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Anthropology
Anthropology
represents a broad field of study encompassing four subdivisions:
cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, prehistoric
archeology, and biological anthropology. Courses listed
below offer comprehensive approaches to anthropology's diverse
subject matter and provide an important component of a liberal
arts education for both majors and non-majors. A major will
gain excellent preparation for graduate study in anthropology
or as part of a pre-professional education. Additionally,
anthropology majors can gain preparation for a wide variety
of careers. Students majoring in anthropology are strongly
urged to pursue work beyond the introductory level (101,
102, 103) in each of the subfields.
Major.
A major in anthropology consists of the following:
1.) a.
A minimum of 24 hours in the Department, including Anthropology
101, 102, 103.
b. Anthropology 353.
c. At least one seminar in Anthropology. At least 15
of the 24 hours required for the major must be from courses
above the 100 level.
2.) Courses
in several other disciplines, including those in the social
and natural sciences and the humanities, complement a major
in Anthropology. The particular pattern of courses chosen
will vary, depending on the plans and interests of the students.
The particular pattern should be worked out in close consultation
with the major advisor.
Minor.
A minor in anthropology consists of 15 hours of course work
in which at least 9 hours derive from courses at the 200
level or above. No more than 3 transfer credits can be counted
in a minor, and two of the three introductory courses must
be included.
Honors.
The department invites a small number of qualified majors
to participate in the honors program. Honors work may begin
as early as the sixth semester or may commence at the beginning
of the senior year. Students may receive from two to six
hours of credit per semester of honors. Honors work requires
a thesis based on original research and an oral examination
on the thesis.
Off-Campus
Programs for Credit. Summer field work in projects sponsored
by Oberlin College or by other institutions is encouraged.
Such projects may be undertaken in archeology, ethnography,
or linguistics. By approval of the department, students
may count a maximum of six hours of such work toward the
major. Students interested in archeological projects should
contact Ms. Grimm. Those interested in ethnographic projects
should contact Mr. Glazier. Those interested in linguistics
should contact the department chair. Students interested
in anthropology credit for programs sponsored by the Great
Lakes Colleges Association should also speak with the chair.
Gallaudet
Exchange Program.
The department sponsors an exchange program with Gallaudet
University, the nation's only liberal arts college for the
deaf, located in Washington, DC. In a school of about 500
students, the program offers a unique opportunity for students
interested in communication disorders, deaf education, and
related issues. The program is open to both majors and non-majors.
Sophomores and juniors with good academic standing are eligible
to apply. The exchange is for one semester and students
receive transfer credit toward their degree at Oberlin College.
Tuition is normally billed by Oberlin College; room and
board by Gallaudet. Some students find Exco classes offered
in sign language to be good preparation for a semester at
Gallaudet.
Students interested in this program should speak with Mr.
Glazier. Catalogs and applications should be requested directly
from Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Avenue, N.E., Washington,
DC 20001-3695. When writing to Gallaudet, request an application
which states "Oberlin Exchange Program." Each student works
his/her own way through the application process and can
do so in consultation with Mr. Glazier.
Transfer
of Credit.
Students transferring credits in anthropology from courses
taken at other institutions and/or from off-campus programs
such as summer field work may apply a maximum of six credit
hours toward the major with the approval of the department
chair.
Private
Reading.
Students may schedule a reading course during their junior
or senior years in accord with college rules on private
readings. No more than one reading course may be taken in
any one semester.
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Introductory
Courses
101. Introduction
to Cultural Anthropology 3 hours
3SS,
CD
First
and Second Semester. An introduction to the nature of
cultural anthropology through an examination of basic
concepts, methods, and theories that anthropologists employ
in order to understand the unity and diversity of human
thought and action cross-culturally. Language and culture,
kinship and the family, politics and conflict, religion
and belief, and the impact of social change and globalization
on traditional institutions are some of the topics to
be considered in a range of ethnographic contexts. Enrollment
Limit:
40.
102.
Human Origins (Lecture Only) 3 hours
3SS,
CD
Second
Semester. This course focuses on paleoanthropology and
is an introduction to the evolutionary development of
humans. We will examine biological relationships between
humans and other primates, primate behavior and classification,
and the fossil evidence for human evolution. Emphasis
will be placed on the methods used by archeologists in
the study of prehistoric human biological and cultural
development. Enrollment Limit: 40.
103. Introduction
to Archeology 3 hours
3SS,
CD
First
Semester. An introduction to the subfield of anthropology
concerned with past human cultures. A basic objective
is to acquaint students with both the methods and techniques
that archeologists employ in the study and reconstruction
of prehistoric societies. Examples will be drawn from
a variety of archeological situations ranging from simple
hunting and gathering societies to complex chiefdoms and
states. Matters of contemporary debate in the area of
archeology and the public will also be considered. Enrollment
Limit:
40.
112. Introduction
to Biological Anthropology (Laboratory only) 1 hour
1SS
113. Introduction
to Archeology (Laboratory only) 1 hour
1SS
120. Introduction
to Linguistic Anthropology 3 hours
3SS
First
Semester. This course furnishes an introduction to core
concepts and methodology pertaining to the analysis of
language. Students will explore key areas of current research,
including sociolinguistics, language socialization, language
and gender, non-verbal communication, and literacy. In
addition, through practical exercises, the students will
learn foundations in phonology, morphology, and syntax,
as well as basic discourse analysis and transcription
skills. The course is intended as a prerequisite for more
advanced courses in Linguistic Anthropology and in related
areas. No prior coursework in language and culture is
required. Enrollment Limit: 40.
Ms. Pagliai
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Intermediate
Courses
215. Art,
Language and Society 3 hours
3SS
Second Semester.
This course features a multifaceted approach to the anthropological
study of Art, by including contributions from linguistic and
cultural anthropology, and archaeology, as well as the voices
of the artists themselves. The course expands and rethinks
definitions of art and language, encouraging a discussion
of how such definitions can influence our ways to approach
and experience art. Various art genres will be discussed in
relationship to such issues as the construction of social
identities (ethnic, racial and gender identities) and the
structuring of political power. Prerequisite: ANTH 101
or the instructor's consent. Enrollment Limit: 30.
266. Emergence
of Urban Societies 3 hours
3SS,
CD, WR
286. Culture,
Symbol and Meaning 3 hours
3SS,
CD, WR
Second Semester.
This course explores ethnographic representations of meaningful
social experience and collective identity through an examination
of rites of passage, dietary habits, narrative performance,
funerary practice, sexuality, and gender, and the like. It
examines how the interpretive anthropologist makes sense out
of the diverse ways people of various cultures, American included,
represent systems of meaning. The course addresses concerns
not only of Anthropology majors but also of students of history,
literature, and the humanities. Prerequisite: One introductory
course (100 level) in Anthropology or its equivalent.
Enrollment Limit: 30.
288. Immigrant
America: Then and Now 3 hours
3SS,
CD, WR
292. Museum
Anthropology 3 hours
3SS,
CD, WR
Second Semester.
This course examines the historical context of museums,
emphasizing various modes of collection and exploring some
of the diverse agendas under which museums have operated
from the past to the highly contentious present-day exhibition
environment. Looking mainly, but not exclusively, at museums
with anthropological (ethnological, archeological) collections,
we will explore, among other topics, the ideological relationship
between museums and their collections as well as the intellectual
and social relationships of museums to the public. In addition,
students will have an opportunity to work hands-on with
museum collections and materials. Prerequisites: Two
among ANTH 101, 102, 103. Enrollment Limit: 15.
Ms. Grimm
353. Culture Theory 3 hours
3SS, CD, WR
First Semester. A critical examination of major issues in
the study of culture over the past century and a quarter
through a discussion of such theoretical topics as cultural
evolution and neo-evolution, materialism and cultural ecology,
functionalism and ecosystems theory, interpretive and symbolic
anthropology, structuralism, and political economy. The
role of ethnography, the scientific and humanistic dimensions
of anthropology, and the relationships between various theories
are also considered. Recent multicultural and postmodernist
efforts at cultural explanation on the part of anthropologists
and other scholars will be examined. Prerequisites: Junior-
or senior-level standing, ANTH 101, and one additional course
in anthropology. Enrollment Limit: 25.
Mr. Glazier
391. Practicum in Anthropology 2-3 hours
2-3SS
Junior or senior majors in the department may receive up
to three hours of credit for applied field work in anthropology.
The work should be carried out in connection with a systematic
course of reading and the writing of a paper on the topic
of the project. The purpose of the paper is to tie the field
experience to relevant anthropological principles. The program
should be worked out in advance with a department faculty
sponsor: Consent of instructor required.
Ms. Pagliai, Mr. Glazier, Ms. Grimm
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Upper-Level
Seminars and Honors Courses
Upper-level seminars are
open to juniors and seniors who have completed four courses
in anthropology. In some instances this requirement will
be reduced for non-majors otherwise qualified. Please note
also specific course prerequisites
for some seminars. Enrollment Limit: 10 per seminar.
463. Seminar
in Archeology: By land and by sea 3 hours
Theories on the colonization of the Americas in
late Ice Age times
3SS,
CD, WR
First Semester.
New discoveries and techniques call the Clovis-first model
(big game hunters crossing over the Bering land bridge)
for the peopling of the Americas into question. Compelling
evidence suggests multiple colonization events by groups
from Asia, and possibly Europe as well as the south Pacific
region. New models emphasize maritime over terrestrial routes.
In trying to understand the dispersal of Paleoamericans
throughout the western hemisphere, we will consider available
archeological, biological and linguistic evidence. In addition
we will explore the controversy surrounding the application
of NAGPRA to Paleoamerican finds like Kennewick. Prerequisites:
ANTH 103 and advanced coursework in a related subject. Consent
of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 10.
468. Seminar:
Language and Cognition 3 hours
3SS
Second Semester.
This course traces the historical evolution of theoretical
attempts to define the relationship between language and
thought, moving from the classic works by Sapir and Whorf
and the successive debates on them, through the work of
ethnolinguists and ethnoscientists, to contemporary approaches.
We will explore the legacy of the Cognitive school in linguistic
anthropology from its emergence until today, examining its
basic propositions and looking forward to possible applications
in future studies. Finally, we will discuss more recent
work on metaphors and the conceptual structures that influence
our behavior and thought. Prerequisites:
ANTH 101 and one additional course in anthropology, or consent
of instructor. Enrollment Limit: 10.
490. Junior
Year Honors 2-3 hours
2-3SS
Sections
will be offered by Mr. Glazier, Ms. Pagliai and Ms. Grimm.
Prerequisite:
Open only to second semester junior majors. Consent of
instructor required.
491. Senior
Year Honors 2-6 hours
2-6SS
Sections
will be offered by Mr. Glazier, Ms. Pagliai and Ms. Grimm.
Consent of instructor required.
995. Private
Reading 1-3 hours
1-3SS
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