| source Indiana University Bloomington (X) |
level |
department Anthropology (X) |
Meets 2nd 8 weeks only Human biological evolution and prehistory from the earliest archaeological record through the rise of civilization. This section meets twice a week and requires no additional discussion sections.
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For how long have people been scrambling about on this planet? How do we know anything about ancient humans or human ancestors? What is evolution anyway and how does it work? Anthropology A105 answers these and other pesky questions about the world and the history of the human species. Anthropology is simply the study of people. This course introduces two facets of anthropology: the study of human origins and ancient cultures. We use the term paleoanthropology to refer to this field. You will see how anthropologists look at human evolution, how fossil hunters find evidence of it and how archaeologists research ancient human societies. WeÂll explore how they interpret the remains of stuff, how they figure how old the stuff is, and how they apply their interpretations to situations in the modern world. This course will provide information about fundamental methods and techniques used in biological anthropology and archaeology. Course format includes Illustrated lectures, discussions, demonstrations, videos, and labs. Class consists of 2 lectures per week, plus a lab/discussion section, devoted primarily to hands-on exercises, during which you will get to handle casts of old bones, look at stone tools, and explore some of the regions and topics with which I and other faculty are most familiar, including stone tool production and function, animals in the archaeological record, genetic evidence for the peopling of the world, and other stimulating topics. Course readings will be drawn from a textbook as well as short supplementary readings that will be available for download from Oncourse. There will be three exams (70% of course grade), five short exercises (20% of course grade), and two group projects (10% of course grade).
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Nomadic pastoralists - groups of people who migrate regularly with herds of domesticated animals - have played a large role in history: Genghis Khan built the largest land empire the world has ever seen, Turkic and Iranian nomads helped to expand Islamic civilization throughout Eurasia and Africa, and Attila the Hun contributed to the collapse of the Roman Empire. Today, nomadic pastoralism continues to play a major role in economies in Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, and may represent the most ecologically sound use of desert and steppe landscapes. This course will examine nomadic pastoralism throughout history and in the present. Some of the topics we will cover include: the ecological conditions nomadic pastoralists face and create, the relationship between nomadic pastoralists and sedantary societies, the social organization of nomadic pastoralists, the sedantarization of nomadic pastoralists, nomadic pastoralism as political adaptation, and the future of nomadic pastoralism. The main text for this class with be Thomas Barfield's The Nomadic Alternative; in addition, we will read authors such as Anatoly Khazanov, Nazif Shahrani, Elizabeth Bacon, E.E. Evans-Pritchard, Caroline Humphrey, and Fredrik Barth.
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The unprecedented terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001 aimed at targets within the United States prompted the coalition ÂWar on Terrorism against the Taliban controlled Afghanistan  regarded as the virtual headquarters of global terrorism led by Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda terrorist network who have been implicated in carrying out the attacks. The war on global terror has been waged now for well over seven years in Afghanistan, has spawned into the invasion of Iraq and greater instability in the Middle East and beyond without an end in sight. Why the attacks on New York City, Pentagon and Pennsylvania? Who did it and Why? Why and how did Afghanistan become a Global Terrorism Inc.? Is the rise of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan, as a contemporary phenomena unique? How is the problem of terrorism conceptualized and explained by the government officials and media experts in the U.S.? What are the root causes of the problem of terrorism? What role, if any, does religion/civilization, especially Islamic Âfundamentalism play in the current global security crises? Has the ÂWar on Terrorism worked? Why or why not? What are some alternative solutions to the problem of terrorism which are not being considered and why? What lessons are learned from the war on global terror so far? Will continuation of the war make America and the world more secure? If not, how can we re-conceptualize our concept of security in a manner that could be obtained? This course will critically examine these and related questions from an anthropological perspective by focusing on the history, society, economy and political culture of Afghanistan as a multi-ethnic modern nation-state which has been ravaged by a century of internal colonialism, and most recently by foreign invasions, proxy wars and global terrorism. Required Tests (some titles may vary): Steve Coll, Ghost Wars: the secret history of the CIA, Afghanistan and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001. Gilles Dorronsoro Revolution Unending: Afghanistan, 1979 to the Present. Columbia U.P. Gabriel Kolko, Another Century of War? The New Press Peter Marsden, The Taliban: War and Religion in Afghanistan (Revised Edition). Zed Books There will be two examinations. All exams will be of the essay type, consisting of short-answer questions and longer essays. Each examination will be worth 50 points and course grade will be based on 100 cumulative points.
Score: 9.17461 Details | Listing | Web page
In this course we will explore health and disease from a biocultural perspective, which incorporates the evolutionary, ecological, and socio-cultural context of health and disease in trying to answer the general questions: why do we get sick, and, why is there variation in risk of getting sick and getting/staying well. Our level of analysis will constantly shift from the macro-level of evolutionary theory and political economy to the micro-level of genetics and microbes to understand how these act on human biology in the production of ill health. We will be concerned with how these different types of analysis have implications for the clinical practice of medicine. A variety of health topics will be covered, including childhood, reproductive, infectious, chronic and stress-related disease. This course does require that you not be afraid of learning some basic human biology, which will be elaborated as relevant throughout the semester. Overall Objectives: To understand the determinants of health within an evolutionary and ecological perspective and the clinical implications of such a perspective, the major sources of ill-health, the historical roots of the distribution of contemporary diseases, and how variation in social, cultural, and economic forces produces variation in disease and well-being. This course is an excellent companion to Anthropology E260, which takes a more socio-cultural approach to health and illness.
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An introduction to the study of the evolution of the brain, with a focus on the human species. Students will review basic concepts in evolutionary biology that form the basis for an evolutionary approach. The direct fossil evidence of vertebrate brain evolution will then be reviewed, and comparative (cross-species) perspectives on neuroanatomy and behavior will be emphasized. An analysis of the specific changes in the brain during human evolution will then be covered. We will consider possible sources of evidence relevant to brain evolution as well, such as the archaeological record of human behavioral evolution. Current controversies and theories about the causes and consequences of hominid brain evolution will be reviewed, including the possible role of language, tool use, sociality, dietary shifts, and other behavioral adaptations. In addition, sex differences in brain and behavior will be discussed, as well as philosophical questions surrounding the problems of consciousness, mind and brain. A consideration will also be given to the possible origins of human ethics and morals.
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This course will address the complex relationship between art and nationalism within North America. Using anthropological literature and case studies, we will discuss how art has been used to create national boundaries or to cross them, how the pursuit of nationalism has shaped the production and flow of art from one group to another, and finally how the concept of one term can frame the conversation of the other. The first half of the class will deal with the historical, political and economical aspects of nation and art and the last half will focus on different artistic forms that played a role in forming North American conceptions of the nation.
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Above class meets August 31  November 14, 2009 In this course, we will examine, across space and time, the significance and meaning of food, its production and consumption, in human culture and society. Ideas and practices concerning food are deeply held markers of who we are and how we define ourselves. The consumption and production of food is common to all peoples. Yet the ways that our food is produced and consumed, and our choices of preferred food and its preparation, are distinctive indicators of who we are, and our relationships with the rest of the world. By focusing on food, we have a window to the great diversity of world cultures as well as the similarities that unite all humanity. We will explore broad themes, including (1) the meanings and importance of food as part of culture, identity, and social status, (2) how changes in food production and consumption reflect transformations in society, technology, and political economy through time, (3) how food production systems and consumer choices affect the environment and biodiversity, (4) how cultural concepts of ideal body types relates to food availability and meanings through time, (5) how people deal with potential threats to food quality, such Mad Cow disease and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), (6) how individuals and cultures are affected by unequal access to food and the means to produce it, and (7) how food has figured in art, ritual, and literature. Required Readings include: Dettwiler, Katherine. 1994. Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africa. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press. Pollan, Michael. 2008. In Defense of Food: An EaterÂs Manifesto. The Penguin Press. ISBN 978-1-59420-145-5 Robinson, Jennifer and J.A. Hartenfeld. 2007. The Farmers Market Book: Growing Food, Cultivating Community. Quarry Books, an imprint of Indiana University Press. ISBN-13: 978-0-253-21016-9. [this book is also available at the Saturday Farmers Market at Showers Brothers, Saturdays 8-1] Winne, Mark. 2008. Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty. Beacon Press. ISBN (11-10-09-08) 876 54321 Recommended texts: Kingsolver, Barbara. 2007. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Harper Perennial. Paperback. ISBN 978-0-06-085256-6. Scholsser, Eric. 2002. Fast Food Nation. New York: Harper.
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This course provides a general overview of the museum profession, with particular emphasis on museums in American society. The first half of the course explores the history and philosophy of museums; the second half examines museum functions. Although the class is not restricted to students seeking careers in museums, it does serve as the first step in the training needed by aspiring museum professionals. Students who have completed the course will be prepared to enroll in more advanced course such as A408/Museum Practicum, or to take advantage of other opportunities for experience in museum work.
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The Museum Practicum (1-4 cr.) provides students with the opportunity to gain hands-on work experience in museums while earning academic credit through Indiana University's Department of Anthropology. Practica require prior agreement and must be arranged with museum personnel and the course instructor, Professor Geoffrey Conrad, director of the William Hammond Mathers Museum (conrad@indiana.edu or phone 812-855-6873). Practica may be arranged at any museum. If you wish to arrange a practicum at a museum other than the Mathers Museum, you must obtain written permission from a designated supervisor at that institution. General guidelines require that you and your supervisor agree upon the number of credit hours to be awarded, the number of hours to be worked per week, and the specific work schedule. Your designated supervisor will be responsible for assessing your performance and assigning a grade. Please bring a copy of the supervisor's statement of permission to Professor Conrad when you request authorization to enroll. Students interested in arranging practica at the Mathers Museum should visit http://www.indiana.edu/~mathers/edu/A408.pdf for detailed information regarding a specific practicum. Practica may involve collections research, conservation, education/programs, the museum store, exhibits, and photography. To apply for a practicum at the Mathers Museum, please review the information on the website, then contact the appropriate departmental supervisor (noted at the top of each listing) to request an application and arrange an interview. Acceptance of students is limited. The required number of practicum hours worked per week at the Mathers Museum varies according to the number of credit hours of A408 the student is enrolled in, and the semester of enrollment.
Score: 9.17461 Details | Listing | Web page
Archaeology plays an important role in many areas of daily life in the modern world. Everything from the ethnic identity of individuals to the political motives of angry mobs can be traced to claims about the past based on the material record. Archaeologists have traditionally been oblivious to their impact outside the academy, but in the last ten years there has been a movement toward both political consciousness and social activism. In this class we will consider the role of archaeology in the political present, including the ramifications of a passive approach to scholarship as well as the implications of various types of advocacy that attract some archaeologists. The class materials will include the reflexive application of anthropological methods to undrestand archaeologists and their practices as a social group within an historical period. There will be a heavy reading load and students will be responsible for class discussion and group projects. The final will be either an in class essay exam or a 20 page term paper. Class participation, group work and the final will be evenly counted in the determination of the final grade. Readings will come from professional journals, there will be no textbook. Students will be required to come to class and will lose points from their final grade for unexcused absences. Only original work will be accepted and plagiarism will be considered grounds for dismissal from the class.
Score: 9.17461 Details | Listing | Web page
Students assist in preparation and implementation of undergraduate courses, especially those involving hands-on laboratory work. Students prepare materials, implement laboratory activities, and maintain educational collections. Students enrolled in A420 do not assist in grading.
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This seminar/workshop has two goals. The first is to provide some foundation in educational theory with a focus on perspectives in anthropology education. You will read material that examines how undergraduates learn, along with results of some studies of college teaching. The second is to provide practical information about what to expect as an AI, and what to expect as a future professor of anthropology. There will be some teaching tips, workshops and applications dealing with testing, grading, assessment, and other topics. We will monitor how the classes you are working with are proceeding throughout the semester, and provide information regarding problem solving and course development. We will also draw on the experience and expertise of individuals in other facets of the university, such as the Campus Writing Program, who will offer workshops and discussions with our group. Near the end of the semester we will move toward broader discussions of anthropology programs, how they are framed, and what they need. This should get you thinking about how to construct courses from scratch, and how to develop new course ideas. Each week there will be time for problem-solving and discussion based on what you may be doing at any particular moment in your class, followed by directed topical discussions. You will be asked to sit in on and observe classes in areas other than your subfield. Depending on what courses you are involved in, there will be peer observations. Later in the course you will develop microteachings (short lessons on a specific topic), and teach the rest of us. As a final project, there will be course development, in which you will create course outlines, pick readings and devise assessment techniques for a course of your own. Response papers, a textbook review, and a lecture evaluation will also be included among the assignments. Readings: Curzan, Anne and Lisa Damour. 2000. First Day to Final Grade: A Graduate Student's Guide to Teaching. University of Michigan And other readings
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B200 is an introductory course in biological anthropology, which is concerned with biological variation among contemporary humans, the place of humans in the natural world, and the evolutionary history of our species, Homo sapiens. It broadly considers the question of what it means to be a human from a biological and scientific perspective. This large endeavor requires diverse approaches: biological anthropologists study genetics, the fossil record of human evolution, non-human primates (the order of mammals to which humans are most closely related), and the biology of contemporary human populations. All of these are linked by evolutionary theory, which provides us with a way of understanding why and how human populations vary and why and how our species and its ancestors have changed over time. Evolutionary theory stresses the importance of the environment as the driving force that leads to biological change, and thus we will focus on human adaptations - both those that characterize Homo sapiens, and those that contribute to biological variation among our species. First we will do an overview of evolutionary theory and basic genetics, leading up to the modern synthesis of Darwin's ideas and Mendelian genetics. We will then turn to an examination of human biological variation, including the concept of race, genetic adaptations and variation that derives from physiological plasticity. Next we will consider humans in relation to members of the primate order. We will finish with a review of the fossil record that documents the natural history of our species. The focus will be on the emergence of the key adaptations that characterize Homo sapiens: bipedalism and the large brain.
Score: 9.17461 Details | Listing | Web page
This course is the same as the class above regarding course content; however, grading procedures, assignments and text may differ.
Score: 9.17461 Details | Listing | Web page
This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the basic research techniques used by biological anthropologists through hands-on experience and an introduction to the literature of the field. The course is divided into two main sections. The first focuses on human skeletal anatomy, and the second covers methodologies used in forensic anthropology, paleontology, primatology, human growth and development, and population genetics. This course counts for the NMNS distribution requirement.
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The Evolution of Primate Social Behavior has two principal aims. (1) We will become familiar with the variety of primate social organizations. Primate societies will be parsed into 5 basic systems, after which variations on these themes will be explored. You will learn that nonhuman primates vary from solitary, positively antisocial species, to animals that gather in groups of up to 300. (2) We aim to understand the theoretical underpinnings of primate social behavior. We will investigate the evolutionary and ecological bases of sociality, intense affiliation within groups (bonding), group transfer, territoriality, aggression, primate intelligence, communication, tool use, mating strategies, and parenting strategies. Readings include scientific articles on reserve and a textbook, The Natural History of the Primates. There are 11 pages of reading per meeting. The class will view three short films, and two hour-long films. There will be three exams.
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Humans are the dominant primate on the planet now, but 20 million years ago our ape ancestors were hardly distinguishable from any of the dozen apes alive then. B464, Human Paleontology, aims to survey the fossil record beginning with the human lineage that survived the great ape die-off around 10 million years ago and continuing up to the present. The class will examine the course of human evolution and the evidence paleontologists bring to bear when interpreting morphology of our lineage, and the selective pressures that created it. We will begin historically by examining how scientists came to recognize fossils as extinct animals, and how they learned interpret them. Students will learn basic functional anatomy, and how the study of anatomy and its function helps us to understand extinct animals. We will investigate how the human body functions by treating it as a mechanical solution to life-problems. We will also study evolutionary theory, and what it can tell us about why humans evolved and why we're still evolving. In the course of learning the anatomy and chronology of critical fossils, students will learn why humans became bipedal, why we shifted from a principally vegetarian diet to one that includes animals, why we came to have large brains, and what the impact of tools and other technology has had on our bodies.
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This seminar is intended to give graduate students training in critical analysis of theoretical models of evolution and their application to biological anthropology, as well as a historical perspective on evolutionary theory in our field. We will focus on topics of evolutionary theory that are particularly relevant to anthropology. These include, but are not limited to, classification and phylogenetics, form and function (including heterochrony, critical periods, canalization and related topics), life history theory and reproductive ecology, game theory, species concepts, concepts of adaptation and human adaptability, the action of evolutionary forces, cooperation (including kin selection and reciprocal altruism), sexual selection, coevolution, tempo and mode of evolution, level of selection (gene, individual, group, species), and race concepts. There will be several guest speakers and discussion leaders, including faculty in anthropology and other departments. Emphasis will be placed on student development of critical thinking and reading skills, especially in assessments of primary literature, as well as academic writing skills, including grant writing. This course is required for first year bioanthropology graduate students.
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This course covers the morphology of the human skeleton. We will discuss as comprehensively as possible surface features of the bones, soft tissue relationships, functional anatomy, age and sex differences, variability, and data collection techniques. You will learn the fundamental skill of the bone specialist in anthropology: identifying fragments. Each student will prepare a short research project. This may be an inventory and description of a small archeological sample, a study of a single feature in a larger series, or a technical essay. Your paper should be prepared in the style of the AJPA, and is due on the Friday of exam week by noon. Be prepared to present your findings as 10 minute oral presentation in our last class meeting. Final grades are based on 5 bone fragment quizzes (50%), weekly exercises (10%) and the research project (40%). You must identify 80% of the bone fragments on quizzes correctly to earn an A. You may use any materials you like in identifying quiz specimens. Quizzes and practice materials will be available afternoons in SB 260 for the week before each due date. You may choose either textbook, Aiello and Dean, An Introduction to Human Evolutionary Anatomy, or White, Human Osteology as your basic resource, and you will find both useful. A gross anatomy text or atlas will be helpful as well. I will assign review articles and technical papers from other sources as weekly reading. These readings will be available in SB260.
Score: 9.17461 Details | Listing | Web page
The Evolution of Primate Social Behavior has two principal aims. (1) We will become familiar with the variety of primate social organizations. Primate societies will be parsed into 5 basic systems, after which variations on these themes will be explored. You will learn that nonhuman primates vary from solitary, positively antisocial species, to animals that gather in groups of up to 300. (2) We aim to understand the theoretical underpinnings of primate social behavior. We will investigate the evolutionary and ecological bases of sociality, intense affiliation within groups (bonding), group transfer, territoriality, aggression, primate intelligence, communication, tool use, mating strategies, and parenting strategies. Readings include scientific articles on reserve and a textbook, The Natural History of the Primates. There are 11 pages of reading per meeting. The class will view three short films, and two hour-long films. There will be three exams.
Score: 9.17461 Details | Listing | Web page
This seminar will consider the evolution of cognition from a variety of perspectives. One focus will be on hominid anatomical evolution, particularly those aspects relevant to the evolution of human behavior (e.g., neuroanatomy). Another focus will be on non-human primate behavior, both in the wild and in the lab. We will also consider the archaeological evidence left by Pleistocene humans that may be relevant to this question. Aspects of cognition to be considered include language, spatial abilities, planning, emotion, and other higher cognitive functions. Participants will have the opportunity to take an active role in influencing the direction of the seminar towards areas of their particular interest. The goal of the seminar will be to integrate research from many fields of inquiry in order to gain a better understanding of the human condition.
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Have you ever wondered how and why people of other cultures and groups act and think differently, and see the world in different ways? Sociocultural and linguistic anthropology study human cultural difference, and the universal aspects of the human experience that bring all people together. The course challenges you with a wide variety of films, readings, discussions, and short research assignments, to help understand the kinds of cultural diversity you face every day here in Indiana, and will encounter for the rest of your life in our increasingly interconnected world. Our goal is to open your eyes to the origin and value of cultures, in a way that will be useful in almost any kind of major and career, from business to musical performance. I use an unusual grading system in which you can pick different combinations of tests and other work to get the grade you want.
Score: 9.17461 Details | Listing | Web page
Meets 2nd 8 weeks only This course is an introduction to the ethnographic and comparative study of contemporary and historical human society and culture. This section meets twice a week and requires no additional discussion sections.
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In this course, we will examine the multidimensionality of social and cultural anthropology through an exploration of ethnographic research and writing. Students will read ethnographic articles and books written by anthropologists who work in different parts of the world on various topics of crucial importance to anthropological inquiry. Such topics include social memory; language and discourse; gender politics; identity politics and ethnic/religious conflict; and illness, disease, and healthcare. Students will view several ethnographic films and videos in conjunction with class readings and discussions. Major course requirements are timely completion of the readings, participation in class discussions and in-class exercises, several mini-fieldwork projects, and essay summaries of these projects.
Score: 9.17461 Details | Listing | Web page