Current Courses

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to the major theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches used in anthropology. Students will explore the historical development of anthropological theory, from early evolutionism to contemporary critical perspectives, and will engage with key concepts such as cultural relativism, functionalism, structuralism, and postmodernism. The methodological component of the course emphasizes ethnographic research, including participant observation, interviewing techniques, and the ethical dimensions of fieldwork. Students will gain hands-on experience designing research projects and analyzing qualitative data. Through readings, aims to provide students with the tools necessary for conducting independent anthropological research and critically evaluating existing studies. Prerequisite ANTH 1013 Introduction to Cultural 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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to the major theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches used in anthropology. Students will explore the historical development of anthropological theory, from early evolutionism to contemporary critical perspectives, and will engage with key concepts such as cultural relativism, functionalism, structuralism, and postmodernism. The methodological component of the course emphasizes ethnographic research, including participant observation, interviewing techniques, and the ethical dimensions of fieldwork. Students will gain hands-on experience designing research projects and analyzing qualitative data. Through readings, aims to provide students with the tools necessary for conducting independent anthropological research and critically evaluating existing studies. Prerequisite ANTH 1013 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Directed research and seminar on a topic of current interest.