Anthropology

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• describe the scientific process as a methodology for understanding the natural world
• evaluate the nature and origins of the science of biological anthropology
• examine the basic concepts of evolution
• analyze the evidence to support evolution
• survey the various methods for dating the fossil evidence of human evolution
• compare and contrast the living primates
• explain the current hypotheses relevant to an understanding of human evolution
• analyze the fossil record evidence for human evolution
• assess the nature and causes of human diversity

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• formulate and test simple hypotheses using the scientific method.
• describe the sources of biological variation.
• identify the bones and important markings of the human skeleton.
• calculate sex-related and age-related variations present in human populations.
• differentiate the skeletons of prosimians, monkeys, apes, and humans.
• recognize the locomotor patterns used by primates.
• identify and date the significant anthropoid, hominoid, and hominin fossils.
• evaluate problems in interpreting the fossil evidence.
• evaluate mechanisms of evolution.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• describe the methods and approaches of a forensic anthropologist.
• apply the techniques for determining sex, age, stature, and ancestry from human skeletal remains.
• examine a human skeleton and infer possible trauma and pathology.
• discuss the legal and ethical issues of working with human remains.
• apply the processes for establishing positive identification using human remains.
• explain the role of the forensic anthropologist in a criminal investigation.
• describe the dynamics of dental anthropology in positive identification.
• evaluate the significance of human skeletal remains to overall crime scene investigation.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• describe the nature of anthropology as a discipline.
• explain the history and development of cultural anthropology.
• evaluate the impact of cultural diversity on cross-cultural communication.
• identify the consequences of ethnocentrism and/or racism on social interactions.
• assess the role of applied anthropology in addressing current global conditions.
• identify cross-cultural examples of ethnic conflict and explain its role in warfare and violence.
• assess global trends of socio-cultural change in the areas of economic and social development.
• create a chart demonstrating kin relationships.
• explain the role of ethnographic fieldwork in the study of culture.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• evaluate the work of anthropologists in fieldwork settings
• identify the multi-dimensional, sensory experience of culture
• evaluate ethnographic films by analyzing specific elements: i.e. narration, sound, editing, degree of subject involvement, distortions and bias, and ethnographic context
• systematize the historical development of ethnographic film-making
• compare the style, form, and focus of different films
• analyze ethnographic films as they pertain to controversial issues in the discipline of anthropology and in popular culture
• discuss the shift away from the outsider's point of view to visual sovereignty since the 1980s

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• describe the concept of culture as used by social scientists.
• discuss the role of archaeology within the broader discipline of anthropology.
• apply the scientific method in the study of archaeological record as it pertains to human history and prehistory.
• distinguish between the various forms of dating technology and how they apply to the analysis of archaeological sites and artifacts.
• incorporate archaeological evidence into an understanding of historical records and cultural behaviors.
• discuss scientifically responsible and culturally respectful methods of archaeological retrieval and preservation.
• identify the various archaeological theories, methods, and techniques used to investigate the human past.
• illustrate the use of archaeological methods with reference to cultural sequences.
• apply Cultural Resource Management (CRM) principles and understand the importance of the Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• describe the relationship between technology and subsistence.
• describe the differences between extractive/reductive and transformative crafts.
• analyze textile structures for differences in construction techniques.
• compare pottery construction and firing methods.
• define basic lithic terminology.
• compare smelting and working techniques for copper, bronze, and iron.
• categorize types of structures according to construction technique.
• design an experimental project to replicate at least one of the technologies addressed in the course.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• describe the range of religious, ritual, and magical beliefs throughout the world and over time.
• analyze the sociocultural context of religious and magical beliefs.
• explain the value of diverse belief systems.
• describe anthropological approaches to data gathering and the analysis of ceremonial, magical, and supernatural practices and beliefs.
• integrate the role of belief and ritual into an understanding of other aspects of society, including economics, social organization, political organization, and medical and curing practices.
• evaluate the cross-cultural implications of diverse belief systems and practices in contemporary societies.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• describe major culture areas of Native California; the environments, ecological adaptations, and features which distinguish those areas
• contrast California Indian socioculture systems with the Spanish, Russian, and U.S. systems
• describe the linguistic diversity and complexity of California Indians
• evaluate the archaeological record of California Indians
• evaluate the methods of anthropological study of California Indians and its history
• describe the impact of European contact on California Indians
• describe U.S. government policies on California Indians and how those policies affected Native communities

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• describe the unique, major native culture areas of North America as well as the environments, the native ecological adaptations, and the major cultural features which distinguish those areas.
• contrast social or cultural systems within Native North America and between the Native American and the Euro-American systems.
• describe the linguistic diversity and complexity of Native North America.
• explain the archaeological record of Native Peoples of North America.
• compare Native and Western systems of categorization.
• evaluate the history and methods of anthropological study of North American Native Peoples.
• examine current issues among Native Peoples of North America.
• analyze the relationship between Indigenous Native American groups and the French trappers, the various European colonists (including French, English, Russian, and Spanish), and the Mexican government.
• analyze the role of ethnicity, ethnocentrism, and/or racism in shaping the ethnic experience of Native Americans.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• conduct qualitative observational research on both human and non-human primates.
• distinguish the participant-observation method from other observational methodologies.
• formulate a testable hypothesis.
• measure outcomes that support or refute a hypothesis by creating research applications in anthropological field settings.
• distinguish an ethogram from an ethnography.
• analyze patterns in research data.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• explain and synthesize the goals, methods, and distinctive features of the discipline of anthropology.
• predict general ethical concerns in anthropological research.
• evaluate specific ethical dilemmas in anthropological research on sex, sexuality, and gender.
• apply linguistic anthropology concepts to the study of sex, sexuality, and gender.
• describe the range of variations in sexual norms across primate species and cross-culturally across human societies.
• analyze the difference between genetic/biological/essentialist definitions of gender and cultural ascriptions of genders.
• compare and contrast sexual selection hypotheses and evolutionary adaptation hypotheses about both specific, non-human primate sexual traits or behaviors, and human sexual traits or behaviors.
• evaluate the successes and limitations of reconstructing prehistoric gendered or sexuality phenomena.
• deconstruct a current topical issue in the anthropology of sex, sexuality, and gender.
• recount core theoretical claims about sex, sexuality, and gender in the behavioral sciences with special reference to the anthropological perspective and contribution.
• discuss critical theoretical methods such as queer theory, feminist theory, and intersectionality.
• review changes in the role of gender and sexual identities in anthropology as a profession.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• explain the goals, methods, and distinctive features of the discipline of Anthropology.
• describe the relationship of the human body, culture, and adaptation to ingestion practices.
• evaluate the impact of major changes in both the nonhuman primate and the human past pertaining to acquisition of nutrients and sustenance.
• analyze the role of food, drink, and other consumed substances in rituals, belief systems, and social identities within diverse cultures.
• describe the cross-cultural and global impact of commodification and market building.
• apply an integrated anthropological overview on a specific food, drink, or other consumed substance topic such as a particular consumed substance, or a food- or drink-based social movement.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of anthropological linguistics, methods, and theory.
• evaluate in cross-cultural perspective how paralanguage and nonverbal communication alter and enhance social communication in humans, as well as in non-human primates.
• describe the biocultural origins of language and the development of language over time.
• interpret language using structural linguistic techniques.
• recognize the dynamic interrelationship between language and culture, including their acquisition.
• examine the relevance of language in sociocultural issues.
• assess factors and consequences of language change and extinction.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• explain the principles of natural selection and apply them to patterns of primate biogeography and taxonomy.
• explain the principles of primate ecology and apply them to predator avoidance and patterns of foraging.
• explain the principles of sexual selection and apply them to patterns of mating, kinship, and social systems.
• compare and contrast methodology approaches for collecting, analyzing, and presenting quantitative data.
• compare and contrast the cognitive abilities of extant primates.
• critique current conservation strategies for primates in captivity and in the wild to determine viability.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• identify aspects of social, physical, and/or emotional well-being for the local community students are studying in, while considering present and future conditions in societies across the globe.
• incorporate specific cultural, geopolitical, economic, and social knowledge into academic and personal contexts for an understanding of global competence.
• analyze personal beliefs, values, and attitudes about the host culture that the student had prior to an intercultural experience and aspects of ethnocentric behavior that can occur within intercultural communication and relations.
• demonstrate an understanding of concepts of physical and emotional wellness to make wise lifestyle choices and develop these skills and competencies to understand oneself as a whole person (integral to one's environment).
• identify and explain aspects of culture shock and techniques to cope with and reduce its effects on physical and emotional wellness.
• describe the value of international travel as a part of lifelong learning and personal wellness.
• undertake thoughtful consideration of divergent points of view and utilize multiple perspectives in considering information.
• develop a foundation for cultural pluralism, a rejection of previous personal prejudices, and knowledge of and comfort with others unlike one’s self.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• identify the nature and origins of the science of biological anthropology
• identify the evidence that supports the evolution, genetics, and heredity of the human species
• critique diverse hypotheses presented to explain human evolution
• assess the diversity of living primates and describe how the study of these animals helps scientists understand human evolution
• describe the fossil record evidence for human evolution
• explain the current hypotheses and factors that are relevant to understanding human evolution
• identify the nature and causes of human diversity
• define problem-solving techniques applicable to current issues relevant to biological anthropology
• synthesize anthropological concepts from primary reading sources
• critique theories regarding human behavioral ecology and the continuing influence of human activity on the environment

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• describe the 4-field nature of anthropology and the importance of fieldwork in the discipline
• explain how the history and development of cultural anthropology as a discipline has affected its current theoretical perspectives
• generalize the relationship between subsistence patterns and their impact on other aspects of culture such as marriage, religion, and political and social organization
• analyze and interpret kinship charts
• identify the role of enculturation in personality development and in the interpretation of gender and gender roles
• assess global trends of socio-cultural change in the areas of economic and social development
• analyze cross-cultural examples of ethnic conflict and ethnic identity
• compare the contributions and social experiences of non-Western, non-Eurocentric cultures
• identify the consequences of ethnocentrism and/or racism on social interactions
• assess the impact of cultural diversity on cross-cultural interaction
• apply the concepts of cultural anthropology in daily life

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• analyze and evaluate contemporary anthropological issues as they relate to human biology and culture
• recognize the dynamic nature of the field of anthropology
• evaluate contemporary issues from an anthropological perspective
• demonstrate an awareness of and an appreciation for our increasingly diverse population
• evaluate the effects of the biological or cultural past on current issues