Course Descriptions

Not all courses listed will necessarily be offered each year. All courses are three hours a week unless otherwise indicated.

Students wishing to concentrate in the area of international development in anthropology should consider the following guide for course selection: 49-112, 49-226 (or 48-226), 48-227, 49-232 (or 48-232), 48-321, 48-327 (or 54-327), 49-330 (or 48-330), 49-331, 48-332, 49-340 (or 48-340), 49-352 (or 48-352), and 49-411 (or 48-411).

49-111. Introduction to Physical Anthropology and Archaeology
An introduction to the biological evolution of humanity and the cultural evolution of human society, including a consideration of the significance of humanity's evolutionary past for an understanding of the contemporary world.

49-112. Culture in Comparative Perspective
An introduction to the variety of human cultures throughout the contemporary world. An examination of the significance of cultural anthropology for overcoming the barriers preventing the understanding of other cultures and ourselves.

49-213. Perspectives on Culture
An examination of the emergence, development, meaning, and idea of culture. The different ways the concept is used in applied anthropology, ethnographic research, and popular discourse are discussed. (Prerequisite: 49-112 or consent of the instructor.)

49-214. Gender and Culture in Anthropology
Current perspectives in anthropology on the intersection of gender and culture. Examines cross-culturally the themes of gender relations, concepts of masculinity and femininity, and gender-related power and politics. (Prerequisite: 49-112.)

49-215. Principles of Physical Anthropology
A study of humans as biological beings, humans in evolutionary context and their specializations; their nearest living relatives and varieties. Sources and the nature of variations in living human populations; significance of the variations and the concept of race; approaches to the problems of evolution of human populations. (Prerequisites: 49-111 and 49-112, or consent of instructor.)

49-217. Principles of Archaeology
A survey of the history, theory, and methods of anthropological archaeology. Emphasis is placed on archaeology's role as a social science, aimed at documenting and explaining past human cultural behaviour. (Prerequisites: 49-111 and 49-112, or consent of instructor.)

49-226. Introduction to International Development
An overview of the history and contemporary problems of economic development and underdevelopment and their effects upon marginalized populations; an assessment of issues such as the impact of
colonialism, the nature and function of the global economy, the problems of food production, economic dependency, cultural resistance, and social change. (Also offered as Sociology 48-226.) (Prerequisites: any two of 49-111, 49-112, 48-101, 48-102, or 54-100, or consent of instructor.)

49-232. Indigenous Peoples: A Comparative Perspective
A cross-cultural examination of issues concerning indigenous peoples in Canada and other parts of the world through a discussion of topics such as land claims, resource development, resistance, cultural rights, popular movements, and government policy. (Also offered as Sociology 48-232.) (Prerequisites: any two of 49-111, 49-112, 48-101, 48-102, or 54-100.)

49-233. Selected Topics in World Ethnography
Issues arising from the worldwide variation in the human condition are examined using ethnographic descriptions from different parts of the world. Topics may include cultural ecology, political organization, warfare, colonialism, and ethnic and national identities. The topics and cultures discussed may vary from year to year. (Prerequisites: 49-111 and 49-112.) (May be repeated for credit if content changes.)

49-240. Ethnic Relations in Canada
A study of ethnic minorities in pluralistic Canada, with particular focus on immigration trends, theories of assimilation and ethnic retention, policies of multiculturalism, differential adaptation, separatist movements, and the pursuit of collective rights. (Also offered as Sociology 48-240.) (Prerequisites: 48-101 and 48-102, or 49-111 and 49-112, or consent of instructor.)

49-241. Race and Racism in Canada
An analysis of the nature and practice of racism, and the role and status of racial minorities in Canada, focusing on causes and consequences of racism, forms of discrimination, anti-racist struggles, and policy initiatives for the creation of an egalitarian society. (Also offered as Sociology 48-241.) (Prerequisites: 48-101 and 49-112 or 54-100, or consent of instructor.)

49-323. Forensic Anthropology
An overview of anthropological methods as applied to death investigations. Topics may include detection, recovery, and examination of human remains; problems of identification and individualization; and the reconstruction of events that occurred around the time of death. (Prerequisite: 49-215, or consent of instructor) (Restricted to majors in Anthropology, Sociology, Criminology, Family and Social Relations, and Forensic Science programs.)

49-327. Social Movements
An examination of theories and case studies of world revolutions, class struggles, and various social movements, such as the feminist, gay and lesbian, labour, native, ecological, and other movements. (Also offered as 54-327 and 48-327.) (Prerequisites: any two of 48-101, 48-102, 49-111, 49-112, or 54-100; or Labour Studies students must have at least Semester 5 standing.)

49-330. Latin America: A Comparative Perspective
Selected problems of rural and urban development, the debt crisis, nationalism, and cultural change will be examined through an analysis of specific Latin American countries. (Also offered as Sociology 48-330.)

49-331. Aboriginal Peoples of Canada
An examination of aboriginal communities in Canada and the processes leading to their transformation. The course will focus on specific ethnographic examples and provide an in-depth analysis of different ways of life. (Prerequisite: 49-232 or 48/49-241.)

49-333. Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict
An analysis of ethnic identity, ethnic group formation, ethnopolitical mobilization, nationalism, racism, ethnic conflicts, ethnic violence including genocide, and conflict resolution in various societies throughout the world. (Also offered as Sociology 48-333.) (Prerequisites: any two of 49-111, 49-112, 48-101, 48-102, or 54-100.)

49-336. Medical Anthropology/Sociology
A brief history of the development of the discipline. Problems and the nature of health and diseases in ancient and modern human populations; concepts of health and disease and indigenous medical systems. Aspects of social organization and the prevalence of diseases. Roles of curers, medical practitioners, support staff, patients, and their interrelations; technological innovations and the problems of health. (Also offered as Sociology 48-336.) (Prerequisites: 49-111 and 49-112, or 48-101 and 48-102.)

49-338.  Material Culture
The presentation and interpretation of material artifacts of culture. Topics may include museology, visual displays, the social construction of the past, and may vary from year to year. (May be repeated for credit if content changes.)

49-339. Globaliztion, Migration and Diasporas
An examination of  the relationship between migration, culture and globalization through a focus on specific Diasporic groups.  The course examines the way Diasporas draw on and change cultural practices in ‘host’ countries such as Canada. Topics may include identity formation, political movements, cultural struggles; generational tensions within specific Diaspora and Trans-national practices; multicultural politics (Pre-requisite, 49-213 or 48-240 or consent of the instructor) (Credit cannot be obtained for both 48-339 and 49-339.)

49-340. Food and Global Sustainability
A comparative examination of the emergence of a global food system and its implications for culture and the environment. (Also offered as Sociology 48-340.)

49-352. Gender, Citizenship and Rights
An examination of the inpact of the 'global' on gender relations, including social and economic processes, human rights and stuggles over rights in specfic locales worldwide. Topics may include: gender-based violence, poverty and 'development', changing loabour pratices; women's rights as human rights; cultural and political struggles for rights in European, North American, and post-colonial setting  (Also offered as Sociology 48-352.) (Prerequstite: 48-226 or 49-214 or consent of instructor.)

49-354. Gender, Space, and Time
An examination of sociological and anthropological approaches to the study of space-time relations within the field of gender studies, including a focus on the development of gendered environments and cultural practices. (Also offered as Sociology 48-354.) (Prerequisites: 49-111 and 49-112, or 48-101 and 48-102.)

49-355. Methods in Anthropology
An exploration of contemporay methods in anthropolgy, including participant observation, qualitative interviewing, cultural and narrative analysis, Students will apply several of these methods during the course and relfect critically on the politics of representation, the value of these techniques for ethnography and the analysis of contemporary social, cultural and plolitical issues. Prerequisites: 49-213 or consent of insturctor.)

49-356. Cultural Theory
Through a selective examination of social theory, this seminar examines key ideas that inform identities and reflect contemporary issues. Topics may include: race, culture and ethnicity, colonial and post-colonial theory. (Prerequisite: 49-213 or consent of instructor.)

49-375. Social Justice and Global Change
An examination of issues of social justice arising from the intensification of social and economic inequalities within an increasingly globalized world. Topics may include the emerging international human rights framework, national and transnational struggles to bring about social change, and post-colonialism. (Also offered as Sociology 48-375.) (Prerequisites: 48-101 and either 48-102 or 49-213 or 38-101 Introduction to Social Justice.)

49-411. Challenging Global Development
A critical examination of theories and policies of global development and underdevelopment, including explorations of alternatives to modernization. (Also offered as Sociology 49-411.) (Prerequisites: 48-226 or 49-226, or consent of instructor.)

49-412. Human Skeletal Variation
This course is an advanced critical review of theories and methods for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data from human skeletal remains in bioarchaeological (paleopathology, paleodemography, etc.) and forensic contexts. Students will learn to pursue a biocultural approach for the study of human skeletal variation. (Prerequisite: 49-323, or consent of the instructor. Restricted to majors in at least semester 7 in Anthropology, Sociology, Criminology, Family and Social Relations, and Forensics.)

49-415. Culture, Power, and Globalization
Discussion of the theoretical issues raised by application of cultural theory in a global context, including a discussion of contemporary theoretical approaches to understanding the way local cultural practice is influenced by macrosocial processes, and including an assessment of the post-modernist critique of anthropology. (Also offered as Sociology 48-415.) (Prerequisites: 48-202 and 48-302; or any two 200-level or higher Anthropology courses and 49-356; or consent of instructor.)

49-419. Public Anthropolgy
Contemporary approaches to “real world” problems, political struggles, and social debates. Questions about the role of anthropologists (as advocates, activists, applied researchers and writers) are explored within the shifting contexts of global and community dynamics. Students will consider how ethnographic knowledge informs contemporary publics. Topics may include: identity politics, post-colonial struggles, development and health research, social policy, and popular culture. (Pre-requisites 49-333 or 49-356)(Also offered as 48-419)

49-425. Field Studies
A field course designed to give advanced students the opportunity to study cultures and environments in Canada and elsewhere. The focus and selected topics will vary with the geographic location. (An additional fee may be charged to cover travel and accommodation costs.) (Also offered as Sociology 48-425.) (Prerequisites: 49-111, 49-112, and three 200- or 300-level courses.)

49-428. Labour and Globalization
An examination of the impact of contemporary globalization on work life and working class economic and political mobilization. Particular emphasis is placed on a comparative study of labour movement strategies with a view to understanding the nationally specific and cross national character of these responses. (Also offered as 54-428 and 49-428) (Prerequisites: 48-326 or 54-301).

49-441. Topics in Anthropology
(May be offered as a seminar course if enrollment warrants, or as an independent study course.)

49-447. Social Justice Practicum
This course offers students the opportunity to apply their academic knowledge within community organization settings. Students will be given the opportunity to learn about the day-to-day operation and structure of a participating social justice agency through observation of, and discussion with, staff and executive members. Students will be assigned a major project to carry out for the agency under the supervision of the course instructor and an on-site practicum supervisor. Students will be expected to meet regularly with the course instructor and to provide oral and written reports on their experience during the term. (Open to Sociology, Anthropology, Criminology, and Family and Social Relations majors with semester 7 standing, major grade average of 9.0, and successful completion of 48/49-375. Additional specific prerequisites: Sociology majors: 48-302; Anthropology majors: 49-213 plus any two 200-level or higher anthropology courses; Family and Social Relations majors: 48-204 and permission of program adviser.) (Course enrollment is limited and a letter of application is required.) (Also offered as Sociology 48-447.)