Anthropology, Global Religions and Cultures

3 credits A study of evolutionary theory, the place of humans in the primate order, the fossil evidence for human evolution and interpretation of that evidence, the biological and genetic basis of human variation, and possible other topics of human biology.

3 credits Food is the very core of life and one of the most culturally prescribed areas of human experience. This course will study the role of food in human history, and the biocultural construction of what is classified as food. We will examine the meaning of food across cultures with particular attention to how cultural and ethnic (e.g., Asian American, Native American) identities are associated with particular types of food. Rituals, religions, and family celebrations, and secular holidays all include the deliberate preparation, serving and sharing of food (or abstinence from food). We will explore food consumption and health, the gendered dimension of food, and the social hierarchies and power relations associated with the commodification of food. Class projects are designed to connect the student to various community and ethnic groups through the study of farmer’s markets, food banks, stores and restaurants. We will think about food in new and provocative ways and in the process practically apply theoretical concepts.

3 credits This course engages the particular approaches and methods of Cultural Anthropology to investigate the global processes that affect the lives and experiences of people around the world.  This course also emphasizes the creative and complex ways individuals have responded to globalization that preserve, change, and hybridize their cultures to ensure their own survival.

3 credits An analytical and descriptive survey of selected cultures representative of major American ethnic groups.

3 credits A survey of important archaeological sites and data illustrating the important changes in subsistence practices, settlement patterns, and social-political organizations for humans over the past 2.5 million years. This includes the emergence of human culture, the development of the modern mind, the transition to agriculture and the development of urbanism. We will explore some of the most significant archaeological sites around the globe and the people who built them, for example, the ancient people who built the enormous pyramids of Egypt and Mexico, hunted woolly mammoths during the Ice Age, created sprawling cities in Mesopotamia and Africa, and erected the large stones at Stonehenge. By looking back at people of the past students will acquire knowledge of and appreciation for the diverse beliefs, ideas, traditions, and social, political, and economic systems around the world and throughout time. Additionally, students will be able to recognize the construction of identity as shaped by cultural heritage and patterns of power or privilege in the past and present.

4 credits Physical anthropology is the study of the human biology and behavior in the framework of evolution. This course provides an introduction to the scientific approaches and methods used by physical anthropologists, including evolutionary theory and the mechanisms of heredity, the ecology and behavior of nonhuman primates and what they can teach us about human origins, the fossil evidence for human evolution, and modern human variation and adaptation. Students should leave this class with a broader understanding of humanity’s place in nature and a grasp of our unique evolutionary history. (3+2)

3 credits Individual bones and teeth, possibly including ancient as well as modern specimens; sex and age differences; continuous and discontinuous morphological variation of geographically and ethnically diverse populations; stature reconstruction; forensic aspects of individual identification; lab training in observations, measurement, and analysis.

3 credits Focusing on the concept of ‘culture’, the course discusses the aims, methods, and achievements of anthropological research and presents a general model for comprehending human society.          

Note: This class was formerly known as Anthropology 232.

3 credits In this course, students will develop knowledge and skills in the theories, research methods, and modes of analysis of linguistic anthropology. The course focuses on how linguistic anthropologists attend to elements of phonology, morphology, syntax, and semiotics to better understand speech in social and cultural contexts. How does language and speech reflect and emerge from social relations and cultural beliefs and practices? In turn, how does speech and language impact and shape culture, social relationships, hierarchy, power, inequality, resistance, and more? To this end, the course emphasizes approaches such as verbal art as performance and ethnography of speaking and includes topics such as constructed languages, code-switching, linguistic revitalization, speech and identity, and the intersections of race, gender, and speech.

Note: This class was formerly known as Anthropology 274.

3 credits This course will study the relationships between agricultural practices, food distribution and consumption, nutrition, and socio-cultural dietary practices within a global perspective. Emphasis is on the complex issues related to the changing diet and health of populations within an era of globalization and international food markets. Utilizing case studies special attention will be given to how societies are redefining their foodscapes and identifying strategies for addressing issues of food sustainability. 

3 credits This course examines what anthropology can tell us about “human nature.” Anthropology is the study of humanity, from our evolutionary roots millions of years ago to the diversity of human cultures and beliefs today. Understanding how the interaction between culture and biology shapes human beings (the biocultural perspective) the core of what anthropologists do. This class will apply this biocultural perspective to “big questions” about human behavior: Are we compassionate and cooperative, warlike and violent, or both? What kinds of social system/groups “should” humans live in- monogamous or polyamorous, nuclear or extended families, or something else? This course is a 3 credit Quest II course in USP. 

 1-6 credits A variable topics course covering a theme of current interest in anthropology. Each time the course is offered, the topic and number of credit hours will be announced in the Schedule of Classes. May be repeated with different content.

For Fall ’18:  Global Landscapes in Aging This course will acquaint students with experiences of aging across cultures and will examine the intersection of local cultural beliefs and practices centered on aging with wider policies and global dynamics.  This cross-cultural analysis destabilizes and challenges stereotypes, helps build empathy, and critically examines our own beliefs and practices surrounding aging.  Through this course, students will develop knowledge and skills concerning the fast-growing, global elder population.

Cross-listed: Anthropology 300/Women & Gender Studies. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses.

3 credits This is a mid-level theory course designed to prepare students to read and analyze theory in Anthropology. The topics and instructors are variable; however, the goal is to understand theory, both in broad concept and in particular cases.

3 credits Anthropological research across the four subfields requires the collection and analysis of quantitative data. Typically, such datasets are relatively meaningless without statistical analysis. Statistics in anthropology can be broken down into two categories: procedures that describe datasets and methods for testing hypotheses. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to both of these categories and provides examples throughout the semester of data from all four subfields. In this course, students will develop a background in statistics necessary to critically evaluate Anthropological literature. Students will develop their research skills in data collection and testing hypotheses so that they may design their own original research projects. Prerequisites: Two of the following courses: Anthropology 202, 204, 206, or 208; or consent of instructor.

3 credits This course focuses on developing skills in writing, especially for research in the social sciences. In the course, students proceed through writing based assignments that target specific skills including:  identifying thesis statements, arguments, and evidence; developing research questions and thesis statements; completing a literature review and identifying a project’s contributions and significance; building strong arguments; evaluating, summarizing, and synthesizing information from different sources; supporting arguments with evidence; citation; distinguishing voice; and strengthening argument through organization and language. In this way, the course targets developing transferable writing skills that students may use in any research project. Each student will be able to tailor this course to their specific interests by choosing, in consultation with the instructor, paper topics and reading through which they will explore and develop their research and writing skills.

3 credits This course explores what studies of human biological variation can tell us about the reality of race. We first deconstruct the concept of race, examining the history of race in the United States and how biology has been used to justify racial categories and oppression. Then we examine what studies of modern human genetics and biology tell us about the biological validity of racial categories. We trace the evolutionary history of modern humans, from their origins in Africa to their spread to every corner of the globe. Topics include genetic variation, skin color, height, and adaptation to altitude and disease. We then discuss the implication of this variation for the concept of race and how racial categories impact our lives in the United States (covering issues such as genetic ancestry testing, IQ, racially based medicine and persistent social inequalities).

3 credits The course is primarily a description of North American Indian culture past and present. In connection with this, diverse Indian life-ways are covered in reading, lecture and audio/visual presentations. This course deals inevitably with how these life-ways and cultures similar to and different from western life-ways and culture. It deals with Indian-white relations, genocide, culturecide, ethnocentrism, bias, pluralism, assimilation, cultural pluralism and so on.

3 credits This class explores the diverse experiences, perspectives, histories, cultures and contemporary issues of Native North American women as well as the ethics of research and representation. Relevant topics include family and gender roles, health, alcoholism, education, language, cultural preservation and change. Examples will be drawn from ethnography, ethnohistory and autobiography.

Cross-listed: Anthropology 314/Women & Gender Studies 314. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses.

3 credits This course discusses a survey of Chicano social and cultural adaptations to present day American society. Economic, political, social, educational, religious and other factors in Chicano communities, both rural and urban. Topics as discrimination, minority group status and relations with the larger society will be considered.

3 credits People move for a variety of reasons: in search of territory to forage, fields to till, spouses to marry, enemies to fight, material and symbolic valuable to acquire, or looking for a refuge due to a fear of harm to their well-being in their habitual places of residence. In this global scholar course offered by the anthropology program, our orientation is toward a particular form of human movement and its consequences: forced displacement and refugees/asylum seekers. We begin by inquiring into the main conceptual and typological issues regarding human mobility and coercion. We then examine the global history of displacements by offering an inventory of forced migration in the recent past. We will also analyze issues of gender, sociocultural integration, coping mechanisms, transnational identities, and socioeconomic processes as they relate to displacement and refugees in different parts of the world. 

3 credits An introduction to the standard practices and methods of the museum and art gallery profession: planning, promotion, and publicity; development of educational materials and programs; exhibition design and installation; proper handling and treatment of works of art and historical artifacts. Prerequisites: Art 209 or Art 210 or junior standing or consent of instructor. If prerequisites involve a course from another department, please ask department chair to sign off.

Cross-listed: Anthropology 327/Art 327. Students may only receive credit for one of the two courses listed.

3 credits A description and analysis of selected urban and rural cultures of Latin America.

3 credits As Cultural Anthropologists, we are committed to exploring the complex webs of social relations, beliefs, and behaviors through which humanity makes the world into a meaningful and coherent place. Part of understanding the larger world around us is to understand the structure from which our cultures are informed and from which our cultures form. With structures come governing bodies, policies, etc that outline ways in which communities should behave, operate, and progress. With such bodies and policies come negotiations and at times these negotiations come in the form of resistance. This course explores a limited sample of political resistance during a particular time in history, the policies and infrastructure that was formed, cultural dynamics, inequality and how these informed the cultural responses. As a class, we will utilize the lens of historical particularism to understand the contemporary political climate and forms of resistance today. In other words, what does the past tell us about our present and our future.

3 credits Working within the diversity of the Hindu tradition and beyond the stereotypical mysticism that Westerners often attribute to this tradition is a vibrant current of mythic narratives and ritual performances. In this class we will look at the various ways that Hindu myths and rituals serve as integral components of the daily lives of Hindu people and will take up such issues as how Hindus properly worship images, how Hindu deities can take on human form, and why the goddess Durga slays the buffalo demon.

Cross-listed: Anthropology 339/Global Religions 340. Students can only receive credits for one of the two courses listed.

3 credits By taking a cross-cultural approach with examples from all over the world, this course aims to integrate notions of masculinity that have become naturalized in wider American society. Some of the topics of the course may include issues of men and violence, emotion, invulnerability, independence, kinship, the body, transgender sexuality, masculinity and national identity and rights of passage. The course will examine the relationships between particular masculinities, femininities and gendered hierarchies, power and inequality in culture and society. Implicit in all these discussions will be the relationships between men and women, definitions of masculinity and femininity, gender, gender roles and expectations and how factors of race, class and gender shape definitions and expressions of masculinity.

Cross-listed: Anthropology 343/Women’s Studies 343 Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses.  

3 credits Examination of comparative gender roles and the behavior, status, and economic position of the sexes in cultural groups other than contemporary U.S. society.

Cross-listed: Anthropology 344/ Women & Gender Studies 344. Students may receive credit for only one of the cross-listed courses.

3 credits This course explores the historical and contemporary relationships of Indigenous Peoples, National Parks and Protected Areas. This course will look at Indigenous peoples of the United States and globally, whom have been directly impacted by the creation of the spaces of “wilderness”. More specifically, this course will peel back the layers of the stated intentions of the conservation, environmentalism and preservation of National Parks and Protected Areas and the often glossed over or excluded question of “at what cost”. This will challenge students to deconstruct the romantic cultural expressions of the pristine; explore the power dynamics (political, financial, social, etc.) at play in the creation and perpetuation of these spaces, the reclamation of cultural interactions with these spaces, and the question of where we go from here.

Cross-listed: Anthropology 346/Environmental Studies 346/Indigenous Studies 346. Students may receive credit for only one of the three cross-listed courses.

3 credits This course explores the interconnected relationships of our economy, nature and culture as expressed in the Indigenizing of space and place. We will examine the shared belief systems and political factors that influence how we as humans at large and Indigenous peoples more specifically, interact with our biophysical environment to solve the production, distribution, and consumption needs in society. Specifically focusing on Indigenous voices, experiences and lessons, we will travel through the anthropological foundations of culture, nature and economy; the theoretical underpinnings of cultural ecology and globalization; the importance of situated knowledge; Indigenous “environmentalism” and glocalization; and attempt to process the adage “where do we go from here”.

Cross-listed: Anthropology 347/Environmental Studies 347/Indigenous Studies 347. Students may receive credit for only one of the three cross-listed courses.

3 credits This course is a survey of the archaeology of gender; that is how cultural norms, ideals, rules, and expectations about gender shaped personal identity, experience, and relationships in the past. People in the past and present configure gender roles and relations in a multitude of ways, which has led to great diversity in cultures around the world and throughout time, Students will be introduced to the development of the archaeology of gender including the theories and methods applied to studies of gender in the past. In this course we will also address thematic topics including gender performance, masculinity, femininity, and non-binary identities, gendered labor, status and power, as well as sexuality and reproductions. Pre-requisites: Women’s & Gender Studies 201.

Cross-listed: Anthropology 349/Women’s & Gender Studies 349. Students will receive credit for only one of the two courses listed.

3 credits This course introduces students to the theory of research in cultural anthropology beginning with an examination of basic principles followed by the development of skills in ethnographic research techniques. Students will complete field projects. Prerequisites: Junior standing, Anthropology 232, Anthropology 274 or consent of instructor. 

Cross-Listed: Anthropology 350/Social Justice 350. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses.

3 credits This course is a survey of mortuary archaeology, that is how cultural norms, social relations, belief systems, and ideas about life and death shaped mortuary practices in the past. In this course. we will look at death and the body in terms of ideas about mortality, afterlives, and social identity. We will also address the fact that the dead do not bury themselves, and practices, surrounding death do not reflect solely on the individual but can tell us about broader social, political, economic, and religious systems.

3 credits What do animals mean to us? What did they mean to people in the past? Why do we kill and eat them, but also worship and love them? This course explores human-animal relationships thematically from an archaeological perspective. The relationships evidenced in the archaeological record will be oriented by broader works from the field of human-animal studies to assess the variable ways that humans may engage with animals, and how animals are instrumental in framing human subjectivities.

3 credits A survey of prehistory in the New World from the earliest migrations to Columbian times, with special emphasis on North America. Prerequisite: Anthropology 250: Introduction to Archaeology or consent of instructor.

3 credits In this course students will be introduced to the methods and theories of crime scene documentation and evidence collection. Topics covered will include the standard types of physical evidence, securing the scene, crime scene processing models, scene photography, scene sketching, narrative descriptions, evidence collection, processing and packaging evidence, and report writing. This course will include processing simulated crime scenes, which will prepare students for careers in law enforcement and medicolegal death investigation. Cross-listed with Criminal Justice 365. Prerequisites: Criminal Justice Major who has completed Crim Jus 270, 288, 281, 244, and at least two of the following: Crim Jus 312, 318, 343, 351; OR Criminal Justice Minor who has completed Crim Jus 110, at least one of the following: Crim Jus 244, 270, 281, 288, and at least two of the following: Crim Jus 312, 318, 351; OR Forensic Minor who has completed: Anthro 199 OR CJ 199 and CJ 270.

3 credits This course focuses on the most central issue in the conservation of wildlife: people. This course will integrate perspectives from conservation biology and environmental anthropology, focusing particularly on the interaction between humans and the environment and how this influences the effectiveness and appropriateness of measure taken to preserve biodiversity. The course includes a discussion of perspectives on the value of biodiversity; a careful exploration of human-generated threats to biodiversity, including habitat destruction, over-hunting, the wildlife trade, invasive species and global warming; and an extensive overview and critique of conservation solutions, such as, the creation of protected areas, community-based conservation, eco-tourism, economic incentives programs, debt-for-nature swaps and more. The effects of globalization on international conservation will be an integral part of this discussion.

Cross-listed: Anthropology 368/Environmental Studies 368 Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses.

3 credits This course is designed to introduce students to our closest living relatives, the nonhuman primates (monkeys, apes and prosimians). This course will focus on primate diversity and characteristics, ecology, social behavior, communication, cognition and conservation. We will also discuss the relevance of primate studies to understanding human evolution. This course will involve at least one field trip to the Milwaukee Zoo.

Cross-listed: Anthropology 372/Environmental Studies 372. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses.

3 credits This course focuses on the human skeleton and the data it provides forensic anthropologists, paleoanthropologists, and archaeologists. Skeletal and dental anatomy is covered in detail, with special attention given to anthropologically important aspects of specific bones and teeth. Students will also learn how to recover bone from forensic and archaeological contexts, recognize bone fragments, estimate age-at-death, sex, and biological affinity from skeletal elements, diagnose bone pathologies, collect metric data, and identify trauma.

Cross-listed: Anthropology 374/Criminal Justice 374. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses.

3 credits  In this course, students will be introduced to the methods and analytical techniques of forensic anthropology.  The topics covered will include the stages of soft tissue decomposition, estimation of the post-mortem interval, forensic entomology, using skeletal elements to estimate demographic information, forensic odontology, skeletal trauma, and determining the cause of death.  Additionally, students will analyze simulated forensic cases using real human skeletons and learn to construct case reports for law enforcement agencies.

Cross-listed: Anthropology 377/Criminal Justice 377. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses.

3 credits “Globalization” has become an all-encompassing term for describing a series of processes that are reshaping the society, economy, politics, culture and environment of the planet. This course will introduce some of the main, often competing perspectives on globalization. Through intensive readings and discussion, we will try to understand the ways in which the local perspectives on globalization. Through intensive readings and discussion, we will try to understand the ways in which the local and the global are increasingly intertwined and to assess both the risks and the promises of the global society that lies ahead.

Cross-Listed: Anthropology 380/Environmental Studies 380. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses.

3 credits Tourism is among the world’s largest industries, generating trillions of dollars in annual revenues and employing millions, has a direct impact on our natural environment and resources, and informs cultural identity and meaning for individuals and groups alike. The anthropological examination of tourism seeks to understand the relationships between the industry and other cultural productions, often mitigated by the environment. In this course, we will explore the cultural practices and impacts of tourism in relation to both host and guest communities and travel itself as a part of culture. We will ask questions such as “Who are tourists? Who are the hosts and guests? What are the motivators or felt needs of the consumer and provider? What are the power structures at play? What role does anthropology play in/for tourism? Etc. We will explore various forms of tourism such as indigenous tourism, spiritual tourism, ecotourism, dark tourism, heritage tourism and more, through various theoretical lenses, giving attention to gender, ethnicity, nationalism, class, as well as environmental and economic impacts.

Cross-listed: Anthropology 381/Environmental Studies 381. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses.

3 credits Why do we eat what we do? The fundamental question guides an exploration of the relation between food and people: biologically, economically, socially, and culturally. The course critically examines the “unnatural” current state of food and its impact on humans and the environment. The course also provides practical knowledge of food, food production, and nutrition with which students can make informed decisions about their food.

3 credits This course emphasizes the dual functionality of the ethnography of communication, approaching EOC as both a theory for explaining human communication as well as a method for generating and collecting situated cultural discourses.  Students will read, discuss, and critique ethnographic accounts that theorize the uses and meanings of various communicative phenomena.

Cross-Listed: Anthropology 386/Comm 386. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses.

3 credits How do museums, monuments, interpretive sites, and more, represent people, culture, and history? This course primarily takes a perspective from Cultural Anthropology to explore the history of museum collection, exhibition, and practice, recent developments, issues, and ethics. Students will develop critical thinking skills by investigating how museum practices reproduce or challenge power and social hierarchy through portrayals of people, culture, and identity. The course will delve into innovative methods employed to decolonize representation, increase accountability to communities, equalize power relationships, and cultivate more collaborative and inclusive practices.