Course Descriptions

ANSO 101 Human Origins (1)
Humankind's place in nature, the origins of humanoid traits, the nature of the earliest human societies, and the relation of biology to human behavior are discussed on the basis of current anthropological evidence. J.Wagner;

ANSO 102 Introduction to Culture and Society (1)
This class introduces students to a wide range of human societies and cultural forms throughout the world, along with some of the major concepts and methods that anthropologists have used to understand them. Our approach is ethnographic and comparative, with an emphasis on appreciating cultural complexity, understanding the global connections that link one society to another, and most of all, learning to think analytically about other people's lives and our own. HSS; DV; N.Eberhardt; W.Hope;

ANSO 103 Contemporary Social Issues (1)
This introductory sociology course begins with an examination of globalization and social inequality in the U.S. from both a microsociological and macrosociological perspective. We then explore the "rationalization" of social and economic life and the social dimensions of consumerism. The course invites students to develop their "sociological imagination" by attempting to link their lives as workers and consumers to broader social and economic forces at work in the contemporary world. HSS; A.Singer; G.Raley;

ANSO 105 American Culture and Inequality (1)
This course is designed to introduce students to some central ideas and perspectives in sociology by examining the construction and maintenance of critical social inequalities. It provides an introduction to classical and contemporary approaches to class relations, status, and social inequality. Topics include Marxian and Weberian analysis, social mobility, class consciousness, class reproduction, and the place of race and gender in the class order. Students will read and critically assess both sociological studies and an award-winning work of contemporary non-fiction. HSS; DV; A.Singer;

ANSO 123 The Centrality of Media (1)
Media occupy an essential place in contemporary societies. Over the past two centuries they have become central to our economic, political, intellectual, cultural and personal lives, influencing virtually every type of social practice, processes of identity formation, and our common-sense understandings of the world. They are currently undergoing profound transformation in both technologies and corporate/institutional forms. This course seeks to provide tools for understanding media institutions and industries and becoming more empowered, self-aware and critical creators and consumers of media products. Students will employ a range of disciplinary lenses, including cultural studies, political economy, history, sociology, anthropology and critical theory. HSS; Cross Listing : JOUR 123; D.Amor;

ANSO 201 School and Society (1)
Acquaints students with the forces that have shaped the formation of American public education and explores the social context of which schools are a part. The relationships between the school and the wider social, political, economic, and cultural order are explored. Course includes 20 hours of aiding at a local social service agency. HSS; Prereq : Not open to first-year, first term students; DV; Cross Listing : EDUC 201; K.Williams; B.Swanson; J.Estes;

ANSO 205 Race and Ethnic Relations (1)
This course examines the development and role of race and ethnicity in comparative perspective. HSS; DV; Cross Listing : BKST 205; W.Hunigan;

ANSO 208 The Sociology of Gender (1)
This course provides an examination of the ways in which social systems create, maintain, and reproduce gender dichotomies with specific attention to the significance of gender in interaction, culture, and a number of institutional contexts, including work, politics, family, and nation. Prereq : Sophomore standing and previous coursework in sociology; Cross Listing : GWST 208; A.Singer;

ANSO 217 The Sociology of Childhood (1)
This course will examine the intersections of a variety of social, cultural, and historical institutions in which children are embedded. Taking an interdisciplinary approach to the study and analysis of childhood, it will focus on the varied social landscapes children encounter and examine childhood as both a social construct and lived experience. Prereq : At least one course in ANSO; Cross Listing : EDUC 217; A.Singer;

ANSO 218 Urban Sociology: Cities and Society (1)
This course studies the sociological dimensions of urban life. It will focus on ideas about cities and the people who live there through a series of lenses including: city as symbol; city as locus of social relationships and cultural forms; city as a site of segregation, power, and capital. How do cities work and for whom? By combining theoretical readings with case studies, we will move from historical ethnographies of cities and communities to current studies of cities in sociological contexts. The course will begin with an overview of the field and then cover several advanced topics, such as the processes of urban change, urban poverty and social conflict, and strategies for urban revitalization. Prereq : Previous coursework in ANSO, and sophomore standing; A.Singer;

ANSO 220 Reading and Writing in Anthropology and Sociology (1)
In this seminar, students will continue to develop the ability to read and write as social scientists. In order to be productive researchers, students need to read monographs and journal articles effectively and purposefully, which means that they need to develop a set of strategies for consuming and comprehending these types of academic work. Likewise, students need to be able to develop social scientific arguments, create literature reviews, and report on analytical conclusions. This course will help students continue to develop these skills, so that they can understand other people's research projects and communicate effectively their own. Prereq : sophomore standing and previous coursework in ANSO or permission of the instructor; W; A.Singer;

ANSO 231 Native America: Identity and Adaptation (1)
Cultural diversity of North American tribes at the time of contact, adaptive strategies of particular culture areas, intellectual and artistic traditions of native North America, and confrontation of Indian and European cultures are explored. HSS; DV; Cross Listing : ENVS 231; J.Wagner;

ANSO 233 American Utopias (1)
This course treats nineteenth century and modern communal societies from a social science viewpoint, examining conditions under which the societies arose, and the social and cultural characteristics of "successful" and "unsuccessful" utopias. HSS; Cross Listing : AMST 233; J.Wagner;

ANSO 234 Culture and Identity in the Caribbean (1)
This course offers a study of the diversity and distinctiveness of cultural practices and social contexts of the Pan-Caribbean, understood broadly. We examine the rhythms of everyday life of Caribbean people and how these articulate with historic and contemporary experiences of migration - both forced and free - of remembrances and forgetting, of social organization and political economy, and of the affective power of cultural expressions and identities. We foreground these vantage points through a series of stories, essays, films, music, and selected ethnographic case studies. Prereq : two courses in the department or permission of the instructor; Cross Listing : LAST 234; W.Hope;

ANSO 235 Globalization and East Asian Culture (1)
This course explores the contemporary global and intra-regional cultural interactions in East Asia. It will examine the applicability of recent theories of globalization in the East Asian region, with special focus on consumerism, popular culture, and migration, drawing on material from Korea, Japan, and China. Although we will review the history of the encounters between the West and East Asian countries since the late 19th century, the focus will be the impact of contemporary interactions on the region. Prereq : At least one course in Anthropology/Sociology or Asian Studies; Cross Listing : ASIA 235; Y.Park;

ANSO 236 Ethnography of Southeast Asia (1)
This course uses ethnographic inquiry to study the diverse nations, ethnicities, religious traditions, and cultural processes that comprise contemporary Southeast Asia. Highlighting the way Southeast Asia has always been deeply connected to other parts of the world, it considers the legacy of colonialism, religious and social transformations, internal and external migration, the consequences of tourism, and the role of global capital in local economies.HSS; DV; Cross Listing : ASIA 236; N.Eberhardt;

ANSO 241 Social Movements (1)
Analysis of the origins, strategies and political impact of social movements. Readings focus mainly on American movements including the Civil Rights movement, the Gay and Lesbian movement, the Labor movement and the Christian Right. HSS; Cross Listing : PS 241; D.Oldfield; A.Singer;

ANSO 243 Migration Across Ideological Borders (1)
The long-term impact of the Cold War is particularly complex in nations that have been divided along an ideological border that has prevented the free movement of people. With political, social, and economic changes, however, people move across these ideological borders. The goal of this course is to understand the ideology and practices of socialism and the experience of migration from a socialist state to a neoliberal environment. This course focuses on three case studies: (1) North Korean refugees in China and South Korea, (2) former East German residents in the borderland between East Germany and West Germany after the reunification, and (3) mainland Chinese migrants in Hong Kong. Prereq : Sophomore standing or permission of the instructor; Cross Listing : IIS 243; Y.Park;

ANSO 245 Migration, Diaspora and Transnationalism (1)
The course focuses on the centrality of geographical mobility to the human experience by introducing students to three major approaches to its study. Concentrating on recent migratory and diasporic trends, and placing them in historical contexts, students explore the impact of decolonization, post fordist capitalism and the advent of so-called "informational society" on political stability, labor markets and cultural production at a global scale. Prereq : one 100-level course in Anthropology and Sociology or permission of the instructor; Staff

ANSO 246 Working: The Experience, Structure, and Culture of Work in the U.S. (1)
Work is one of our fundamental social activities. Our jobs define our identities, structure our days, and condition how we interpret the world around us. At the same time, work stratifies our population, creating highly divergent social and economic opportunities based on occupation and income. In this course, we use a range of sociological approaches to investigate the shape, nature, meaning, and outcome of work in the U.S., linking social theory, the everyday experience of work, and the sociopolitical structure of society. G.Raley;

ANSO 261 Topics and Methods in Ethnomusicology (1)
Ethnomusicology can be defined as the study of music outside the Western classical tradition, or as the study of music as cultural practice. Our modes of ethnomusicological inquiry may include structural functionalism, paradigmatic structuralism, Marxist explanations, literary and dramaturgical theories, performance theory, gender and identity issues, and postcolonial and global issues.O; DV; Cross Listing : MUS 260; S.Day-O'Connell;

ANSO 270 Language and Culture (1)
An examination of the relationship of language to culture and social organization. Topics include the relationship between language and thought, ways in which language structure (phonology and grammar) is shaped by culture, and communicative styles as culturally-embedded behavior. HSS; Prereq : a 100-level Anthropology and Sociology course or permission of the instructor; DV; L.Breitborde;

ANSO 280 -ANSO 281 Social Service Internship (1)
This course combines experiential learning and academic study to investigate the practical, social and theoretical issues of social work. At the beginning of this two-term, two-credit course sequence, students are placed as interns in local social service organizations. Students have interned with a wide variety of populations (e.g. the elderly, the developmentally delayed, at-risk teens, domestic violence victims) across a broad range of issues and practices (e.g. teen reproductive health and education, public housing, Teen Court, individual counseling, legal assistance). In the classroom, students discuss and analyze their internship experiences, while also exploring the principles of introductory social work practice. Prereq : junior standing; ANSO 280 is a prerequisite for ANSO 281; DV; T.Cervantez;

ANSO 295 Special Topics (1/2 or 1)
Courses offered occasionally to students in special areas of Anthropology and Sociology not covered in the usual curriculum. Staff

ANSO 300 Modern Theories of Society and Culture (1)
Major nineteenth and twentieth century theorists are discussed, with particular attention given to the emergence of the disciplines of anthropology and sociology and the types of social theory that have been developed. Majors should take this course in the junior year. Prereq : two courses in the department; G.Raley;

ANSO 301 Methodologies in Sociology and Anthropology (1)
An examination of philosophical, theoretical and practical issues that arise when humans attempt to study other humans scientifically. The strengths and weaknesses of a variety of methodological strategies that have been devised by social scientists to deal with these issues are explored. Majors should take this course in the senior year. Prereq : ANSO 300; N.Eberhardt;

ANSO 315 Paleoanthropology (1)
This course uses lab materials, computer simulations, internet activities and seminar discussions to cover basic archeological methods, primate and hominid anatomy, and current issues in the study of hominid evolution. Students pursue and present individual research projects based on the latest developments and sources. Prereq : ANSO 101 and sophomore standing; J.Wagner;

ANSO 322 Black Religion (1)
An interdisciplinary approach to African American religion, focusing on its history and sociology, but also including its social psychology and how it has affected politics, economics, music, theology and biblical scholarship. It begins with a consideration of the invisible slave church as the first instance of collective Black self-determination in America, and continues to examine Black religious ideas as the independent Black church expanded in the 1800s and 1900s within the wider context of race discrimination and white-over-black social and economic oppression. We analyze ways in which the black church as an institution has responded to the various conditions of African American life, and how it has shaped those conditions. Alternate years. Cross Listing : BKST 322; F.Hord;

ANSO 323 Media and Society (1)
Topics include media as instruments of communication, as political intermediaries, as shapers of contemporary ideology and culture, and as commodity-producing industries. The course explores their impact on individuals, institutions and society at large. Print and broadcast, news, entertainment, advertising and the Internet are examined. Some familiarity with social or critical theory is recommended. Prereq : junior standing or permission of the instructor; Cross Listing : JOUR 323; D.Amor;

ANSO 324 Media and Globalization (1)
This course examines the role of media in globalization from a number of perspectives: how the development of new communication media has contributed to globalization, from the newspaper and the telegraph to the Internet and worldwide telecommunications; how national and transnational forces shape the evolution of media systems; how media systems are implicated in shaping local, national and transnational economic, political and cultural structures, as well as the texture of lived experience. Prereq : junior standing or permission of the instructor; Cross Listing : JOUR 324; D.Amor;

ANSO 325 The Social Practice of Media (1)
In recent years the extraordinary expansion of global media industries has reinforced the idea of an emerging "global village", with globalization as a uniform and homogenizing process. But when we ask how communication technologies are incorporated into the social practices of everyday life across the globe, complex configurations arise. The cultural meanings of media technologies and the social relations they create must be produced through local negotiations and struggles. This is an anthropological examination of these social spaces of negotiation in which media technologies are produced, circulated and consumed. For such investigations, the course will set up a conversation between cultural studies and anthropology. Prereq : previous coursework in Anthropology and Sociology and junior standing; Cross Listing : FILM 325; Y.Park;

ANSO 326 Psychological Anthropology: Self, Culture, and Society (1)
How is our subjective experience of ourselves and others shaped by the social and cultural context in which we live? How might one investigate this? Are Western accounts of human psychology valid cross-culturally? Drawing on recent research in the field of psychological anthropology, this course takes a comparative approach to such topics as emotional experience and its expression, gender identity, the role of power in social life, language and discursive practices, notions of self and personhood, and the indigenous representation of these in various 'folk theories' or ethnopsychologies. Prereq : two courses in Anthropology and Sociology and junior standing; ANSO 102 recommended; Cross Listing : GWST 326; N.Eberhardt;

ANSO 336 The Sociology of Food: Production and Consumption (1)
The primary aim of this course is to help students understand theories and patterns of production and consumption, through the lens of food. Examining what people eat, how much they eat, where their foods come from, and the meaning they attribute to them can shed light on contemporary food production and consumption systems. Prereq : Previous coursework in Sociology and sophomore standing; A.Singer;

ANSO 337 Divisions of Labor: The Sociology of Housework (1)
This course introduces students to the history of American housework, to theories of housework's meaning, to studies of household divisions of labor, to the home economics movement, and to contemporary approaches to "the housework problem.' It will focus on sociological literatures that intersect around issues of the family, of public and private spheres of influence, of divisions of labor, of gender, and of social and cultural change. Prereq : Permission of the instructor; A.Singer;

ANSO 341 Anthropology of the Senses (1)
This course explores a basic premise: sensory perception is as much a cultural act as a physical or biological function. In this class, we will consider a number of scholarly debates and concerns regarding the inter-relations of the senses with historically dynamic human bodily experience. What does it mean to study the senses? What are the possible relationships among physiological capacities; social, political, and economic organizations; and their corresponding relations of power? How might we examine the various ways in which food, drink, art, music, dance, and other corporeal practices are mediated through personal and collective ideologies and practices around the affective and the sensual? Prereq : Two courses in the department or permission of the instructor; W.Hope;

ANSO 348 Teaching Assistant (1/2 or 1)
Prereq : Permission of instructor; May be graded S/U at instructor's discretion; Staff

ANSO 395 Special Topics (1/2 or 1)
Courses offered occasionally to students in special areas of Anthropology and Sociology not covered in the usual curriculum.Staff

ANSO 398 Research Design (1)
Working closely with a departmental faculty member, each student prepares a research proposal including appropriate theoretical and methodological background materials and a detailed research design to be implemented in ANSO 399. During periodic group meetings, issues that have emerged in research design are shared and alternative solutions are discussed. Prereq : senior standing or ANSO 300, ANSO 301, or permission of the instructor; Staff

ANSO 399 Research Seminar (1)
Working closely with a departmental faculty member, each student executes the research design prepared in ANSO 398 and prepares a "professional" research report. These reports are orally summarized and discussed during group meetings toward the end of the term. Prereq : ANSO 398 or permission of the department; O; W; Staff

ANSO 400 Advanced Studies (1/2 or 1)
See College Honors Program. Staff