Undergraduate Course Descriptions

Anthropology

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

AN101 Sociocultural Anthropology 0.5

An introduction to the field of social/cultural anthropology, dealing with such topics as kinship, marriage and the family, language, social and political organization, economic systems, magic, religious belief and ritual.

Exclusion: AN100*.

AN102 Physical Anthropology and Human Prehistory 0.5

An introduction to the study of human evolution and biological variation; a survey of cultural development from the earliest origins of humans through to the Upper Paleolithic period.

Exclusion: AN100*.

AN201 Native Indian Peoples of Canada 0.5

A survey of the traditional cultural patterns of Indian peoples of Canada.

Prerequisite: AN101.

AN202* Archaeological Field Seminar 1.0

(Cross-listed as AR202*.)

AN203 Peoples of Africa 0.5

A survey of African cultures. The approach is comparative, and the focus is on pre-contact cultural patterns.

Prerequisite: AN101.

AN205 Inuit of the Canadian Arctic 0.5

An introduction to the study of the cultural patterns of the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic with consideration of such areas as subsistence and exploitation, social organization, magico-religious belief, and ritual and mythology.†

Prerequisite: AN101.

AN206 Cultural Ecology 0.5

The study of subsistence patterns and ecological adaptation with particular emphasis on socio-environmental problems.†

Prerequisite: AN101.

Exclusion: AN200*.

AN207 Power and Law: An Anthropological Approach 0.5

Ethnographic approaches to the study of power in non-western, primarily non-state societies. Topics will include: comparative studies of political and legal systems, leadership and action, disputes and conflict resolution, and the relationship of politics and law to ritual.†

Prerequisite: AN101.

Exclusion: AN200*.

AN208 Gifts, Exchange and Production in Traditional Societies 0.5

Modes of production and exchange in tribal and peasant societies, with particular emphasis on ceremonial gift exchange, aspects of the division of labour and contrasts between egalitarian and hierarchical economic systems.

Prerequisite: AN101.

Exclusion: AN200*.

AN210 Introduction to Anthropological Linguistics 0.5

Language in its sociocultural context: theories on the evolution of human language; language acquisition of the child; the brain and language; structuralist and transformational-generative linguistic theory.

Prerequisite: AN101.

Exclusion: AN311.

AN213 Folklore in Anthropology 0.5

Topics include oral narrative, folk medicine, folk music, popular games, joking and riddling. Emphasis will be placed upon the study of folklore "events'' and performances within their social and cultural contexts. The place of folklore studies in the history of anthropology will be examined.

Prerequisite: AN101, AN102 (or permission of the Department).

Exclusion: AN305*/AN355v*.

AN218* Archaeological Laboratory Methods 1.0

(Cross-listed as AR218*.)

AN220 Introduction to Human Osteology 0.5

(Cross-listed as AR220.)

AN221 Kinship, Marriage and Gender 0.5

An introduction to the anthropological study of kinship, marriage and gender and patterns of social organization.

Prerequisite: AN101.

Exclusion: AN200*.

AN222 The Bushmen (San) of the Kalahari 0.5

An ethnographic survey of the Kalahari Bushmen, as a model for hunting-gathering society.

Prerequisite: AN101.

Exclusion: AN306*.

AN223 Emergence of Urban Civilization 0.5

An introduction to human prehistory in Europe, Africa, West Asia and Meso-America from the Upper Paleolithic period to urbanization. (Cross-listed as AR223.)

Prerequisite: AN102.

Exclusion: AN204*/AR307*.

AN235 North American Prehistory 0.5

(Cross-listed as AR235.)†

AN240* Archaeology of Historic North America 1.0

(Cross-listed as AR240*.)

AN300 Field Methods in Cultural Anthropology 0.5

A survey of the methods of cultural anthropological inquiry including such issues as the relationship between theory and research, research design and problem formulation, participant observation, genealogical research, sampling procedures, interviewing, life history documentation, archival research, data organization and analysis, and the ethics of conducting anthropological research.

Prerequisite: One of AN201, AN203, AN205, AN329, AN330.

Exclusion: AN307k.

AN305* Special Topics in Anthropology 1.0

A concentrated study of specific problem areas reflecting the research interests of members of the Department.

Prerequisite: Permission of the Department.

Irregular Course

AN306 Hunting-Gathering Band Societies 0.5

A comparative course examining the ecology and social organization of hunting-gathering societies of the world.

Prerequisite: AN101.

AN307 Special Topics in Anthropology 0.5

A concentrated study of specific problem areas reflecting the research interests of members of the Department.

Prerequisite: Permission of the Department.

Irregular Course

AN312 Language and Culture 0.5

The issues in the anthropology of language and thought: linguistic relativity, ethnoscience, semantic systems, componential analysis, cognitive structuralism; the ethnography of speech and discourse.†

Prerequisite: Registration status: senior student.

AN313 Technology I: Tools, Techniques and Material Culture 0.5

The technology of prehistoric and preindustrial peoples will be examined in developmental and comparative perspective in a program of lectures and workshops. (Cross-listed as AR313.)

Prerequisite: One of AN101, AN102, AR100*.

AN314 Technology II: Tools and the Symbolic Order 0.5

Drawing upon an anthropological tradition that stretches from Durkheim and Mauss through Cunningham and Douglas, this course will examine in comparative perspective the impact of technology upon cognitive culture.†

Prerequisite: AN313.

AN316 The Anthropology of Art 0.5

The symbolic and aesthetic dimensions of the art of ancient and pre-industrial peoples in its social and ritual context.††

Prerequisite: Registration status: senior student.

AN319 Rites of Passage 0.5

(Cross-listed as RE319.)

AN321 The Anthropological Study of Inequality 0.5

The cross-cultural study of forms of inequality. Gender, rank, caste, ethnicity and "race" will be considered in the light of ethnographic evidence.††

Prerequisite: AN101.

AN322 Religion, Ritual and Magic 0.5

The study of private and public rituals which relate society to the supernatural; charismatic and millenarian movements; magical beliefs and the social and epistemological dimensions of witchcraft. (Cross-listed as RE322.)†

Prerequisite: AN101 (or permission of the Department).

AN323 Symbol, Myth and Cosmology 0.5

The study of ideology and world view in non-western societies. Topics will include: symbolic classification, modes of thought, evolutionist, functionalist and structuralist approaches to the study of myth and cosmology.†

Prerequisite: AN101.

Exclusion: AN211, AN303*.

AN325* Directed Studies in Anthropology 1.0

A concentrated study of specific problem areas reflecting the research interests of members of the Department.

Prerequisite: Permission of the Department.

Irregular Course

AN327 Directed Studies in Anthropology 0.5

A concentrated study of specific problem areas reflecting the research interests of members of the Department.

Prerequisite: Permission of the Department.

Irregular Course

AN329 Native Canadians: Contemporary Issues 0.5

Ethno-historical and sociological perspectives on the social, economic and political situation of native Canadian people.

Prerequisite: AN201.

AN330 African Society: Contemporary Issues 0.5

Perspectives on the social, economic and political situation of African peoples. The current situation in South and West Africa will be considered in the context of the continent as a whole.

Prerequisite: Registration status: senior student.

AN332 Mass Communications, Anthropology and Development 0.5

An examination of the role of the mass media of communication in the Third World with a consideration of positive and negative effects. Selected media products from the Third World such as films, videotapes, newspapers and magazines will be analyzed as cultural "texts". (Cross-listed as CS310.)†

Prerequisite: AN101 or CS200.

AN333 Human Rights 0.5

(Cross-listed as SY333.)

AN335 Ontario Prehistory 0.5

(Cross-listed as AR335.)†

AN337 Cross-cultural Studies of Change 0.5

A study of such world questions as food, population, health care and the environment: the impact of technological change in rural and urban areas. Social, political, economic and technological development will be examined from a number of theoretical perspectives. The roles of business, government and non-government organizations in developing contexts is explored. (Cross-listed as DI337.)

Prerequisite: DI100, AN101 and one senior credit of courses in Anthropology or in the Development and International Studies program, (or permission of the Department).

AN338 Women and Development 0.5

(Cross-listed as SY338.)

AN339 Canadian Inuit: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives 0.5

A review of the history of European-Inuit contacts and relations in the Canadian Arctic from earliest times. Particular emphasis will be placed on the history of Canadian Arctic administration during the 20th century, the politicization of the Inuit in recent years and the development of plans for Nunavut.

Prerequisite: Registration status: senior student.

AN340 The Social Anthropology of India 0.5

An introduction to the society and cultures of India, including the examination of continuity and change in cultural practices, as well as in social, economic and political institutions.

Prerequisite: AN101 or permission of the Department.

Exclusion: AN307f.

AN371 History of Anthropological Theory 0.5

Precursors of anthropology in the ancient world, anthropology and the enlightenment, the rise and fall of racial determinism, the evolutionary paradigm, the schools of Durkheim and Boas, functionalism, structuralism, the revival of evolutionary theory, cognitive and interpretative anthropology. (AN 352 - U of W)

Prerequisite: A 200 level credit in Anthropology.

Exclusion: AN370*.

AN405 Poverty 0.5

(Cross-listed as SY405.)

AN450* Contemporary Theory and Ethnography 1.0

Selected studies in contemporary theory and ethnography. (This course continues work begun in AN371.)†

Prerequisite: AN371 or permission of the Department.

AN451* Directed Studies 1.0

A concentrated study of specific problem areas reflecting the research interests of members of the Department.

Prerequisite: Registration status: Third or Fourth Year Honours Anthropology.

Irregular Course

AN454* Classics in Ethnography 1.0

A directed readings course in classical 20th century ethnographic monographs.†

Prerequisite: AN371 or permission of the Department.

AN455 Directed Studies 0.5

A concentrated study of specific problem areas reflecting the research interests of members of the Department.

Prerequisite: Registration status: Third or Fourth Year Honours Anthropology.

Irregular Course

AN456 Applied Anthropology 0.5

This course examines how cultural anthropologists apply their theories, methods and insights to the solution of practical problems. The historical development of applied anthropology, the ethical dilemmas of applied fieldwork and the research methods used in such fieldwork will be examined. Such areas of concentration as community development, advocacy anthropology, policy research and social impact assessment are investigated.

Prerequisite: AN101 and at least one senior half-credit in Anthropology.

AN457 Seminar: Cosmology and Modes of Thought, A Cross-Cultural Perspective 0.5

An examination of literature concerning the problems encountered by anthropologists who endeavour to comprehend and to translate the collective representations of non-Western peoples. Topics covered include: the study of systems of classification from Durkheim and Mauss to Lévi-Strauss, Douglas and Bourdieu; the problem of relativity (Lévy-Bruhl, Evans-Pritchard, Whorf, Needham, Winch and Horton); ethnoscience and more recent developments in cognitive anthropology (D'Andrade, Nader).†

Prerequisite: AN371.

AN460* Theory in Archaeology 1.0

(Cross-listed as AR460*.)

AN490* Thesis 1.0

A research project, in an area of the student's interest, carried out under the supervision of the faculty.

Prerequisite: Registration status: Fourth Year Honours Anthropology.

Undergraduate Course Descriptions Courses