, rural areas.

ANTH 4380 Women and Development (4 credits)

Case study approach to understanding women's status; problems of combining productive/reproductive responsibilities in developing countries.

ANTH 4700 Readings in Anthropology (1 to 5 credits)

Directed readings in anthropology under faculty supervision. May be repeated for credit.

ANTH 4701 Special Topics in Anthropology (1 to 5 credits)

ANTH 4702 Special Topics in Anthropology (1 to 5 credits)

ANTH 4703 Special Topics in Anthropology (1 to 5 credits)

ANTH 4704 Special Topics in Anthropology (1 to 5 credits)

ANTH 4740 Perspectives-Museum Studies (4 credits)

ANTH 4744 Museum Anthropology (4 credits)

This course introduces students to museum anthropology and the ethnography of museums as well as the theoretical and practical sides of museum studies. The course is based on the following premises: Museum anthropology is a form of applied anthropology in which museums are a venue for making anthropological insights and knowledge accessible and relevant to the public; Museums, as institutions of public culture, are a forum for exploring contemporary social issues and concerns; The role of museums in society and civic engagement is at the core of contemporary museum anthropology and Museology.

ANTH 4745 Museum Practicum (2 credits)

Individually designed practicum in student's area of interest.

ANTH 4750 Masters Museum Exhibit (4 credits)

Required for MA with museum studies concentration. Type of exhibit and placement planned with student's committee.

ANTH 4981 Museum Internshp (1 to 6 credits)

ANTH 4991 Independent Study (1 to 17 credits)

ANTH 4992 Directed Study (1 to 10 credits)

ANTH 4995 Independent Research (1 to 17 credits)