TCU Anthropology

Fall 2009 Anthropology Offerings

 

 

ANTH 20623 (six sections available):  Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

TR 9:30-10:50, 11:00-12:20, 12:30-1:50, 2:00-3:20, & MWF 10:00-10:50, 11:00-11:50.

Attributes:  CA, GA, SSC

 

An introduction to the theories and methods of cultural anthropology. Comparative study of modern and historic cultures around the globe. Exploration of the meanings ascribed to human experience. Emphasis on such topics as: relativism, culture change, kinship, gender, globalization, identity, religion, sexuality, ritual, social stratification, ethnicity.

 

ANTH 20633-045:  Introduction to Archaeology

TR 12:30-1:50, Reed 134.  Dr. David Aftandilian.  Attributes:  SSC

 

An introduction to the theory, methods, and techniques of archaeology and a review of selected findings. History and development of archaeology, field and laboratory methods, interpretive methods, ethics, archaeology in the public sphere.

 

ANTH 30673-080:  Anthropology and Religion

M 6:00-8:40, Beasley 109.  Dr. Miguel Leatham.  Attributes:  RT

Prerequisites: ANTH 20623, RELI 10023 or RELI 10043 or consent of the instructor.

 

Anthropological findings in the comparative study of religion and culture across a broad range of societies. Studies of sacred experience, myth, ritual, magic, witchcraft, religious language, gender and religion, healing, and relationships between social and religious change.

 

ANTH 30923-080:  Studies in Anthropology: Ancient Cultures of Mexico and Peru

[Expected approval by April 3 as ANTH 30703-080:  Archaeology of Mexico & Peru.]

W 6:00-8:40 Beasley 5.  Dr. Miguel Leatham.  Expected attributes:  SSC

 

This course presents an illustrated archaeological survey of the cultures and peoples of ancient Mesoamerica, emphasizing central and southern Mexico, and Andean South America, focusing on Peru and western Bolivia.  We will explore the archaeological evidence for the evolution of social complexity in these regions.  Ancient Andean textiles and pottery will be examined first-hand.

 

ANTH 30723-080:  Ethnology of Selected Areas – Modern South Asian Cultures

T 6:00-8:40, Beasley 5.  Jamie Portillo.

 

This course provides a broad introduction to the social, cultural, and political movements in the modern nation-states of Bangladesh, India, Nepal,  Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.  Using anthropological perspectives, we will examine key topics such as colonial legacies; caste and class; family and the life course; gender and sexuality; practicing religion; healing traditions; ethnic conflict; and nationalism.  Students can expect to gain a strong understanding of the region and to leave the class enriched by the ethnographic portrayals of daily life in South Asia.

The instructor has conducted extensive anthropological fieldwork in India and specializes in the study of South Asian cultures.

 

ANTH 30823-065:  Native American Religions & Ecology

TR 3:30-4:50, Beasley 109.  Dr. David Aftandilian.  Attributes:  HUM, (CA expected)

 

In this course we will investigate how Native American religious beliefs have influenced their interactions with the environment, and vice versa. Along the way we will explore key aspects of Native American religions more generally, including sacred stories and folktales, art and dance, rites of passage, health and healing, and hunting and agricultural rituals. We will discuss the roles that Native American religious beliefs have played in helping them both resist and assimilate into mainstream U.S. culture. And we will also consider the place of Native American religious beliefs in Euro-American culture, from New Age appropriations of sweat lodges and vision quests to ongoing legal debates over sacred lands.

 

ANTH 30923-050:  Studies in Anthropology – Social Justice/Environmental Sustainability

MWF 1:00-1:50, Sid Richardson Lecture Hall 1.  Dr. Keith Whitworth.

 

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the concept of sustainability from a multidisciplinary perspective.  The course will provide a general and specific understanding of the concept of sustainability.  Students will explore the social justice, environmental stewardship, and economic development aspects of sustainability.  The course will provide a historical, cultural and global perspective in relation to how sustainability policies and initiatives are developed, implemented and sustained. The course is designed to prepare and inspire students to be engaged citizens and global leaders working to create a more just world.

 

ANTH 40423-070:  The Anthropology of Violence

MW 2:00-3:20, Beasley 6.  Dr. David Sandell.  Attributes:  GA, WEM, CA

Prerequisites: ANTH 20623 or consent of instructor. 

 

An anthropological examination of the relationship between violence and culture. Ethnographic cases of violence in many different regions, such as Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Western Europe. Topics may include: civil war, ethnic conflict, crime and the structural 'violences' of poverty, racism, gendered violence, famine and disease, and the cultural construction and social consequences of fear.

 

ANTH 40523-065:  Mass Media and Culture

TR 3:30-4:50, Beasley 205.  Dr. Lisa Vanderlinden.  Attributes:  CA, SSC, WEM

Prerequisite: ANTH 20623 or consent of instructor.

 

An anthropological examination of the relationship between mass media and culture. Particular emphasis on the impact of mass media on the production and consumption of cultural meaning and identities. Inquiry into representations of gender, sexuality, the body, ethnicity, social race, and nationhood in mass media discourses. Case studies of mass media in local spaces and global contexts.