Anthropology (ANT)
Use of archaeological data in reconstruction of past human cultural systems, with an emphasis on the role of archaeological theory in the process of interpretation.
Theoretical approaches to modern-day anthropology, with emphasis on political economy, Marxism, hermeneutics, ecology, and feminism.
Cultural traits and social structures of China, Korea, and Japan in the context of their development from the traditional to the modern. Special attention on Japanese society in comparison with American society.
Current social issues and policies in the light of historical and cultural foundations of selected African countries.
A thorough investigation of the relationship between the individual and culture/society, with emphasis on the "culture and personality" school of contemporary humanistic social science.
An introduction to the causes and effects of climate change as it relates to people and power, ethics and morals, environmental costs and justice, and cultural and spiritual survival.
Biological and sociocultural aspects of human health, disease, development, aging, and health care. Especially emphasized are the developmental, holistic, and cross-cultural perspectives on disease and the life cycle.
Impact of major catastrophes on human society with emphasis on coping strategies and the utility of disaster theory to help in the recovery process. Issues include disaster, toxic disaster, famine, epidemic, war and natural oppression.
Epidemiological concepts and skills pertinent to the understanding of diseases. Assessment of cultural, ecological, environmental, occupational, and behavioral factors.
Principles of modern medical, biological, and psychological theory are applied to understand how economic and social inequities affect child development and health.
Principles of modern medical practice and evolutionary biology are used to understand family relationships and how/why they affect child development and health in global context.
Seminar on the evolutionary history of humans. Emphasis on fossil evidence and primary texts.
Distributional patterns of archaeological sites within specific environments. Archaeological/environmental field work in Texas, with respect to recent conservation laws protecting nonrenewable archaeological resources.
Environmental and cultural factors that led to the rise and fall of civilizations in the Mediterranean region.
A survey of the African archaeological record, from emergence of stone tool technology 2.6 million years ago to the rise of complex civilizations and the African Diaspora.
Biological and cultural forces that will likely shape humankind's future. Emphasis on trends in demography, globalization, science, and technology.
An archaeological survey of human societies in the United States and Canada from their earliest appearance in the New World to the arrival of Europeans. One-third of the course will focus on historical archaeology.
Forensic anthropological techniques used in civil and criminal court cases, including analysis of skeletal material for sex, age, stature, and biological affinity.
Myth, ritual and religion in social and cultural anthropology. Emphasis on structural and functional analysis, including critiques of pertinent classical and contemporary works.
See MUS 4360 for course information.
An introduction to applied anthropology where major research components are identified and specific fields such as medical, nutritional, environmental anthropology, and Third World development are discussed.
The complex social behavior of primates. Includes field trips. Graduate students produce a comprehensive research paper.
Debate of current theoretical issues that reflect the continually changing nature of the discipline. Students will address all sides of a currently debated issue, drawing upon their studies in anthropology and related fields. Faculty participation.
Application of evolutionary theory to medicine using insights from evolutionary theory (biology) and human evolutionary ecology (biological and cultural anthropology) to inform our understandings of human health, development, and disease.
Recent developments in human reproductive biology, human reproductive ecology, and fertility analysis. The major features of the human reproductive process are considered using a combination of demographic, physiological and evolutionary approaches.
Analysis of the collaborative efforts among physicians, public health professionals, veterinarians, and social scientists to understand infectious disease exchange at the interface of human, wildlife, and livestock populations, and the varying ecological and cultural contexts in which these disease spillovers take place.
Survey of regional and systemic human anatomy viewed from a comparative evolutionary perspective. Non-human primate and non-primate vertebrates will be used to illustrate the unique characteristics of human anatomical structures that have been honed by natural selection throughout our evolutionary history.
Field training in archaeological excavation, survey, artifact processing, and analysis of material culture.
Residence for five to six weeks in a selected area to observe and analyze social, economic, and environmental systems.
Training in research techniques to gain an understanding of the methodology and its application in field research in various topics related to biological anthropology.
Lecture and field experience in the methods and techniques of social and cultural anthropology. May be repeated for a total of six semester hours with different topics.
Independent library and lab research focused on a current topic in archaeology. May be repeated for a total of six semester hours with different topics.
A reading-research project in selected areas of ethnology, archaeology, or physical anthropology. May be repeated for credit up to a total of six semester hours, provided topic is different.
Multicultural societies will be examined with respect to cultural histories as well as modern problems. Special attention will be given to the cultural complexity of the continental United States.
This course focuses on chronic deficiencies of certain key ingredients in the diet, their causal factors, the impacts these deficiencies have, and solutions to these problems in the contemporary world. The course explores the consequences of world hunger with particular attention to food and nutritional security as it influences health status, ability to work, education outcomes, economic security, and social connectedness.
Modern approaches to descriptive, exploratory, and formative anthropological research, with foundational concepts underlying research design as well as core methodologies. Students develop a domestic research project to collect primary data and gain experience in ethnographic methods, including participant observation, mapping, interviewing, survey design, data management and analysis (indexing, coding, transcribing, and related methods).
Experience conducting actual research in human evolutionary biology. Students collect data on living humans, perform laboratory analyses, statistical analyses, and manuscript preparation and presentation. Students gain experience with scientific methodology, hypothesis generation and study design, human subjects committees, biosafety and bioethics, biological sample collection, biomarker assays, survey design, and statistical analyses.
Students learn how granting at the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health works, identify research and publication biases, recognize ethical issues in research, distinguish good science from bad attempts at it, identify potential granting opportunities, develop general writing and oral presentation skills, and develop peer reviewing skills.
This course examines human biological variation, with a focus on human genetic and phenotypic diversity, adaptation, and health disparities in contemporary global populations. The overall framework for understanding human variation is evolutionary and biocultural. It draws from various scientific disciplines, including anthropology, evolutionary biology, genetics, physiology, nutrition, psychology, and global health.
This course covers advanced topics in human genetic and genomic research. We focus on the application of genetic principles to human populations with an emphasis on population history, human evolution, and genes underlying human health and disease. Students are introduced to population genetic statistics, human genomics from an evolutionary standpoint, and standard forms of genome-wide data analysis.
Students are taught key concepts in Medical Anthropology to examine how health and wellbeing are socially and culturally constituted in contexts of cultural diversity. We bring key insights from anthropological cross-cultural comparisons to public health and medical practice.
Study of social theory that informs historical transformations in the ethics of global public health, including the history of research and practice in international and population health. Topics include equality and equity, access and competition, homogeneity and diversity, legitimacy and power, responsiveness and exploitation, and moral reasoning and justice, among others.
Principles of modern medical practice and evolutionary biology are used to understand family relationships and how/why they affect child development and health in global context. We begin with a brief overview of major issues in global child health practice. We then examine these issues from the perspective of developmental biology, psychology, and evolutionary medicine.
Critique of existing domestic and international policy goals that include efforts to improve global health. Special attention (via analyses of case-studies) is given to the ethical and legal principles pertaining to global health policies.
Advanced work in Anthropology on variable topics. Subject and hours of credit agreed upon by student and instructor prior to registration. May be taken more than once provided the content differs substantially from that of any prior offering of the course that the student has taken.
Supervised research for doctoral students developing a dissertation proposal and studying for the preliminary examination required for advancement to candidacy. A student may repeat this course for credit with a maximum of twelve total hours.
Provides graduate students opportunity for internship work experience in research positions with consent of advisory committee.
Research, data analysis, writing, and defense of an approved doctoral dissertation project. Student must have been admitted to candidacy before registering for dissertation hours.