Undergraduate Concentration
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.
Graduate Program in Anthropology
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 four 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.
Students who wish to either
concentrate in anthropology or 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 and 5a 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. For information see ìGuidelines for Anthropology Internshipsî available from the undergraduate advisor.
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 womenís studies need not have
completed an undergraduate major in anthropology or sociology-anthropology,
although they may be required to make up deficiencies while they
are enrolled as graduate students. Students enrolled in the master
of arts program in anthropology or anthropology and womenís
studies may, after having completed the equivalent of their first
semesterís course-work, apply for admission to the doctoral
program. Their application 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 and in anthropology and womenís 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 three years.
Robert Zeitlin, Chair
Archaeology. Political and
economic organization. Trade and exchange. Development of complex
societies and culture. Archaeological method and theory. Mesoamerica.
Jack Abercrombie
Near Eastern archaeology. Transjordan
migration patterns. Egyptology. Historiography and Biblical studies.
Robert Hunt, Graduate Advising Head
Economic anthropology. Cultural
ecology. Comparative methods. Irrigation. Mesoamerica. Development.
Judith Irvine
Linguistic anthropology, ethnography
of speaking. Ethnomusicology. Social stratification. Colonialism.
Africa.
David Jacobson
Social anthropology. Urban
social organization. Stress and support systems. Psychosocial
transitions. Families and households. Computer-mediated communication.
United States. Africa.
David Kaplan
Economics. Method and theory.
Peasant cultures. Middle America.
Sarah Lamb (Women's Studies Liaison)
Gender studies. Anthropology
of aging. Symbolic anthropology. Medical anthropology. Immigrant
and transnational communities. South Asian social-cultural theory.
Richard Parmentier, Undergraduate Advising Head
Semiotic anthropology. Kinship.
Historical anthropology. Communications and media. Oceania. Middle
Ages. United States.
Benson Saler
Comparative religion and folk
philosophies. Psychological anthropology. Mesoamerica. South America.
Pastoral peoples.
Charles Ziegler
Industrial and applied anthropology. Corporate cultures. Technology and culture.
A.
Required of all concentrators: A minimum of nine semester courses
in anthropology, to include ANTH 1a, ANTH 5a, and ANTH 83a.
B.
Honors candidates are required to take ANTH 99d in addition
to 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.
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 Ms. Irvine.
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. Zeitlin 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 ANTH 60a, ANTH 110a, ANTH 116a, ANTH 123a, ANTH 147b, ANTH 187a, and ANTH 188b in their program.
D. Candidates for a degree with honors must enroll in ANTH 99d during their senior year.
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.
Program of Study
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.
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 a foundational course in women's studies (other than
ANTH 144a), chosen from the women's studies elective list (indicated
in the women's studies program of this Bulletin by an asterisk).
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 both 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).
Program of Study
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.
Residence Requirement
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 be expected to serve
as teaching or research assistants each semester during their
years of funding.
Qualifying Procedure
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.
Language Requirement
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.
Dissertation and Defense
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.
ANTH 1a Introduction to the Comparative Study of Human Societies
[ nw ss SA NW ]
Selected ethnographic cases from band, tribe, and state-level societies. Consideration of anthropological research methods and approaches to cross-cultural analysis. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Lamb
ANTH 5a Human Origins
[ cl8 cl18 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.
Staff
ANTH 20b The Development of Human Food Production
[ cl14 cl16 cl18 nw ss SA NW ]
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
ANTH 26a Communication and Media
[ 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 year.
Mr. Parmentier
ANTH 55a Development and the Third World
[ cl3 cl32 ss nw NW ]
This course examines models for development, the effort to increase the wealth of nations since World War II. Successes and failures are examined through case studies. The impact of development efforts on urban, peasant, and tribal populations are considered. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Hunt
ANTH 60a Introduction to Archaeological Methods
[ ss ]
Enrollment limited to 25.
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.
Staff
ANTH 61b Language in American Life
[ 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, schoolroooms, and homes); and social interaction. Usually offered in even years.
Ms. Irvine
ANTH 62a Non-Western Musical Traditions
[ nw ca ss CA NW ]
Enrollment limited to 50.
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 in odd years.
Ms. Irvine
ANTH 80a World Religions
[ cl48 nw ss NW ]
An introduction to the literatures, doctrines, rituals, and histories of Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism. A major goal of the course is to acquaint students with the diverse perspectives on human life afforded by these religions as they developed over time. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Saler
ANTH 83a Anthropological Inquiry
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: ANTH 1a or 5a.
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. Parmentier
ANTH 83b Fieldwork
[ ss SA ]
Signature of the instructor required.
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 year.
Mr. Jacobson
ANTH 90a Independent Fieldwork
Signature of the instructor required. Four semester course credits. May not be taken by students who have taken either ANTH 90a or 90b in previous semesters.
Usually offered every year.
Staff
ANTH 90b Independent Fieldwork
See ANTH 90a for special notes. Usually offered every year.
Staff
ANTH 92a Internship and Analysis
No more than two internships for credit.
Consult the departmental description above and the general guidelines at the beginning of this Bulletin for details. Usually offered every year.
Staff
ANTH 92b Internship and Analysis
No more than two internships for credit.
Usually offered every year.
Staff
ANTH 98a Readings in Anthropology
Signature of the instructor required.
Usually offered every year.
Staff
ANTH 98b Readings in Anthropology
Signature of the instructor required.
Usually offered every year.
Staff
ANTH 99d Senior Research
Signature of the instructor required.
Usually offered every year.
Staff
ANTH 102a An Anthropological Introduction to Language
[ 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 historical perspectives on language. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Irvine
ANTH 105a Symbol, Myth, and Ritual
[ cl42 cl48 nw ss NW ]
Enrollment limited to advanced undergraduate and graduate students.
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 sacrifice and funerals. Usually offered in odd years.
Mr. Parmentier
ANTH 110a Introduction to Human Evolution
[ ss ]
Enrollment limited to 35.
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 in even years.
Staff
ANTH 111b Occupational Cultures
[ ss ]
Signature of the instructor required.
This course offers students an opportunity to learn about the occupation(s) in which they think they are interested. It will also introduce them to the anthropological study of occupational cultures and to its modes of analysis and methods of research. Each seminar participant will do fieldwork in a work setting in conjunction with an internship, a shadow program, or other form of participant-observation. Usually offered in even years.
Mr. Jacobson
ANTH 115b Biocultural Adaptation
[ ss ]
An advanced course dealing with human adaptation with particular emphasis on the interaction of biological and cultural adaptive systems' elements in human societies. Usually offered in odd years.
Staff
ANTH 116a Human Osteology
[ ss sn ]
Enrollment limited to 15. Satisfies one half of Option 1 of the University Studies requirement in Science and Mathematics.
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 in even years.
Staff
ANTH 123a Directions and Issues in Archaeology
[ 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 in even years.
Mr. Zeitlin
ANTH 125b Investigations in an Unfamiliar Language
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: LING 100a or ANTH 102a.
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 in even years.
Ms. Irvine
ANTH 126b Cultural Semiotics
[ 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 and the possibility of crosscultural typologies. Usually offered in even years.
Mr. Parmentier
ANTH 127a Medicine, Body, and Culture
[ cl47 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 in even years.
Ms. Lamb
ANTH 128a Meaning and Material Culture
[ 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 in odd years.
Mr. Parmentier
ANTH 129b Power of Language and Language of Power: Linguistic Dimensions of Social Inequality
[ ss ]
Enrollment limited to 20.
This course examines how relations of power and inequality are expressed and created through language. Topics include linguistic parameters of class, gender, and ethnicity, and patterns of communication in legal, medical, and educational settings. Case studies are derived from diverse cultural contexts. Usually offered every fourth year. Last offered in the spring of 1996.
Staff
ANTH 130b Life in the Ice Age
[ ss ]
The origin and development of human culture has coincided with dramatic changes in world climate. This course explores innovative responses of early human societies to challenges posed by Ice Age habitats. Usually offered in odd years.
Staff
ANTH 133a Tradition and the Contemporary Experience in Sub-Saharan Africa
[ nw ss NW ]
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 fall of 1996.
Ms. Irvine
ANTH 134a South Asia: Tradition and the Contemporary Experience
[ nw ss NW ]
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, and region in people's everyday lives. Usually offered in even years.
Ms. Lamb
ANTH 137a Modes of Thought
[ 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 in odd years.
Mr. Saler
ANTH 138a Social Relations in Cyberspace
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: Students must have a VAX account. Enrollment limited to 24.
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 in odd years.
Mr. Jacobson
ANTH 139b Language, Ethnicity, and Nationalism
[ cl10 ss ]
Enrollment limited to 20.
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 ìspeech community,î 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 in even years.
Ms. Irvine
ANTH 142a AIDS in the Third World
[ cl47 nw ss NW SA ]
Enrollment limited to 25.
This course examines the social dimensions of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the Third World. A central focus is the role of culture and political economy in risk of HIV infection and in conceptions of and responses to HIV/AIDS. Usually offered in odd years.
Staff
ANTH 144a The Anthropology of Gender
(Formerly ANTH 44a)
[ cl12 cl37 cl46 nw ss NW ]
Signature of instructor required. May not be repeated for credit by students who have taken ANTH 44a.
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
ANTH 145a Anthropology of the Body
[ ss ]
Enrollment limited to 25.
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. Will be offered in the spring of 1998.
Ms. Lamb
ANTH 147b The Rise of Mesoamerican Civilization
[ cl18 cl38 nw ss NW ]
Traces the great 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 ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. We will consider archaeological evidence for the factors that may have played a role in this spectacular evolutionary achievement. Usually offered in odd years. Last offered in the spring of 1996.
Mr. Zeitlin
ANTH 149a Archaeology of Egypt and Canaan in Ancient Times
[ ss ]
Enrollment limited to 15.
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.
Mr. Abercrombie
ANTH 154b Selected Topics in Comparative Religion: Seminal Works in the Study of Religion
[ cl45 ss ]
Readings and discussion of works by W.R. Smith, E.B. Tylor, William James, Sigmund Freud, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber. Usually offered in even years.
Mr. Saler
ANTH 155b Psychological Anthropology
[ 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 fourth year. Last offered in the spring of 1991.
Mr. Saler
ANTH 156a Power and Violence: The Anthropology of Political Systems
[ nw ss SA NW ]
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 in odd years.
Staff
ANTH 157a Families and Households
[ cl11 ss SA ]
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 year.
Mr. Jacobson
ANTH 158a Urban Anthropology
[ cl33 wi ss SA ]
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 in odd years.
Mr. Jacobson
ANTH 160b Mind, Self, and Emotion in Culture
[ ss ]
Examines the self and its emotional states and explores crosscultural 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 in odd years.
Mr. Saler
ANTH 161b Culture and Cognition
[ ss ]
Explores the relationship between cognitive processes and cultural systems, cultural differences involving people's perception, classification processes, memory or modes of problem solving, and their effect on the course of cognitive development. Usually offered every year.
Staff
ANTH 163b Economic Anthropology: Production and Distribution
[ nw ss NW ]
Prerequisite: ANTH 1a, or ECON 2a, or permission of the instructor.
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 in even years.
Mr. Hunt
ANTH 164a Topics in Economic Anthropology
[ 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 in odd years.
Mr. Hunt
ANTH 165b Evolution of Political Economy
[ ss ]
Examines the structural features of political economy in a developmental framework, beginning with hunting and gathering societies through horticultural societies, to chiefdoms to agrarian states to industrial states. Focus is on a comparative analysis of preindustrial states and factors throughout history that have prompted or hindered their transition to industrialism. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Kaplan
ANTH 166a The Nature of Human Nature
[ cl28 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.
Mr. Kaplan
ANTH 169a State, City, and Countryside in Agrarian Society
[ ss ]
Historical and comparative exploration of central issues in the organization and development of preindustrial agrarian states. Geopolitics, bureaucracies, stratification, the economy, relative rates of development and peasant rebellions, and the rise of nationalism will be covered. Usually offered in odd years.
Mr. Kaplan
ANTH 171a Crosscultural Inquiry in Social Science
[ cl21 ss ]
Survey of research design, measurement, and analytical problems to be solved in systematic crosscultural investigations. Case studies from all social science disciplines may be used. Major focus on problems of relativism and measurement. Usually offered in odd years.
Mr. Hunt
ANTH 175a Reading Ethnography
[ ss SA ]
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 in even years.
Mr. Jacobson
ANTH 186a Archaeological Science
[ ss ]
Prerequisites: One year of college-level chemistry, biology, and physics, or the equivalent. Signature of Mr. Zeitlin, the Brandeis coordinator, required.
A lecture course in which leading experts from the faculty of the seven 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
ANTH 186b Social and Cultural Aspects of Linguistic Analysis
(Formerly ANTH 102b)
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: ANTH 102a or LING 100a.
Advanced topics in anthropological linguistics: linguistic fieldwork and the analysis of unfamiliar languages; linguistic variation and social structure; current issues in semantics and pragmatics. Usually offered in even years.
Ms. Irvine
ANTH 187a Materials Research in Archaeology, I
(Formerly ANTH 188a)
[ ss ]
Enrollment limited to advanced undergraduate and graduate students. Signature of Mr. Zeitlin, the Brandeis coordinator, required. Topics vary from year to year, and the course may be repeated for credit.
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, M.I.T., the Museum of Fine Arts, Tufts, UMass-Boston, and Wellesley. Usually offered every year.
Staff
ANTH 188b Materials Research in Archaeology, II
[ ss ]
Enrollment limited to advanced undergraduate and graduate students. Signature of Mr. Zeitlin, the Brandeis coordinator, required. Topics vary from year to year, and the course may be repeated for credit.
See ANTH 187a for course description. Usually offered every year.
Staff
ANTH 190a History of Anthropological Thought
(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. Jacobson
ANTH 191a Field School in Archaeology
[ ss ]
Enrollment limited to 20.
Training in methods of archaeological fieldwork and analysis through participation in the excavation of the Neolithic site of Kefar Hahoresh in Israel. Students will be full participants in the excavation, assist in artifact analysis, attend evening lectures, and participate in field trips to archaeological sites in the region. Usually offered every summer.
Mr. Chazan
ANTH 193b Contemporary Issues in Anthropological Theory
(Formerly ANTH 203a)
[ ss ]
Signature of instructor required.
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
ANTH 196a Comparative Social Institutions
(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 in even years.
Mr. Hunt
ANTH 199b Problems and Possibilities in the Study of Religions
[ ss ]
Signature of the instructor required.
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 in odd years.
Mr. Saler
Readings and Research Courses
(ANTH 222a-287b)
222a and b Readings and Research on the World Before Civilization
Mr. Zeitlin
225a and b Readings and Research in Cultural Analysis
Mr. Parmentier
226a and b Readings and Research in Archaeology
Mr. Zeitlin
227a and b Readings and Research in Linguistic Anthropology
Ms. Irvine
228a Advanced Readings in Method and Theory
Mr. Kaplan
228b Advanced Readings in Method and Theory
Messrs. Kaplan and Zeitlin
229a and b Guided Comparative and Historical Research
Mr. Hunt
231a and b Readings in Cognitive Culture
Mr. Saler
232a Readings in Development
Mr. Hunt
234b Readings and Research in Anthropology of Law
Staff
235a and b Readings and Research in Latin American Cultures
Mr. Hunt
237a and b Readings and Research in African Cultures
Ms. Irvine
238a and b Readings and Research in Urban Anthropology
Mr. Jacobson
241a and b Readings and Research in New World Ethnohistory
Staff
252a and b Readings and Research in Anthropology of Art
Ms. Irvine
253a and b Readings and Research in Economic Anthropology
Messrs. Kaplan and Hunt
254a and b Readings and Research in Southeast Asian Ethnography
Mr. Appell
256a and b Readings and Research in Religion
Mr. Saler
257a and b Readings and Research in Families and Households
Mr. Jacobson
258a and b Readings and Research in Computer-mediated Communication
Mr. Jacobson
283a and b Readings and Research in Fieldwork
Mr. Jacobson
284a and b Readings and Research in Archaeological Methods
Mr. Zeitlin
285a and b Readings and Research in Gender and Sexuality
Ms. Lamb
286a and b Readings and Research in South Asia
Ms. Lamb
287a and b Readings and Research in Medical Anthropology
Ms. Lamb
ANTH 300a Master's Thesis Research
Staff
ANTH 304a and b Readings and Research in Anthropological Field Methods
Staff
ANTH 305d Anthropology Colloquium
Staff
ANTH 400d Dissertation Research
Specific sections for individual faculty member as requested.
Staff