Northeastern State University

ANTHROPOLOGY (ANTH)

A student may select an 18-hour minor from among the following courses. Credit may not be earned in both Anthropology and Sociology courses with the same number and title.

2223 Introduction to Native American Studies #

Course provides a general introductory overview of Native Americans within the fields of history, anthropology, literature, and political science. Introduces students to the diverse perspectives concerning Native Americans, and promotes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding American Indian cultures and histories.

3123 Cultural Anthropology

An introduction to the major theories and methods in cultural anthropology. An emphasis on non-Western cultures, in particular, American Indian cultures, is provided in a framework enabling students to compare cross-cultural phenomena to Western society. Topics include: an introduction to ethnography and fieldwork; language systems; subsistence and economic systems; marriage and the family; organization; religion and magic; applied and medical anthropology; culture change; anthropology in the modern world. Credit may not be earned in both ANTH 3123 and SOC 3123.

3223 Racial and Cultural Minorities #

Course provides exposure to the cultural, racial, and religious diversity of the United States. Theories of race are examined. Also explored is American racial diversity based on the interface of land, labor, and capital in conjunction with the different racial, ethnic, and religious groups. Credit may not be earned in both ANTH 3223 and SOC 3223.

3453 Ethnology of the American Indian #

Course provides exposure to the cultural and linguistic diversity of Native North America, focusing on the ten culture areas of North America, and the similarities and differences of the American Indian peoples who continue to live in these areas. Emphasis is placed on modes of subsistence, kinship, and belief systems of the inhabitants of each culture area. Credit may not be earned in both ANTH 3453 and SOC 3453.

3463 Language and Culture #

Introduction to the cross-cultural study of language and communication from an anthropological perspective. Course will focus upon language as a human attribute, human communication as a part of culture, and the linguistic diversity of our contemporary world. Emphasis is placed on linguistic and ethnic diversity in contemporary American society. Credit may not be earned in both SOC 3463 and ANTH 3463.

4000 Workshop #

An opportunity to study in depth one or two selected social issues of current significance, either in seminar or field trip situations. May be repeated with different topics to a maximum of 3 hours credit. ANTH 4001 graded by Pass/Fail.

4133 Field Methods in Ethnology #

Designed to complement Anthropology 3453, but may be taken separately. Field work in the study of living Indian groups. Techniques of gathering and processing of data on daily life, family structure, and worldview of selected American Indian groups.

4143 American Indians Today #

Current social issues affecting Native American peoples are linked to their unique Constitutional relationship to the U.S. Federal Government. Using the ethnohistoric method, this class links current Indian issues to Native American history, through an examination of Indian-white relations since Colonial times. Sovereignty and wardship are recurrent themes developed in the class. Credit may not be earned in both ANTH 4143 and SOC 4143.

4153 Archaeology of North America #

The archaeology of native North America, with emphasis on major phases of prehistory, from passage across the Bering Straits theory, to early protohistoric horizons. Emphasis on material culture and lifeways through ethnographic analogy. The course begins with the history of American archaeology. Topics include: introduction to archaeology; history of North American archaeology: Paleo-Indians; the Archaic period; the Southwest; Woodland traditions. Credit may not be earned in both ANTH 4153 and SOC 4153.

4163 The Magical Worldview #

A cross-cultural and comparative exploration of religion, magic, and supernatural belief systems. Emphasis is also placed on indigenous religions of the Western hemisphere. The course examines how religion permeates other aspects of society and culture. Topics include: the anthropology of religion; symbolism, myth, ritual, and taboo; shamans, priests, and rophets; the religious use of drugs; witchcraft, sorcery, and evil; demons, exorcism, divination, and magic, ghosts, souls, and ancestors--power of the dead; crisis cults. Credit may not be earned in both ANTH 4163 and SOC 4163.

4173 Indians of the Plains #

The course, an examination of the Great Plains from the earliest human occupation to present, focuses on the pre-Columbian Plains from an archaeological perspective, and the post-contact period, from an ethnological perspective. Credit may not be earned in both ANTH 4173 and SOC 4173.

4183 Ancient Mesoamerica

The archaeology and ethnography of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, which includes present-day Mexico and Central America. An examination of the major civilizations: Olemec, Maya, Teotihuacan, Toltec, and Aztec. Time periods covered from earlierst inhabitants to early contact with Europeans after 1502. Credit may not be earned in both ANTH 4183 and SOC 4183.

4223 Culture and Personality #

A study of the social development of the individual and the influence of the cultural environment on the development of the human personality, which is considered as both the product and the carrier of culture.

4253 Anthropology and Medicine #

A study of human biological development, culture, and evolution based on relationships to infectious disease; the examination of indigenous, traditional, and Western medical systems; and applied anthropology in clinical settings.

4833 Aging in Other Cultures #

A comparative overview of human aging in societies around the world. Particular attention is given to aging in the American Indian, Black, Hispanic subcultures in modern America. Credit may not be earned in both ANTH 4833 and SOC 4833.

4911 Independent Study #

Individual research or reading project. Content of course will vary with needs and interest of those who enroll. May be repeated with different topics to a maximum of 3 hours credit.