PDF version of this chapterCourses of Instruction
Anthropology (ANTH)
The terms indicated are expected but are not guaranteed. For the courses offered during any given term, consult the Schedule of Classes.
090x Seminar in Digital Editing (2, FaSp) Teaches visual anthropology graduate students how to edit digitally ethnographic video materials from their fieldwork. Open to graduate visual anthropology students only. Not available for degree credit. Graded CR/NC. Prerequisite: ANTH 501, ANTH 562, ANTH 575.
100g Principles of Human Organization: Non-Western Societies (4, FaSp) Universal social organizational themes and their culture-specific variations are explored across five non-western societies.
101 Body, Mind and Healing (4) The body, illness and healing from a cultural perspective, including comparative studies of folk healing systems, curing rituals and Western biomedical practices.
105g Culture, Medicine and Politics (4, Fa) Survey of the impact of public institutions, the private sector, and cultural practices on health and the delivery of health care in the United States. Concurrent enrollment: WRIT 140.
125g Social Issues in Human Sexuality and Reproduction (4, FaSp) Examination of the “natural” (biological) and “unnatural” (social and cultural) dimensions of human sexuality and reproduction. Concurrent enrollment: WRIT 140.
140g Native Peoples of Mexico and Central America (4, Sp) An exploration of the nature and contributions of pre-Columbian high civilizations (Maya, Aztecs, etc.) and their descendants as they resist and assimilate to the modern world.
200Lg The Origins of Humanity (4, FaSp) Foundations of the human species. Examination of scientific evidence from Darwinian theory, primate behavior, fossils, and the behavior of modern people.
201 Introduction to Social Anthropology (4, FaSpSm) Major culture types, nomadic hunters and herders, peasant and tribal societies, sophisticated kingdoms; social, political, economic, and religious institutions.
202 Introduction to Archaeology (4, Sp) How archaeological research is conceived, planned, and carried out, from survey and excavation to analysis of finds and final reconstruction of ancient cultural systems.
225 Sex Similarities and Differences: A Multidisciplinary Approach (4, FaSp) (Enroll in SWMS 225)
235g The Changing Pacific: Culture, History and Politics in the New South Seas (4, Fa) Current social and political developments in the South Pacific analyzed from the perspective of the historical relationship between indigenous cultures and the West.
240gm Collective Identity and Political Violence: Representing 9/11 (4, FaSp) Critically examines visual, textual, and performative representations of culture and identity, with the terrorist attacks of 9/11 serving as a topical anchor. Recommended preparation: ANTH 263; concurrent enrollment: WRIT 140.
250g Race and Sexual Politics in Southeast Asia (4) Southeast Asia is studied as a meeting place of different races and cultural traditions, with emphasis on the precolonial heritage of sexual equality and postcolonial reinterpretations of men’s and women’s worlds.
263g Exploring Culture Through Film (4, FaSpSm) Concepts of social anthropology using filmic representations of societies throughout the world in contrast to written ethnography.
273g Shamans, Spirits and Ancestors: Non-Western Religious Traditions (4, Fa) An intensive study of local systems of belief and knowledge in selected societies in the Pacific, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America with emphasis on ideas of the spirit world.
300 Evolution, Ecology, and Culture (4, Sp) The roles of biology, culture, and the environment in shaping human society, integrating evolutionary biology and cultural theory.
305 Childhood, Birth and Reproduction (4, Fa) Cross-cultural analysis and comparison of the experience and cultural conception of birth, maternity, parenthood, and childhood in western and non-western societies.
306 Primate Social Behavior (4) Social behavior of living nonhuman primates, with an emphasis on field studies of apes and monkeys. Topics include aggression, communication, reproduction, cognition and ecology.
308 Origins and Evolution of Human Behavior (4) Examination of the evidence for and against evolutionary bases of a range of human behaviors. Topics include sex differences, human reproductive strategies, race, IQ, human ecology.
310 Archaeology of the Americas (4, Irregular) Pre-Columbian culture from early hunters to the Spanish conquest in major geographical areas of Mexico, Central America, Peru, or the United States.
311 Old World Archaeology (4, Irregular) Neolithic revolution and origins of civilization in major culture centers such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, or China.
314 The Nature of Maya Civilization (4) A seminar forum on Maya culture from the earliest form to present; problems of origins, classic florescence, systems collapse, conquests, persistence, and transformation today.
315g North American Indians (4, Fa) North American Indian societies, their major cultural themes, ethnological significance, and comparability with Western European cultural forms; lectures, visuals, and indigene demonstrations.
316gm North American Indians in American Public Life (4, Sp) Role of American Indians in American public life from colonial times to the present; native American forms of government; relations between tribes and the U.S.
317 Imaging Indians: From Warriors to Windtalkers (4, Fa) An historical and anthropological overview of 500 years of the presentation of differing and, often, contradictory perceptions of Native American life and character in popular and academic media.
320 Male and Female in Pacific Society (4, Sp) Cultural variations in gender systems and historical changes due to colonialism and development in Polynesia, Melanesia, Indonesia, and other Pacific Rim cultures.
322 Anthropology of Bali (4, Sp) An introduction to the methodology of social anthropology, focusing on the culture of the Indonesian island of Bali.
323 Regional Ethnology: Southeast Asia (4, Irregular) Peoples and cultures of southeast Asia, from the late Pleistocene to the present.
324 Regional Ethnology: China (4, 2 years, Sp) Anthropological perspective of the ordinary citizens of the Peoples’ Republic of China: peasants, workers, bureaucrats, students, and women.
326 Ethnography of European Culture (4, Irregular) Europe as a geographic area in terms of its linguistic, ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity; particular focus on peasant society and the Little Tradition.
327 Anthropology of the Middle East and Islam (4, Sp) Explores written and visual ethnography for study of Middle East community, sociopolitical forms and religious life. Examines scriptural and living Islam and dynamics of contemporary Islamic revival.
328m Culture Change and the Mexican People (4, Irregular) Culture change theories and methods (archaeology, community studies, participant-observation) used to examine the varied experiences of peoples in Mexico and the U.S. Southwest.
330 Culture, Gender and Politics in South Asia: Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Nepal (4, Fa) Examination of violence, identity, law, religion, nationalism, development, caste, kinship, gender, and the South Asian diaspora.
331 Asian Americans: Migration and Culture Change (4, Fa) Introduction to ethnographic methods, focusing on culture change among Asian immigrant groups in the United States. Emphasis on Los Angeles and the American West.
335 Comparative Muslim Societies (4, Irregular) Examines issues of nationality, religion, and culture among Muslim peoples in the Middle East, Africa, East Asia, and the Soviet Union from an anthropological perspective.
336 Health, Gender and Ethnicity (4, Sp) (Enroll in SWMS 336)
345 Politics, Social Organization, and Law (4, 2 years, Sp) Political and legal systems of primitive societies, social control, and structure.
355 Urban Anthropology (4, Irregular) Exploration of empirical and analytical approaches employed by anthropologists in studying urban phenomena cross-culturally; urban origins, structure, and social processes.
360 Symbolic Anthropology (4, Fa) The role of symbols in the evolution of culture; symbolic aspects of myth, ritual, and social life. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
365 Life History in Anthropological Perspective (4, Irregular) Examination of one’s life within its sociocultural context; study of family history, autobiography, diary, journal, and film; research and writing of a life history.
370 Family and Kinship in Cross-Cultural Perspective (4, 2 years, Sp) Comparative examination of family and kinship in tribal, peasant, and complex societies, emphasizing non-Western cultures, societal and normative consequences of forms and functions in family.
371m Cross-Cultural Research on Urban Gangs (4) Youth gang dynamics and their effects on institutions. Comparative analysis of Asian, African, and Mexican American gangs.
372 Interpretation of Myth and Narrative (4, Fa) Oral narratives from non-Western cultures; communications about deeply-held beliefs, psychological tensions, social problems, and the structure of the mind.
373 Magic, Witchcraft and Healing (4) Analysis of the practices of witches and witch doctors, priests, diviners and traditional healers in Western and non-Western societies, relating their practices to religion and medicine.
374 Asian Americans: Ethnic Identity (4, FaSp) (Enroll in SOCI 375)
375 Applied Anthropology (4, 2 years, Sp) Evaluation of cultural impact of policy and program designed to stimulate change in traditional communities. Field work assignments in education, health, and development.
380 Sex and Gender in Anthropological Perspective (4) Cultural construction of gender in a number of non-Western societies is compared to ideas of sex and sexual differences in American society.
385m Men and Masculinity (4) (Enroll in SWMS 385m)
390 Special Problems (1-4, Irregular) Supervised, individual studies. No more than one registration permitted. Enrollment by petition only.
395m African American Humor and Culture (4) (Enroll in AMST 395m)
405 Evolutionary Medicine (4, Sp) Evolutionary, cultural and environmental factors in the emergence and existence of diseases; a Darwinian examination of illness in the human species.
406 Theory and Method in Biological Anthropology (4) Historical and theoretical approaches to major issues in the field of biological anthropology. Includes human evolution, primatology, origins of culture, human biology.
407 Peasant Society (4, Sp) Comparative study of the social, economic, political, and religious characteristics of peasant societies as they have existed and continue to exist in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
410ab Ethnographic Field Methods and Practicum (4-4, FaSp) Survey of anthropological methods for acquiring and analyzing data. a: Ethnographic research methods and modes of analysis; development of a field research project. b: Implementation of the field project. Prerequisite: ANTH 201g.
420 Woman, Nature, Culture: The Behavioral Ecology of Women (4, FaSp) (Enroll in SWMS 420)
425 Peoples and Cultures of Latin America (4, Irregular) Cultures of the indigenous peoples of South America; results of Spanish conquest and colonization; present folk societies and their cultures.
435x Ethnic Diversity in China/Inner Asia (4) Tibetans, Mongols, Muslims and other minorities on the China and Inner Asian frontier will be surveyed through ethnohistories, lectures, films and guest lectures.
440 History of Anthropological Theory (4, Sp) Ideas about man, culture, and society which have formed the field of anthropology as a research discipline; present trends and problems.
455 Cultural Ecology (4, Irregular) Ecological adaptation of human cultures, emphasizing the development of values in the context of constraints and incentives stemming from the environment.
460 Economic Anthropology (4, Fa) Comparative study of human systems of production, distribution, and consumption; anthropological approaches to study of economic behavior; economic systems of primitive, peasant, and developing societies.
470 Multidisciplinary Seminar in Visual Anthropology (2 or 4, Irregular) Application of broadcast journalism, cinema, and anthropology to ethnographic film making.
472 Visual Techniques in Anthropology: Stills (4, Fa) Visual techniques for data collection and analysis in anthropological research. Visual anthropology research using 35 mm. photography skills, fieldwork procedures, data analysis, and presentation formats.
475 Ethnographic Film Analysis (4, Irregular) Analysis of film as a tool for investigating primitive and modern cultures and societies.
476 Ethnographic Film Theory from an Historical Perspective (4) Technologies and uses of, theoretical frameworks for, and the presentation styles of ethnographic materials are examined from an historical perspective.
490x Directed Research (2-8, max 8, FaSpSm) Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit. Prerequisite: departmental approval.
491 Directed Research for Honors (4, Irregular) Individually guided research and readings culminating in the production of an honors thesis. Prerequisite: 3.0 GPA; ANTH 201g plus 8 units of upper division anthropology courses.
499 Special Topics (2-4, max 8, Irregular) Current literature: social change, comparative institutions, urbanization, ideology.
501 History and Foundations of Anthropology (4, Fa) An historical survey of the development of theory and methods in social anthropology.
502 Contemporary Theory in Anthropology (4, Sp) Continuation of ANTH 501, focusing on current models, methods, and issues in social anthropology.
503 Regional Ethnography (4, Sp) An intensive analysis of the anthropology of a major culture area.
506 Primate Behavior and Sociobiology (4) Advanced course on the behavior, ecology and sociobiology of living primates. Takes a Darwinian approach to behaviors such as parenting, mating, diet and feeding, competition, and demography.
509 Key Topics in Linguistic Anthropology (4, FaSp) Introduction to key topics in linguistic anthropology with special focus on interrelations between language, identity, culture, gender, and power in the U.S. and beyond.
510 Urban Anthropology (4, Fa) Intensive ethnographic analysis of specialized urban niches, microsettings, ethnicity, community studies.
554 Women in Global Perspective (4) (Enroll in SWMS 554)
562 The Practice of Ethnography (4, Sp) Major approaches to ethnographic fieldwork are explored in classic cases.
575 Seminar in Ethnographic Film (4, Fa) A survey of ethnographic film using both the dimensions of natural history descriptions and process, contrasted with naturalism and structuralism as tools of controlled comparison and analysis.
576 Anthropological Media Seminar (3, max 9) An overview of a “visual anthropology” subfield within the academic discipline of anthropology. Consideration of the ways in which visual anthropology relates to some other anthropological specializations, to other academic disciplines, and to “the media” in a more general sense. Prerequisite: graduate standing.
577 Advanced Anthropological Media Seminar (3, max 9) An advanced overview and practicum of the development of a “visual anthropology” subfield within the academic discipline of anthropology. Special consideration of how ethnography is incorporated into multimedia presentations. Students will also make an interactive ethnographic film or video. Prerequisite: graduate standing; corequisite: ANTH 576.
590 Directed Research (1-12, FaSpSm) Research leading to the master’s degree. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.
594abz Master’s Thesis (2-2-0, FaSpSm) Credit on acceptance of thesis. Graded IP/CR/NC.
599 Special Topics (2-4, max 8, Fa)
601 Feminist Issues in Anthropology (4, FaSpSm) Feminist concerns in both Western and Non-Western societies are examined in relation to globalization; the practice of ethnography and issues of power.
602 The Anthropology of Popular Culture (4, FaSpSm) The relationship between anthropology and popular culture is explored through a critical examination of the category “popular culture.”
603 Experiments in Ethnographic Writing (4, FaSpSm) The problems of representation involved in rendering experience into narrative are examined in a number of contemporary “experiments.”
604 Bodies and Practices (4, FaSpSm) The cultural construction of body image, embodied practice, race, sexuality and healing.
605 Race: Performance, Politics, Cultural Production (4, FaSpSm) Focuses on the performance and social construction of race and its intersection with gender, sexuality, class, place, nation and empire.
606 Seminar on Nationalism and Ethnicity (4) Cross-cultural analysis of nationalism and ethnicity from an ethnographic perspective. Graduate standing.
650 Seminar in Ethnography and Interpretation (4) A seminar where issues in contemporary ethnography and interpretation are discussed, grouped around a theme of current concern, such as power and resistance, colonialism, Marxist approaches, feminism, etc. Prerequisite: ANTH 501.
790 Research (1-12, FaSpSm) Research leading to the doctorate. Minimum 8 units, maximum number of units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.
794abcdz Doctoral Dissertation (2-2-2-2-0, FaSpSm) Credit on acceptance of dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.