Objectives

The Department of Anthropology offers courses covering the discipline's four major subfields: sociocultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, physical anthropology, and archaeology. The concentration is structured to provide an introduction to the major concepts, methodologies, and theoretical issues of anthropology, while permitting each student sufficient latitude to pursue his or her own special interests.

The graduate program in anthropology, leading to the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees, is designed to produce scholars who will broaden our knowledge of culture and society. Graduate training is based on required courses in the history, theory, and method of anthropology and on elective courses in the subfields of anthropology (sociocultural anthropology, archaeology, biological anthropology, and linguistic anthropology). Some graduates of the program accept appointments at colleges and universities; a number take employment in government, private institutions, or foundations. Intensive training for independent research is stressed, with particular emphasis on comparative studies and fieldwork.

How to Become an Undergraduate Concentrator

Students who wish either to concentrate in anthropology or to study for a minor in anthropology should see the undergraduate advisor, who will discuss specific interests and assign an advisor. This consultation is especially important for those interested in a particular subfield. ANTH 1a (Introduction to the Comparative Study of Human Societies) and 5a (Human Origins) (or ANTH 1a and 102a (An Anthropological Introduction to Language) for students on the linguistic anthropology track) should be taken early in a student's academic career. Concentrators are encouraged to select honors research projects, particularly those students considering graduate study in anthropology or other professional training.

The department sponsors credit-bearing internships (ANTH 92a and b) for junior and senior concentrators and minors. Internships combine off-campus work that provides a significant anthropological learning experience and academic study supervised by a departmental faculty sponsor. Concentrators may substitute one internship for the ninth elective course option. Students doing summer internships register for course credit in the following fall semester. A minimum of a B+ grade point average in anthropology courses is required for eligibility. For information see Guidelines for Anthropology Internships available from the undergraduate advisor.

How to Be Admitted to the Graduate Program

The general requirements for admission to the Graduate School, specified in an earlier section of the Bulletin, apply to candidates for admission to graduate study in anthropology. Admission decisions are based primarily on the candidate's undergraduate academic record, letters of recommendation, and the personal statement that is part of the application form. It is also advisable that the results of the Graduate Record Examination be submitted. A personal interview on campus is encouraged, but not required.

Applicants to the Master of Arts program or for study towards the joint degree of Master of Arts in anthropology and women's studies need not have completed an undergraduate major in anthropology or sociology-anthropology, although they may be required to make up deficiencies while they of arts program in anthropology or anthropology and women's studies may, after having completed the equivalent of their first semester's course-work, apply for admission to the doctoral program. Their applications will be considered along with the pool of candidates from outside Brandeis seeking admission directly to the doctoral program. Candidates for the master of arts program in anthropology or in anthropology and women's studies with demonstrated financial need may petition to the graduate school for partial tuition scholarships.

Students may apply for admission directly to the doctoral program in anthropology. Preference will be given to those with an undergraduate background in anthropology or in sociology-anthropology. In any case, applicants to the doctoral program must demonstrate that their anthropological interests are well-defined and that these interests are congruent with and acceptable to those of the Brandeis anthropology department faculty. Full tuition scholarships and cash fellowships are awarded to students in the doctoral program on a competitive basis. Need-based tuition remission is also available upon application. Assuming satisfactory progress in the doctoral program, fellowship and tuition scholarship aid would be maintained for four years.

Faculty

Semiotic anthropology. Historical anthropology. Material culture. Communications and media. Oceania. Middle Ages. United States.

Anthropological archeology. Complex societies. Interregional interaction. Mesoamerica.

Anthropological archaeology. Cultural ecology. Complex societies. Mesoamerica. Central America.

Religion. Gender and Sexuality. Irrigation and Settlement. Buddhism. India. Tibet.

Economic anthropology. Cultural ecology. Development. Comparative methods. Irrigation. Mesoamerica.

Social anthropology. Urban social organization. Psychosocial transitions. Families and households. Computer-mediated communication. United States. Africa.

Social-cultural theory. Gender studies. Anthropology of aging. Medical anthropology. Immigrant and transnational communities. South Asia.

Cognitive anthropology. Linguistic anthropology. Religion. East Africa.

Archaeology. Bioarchaeology. Complex societies. Writing systems. Comparative aesthetics. Mesoamerica.

Requirements for the Undergraduate Concentration

A. Required of all concentrators: A minimum of nine semester courses in anthropology, to include ANTH 1a, ANTH 5a, and ANTH 83a (or ANTH 1a, 83a, 102a, and 186b for students on the Linguistic Anthropology track).

B. Honors candidates are required to take ANTH 99d. One semester course credit from this year-long, two-semester course may be counted towards the above nine courses.

C. A student may petition to have a course taken in another department replace one anthropology course requirement, provided that course is clearly related to the student's program. An approved internship in anthropology, completed for credit, may be counted as fulfilling one course requirement for the concentration in place of a course taken in another department.

D. A minimum of five of the nine courses required for the concentration must be taken from Brandeis anthropology faculty.

E. No course with a final grade below C- can count toward fulfilling the concentration requirements in anthropology.

Linguistic Anthropology Track

The following alternative track is recommended to anthropology concentrators with a special interest in linguistics. The purpose of this program is to introduce major issues and ideas in the study of language, the study of sociocultural systems, and the study of relations between language, society, and culture. Concentration requirements for students who choose this track are as follows:

A. ANTH 1a and ANTH 83a.

B. ANTH 102a and ANTH 186b (formerly 102b).

C. A minimum of three other anthropology courses chosen from those listed in the departmental offerings.

D. A minimum of two other linguistics courses from the LING listing (selection to be approved by the student's faculty advisor in anthropology).

E. Candidates for a degree with honors should enroll in ANTH 99d during their senior year. Students interested in linguistic anthropology should arrange their programs in consultation with Mr. Parmentier.

Archaeology Track

A. The archaeological track is designed to provide a coherent curriculum for anthropology students desiring to focus on archaeology. The curriculum is particularly recommended to those students considering the study of archaeology on the graduate level. Such students are encouraged to seek the advice of Mr. Urcid in designing their undergraduate programs.

B. Basic course requirements for the archaeological track are the same as those described under Requirements for Concentration (above), and include ANTH 1a, ANTH 5a, and ANTH 83a.

C. Of the remaining courses required for the anthropology concentration, it is recommended (but not necessary) that students following the archaeology track include as many as possible of the following: ANTH 60a, ANTH 110a, ANTH 116a, ANTH 123a, ANTH 147b, ANTH 149a, ANTH 163b, ANTH 164a, ANTH 187a, and ANTH 188b in their program.

D. Candidates for a degree with honors must enroll in ANTH 99d during their senior year.

Requirements for the Undergraduate Minor

Five semester courses are required, including the following:

A. ANTH 1a.

B. Either ANTH 5a or ANTH 102a.

C. Three courses in anthropology, to be chosen in consultation with the student's advisor in the department.

D. A minimum of three of the five courses required for the minor must be taken from Brandeis anthropology faculty.

E. No course with a final grade below C- can count toward fulfilling the requirements for the minor in anthropology.

Combined B.A./M.A. Program

The four-year B.A./M.A Degree Program in Anthropology is designed to enable exceptional or gifted undergraduates to earn two degrees simultaneously during their period of study at Brandeis University. The program provides a strong academic grounding for those students who aspire to a professional career in anthropology and anticipate continuing their studies elsewhere for the doctoral degree. Eligibility for the program is normally limited to anthropology concentrators who have maintained a minimum 3.40 (B+) grade point average overall and a 3.67 (A-) grade point average in anthropology courses for their first six semesters of undergraduate study. Students admitted to the program must fulfill all the requirements for a concentration in anthropology with honors, as well as the special requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Anthropology for the combined B.A./M.A. Specifically, they must complete a minimum of three years residence on campus, one of which is at the graduate level; a total of 38 courses (vs. the 32 required for the bachelor's degree); six anthropology courses at the graduate level (100+ numbered courses), including ANTH 190a and ANTH 193b, beyond the nine (10 in honors) required for the concentration in anthropology, with a minimum grade of B- in each; an acceptable master's research paper (or honors thesis), evaluated by the student's advisor and one additional anthropology faculty member (the honors thesis can serve this purpose).

All candidates for the combined B.A./M.A. must complete all the requirements for the program by the end of their eighth semester (for entering freshmen). If the requirements for the M.A. portion are not complete at that time then the student is only eligible for the B.A. degree.

Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts

Students admitted to the master of arts program in anthropology must fulfill the Graduate School residence requirement of one full year of course-work. Course requirements will include a two-semester foundational sequence, ANTH 190a (formerly ANTH 200a) (History of Anthropological Thought) and ANTH 193b (formerly ANTH 203a) (Contemporary Issues in Anthropological Theory). In addition to the above, all candidates for the Master of Arts degree in anthropology must meet the following requirements:

A. Complete a program consisting of six elective courses designed around their anthropological interests, selected with the approval of a faculty advisor to be assigned each student upon matriculation.

B. Submit an acceptable master's research paper, evaluated by their advisor and one additional faculty member. There is no foreign language requirement for the Master of Arts degree in anthropology.

Requirements for the Joint Degree of Master of Arts in Anthropology and Women's Studies

Students who are candidates for the joint degree of master of arts in anthropology and women's studies must:

A. Complete ANTH 144a (The Anthropology of Gender), ANTH 190a (formerly ANTH 200a, History of Anthropological Thought), and ANTH 193b (formerly ANTH 203a, Contemporary Issues in Anthropological Theory).

B. Complete WMNS 205a, the foundational course in Women's Studies. Under certain circumstances an alternative course can be taken instead of WMNS 205a. See advisor for approval.

C. Complete two elective graduate courses in women's studies chosen from the list of courses in the Bulletin, at least one of which must be from a field other than anthropology.

D. Complete two additional elective graduate courses in anthropology, selected with the approval of their advisor.

E. Submit an acceptable master's research paper, dealing with a topic related to anthropology and women's studies, approved by their advisor. The paper must be evaluated by their advisor and one additional faculty member.

F. Attend the year-long, noncredit, eight-part Women's Studies Colloquium Series.

There is a residence requirement of one full year of course-work. There is no language requirement for the joint master's degree in anthropology and women's studies. Students interested in the joint degree program should consult with the anthropology department women's studies liaison, Ms. Lamb.

Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Flexibility in the curriculum allows doctoral students to organize a program of study around their particular anthropological interests. At the same time, the program is structured so that a broad familiarity with the anthropological discipline is achieved. Students entering through the Brandeis master of arts program will have already completed the two foundational courses in anthropology (ANTH 190a [formerly ANTH 200a] and ANTH 193b [formerly ANTH 203a]). All others must complete these two core courses during their first year of residence. These courses emphasize epistemological issues in cross-cultural research and the relationship between scientific and humanistic modes of inquiry. Additional courses may be required as determined by the student's advisory committee. From their courses and outside reading, students must obtain a high level of competence in a specific topical field of anthropological research and in at least one culture area.

Graduate-level course offerings at Brandeis are augmented by the University's participation in a cross-registration program with Boston College, Boston University, Tufts University, and Wellesley College. Anthropology students are eligible to take courses at these institutions with the approval of their advisor. Students with an interest in archaeology may also take courses offered through the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology, a Boston-area consortium comprised of faculty from Brandeis, Boston University, Harvard University, M.I.T., the Museum of Fine Arts, Tufts University, UMass-Boston, and Wellesley College. Students interested in gender and women's studies may enroll in interdisciplinary courses offered through the Radcliffe Consortium.

Candidates for the doctoral degree work closely with an advisory committee consisting of two anthropology department faculty members, one of whom, the principal advisor, is in a field of specialization related to the interest of the student. The advisory committee has the following responsibilities: (1) to aid the student in constructing a coherent program of course-work leading to a high level of competency in one or more areas of anthropological theory and methodology; (2) to make certain that the courses selected include exposure to other areas within the discipline; (3) to ensure that a component of interdisciplinary study is included; and (4) to ensure that the student is knowledgeable in the anthropology of one or more of the world's culture areas. Each semester the department faculty as a whole meets to evaluate the progress of students in the doctoral program.

Students will be required to serve as teaching or research fellows as part of their Ph.D. training, normally during each semester.

Candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in anthropology are required to meet the residence requirement as set forth by the Graduate School. Those students receiving fellowship support will normally be expected to serve as teaching or research assistants each semester during their years of funding.

During the year following completion of residence and course requirements (normally the end of the second year of full-time study) students must take a general examination that tests for their overall mastery of anthropological history, theory, and methodology. In subsequent years they will study independently in their area of specialization, completing additional course-work, including reading courses if needed, and writing a Specialist Essay. The Specialist Essay requires a student to focus on a theoretical and/or topical issue relevant to their proposed dissertation research. Upon successful completion of the essay, students submit a brief prospectus, outlining their proposed dissertation research, for approval by their advisory committee. Students then normally apply for research grants to fund their project and engage in fieldwork and/or data gathering, followed by the writing of a dissertation.

A reading knowledge of at least one foreign language must be demonstrated by written examination prior to the third year of enrollment and, at some point before graduation, by the submission of a research paper (such as a course paper) or doctoral dissertation in which sources in the selected language contribute to the research.

The completed dissertation must be successfully defended in an oral examination, as required by University regulations, before it can be formally accepted. At that point the department will recommend to the dean of arts and sciences that the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in anthropology be awarded the candidate.

Courses of Instruction

(1-99) Primarily for Undergraduate Students

[ nw ss ]

Selected ethnographic cases from band, tribe, and state-level societies. Includes the study of the concept of culture, kinship and social organization, political economy, gender and sexuality, religion and ritual, symbols and language, and social change. Consideration of anthropological research methods and approaches to cross-cultural analysis. Usually offered every year.

Ms. Lamb

[ ss ]

Human physical and cultural development from the beginning to the rise of civilization. Includes human evolution, human fossil and archaeological record, origins of agriculture and settled human life, and origins and development of civilization. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Urcid

[ nw ss ]

Systems of human food production are examined, emphasizing technology and social organization. The core of the course is the detailed investigation of three case studies. The food-population crisis is examined as a case of the complex relationship between food production, social organization, and population. An examination of the Green Revolution leads us back to the question that started the course: Can the world's population be fed in the future? Usually offered every year.

Mr. Hunt

[ ss ]

The exploration of human communication from an anthropological perspective. Examination of communication codes based on language and visual signs. The cultural impact of revolutions in media technology, including printing, television, computer networks, and advertising. Usually offered every second year. Last offered in the summer of 2000.

Mr. Parmentier

[ nw wi ss ]

Investigates in detail models of development currently in use: the orthodox model of the industrial revolution, the underdevelopment challenge to the orthodox model, and a radically new model, sustainable development. Particular attention is paid to the development history of selected Third World countries in the 20th century. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Hunt

[ ss ]

An introduction to the methods of archaeology, emphasizing procedures for designing and conducting field and laboratory research. The course provides the basic training for participation in archaeological fieldwork or laboratory projects. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Urcid

[ ss ]

Examines the relations between language and some major dimensions of American social life: social groupings (the structures of ethnic, regional, class, gender, and generational relations); social settings (such as courtrooms, schoolrooms, and homes); and social interaction. Usually offered every year.

Staff

[ nw ca ss ]

Explores non-Western musical traditions in social and cultural context, with some emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa. Through selected case studies, we examine musical systems in terms of their aesthetic conventions, instrumentation, and performance organization. Usually offered every second year.

Staff

[ nw ss ]

An introduction to the literatures, doctrines, rituals, and histories of Hinduism, Buddhism. Christianity, and Islam. Examines the founders, key philosophies, geographical spread, and social contexts for each religion. Explores the increasing fundamentalism, pluralism, feminism, and nationalism in modern religious movements. Usually offered every year.

Ms. Gutschow

[ wi ss ]

An ethnographic and comparative survey of key paradigms of anthropological explanation. Evaluation of exemplary theoretical statements and empirical case studies. Relationship of anthropological models to contemporary social theory. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Jacobson

[ ss ]

An introduction to the theory and practice of fieldwork. The course will include discussion of classical and contemporary accounts of doing ethnographic research. Students will conduct supervised fieldwork in a variety of local settings. Usually offered every second year.

Mr. Jacobson

[nw ss ]

A cross-cultural and diachronic exploration of Art, focusing on the communicative aspects of visual aesthetics. The survey takes a broad view of how human societies deploy images to foster identities, lure into consumption, generate political propaganda, engage in ritual, render sacred propositions tangible, and chart the character of the cosmos. Usually offered every second year. Last offered in the fall of 2000.

Mr. Urcid

Students proposing to take this course are expected to work out a detailed plan of study for one semester with the help of two anthropology faculty members. This plan is to be submitted to the department for its consideration before the end of the semester preceding the one in which 90a would be taken. Approval depends on the department's resources for supporting the student's plan as well as on the student's competence and the excellence of the plan itself. Usually offered every year.

Staff

See ANTH 90a for special notes. Usually offered every year.

Staff

The department sponsors internships for junior and senior concentrators and minors. Internships combine off-campus work that provides a significant anthropological learning experience and academic study supervised by a departmental faculty sponsor. Concentrators may substitute one internship for the ninth elective course option. Students doing summer internships register for course credit in the following fall semester. A minimum of a B+ grade point average in anthropology courses is required for eligibility. For information see Guidelines for Anthropology Internships available from the undergraduate advisor. Usually offered every year.

Staff

Usually offered every year.

Staff

Separate sections are offered on demand for the subdisciplines of sociocultural anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, and physical/biological anthropology. Usually offered every year.

Staff

Separate sections are offered on demand for the subdisciplines of sociocultural anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, and physical/biological anthropology. Usually offered every year.

Staff

Usually offered every year.

Staff

(100-199) For Both Undergraduate and Graduate Students

[ ss ]

A general introduction to anthropological perspectives on language. Topics include the organization of language as a communicative system, language in human evolution, linguistic approaches to cultural meaning and worldview, and the social dimensions of language. Usually offered every year.

Staff

[ nw ss ]

Myth and ritual studied as two interlocking modes of cultural symbolism. Theoretical approaches to myth are evaluated by looking at creation and political myths. Performative, processual, and spatial models of ritual analysis are evaluated by study of initiation, sacrifice, and funerals. Usually offered every second year.

Mr. Parmentier

Topics relating to the diachronic dimension of societies are explored in cross-cultural and interdisciplinary perspectives: the cultural construction of the past, temporal and calendrical systems, the invention of tradition, ethnohistorical narrative, and historical preservation. Usually offered every second year.

Mr. Parmentier

[ qr ss ]

An introduction to the study of the human fossil record and how biological and geological evidence is interpreted to reconstruct the past. Evolutionary trends and relationships will be explored through data analysis in the Laboratory for Social Science. Usually offered every second year.

Staff

[ ss sn ]

Human skeletal anatomy from an evolutionary and a functional perspective. Students learn to identify and interpret the bones of the human skeleton and are introduced to specific techniques for aging, sexing, and recognizing pathologies on skeletal material. Usually offered every second year.

Mr. Urcid

[ ss ]

An examination of concepts involved in the archaeological study of the human past. Selected readings will be discussed as illustrations of major theoretical and methodological issues. Usually offered every second year.

Mr. Urcid

[ ss ]

Using a native speaker of an unfamiliar language (such as Turkish or Amharic) as a source of data, the class will investigate the structure of the language and compare it with the structure of English and other familiar languages. May be repeated for credit. Usually offered every second year.

Staff

[ ss ]

Provides a historical survey of the development of theories of signs and symbols; comparison of Peircean and Saussurean foundations of modern semiotics; the structure of cultural codes, (language, art, music, and dress) and the possibility of crosscultural typologies. Usually offered every second year.

Mr. Parmentier

[ nw ss ]

Examines main areas of inquiry in medical anthropology, including medicine as a sociocultural construct, patients and healers in comparative medical systems, the "discovery" of the two sexes and its ramifications, and the medicalization of the life cycle. Usually offered every second year.

Ms. Lamb

[ ss ]

An investigation of the relationship between cultural meaning and material objects. Central objects are emblems of social identity (fabric, houses, monuments), objectifications of value (money, valuables, commodities), and aesthetic representations (images, icons, statues). Usually offered every second year.

Mr. Parmentier

[ nw ss ]

Explores the variety and richness of indigenous African social and cultural forms, such as the organization of the family; indigenous political systems; rank and slavery; traditional economics; ideas about magic, witchcraft, and religion; and the arts. Usually offered every third year. Last offered in the spring of 1999.

Staff

[ nw ss ]

Examines the diversity and richness of the cultures and societies of South Asia, with a focus on India. Concentrates on the lived experiences of class, caste, gender, religion, politics, and region in people's everyday lives. Usually offered every second year.

Ms. Lamb

Explores a wide range of materials about social experience in Israel, with a particular focus on marginalized or frequently overlooked social groups. Topics include women in Israeli society, critical perspectives on ethnicity and religion, the relationship between gender and citizenship, disability and identity, and nationalism and sexuality. Usually offered every year.

Ms. Kahn

Examines the intricate relationship between politics and society in modern South Asia. Topics include colonial-era British institutional development, the role of religion in South Asian politics, the emergence of ethnic conflict, and the performance of post-colonial government. Usually offered every second year.

Staff

[ ss ]

An exploration of worldviews among literate and nonliterate peoples with reference to the roles of social structure, language, literacy, and experience in the development of ideas about reality and with regard to criteria suggested for evaluating the "rationality" of belief statements and behavior. Usually offered every second year.

Staff

[ wi ss ]

Provides an introduction to various forms of computer-mediated communication (e.g., e-mail, newsgroups, bulletin boards, and virtual communities) and the ways in which people interact in these different contexts of cyberspace. Students are expected to do on-line research. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Jacobson

[ ss ]

It is often assumed that language differences divide people, while a common language unites them. To what extent is this true? Taking cross-cultural and historical approaches, we examine concepts of "speech community," tribe, ethnicity, and nation. We explore what kinds of social groupings these terms might label; some ideologies connected with their use; and their relationship with communication systems. Usually offered every second year.

Staff

[ ss ]

Explores the potential for reconstructing a prehistory of people through archaeology. Topics include theoretical foundations of creating engendered pasts, methodological aspects of "doing" engendered archaeology, and intersections between political feminism, knowledge production, and the politics of engendered archaeology. Usually offered every third year. Last offered in the spring of 1999.

Staff

[ nw ss ]

Approaches the historical and anthropological question of "what is a woman?’ through the medium of writing. Focuses on topics such as women’s roles–girlhood, marriage, motherhood, and widowhood–using history, ethnography, fiction, and poetry. Special one-time offering. Was offered in the spring of 2001.

Ms. Kumar

[ nw ss ]

Examines specific themes in modern South Asia revolving around space, time, the body, rituals, work, leisure, femininity, and violence. Attempts to discover categories of the "aesthetic", of power, of gender, and their history and sociology. Special one-time offering. Was offered in the fall of 2000.

Ms. Kumar

[ nw ss ]

An examination of gender constructs, sexuality, and cultural systems from a comparative perspective. Topics include the division of labor, gender complementarity, "matriarchy" and "patriarchy," women's rituals, gender in language, and feminist anthropology. Usually offered every year.

Ms. Lamb

[ ss ]

Explores a range of theories that use the body to understand society, culture, and gender. Topics include how social values and hierarchies are written in, on, and through the body; the relationship between body and gender identity; experiences and images of the body cross-culturally. Usually offered every third year. Last offered in the spring of 2001.

Ms. Lamb

[ nw ss ]

Traces the great Pre-Columbian civilizations of Mesoamerica, the area bounded by northern Mexico and Central America. Mesoamerica came to host such peoples as the Aztec and Maya, whose cultures rivaled those of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. We consider archaeological evidence for the factors that may have played a role in this spectacular evolutionary achievement. Usually offered every second year.

Mr. Urcid

[ ss ]

Surveys the major archaeological sites in Egypt and Asia from 2200 BCE to 600 BCE. Some 20 sites in modern day Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria form the focus of lectures and discussions. Particular attention is given to interpreting the cultural remains in the light of historical and literary evidence. Usually offered every year.

Staff

[ ss ]

Cross-cultural anthropological and folkloristic consideration of women's lived religion. Considers the role of female laity in shaping religion, especially in contrast with formal doctrines, texts, and officials. Areas to be studied include Greece, India, Mexico, Ireland, Thailand, Korea, Morocco, and several American communities. Usually offered every third year. Last offered in the spring of 1999.

Staff

[ nw ss ]

Compares graphic forms of communication, ranging from semasiographic to alphabetic systems, from archaeological and ethnographic perspectives. Explores the social functions of early writing systems, the linkage of literacy and political power, and the production of historical memory. Usually offered every second year.

Mr. Urcid

[ ss ]

Readings and discussion of works by W.R. Smith, E.B. Tylor, William James, Sigmund Freud, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber. Usually offered every third year. Last offered in the spring of 2000.

Staff

[ ss ]

An examination of the relationship between sociocultural systems and individual psychological processes with a critical evaluation of selected theories and studies bearing on this problem. Usually offered every second year. Last offered in the spring of 2000.

Staff

[ nw ss ]

Political orders are established and maintained by varying combinations of overt violence and the more subtle workings of ideas. The course examines the relationship of coercion and consensus, and forms of resistance, in historical and in contemporary settings. Usually offered every second year.

Staff

[ ss ]

Describes and analyzes several family types and households in contemporary American life, interpreting them in their cultural contexts and comparing them with similar arrangements in other cultures. Usually offered every second year.

Mr. Jacobson

[ ss ]

Comparative study of strategies used in coping with the complexity of urban life. Attention will be given to analyzing and evaluating the theories, methods, and data anthropologists and others use in their studies of urban social organization. Usually offered every second year.

Mr. Jacobson

[ ss ]

Examines the self and its emotional states and explores cross-cultural answers to questions such as: To what extent are emotions or mental experiences capable of being learned or affected by culture? Is emotional experience controllable and deployable to advantage in strategies of interaction? Usually offered every second year.

Staff

[ ss ]

Explores the relationship between cognitive processes and cultural systems, cultural differences involving people's perception, classification process, memory or modes of problem solving, and their effect on the course of cognitive development. Usually offered every year.

Ms. McIntosh

[ nw wi ss ]

This course is a survey of economic anthropology. Major theoretical disputes are covered. Substantive findings concerning production, property, and transactions are examined through case studies. Most attention is paid to "primitive" economies. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Hunt

[ ss ]

A research seminar dealing with a major problem in economic anthropology. The topic will be chosen on a yearly basis. Some possible topics include property, money in cross-cultural perspective, commodity, and gift economies. May be repeated for credit. Usually offered every second year.

Mr. Hunt

[ ss ]

Deals with various theories of human nature and the evidence for such theories. It will explore the way in which theories of the nature of man have figured in interpretations of culture. Usually offered every year.

Staff

[ ss ]

A research seminar dealing with a selected problem in the social organization of online communities. Possible topics include impression formation in cyberspace, social control in virtual communities, the concept of presence in computer-mediated communication, and the transition between online and offline relationships. Students will do online fieldwork. Usually offered every second year. Will be offered in the spring of 2001.

Mr. Jacobson

[ ss ]

An analysis of representative classics and contemporary works in the ethnographic literature. The course's aim is to help students better understand the ethnographic accounts upon which much of social and cultural anthropology is based. Usually offered every second year.

Mr. Jacobson

[ ss ]

Develops the student's abilities to formulate research problems clearly and successfully. Students will critique completed works, and then develop and refine a research problem of their own. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Hunt

[ ss ]

A lecture course in which leading experts from the faculty of the seven major Boston-area universities and the Museum of Fine Arts that comprise the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology (CMRAE) consortium discuss how they apply scientific technology and engineering methods to archaeological analysis. Deals with topics such as radioactive and other methods of age determination, archaeological site formation and soil micromorphology, and the study of materials used in ancient building construction. Usually offered every year.

Staff

(Formerly ANTH 102b)

[ ss ]

Advanced topics in anthropological linguistics: language history and change; linguistic variation and social structure; current issues in semantics and pragmatics. Usually offered every second year.

Staff

(Formerly ANTH 188a)

[ ss ]

A series of courses, each focusing on a specific topic, such as archaeological analysis of animal or plant remains; the analysis of lithic materials, pottery, or metals; GPS; and statistical analysis. Courses are offered each semester, taught by faculty from the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology, a consortium including Brandeis, Boston University, Harvard, MIT, the Museum of Fine Arts, Tufts, UMass-Boston, and Wellesley. Usually offered every year.

Staff

[ ss ]

See ANTH 187a for course description. Usually offered every year.

Staff

(Formerly ANTH 200a)

[ ss ]

A historical examination of major ideas and perennial problems in social thought that have led to the development of modern theory and method in anthropology. Usually offered every year.

Mr. Parmentier

[ ss ]

Training in methods of archaeological fieldwork and analysis through participation in the excavation of an archaeological site. Students will normally assist in excavation, artifact analysis, and attend lectures. Offered on an irregular basis in the summer.

Staff

(Formerly ANTH 203a)

[ ss ]

Intensive survey of the major theoretical models in contemporary anthropology. Comparison of materialist, comparative, semiotic, feminist, cognitive, linguistic, reflexive, poststructuralist, and Marxist approaches. Evaluation of theories in terms of philosophical coherence and empirical adequacy. Usually offered every year.

Ms. Lamb

(Formerly ANTH 206a)

[ ss ]

Introduces students to key anthropological conceptions of social institutions and their role in cross-cultural comparison. Included are examples such as status and role, household and family, lineage and descent group, network and alliance, and class and stratification. Usually offered every second year.

Mr. Hunt

[ ss ]

Debates within anthropology and sister disciplines respecting interpretation, explanation, and the making of ethnographic texts are explored with specific reference to the study of religions. Usually offered every second year.

Staff

(200 and above) Primarily for Graduate Students

Mr. Parmentier

Mr. Urcid

Mr. Parmentier

Staff

Mr Urcid

Mr. Hunt

Staff

Mr. Hunt

Staff

Mr. Hunt

Mr. Jacobson

Mr. Urcid

Ms. Lamb

Mr. Urcid

Mr. Hunt

Mr. Appell

Staff

Mr. Jacobson

Mr. Jacobson

Mr. Jacobson

Mr Urcid

Ms. Lamb

Ms. Lamb

Mr. Jacobson or Ms. Lamb

Ms. Lamb

Mr. Urcid

Staff

Staff

Staff

Specific sections for individual faculty member as requested.

Staff

Cross-Listed Courses

Modernities and Postcolonialities

Ethnicity, Illness, and Health