Anthropology

ANTHRO 1005 Introduction to Human Evolution: 4 semester hours

In this course, students apply evolutionary theory to analyze the biological and cultural evidence for human evolution and modern human biological variation from 65 million years ago to the present. Topics include cell biology, population genetics, the primate order, and the primate/hominin fossil records. In addition to 3 hours of lecture, 1 hour per week is spent in lab analyzing UMSL's primate and hominin cast collection. This course satisfies the Mathematics and Life/Natural Sciences General Education Explore Area.

ANTHRO 1011 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (MOTR ANTH 201): 3 semester hours

Cultural anthropology is the study of human beings as creatures and creators of society. This course is an introduction to that study which aims to demonstrate how the basic concepts and techniques developed by cultural anthropologists help us to understand societies of various degrees of complexity, including our own. We will consider topics such as language, kinship, gender, ethnicity, economics, politics, religion, and social change in a broad comparative framework. Major goals are an increased awareness of the social and cultural dimensions of human experience, the diversity and flexibility of human cultures, and processes of intercultural communication and conflict. This course satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement.

ANTHRO 1019 Introduction to Archaeology: 3 semester hours

Archaeology is a subfield of anthropology that studies past human societies from their material remains. Explores the development of archaeology as a scientific discipline. Archaeological methods and theories will be explained using case studies from the continents of Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and the Americas. This course satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement.

ANTHRO 1021 The Body in Culture: 3 semester hours

Same as HIST 1021. This course will compare uses of the body as a social signifier in Western and non-Western cultures. It will explore how culture shapes the images, uses and meanings of the human body. It concentrates on different historical and beliefs in five areas: how the body works; sex and gender; eating manners and food; pain and punishment; beauty and bodily mutilation. This course satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement.

ANTHRO 1025 World Cultures: 3 semester hours

An ethnographic survey of the major culture areas of the world (Africa, North and South America, Europe and Oceania). This course satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement.

ANTHRO 1030 Democracy and War: 3 semester hours

Using the world's first democracy in ancient Greece as a case study, this course will address questions about the origins of democracy, the key elements of a successful democratic government, the mechanisms by which democratic and non-democratic states go to war, the manner in which they cope with war and the psychological effects of war on warriors and civilian populations that will help us learn how our own democracy works and affects our lives.

ANTHRO 1033 World Archaeology: 3 semester hours

Discusses some of the greatest discoveries in archaeology from prehistoric cultures to ancient civilizations of Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and the Americas. Archaeological examples may include early human origins at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, the pyramids of ancient Egypt, the Maya and Aztec of Mexico, the rise of civilization in Mesopotamia, England's Stonehenge, the Roman city of Pompeii, upper Paleolithic cave paintings in France and Spain, and American Indian pueblos of the Southwest. This introductory course is designed for non-anthropology majors, or for those who are considering the major. This course satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement.

ANTHRO 1034 Introduction to Ancient Egypt and Its Civilization: 3 semester hours

Same as HIST 1034. This course will survey ancient Egyptian history and culture from predynastic times to Greco-Roman rule, roughly 3000 BCE to 30 BCE. Students will discuss archaeological sites, mummification, religion, architecture, texts, and more. Through comparing ancient Egyptian culture with our own, students will explore what has changed in the world and what has endured for millennia.

ANTHRO 1037 The Wonders of Greece: Introduction to Greek History and Culture: 3 semester hours

Same as HIST 1037. Our democracy and culture have been heavily influenced by Greek civilization. This course will introduce students to the culture and civilization of Greece in order to provide a better understanding of our own society. The course will cover the political and military history, art, literature, philosophy, and science of Greece from prehistoric to modern times, with special emphasis on Greek civilization's enduring democratic and cultural ideals. The course will include screening of films and use of online resources.

ANTHRO 1041 Sex and Gender Across Cultures: 3 semester hours

Same as HIST 1040. This course considers womanhood, manhood, third genders, and sexuality in a broad cross-cultural perspective. It examines gender roles and sexuality within the broader cultural contexts of ritual and symbolism, family, marriage and kinship, economy, politics, and public life. This course will help students understand the cultural logics that separate females, males, and sometimes third genders into different groups in different societies. It also satisfies the Cultural Diversity Requirement.

ANTHRO 1091 Introductory Topics in Anthropology: 3 semester hours

This course features special and current topics at the introductory level in the areas of social, cultural and physical anthropology and archaeology. The course examines the basic concepts and provides an understanding of the development of new trends and areas of study in the field of Anthropology. Topics will focus on the comparative study of non-Western cultures such as ecological practices in tribal societies; religious practices in prehistoric cultures; the roles of women across cultures; etc. Topics may vary and the course may be repeated provided topic is different. This course satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement.

ANTHRO 1095 Brief Overview of the Four Fields of Anthropology: 1 semester hour

Through the use of videos, readings, and the online course management system, this course provides a brief overview of the four traditional fields of anthropology: biological, archaeological, cultural, and linguistic anthropology. This course is designed for video instruction and offers minimal direct interaction with the instructor.

ANTHRO 1271 Food and Drink: Anthropological Perspective: 3 semester hours

This course explores the social and cultural aspects of foods and drinks. Topics may include the origins of food production; the evolution of diets, foods, and productions systems around the world; the interrelationships between food and identity, gender, race, and class; food and globalization; food politics and food justice movements; water scarcity; and the push for a sustainable future. This course satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement.

ANTHRO 2100 Languages and World View: 3 semester hours

Same as FGN LANG 2100 and SOC 2200. This course investigates the extent to which linguistic and cultural background inform our understanding of the world. Experts on a variety of major Western and non-Western languages will introduce students to differences in ideas about time, space, human relationships, and other issues based on language. The course will also analyze common cultural misunderstandings among native speakers of English and speakers of other languages.

ANTHRO 2104 Medicine in Culture and History: 3 semester hours

Same as HIST 2104. In this course, students will explore the diverse beliefs and practices related to anatomy, disease, sexual reproduction, gender, sport, and food. Western biomedicine will be compared with traditional Chinese medicine and other non-Western traditions such as shamanic, Native American, Tibetan, and Ayurvedic systems. The clash between traditional and modern medical systems will also be examined. This course satisfies the Cultural Diversity Requirement.

ANTHRO 2106 Past, Present, and Future of Pandemics: 3 semester hours

This course focuses on anthropological, archaeological, and historical perspectives on the impact of infectious disease epidemics on culture and society through history and across cultures. Ancient and medieval examples may include Egypt, Greece, Byzantium, and China, including the 14th century Black Death. Examples from the modern era may include the destruction of Native American populations by European contact, the 1918 Spanish flu, the 2003 SARS pandemic, and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. This course satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement.

ANTHRO 2109 Archaeological Field School: 3-6 semester hours

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor. Introduction to field methods in archaeology and to the techniques of recording, storing, analyzing, and reporting archaeological findings. Experience is gained through participation in a field research project including excavation and survey projects. Emphasis is placed upon research design and implementation and upon the use of archaeological data in describing and explaining human behavior.

ANTHRO 2117 Greek History and Culture: 3 semester hours

Same as HIST 2117. Greek civilization has had a deep impact on contemporary society in art; social; political; and economic organization; philosophy; law; medicine; and science. This course covers major aspects of Greek history and culture from antiquity to the present. It considers the major political and military events of Greek history, as well as important aspects of Greek culture, including sports and the history of the Olympic Games, literature, philosophy, and mythology.

ANTHRO 2120 Native Peoples of North America: 3 semester hours

A survey of Native Peoples of North America including the prehistory, ethnographic and linguistic groupings, social organization, and cultural systems of these cultures.

ANTHRO 2124 Introduction to Contemporary African Cultures: 3 semester hours

This introductory course focuses on multiple representations within contemporary African cultures and societies. Students have an opportunity to study and learn about African cultural expressions in belief systems, gender constructions, nationality and ethnicity, socioeconomic class systems, politics, environmental challenges, and cultural adaptations and change. This course satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement.

ANTHRO 2134 Archaeology of The Inca, Aztec, and Maya: 3 semester hours

Provides an overview of human social and cultural developments in Mesoamerica and Andean South America from the first settlements over 20,000 years ago to the Spanish conquest. Focuses on events leading to and including the establishment of Classic Mayan and Aztec societies, and discusses changes that led to what was perhaps the largest nation on earth for its time, the Inca. This course satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement.

ANTHRO 2150 Zombies, Vampires, and Monsters: The Supernatural in Popular Culture: 3 semester hours

Beliefs in the unseen world are universal. Zombies, vampires, and monsters are all elements of the supernatural in popular culture that we can analyze to discover deeper meanings about what it means to be human. This course will also cover magic, witchcraft, ghosts, possession, exorcism, and other beliefs and practices that reveal the views that humans have about their place in the world. This course will use anthropological concepts to make the familiar strange, and the strange familiar.

ANTHRO 2191 Special Topics in Non-Western Culture: 3 semester hours

This course focuses on a specific non-western culture, or geographically related groups of cultures. Ethnographic and/or archaeological cultures are chosen and their ecological economic, social, religious, cosmological, political, ethnic, linguistic and other cultural domains are examined. Students are exposed to basic concepts and knowledge for understanding diverse cultures in their historical and/or contemporary contexts of development and relationship. Topics will vary. This course satisfies Cultural Diversity Requirement.

ANTHRO 2192 Anthropological Perspectives on Western Culture: 3 semester hours

This course focuses on a specific Western culture or geographically-related group of cultures utilizing ethnographic and/or archaeological sources. Ecological, economic, social, political, ethnic, religious, linguistic and cultural domains will be examined. Students are exposed to basic anthropological concepts for understanding diverse cultures in their historical and/or contemporary contexts. Topics will vary.

ANTHRO 2212 Greek Myths and Monuments: 3 semester hours

Same as ART HS 2212 and HIST 2212. This course provides an overview of Greek myths and legends, as well as their reception in architecture, the visual arts, and literature. Particular emphasis will be given to: 1) the theology and the creation myths of the Greeks and how these relate to the Bible; 2) heroic myths from the Trojan War to Atlantis, and their historicity; 3) famous monuments, works of art, and texts from Greek and world literature, that advance our understanding of Greek myths and the culture that created them.

ANTHRO 2420 Maiko, Maids, and Masako: Women in Japanese Cultural History: 3 semester hours

Same as HIST 2420. This course offers perspectives on famous Japanese women who have captured the public eye at various historical junctures. Students will learn to critically assess representations of these mythological, religious, occupational, and subcultural figures, as well as their linkage to notions of nationhood and modernity. This course satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement.

ANTHRO 3209 Forensic Anthropology: 4 semester hours

Same as CRIMIN 3209. Prerequisites: ANTHRO 1005, or BIOL 1102, or junior standing, or consent of instructor. Students learn basic dental and skeletal anatomy and the methods used by biological anthropologists and archaeologists to collect and analyze human skeletal remains, including how to determine age and sex of skeletal remains, identify ethnic markers, determine stature and handedness, and identify the presence of trauma and/or pathology. Also covers the role of the forensic anthropologist in crime scene investigations and human rights issues. In the weekly lab section students will have an opportunity for hands-on application of techniques to analyze skeletal remains.

ANTHRO 3214 Writing Systems of the World: 3 semester hours

Same as HIST 3214. This course studies the writing systems from around the world leads to appreciation for one of humankind’s most important technological inventions. Students will explore the origins and development of writing systems over time, the linguistic classification of writing, and the transmission of writing across languages and cultures. This course satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement.

ANTHRO 3218 Visual and Material Culture of Japan: 3 semester hours

Same as HIST 3218. This course offers students the opportunity to research Japanese visual genres and material artifacts, from the iconography of Buddhism and fifteenth century pottery to postwar political cartoons, advertising posters, and etiquette comics. Students will discover how artifacts and images provide a means for communicating cultural meaning, while also reflecting aesthetics, humor, and cultural norms. This course satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement.

ANTHRO 3220 Quantitative Data Analysis in Social Science Research: 3 semester hours

Same as SOC 3220. Prerequisites: MATH 1020. This course examines issues and techniques of statistical analysis relevant to quantitative sociological research, such as elementary probability, measurements of central tendency and dispersion, measures of relationships including linear regression and correlation, inferential and nonparametric statistics. The course includes an introduction to computer-based statistical analysis.

ANTHRO 3235 Women in Subsaharan Africa: A Contemporary Perspective: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ANTHRO 1011, or introductory course in another social science, or consent of instructor. Examines important traditional concerns of anthropologists such as the nature of kinship obligation and privilege; gender as a basis for the division of labor; social organization for formal and informal networks; and ritual and ceremony. In addition we look closely at the changing role of African women, as related by African women testing the very limits of what is "socially and culturally acceptable." The roles women continue to play in politics, comprehensive development (i.e. cultural and economic), and evolving social structures are reviewed to gain an understanding of the historical and contemporary mandates for their social action. This course satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement.

ANTHRO 3243 Marriage, Family, and Kinship: 3 semester hours

Same as SOC 3243 and GS 3243. Prerequisites: ANTHRO 1019, SOC 1010, or consent of the instructor. This course will examine will examine the construction of kinship systems, marriages, families and other forms of intimate relationships from anthropological and sociological perspectives. The cross-cultural structure of this class will incorporate global case studies, including U.S. and European marriage and family structures. Students will have the opportunity to explore topics including love, dating, cohabitation, kinship calculation, alternative lifestyles, and divorce.

ANTHRO 3246 Medicine and Disease in the Ancient World: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ANTHRO 1005 or consent of the instructor. This course explores medicine and disease through case studies from civilizations of the ancient world such as Egypt, Greece, and Peru. Students will discuss how these cultures conceptualized disease, and, in turn, how they contended with illness. This course addresses different ways of identifying disease through medical texts, art, and human remains.

ANTHRO 3255 Oral History and Urban Culture in St. Louis: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ANTHRO 1011 or instructor's consent. This course involves students in background research and active fieldwork in urban anthropology within the metropolitan area. The focus will be on learning and applying oral history techniques in the city of St. Louis and its neighborhood. They will learn fieldwork methodologies and how to conduct social, cultural, and historical research in preparation for fieldwork. This includes learning to research, conduct, and process interviews. They will also learn to work in teams to construct a group project to be presented to the class.

ANTHRO 3290 Advanced Topics in Archaeology: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ANTHRO 1019, or consent of instructor. Selected topics in archeology with a strong theoretical and methodological approach. Requires substantial reading and writing. May be repeated with consent of department.

ANTHRO 3291 Current Issues in Anthropology: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ANTHRO 1011, or introductory course in another social science, or consent of instructor. Selected topics in social, cultural and physical anthropology, with emphasis on current issues and trends in the field of anthropology. May be repeated provided topic is different.

ANTHRO 4000 Ethnographic Field Research Methods: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ANTHRO 1011, SOC 1010, or consent of instructor. Ethnographic field research is the basis of cultural anthropological inquiry. This course emphasizes hands-on training in the collection and analysis of ethnographic data, including participant observation, taking and managing field notes, key informant interviewing, content analysis and the preparation of ethnographic field reports.

ANTHRO 4005 Special Research Methods in Cultural Anthropology: 1-3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ANTHRO 1011 or consent of instructor. Advanced instruction in specialized technical and analytical skills and methods used to conduct research in cultural anthropology and/or linguistic anthropology. May be repeated provided the topic is different.

ANTHRO 4021 Anthropology of Current World Issues: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ANTHRO 1011. This course enhances your understanding of world issues by using an anthropological lens. Students will learn about human adaptations and rationalities, and the way in which anthropology can shed new perspectives on current world issues including ethics, food and water crises, and racial, ethnic, and gender disparities.

ANTHRO 4200 Field Methods in Biological Anthropology: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ANTHRO 1005 or consent of instructor. Course material is based on human skeletal biology and bioarchaeology. The course focuses on 1) training a biological anthropologist; 2) bibliographic research; 3) research methods including skeletal pathology, geographic morphological variants, and developmental changes; 4) giving academic presentations and writing research reports. Students are required to conduct self-directed research on human skeletal remains.

ANTHRO 4205 Special Research Methods in Biological Anthropology: 1-3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ANTHRO 1005 or consent of instructor. Advanced instruction in specialized technical and analytical skills and methods used to conduct research in biological anthropology. May be repeated provided the topic is different.

ANTHRO 4307 Community Based Research in Anthropology: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: Junior standing, ANTHRO 1011, and completion of junior-level writing requirement. This is an advanced course in qualitative/ethnographic modes of inquiry, building on research and analytical skills learned in previous courses. Some quantitative methods may supplement the research when appropriate. Students experience the process of discovery, representation, presentation, and justification based on fieldwork and/or archival research. The focus is on applying anthropological knowledge to practical issues faced by communities and institutions in the St. Louis area.

ANTHRO 4310 Laboratory Methods in Archaeology: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ANTHRO 1019, SOC 3220 or equivalent, or consent of instructor. An advanced laboratory analysis and curation methods class. The emphases are 1) mastery of general lab methods and procedures, and 2) development of independent analysis skills in one or more specialty areas such as lithics, ceramics, computer graphics, statistical methods, paleoethnobotany, experimental analysis, and soils.

ANTHRO 4314 The Archaeology of Death: 4 semester hours

Prerequisites: Junior standing. This course will survey some of the different ways people have buried their dead over time. Using archaeology as their foundation, students will explore what burials can tell us about culture and society. During field trips to local cemeteries, they will study current perceptions of death and future archaeological records. Students will conduct demographic analysis of both local and global cemeteries to help them understand the relationships between death, burial, and aging. In the weekly lab section students will learn digital analysis techniques and apply those techniques to data collected.

ANTHRO 4315 Anthropology Past, Present, and Future: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: Senior standing, one of the following method courses: ANTHRO 4000, ANTHRO 4100, ANTHRO 4200, and consent of the instructor. The capstone course for anthropology majors, ideally to be taken in the final semester of the senior year. In this course, students will 1) explore where anthropology has come from and where it may be going; 2) discuss a series of topics that can be addressed from the perspectives of different subfields by examining different theoretical positions, methods, and types of data; 3) learn to apply the knowledge and skills gained in previous courses to their future, professional careers. Final senior exit projects will be presented orally to Anthropology faculty members.

ANTHRO 4316 Senior Research Project: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: Senior standing and consent of the instructor. For undergraduates who have excelled in their coursework and wish to conduct original research. Students will work with a faculty member with expertise relevant to the research topic. This course offers students the opportunity to build upon strong research, analytic and writing skills. Completion of this course will result in the writing of a thesis, publication of an article, presentation at a professional meeting, or other work that exemplifies high achievement.

ANTHRO 4325 Internship in Cultural Anthropology: 1-3 semester hours

Prerequisite: Recommendation of major advisor. Students will be assigned an internship on recommendation of their advisor. Internships will consist of a period of study, observation, and training in an appropriate public or private institution, business, or government office. Cultural Anthropology internships are aimed at providing students with opportunities to learn to apply their knowledge of social and cultural process and diversity to practical situations in the market place of ideas, goods, and services. Specific placements will be selected to match student's interests and career goals.

ANTHRO 4326 Internship in Archaeology: 1-6 semester hours

Prerequisite: Recommendation of major advisor. Students will be assigned an internship on recommendation of their advisor. Internships will consist of a period of study, observation, and training in an appropriate public or private institution, business, or government office. Archaeology internships are aimed at providing students with opportunities to work with professional archaeologists in public and private research environments including laboratories and curation centers. Specific placements will be selected to match student's interests and career goals.

ANTHRO 4328 Internship in Museum Studies: 1-3 semester hours

Prerequisite: Recommendation of major advisor. Students will be assigned an internship on recommendation of their advisor. Internships will consist of a period of study, observation, and training in an appropriate museum or other exhibition oriented institution. Museum internships are aimed at providing students with opportunities to work with professional museologists to learn skills relating to areas such as exhibition, curation, public programming, research, and publication. Specific placements will be selected to match student's interests and career goals.

ANTHRO 4329 Internship in Biological Anthropology: 1-3 semester hours

Prerequisite: Recommendation of major advisor. This course is an internship that consists of a period of study, observation and training in an appropriate institution, lab, or research setting related to forensics, primate behavior and biology, human genetics, population, environmental policy, and other domains related to biological anthropology. Students will be assigned an internship on recommendation of their advisor. This course may be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours.

ANTHRO 4350 Special Study: 1-3 semester hours

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Independent study through readings, reports, or field research. No student may take more than a cumulative total of 6 hours of Special Study.