Anthropology and Sociology

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The Anthropology/Sociology Department offers a program that provides a broad base of knowledge in both sociology and anthropology. The two fields share a philosophical and historical heritage as well as a common concern for the social and cultural conditions of the human life, with sociology concentrating on the study of modern society and anthropology on cultural diversity and small-scale societies.

In the world today, recognition of the interdependence of small scale and industrial societies brings a fusion of anthropology and sociology. The Department thus offers a combined major, which allows students the choice of a variety of courses according to their interests. The major provides an excellent framework for liberal arts education, while preparing students for the growing number of local and international opportunities in human services, education, business, and government.

Anthropology/Sociology Major

Consists of 32 credits, 21 of which must be upper-division from the two fields of study. The following courses are required:

• ATH 101 Cultural Anthropology
• ATH 305 Culture Change and the World System
• ATH 404 Theories in Anthropology
• SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology
• SOC 349 Social Stratification
• SOC 480 Sociological Theories
• ATH 490 Seminar in Social Research or SOC 490 Seminar in Social Research

The Foreign Language Recommendation

Students selecting a major in Anthropology/Sociology are strongly encouraged to learn a modern foreign language.

Those who plan to continue in graduate school are advised to take a course in statistics. Students desiring teacher certification with a major in Anthropology/Sociology must consult with a member of the Education Department.

Human Services Concentration

Consists of the requirements for the Anthropology/Sociology major, plus:

• SOC 320
• ATH 202/302
• PSY 204 or PSY 205
• PSY 350
• A six credit internship

The human services concentration will appear on the transcript with the Anthropology/Sociology major.

Anthropology/Sociology Minor

Consists of 21 credits, to be approved by the minor advisor in the department and the major advisor, and must include:

• ATH 101
  or
  SOC 100
• ATH 202/302
  or
  SOC 360
• At least 12 more upper-division credits

Latin American Studies Minor

For a description of this interdisciplinary minor, see the Latin American Studies section of the catalog.

Asian Studies Minor

For a description of this interdisciplinary minor, see the Asian Studies section of the catalog.

Anthropology (ATH)

Special Off-Campus Study:

ATH-260 Peoples of the Andes 3.0 cr.

Spring 2004.  Prereq.: permission.  An in-depth examination of the contemporary indigenous and urban people of the Andes and their cultures, including contemporary economics, religion, politics, social organization, the arts and issues of current concern.  As part of the immersion experience, students will focus on Cusco, Peru, and will integrate their learning with field participation and experience in Cusco and nearby indigenous villages, markets, artisan workshops, and religious festivals. (CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND/OR SOCIAL SCIENCE)

ATH-360 Andean Prehistory & Culture 3.0 cr.

Spring 2004.  Prereq.: permission.  An in-depth examination of the pre-Columbian cultures and civilizations of the Andes, focusing on Cusco and the Incan Empire and then working backward to preceding civilizations and forward to what cultural elements have continued into contemporary Andean culture.  As part of the immersion experience, students will visit all important Incan archaeological sites, including Machu Picchu, and several pre-Incan sites. (CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND/OR SOCIAL SCIENCE)

LOWER DIVISION

ATH-101 Cultural Anthropology 3.0 cr.

Fall. An introductory course in cultural anthropology. A comparative study of communities and small scale societies that lie on the periphery of the industrial world, focusing on their life, economic/political institutions and religious/artistic traditions, using various models of interpretation. (SOCIAL SCIENCE)

ATH-128 Understanding Spirit in Art & Culture 3.0 cr.

(Same as Art 128.)  This course will examine a variety of cultural groups where artistic, spiritual, and cultural experience are integrated or woven into the fabric of life as a whole. It will focus on Native American and other cultures where ritual, art, and daily life are not compartmentalized. The course will also include cross-cultural case studies and field trips. (FINE ARTS THEORY AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND/OR SOCIAL SCIENCE.)  

ATH-202 Cultural Diversity 3.0 cr.

Winter 2004. An examination of the range of human cultures through the perspective of Cultural Anthropology. The course work will include selected case studies and theoretical constructs, including the concepts of culture, ethnic identity, and cultural pluralism.  (CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND/OR SOCIAL SCIENCE)

ATH-206 Native North Americans 3.0 cr.

Alt. years. A survey of Native American Indian cultures in different regions of North America, including their social/economic structures, world views, artistic traditions, and their histories before and after European contact. (CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND/OR SOCIAL SCIENCE)

ATH-249 Natives of South America 3.0 cr.

Fall. An examination of the indigenous peoples and their cultures in the Amazon and the Andes, including contemporary economics, religion, social organization, politics, the arts, and issues of current concern. (CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND/OR SOCIAL SCIENCE)

ATH-253 Contemporary Mexican Society & Culture 3.0 cr.

Alt. years.  An examination of the nature and structure of contemporary Mexican society (social, economic and political organization) of both indigenous and dominant cultures. Also included for study are issues of current concern such as urbanization, migration and transnationalism, ethnicity and indigenismo, and employment.  (CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND/OR SOCIAL SCIENCE)

ATH-294 Independent Study 1.0 to 3.0 cr.

Fall, winter, spring. Prereq.: One course in anthropology and permission. Readings in a specific area of anthropology, requiring a formal paper summarizing the study. This course does not fulfill the General Graduation Requirement for independent work. See independent study guidelines.

UPPER DIVISION

ATH-302 Ritual, Myth, & World View 3.0 cr.

Alt. years. (Same as REL 302.) Spring. An anthropological approach to religious meaning and ritual in small-scale societies and ethnic subcultures. The course analyzes theories of religion, myth, and ritual by comparing cultures in various areas of the world, including contemporary crisis and change. (SOCIAL SCIENCE)

ATH-302A Cultural Diversity 3.0 cr.

Winter 2004.  Also see ATH 202. Examination of American cultural diversity through the perspective of Cultural Anthropology. Students are required to complete the readings for ATH 202 and attend that class. In addition, students will be assigned formal readings, written examinations and final papers appropriate to the 300 level. Students who have already completed ATH 202 are not allowed to enroll for ATH 302A.  (CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND/OR SOCIAL SCIENCE) 

ATH-305 Culture Change & the World System 3.0 cr.

Fall 2004, Spring 2006. An anthropological approach to culture change and development. The course will examine cultural systems affected by development from colonial and post-colonial agencies and the impact of those changes in small-scale and state societies. (SOCIAL SCIENCE)

ATH-306 Visual Anthropology 3.0 cr.

Winter. A study of social documentary photography and ethnography, which examines society and culture through visual images rather than words or written texts. Students will learn the basics of photography and anthropology, and undertake ethnographic assignments.  (SOCIAL SCIENCE)

ATH-308 Gender in Cross Cultural Perspective 3.0 cr.

An examination of the concept of gender, or the meaning of being and behaving male or female through cross-cultural case studies. The course will include cultural roles and statuses and their structural positions and representations.  (SOCIAL SCIENCE)

ATH-309 Cross-Cultural Approaches to the Environment 3.0 cr.

Fall or Spring.  Alt. years.  A cross-cultural examination of environmental development and ideological constructs from selected case studies of non-industrial societies in the Americas and Africa.  The course will examine adaptation to the environment as shaping social structure and ideology, as well as how ideology shapes the society's environmental use.  (CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND/OR SOCIAL SCIENCE)

ATH-401 Anthropology & Art 3.0 cr.

Alt. years. A comparative study of aesthetics, artistic creation and the role of image, art, and artist in cultural context.  (CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND/OR SOCIAL SCIENCE)

ATH-402 Native Issues in the Americas 3.0 cr.

Alt. years. An examination of contemporary issues confronting indigenous peoples in Canada, the United States, and Latin America, through comparative case studies, such as land claims/invasions, colonialism and assimilation, revitalization efforts, self-government and representation in the state.  (CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND/OR SOCIAL SCIENCE)

ATH-404 Theories in Anthropology 3.0 cr.

Fall 2003, spring 2005. An examination of the development of theories of culture from classical models through 20th century American, British, and French anthropological thought to recent cultural interpretations that are emerging in our own time.  (SOCIAL SCIENCE)

ATH-490 Seminar in Social Research 3.0 cr.

(Same as SOC 490) Spring 2004, fall 2005. Prereq.: SOC 100 or ATH 101 or permission. An introduction to the methods of qualitative field research and data analysis. Students will formulate and carry out an independent research project and formally present the results.  (INDEPENDENT WORK AND SOCIAL SCIENCE)

ATH-494 Independent Study 1.0 to 3.0 cr.

Fall, winter, spring. Prereq.: Permission. Intensive reading or field research in a specific area of anthropology, requiring a formal paper summarizing the study.  See Independent Study guidelines.  (INDEPENDENT WORK)

ATH-497 Internship 1.0 to 3.0 cr.

Fall, winter, spring. Prereq.: Permission. Supervised work or research in a social service agency with approval of the department. A term paper or formal report is required. Reading assignments may be required.  See Internship guidelines.  (INDEPENDENT WORK)

Sociology (SOC)

LOWER DIVISION

SOC-100 Introduction to Sociology 3.0 cr.

Fall. An introduction to the basic concepts used in the analysis of societies and human group behavior through consideration of the scientific method in: sociology, culture and society, social stratification and human groupings, social change, and collective behavior.  (SOCIAL SCIENCE)

SOC-110 Social Problems 3.0 cr.

Spring. Alt. years. An analysis of contemporary social problems related to urbanization and industrialization. Includes poverty, community disorganization and conflict, and social deviance such as crime, mental disorders, and substance abuse.  (SOCIAL SCIENCE)

SOC-201 Gender Communication 3.0 cr.

Winter. An analysis of gendered patterns of verbal and nonverbal communication including theories that explain sex difference in social interaction and the implications for male-female relationships.  (CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND/OR SOCIAL SCIENCE) 

SOC-206 Aging & Society 3.0 cr.

Winter. A study of the social forces which shape aging in the United States with special emphasis on the effects of gender, class and ethnicity on the life chances of the elderly.  (SOCIAL SCIENCE)

SOC-207 People & Plagues 3.0 cr.

(Same as ENG 207.1)  Winter. This course investigates the sociological and metaphorical implications of such diseases as plague, cholera, TB, cancer, polio, Ebola, and AIDS. Drawing on sociological texts as well as poetry, fiction, and memoir, it examines the history of diseases along with socially and mythically constructed responses to them. Authors may include Sontag, Ehrenreich and English, Mann, Garcia Marquez, and Monette.  (LITERATURE AND/OR SOCIAL SCIENCE) 

SOC-208.1 The Sociology of Children 3.0 cr.

Winter. A study of the life chances of children around the world, including social policies in the areas of family, education, and health care, with an emphasis on regional, ethnic, class, and gender differences affecting children's lives.  (SOCIAL SCIENCE) 

SOC-209 Food & Society 3.0 cr.

Winter. A study in the sociology of food, including historical and cross-cultural perspectives on eating and how political economies shape worldwide food distribution.  (SOCIAL SCIENCE)

SOC-294 Independent Study 1.0 to 3.0 cr.

Fall, winter, spring. Prereq.: One course in sociology and permission. Readings in a specific area of sociology, requiring a formal paper summarizing the study. This course does not fulfill the General Graduation Requirement for independent work. See independent study guidelines.

UPPER DIVISION

SOC-301 Women in the World 3.0 cr.

Winter. Prereq.: Soc 100 or permission. A cross-cultural analysis of the status and well being of women in developed and developing nations in areas such as education, work, marriage, family, civil rights, health and longevity including national and international policies affecting women's lives.  (CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND/OR SOCIAL SCIENCE)

SOC-302 Gender & Society 3.0 cr.

Fall 2004, spring 2006. An introduction to the study of gender as a basic organizing principle in primarily industrial societies. Includes theories of gender development, sex and gender differences, gender socialization, inequalities in productive and reproductive spheres, and prospects for change.  (CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND/OR SOCIAL SCIENCE)

SOC-303 Visual Sociology 3.0 cr.

Winter. A study of the photographic observation as a method of sociological investigation, including analysis and criticism of documentary photography and the historical uses of visual imagery.  (SOCIAL SCIENCE)

SOC-308 The Sociology of Witch Hunts 3.0 cr.

Winter. This course focuses on types of mass hysteria known as witch hunts, including the persecution of women as witches in the early modern era, the 20th century Red Scare and 1950s McCarthyism, and the WWII internment of Japanese Americans. It also considers possible emergent witch hunts such as gay bashing, the satanic scare, and the war on drugs.  (SOCIAL SCIENCE)

SOC-320 Family Sociology 3.0 cr.

Fall 2003, fall 2005. A study of the history of the family and family systems in primarily industrial societies. Includes romantic love and mate selection, marriage and parenting, family dysfunction, and the criteria for marital success.  (SOCIAL SCIENCE)

SOC-323 Socialization & the Life Course 3.0 cr.

Fall 2006. A study of the social influences on human development and important concepts and debates regarding socialization and life cycle development. Includes theories of socialization, the role of family, school, peers and the media as agents of socialization.  (SOCIAL SCIENCE)

SOC-330 Criminology 3.0 cr.

Spring 2007. A general survey of crime in the United States. Includes theories of crime and delinquency, societal responses to crime, and the social organization of correctional agencies. Includes field trips to local corrections institutions.  (SOCIAL SCIENCE)

SOC-349 Social Stratification 3.0 cr.

Fall 2003, fall 2005, spring 2007. An examination of the processes by which people become differentiated from one another and arranged in graded strata based on social class, race, ethnicity, and gender with varying degrees of wealth, power, and prestige. Attention will be given to classical and modern theories explaining the causes and consequences of stratification, as well as to changes in social inequality over time.  (SOCIAL SCIENCE)

SOC-350 Social Movements 3.0 cr.

Spring 2004.  A study of the historical and contemporary organized attempts to cause or prevent social change with an emphasis on social movement theories and literature.  (SOCIAL SCIENCE)

SOC-360 Race & Ethnic Relations 3.0 cr.

Fall 2006. An investigation of ethnic groups, minorities, and race in plural societies, ethnic relations in historical perspective and in the United States, theories about ethnic conflict, prejudice and discrimination, and future scenarios for multiethnic societies.  (CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND/OR SOCIAL SCIENCE)

SOC-368 The Prison Experience 6.0 cr.

(Same as ENG368) Winter 2004. Prereq.: permission.  An opportunity to learn firsthand about prisons and prison life as students read prison-related texts in sociology and literature and as they write in response to what they read and what they see at local correctional institutions.  Authors will include Jimmy Santiago Baca, Jerome Washington, Malcom X, and Agnes Smedley.  (LITERATURE AND 3 CREDITS SOCIAL SCIENCE).

SOC-480 Sociological Theories 3.0 cr.

Fall 2004, spring 2006. A study of the history and development of theories of society and group behavior. Classical and contemporary sociological theories emphasized.  (SOCIAL SCIENCE)

SOC-490 Seminar in Social Research 3.0 cr.

(Same at ATH 490) Spring 2004, spring 2007. Prereq.: Soc 100 or ATH 101 or permission. An introduction to the methods of qualitative field research and data analysis. Student s will formulate and carry out an independent research project and formally present the results.  (INDEPENDENT WORK AND SOCIAL SCIENCE) 

SOC-494 Independent Study 1.0 to 3.0 cr.

Fall, winter, spring. Prereq.: Permission. Intensive reading or field research in a specific area of sociology, requiring a formal paper summarizing the study.  See Independent Study guidelines.  (INDEPENDENT WORK)

SOC-497 Internship 1.0 to 3.0 cr.

Fall, winter, spring. Prereq.: permission. Supervised work or research in a social service agency with approval of department. A term paper or formal report is required. Reading assignments may be required.  See Internship guidelines.  (INDEPENDENT WORK)