31 courses with the subject ANT, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
ANT 1040CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY3.0
Explore the basic concepts, theories, and research methods of Anthropology, an academic discipline that specializes in the study of human diversity around the world and throughout time. Anthropology is an exceptionally broad field, and our introduction will cover a wide array of topics: family, kinship, sex, gender, race, ethnicity, political & social organization, healthcare, art, religion, and magic, among other things. Will examine the interconnectedness of all social groups, and the different lifeways and historical experiences of people in our own local communities and in other parts of the world. Objectives: Describe the primary characteristics of culture, including how it is acquired, shared, contested, negotiated, developed, communicated, maintained, and changed over time. Explain the concept of racism, its aspects, and its ideology. Discuss social, political, and material changes that occurred with the transition to agriculture. Method of Instruction: Class meetings will consist of lectures, class discussions, and in-class exercises. Method of Evaluation: Three exams, weekly participation activities, and fieldwork exercises. Meets *NWP Distribution Requirement.
Will examine the interrelationship between the biological role of food and its cultural elaboration as cuisine. Through readings, lecture, discussion and films (both scholarly and theatrical), local field trips (e.g. to grocery stores and farmers’ markets), and preparation and consumption of different foods, students will learn how food is defined culturally and socially and how it becomes a vehicle for religious membership, economic transactions or political change. Method of Instruction: Lecture, discussion, reading, research, quizzes, film, and participation in preparation and eating of different foods. Method of Evaluation: Short papers on different readings and films (total 40%), a major project that can be a paper, a video or a small field project (e.g. interviews of market vendors, etc) (30%), participation through active discussion and presentation of a reading (15%), three quizzes (5% each, for 15% total). Meets *NWP Distribution Requirement.
Will examine the interrelationship between the biological role of food and its cultural elaboration as cuisine. How did cooking and processing of food make it more edible? How about more tradable? Should we really be “eating paleo?” Can you imagine Italian food without tomatoes? We will examine the ways that humans have used foods as a means of ritual, sacrament, trade, hegemony, and domination. Objectives: A) Describe the evolution of food preparation and cooking; B) Explain the development and growth of food storage and preservation; C) List the main staple foods among humans; D) Describe how foods intersected with the development of state societies; E) Describe the growth of the global food system. Method of Instruction: Lecture and discussion; reading; research; film; local field trips; participation in preparation and eating of different foods. Method of Evaluation: Short quizzes and papers on different readings and films (total 60%); a major project that can be a paper, a video, or a small field project (e.g., interviews of market vendors, etc.) (40%). Meets *GLP Distribution Requirements.
ANT 1965EXPLORING GUATEMALA: HEART OF THE MAYA WORLD3.0
Co-requisite with SPA 1965 or SPA 2965 with same course title. A Spring Term III travel course to Guatemala, students will move beyond the textbook and experience Guatemala first-hand through one-on-one Spanish classes, homestays with local families, and daily excursions and activities that reveal daily life for ordinary Guatemalans in the 21st century. Special attention on the contrasts between life and livelihoods in urban areas (Quetzaltenango) compared to the highland region (Santa Cruz del Quiché, Antigua, San Pedro), and the impacts-positive and negative-of global tourism on local indigenous communities. Will provide field-based ethnographic research experience and prepares students for traveling in Latin America. Themes include: distinctions between European-Spanish and indigenous American Maya culture; origins of corn, beans, squash, chiles, chocolate, avocado, and other Mesoamerican foods, as well as important imported foods like coffee and bananas; history of U.S. involvement in Guatemala and Latin America; impacts of tourism on Guatemalan communities. Objectives: A) Identify the various cultural groups of Guatemala and describe their historical relationships to one another; B) Describe the diverse environmental regions of Guatemala and the important economic activities in each area; C) Outline and critically examine the concepts of historical memory, bilingual education, and Maya authorship and publishing; D) Identify and investigate the impacts of these concepts through ethnographic observation of Guatemalans’ daily lives; E) Describe present-day tensions in Guatemalan society and identify the historical roots of conflict through literature and interviews with living people; F) Analyze literature regarding the central conflict of the course (the clash between indigenous and Western cultures); G) Produce first-hand accounts of daily life, popular culture, and folklore in Guatemala through ethnographic fieldnotes and literature reviews; H) Understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type; I) Introduce oneself and others and ask and answer questions about personal details such as where one lives, people one knows, and things one has; J) Interact with other people in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help. Method of Instruction: Lecture, discussion, travel within Guatemala, experience life through home stays and ethnographic exercises with local communities, feedback on written assignments and journal entries. Method of Evaluation: 25% fieldnote journal; 25% active participation in travel component of the course as able; 25% final project; 25% final exam based on student’s level of proficiency according to DELE (Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera) classification. Meets *NWP Distribution Requirement. TRAVEL COURSE, FEES ASSOCIATED.
ANT 1970- HIS 1970 CO-REQUISITE Courses. What constitutes a museum? How do museums work both as organizations as well as spaces? How do we understand the life of a museum collection and what does its growth and evolution tell us about the role of the museum in a community? These are just a few of the questions we will explore in this course. This course examines the history of museums and their role in modern society through readings and site visits. These site visits will be an opportunity for students to both approach a variety of museums from the perspective of a visitor (viewer-learner) and from that of a curator (performer-teacher). The intent of this dual perspective is to introduce students to the concerns and forms of professional museum work as well as developing critical skills for understanding the role of museums and how museum spaces function as historical and social phenomena. These visits will range from exploring Elmira College’s own art collection to local and regional museums, from small historical sites and parks to major specialized collections such as the Corning Museum of Glass. Objectives: A) Outline the history of museums and their changing role in society; B) Discuss and analyze museum spaces; C) Construct a realistic museum exhibition by applying what they have learned from the readings, discussions, and site visits; D) Evaluate the organization, structure, intent, and quality of a museum, a gallery, and an installation; E) Identify the variety of activities that a museum carries out. Method of Instruction: In class: lecture, discussion, and activities; Site visits: expert tours-lectures, projects. Method of Evaluation: Participation: spontaneous and directed 30%; Reading and site written response/projects: 30%; Final Project: development, construction, presentation of a realistic museum exhibition 40%. Meets *WEP Distribution Requirement.
Ethnographic survey of the contemporary peoples and cultures of sub-Saharan Africa. Particular attention will be paid to interrelationships of foragers, pastoral herders and farmers; to the role of western colonialism; to tensions between rural and urban life; to Africa’s place in the world-system, and to social cultural change in the region. Objectives: To acquaint the student with the range of cultures and societies in sub-Saharan Africa from an anthropological perspective. Method of Instruction: Lecture, discussions, videos, and group projects. Method of Evaluation: Three exams (10% each), three book reviews (10% each), research paper (25%), presentation (5%), course participation (10%). Meets *NWP Distribution Requirements.
Consideration of diversity of Native American cultures from the Artic to Panama, including their origins, formation, and development. A comparative focus utilizing ethnographic, ethnohistorical, ethnological and archaeological materials. Objectives: To facilitate understanding the contemporary status of North American Indians, this course examines the traditional cultures of this continent’s indigenous population, as they existed prior to extensive European contact, and the post-contact cultural change up to the present time. Considerable attention is devoted to understanding the nature of the past and present relationship between Native Americans and Whites. Method of Instruction: Lectures, discussions, and student reports. Films will be shown. Method of Evaluation: Grades are determined by two scheduled tests during the term, a final examination, and the oral class report, each counting equally. Meets *NWP Distribution Requirements.
Will examine pre-Columbian Mesoamerica (the region from Central Mexico through parts of modern Central America) as a social and cultural region. Drawing upon archaeological and written materials will examine social structure, cosmology and worldview, social roles including gender and family structure, and economic and political organization. Will cover the preclassical, classic, and post classic periods, focusing on several cultural areas including the Olmec, the Zapotec and Mixtec of Oaxaca, the Toltecs, the Maya, and the Mexica (or Aztec). Objectives: A) Describe some of the ancient history of one part of the Western hemisphere; B) Compare historical data from Mesoamerican civilizations to early “Western” civilizations; C) Describe some details of Latin American prehistory and history; D) Demonstrate analytical and critical skills through reading, discussion, writing and the design of research projects. Method of Instruction: Lecture-discussion; film and video; reading, writing, and examinations. Method of Evaluation: Participation, attendance, reading response papers, exams and final paper. Meets *NWP Distribution Requirement.
An ethnographic survey of contemporary peoples and cultures of Latin America; including Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and South America, including both indigenous and peasant societies. Emphasis is placed on the merging and clashing of European, Indian, and African, rich and poor and the continuing character of these conflicts into the present. Objectives: To provide students with an overview of the diversity of peoples and cultures throughout Latin America and to introduce students to the major theoretical paradigms within the study of Latin American ethnography. Method of Instruction: Lecture and discussion; group workshops, videos and films, and student presentations. Method of Evaluation: Two book analyses, two book reviews, annotated bibliography on a research topic, research paper, and course participation. Meets *NWP Distribution Requirement.
ANT 2222SHAMANS, CYBORGS, and the LIMITS of HUMAN NATURE3.0
What is human nature? What characteristics do all humans share? What separates us from non-humans, whether they be animals, machines, or supernatural beings? Will examine these questions by focusing on the outer limits of humankind’s collective identity. Alongside a review of our closest non-human relatives, living or prehistoric, from bonobos to Neanderthals and will progress to charting the vast diversity of humanity by examining uncommon individuals and extraordinary social roles from societies across time and space. From prehistoric Siberian shamans to twenty-first century cyborgs, from divine emperors to megalomaniacal dictators, the thread that links these diverse figures is their liminal status at the limits of human nature. Whether they are half-spirit, part machine, incarnations of the gods or embodiments of nation-states, these figures invite us to reconsider our assumptions about human nature and the parameters of normality. Will also examine the practices of these figures and their social roles within their historical and cultural contexts in order to gain a better understanding and appreciation for the importance of diversity and creativity in humankind’s adaptation as a species. Will engage with questions about the future of humanity and the impacts of technology in influencing our ideas about ourselves and the world we inhabit. Drawing from anthropology’s broad base of knowledge, including insights from linguistics, archaeology, and biological anthropology, our investigation will span topics such as religion, human evolution, language development, social organization, and science and technology. This course’s vast scope will lead to the conclusion that human nature is wide-ranging, dynamic, and flexible. Objectives: A) Identify, define, and explain the concepts of dehumanization, objectification, liminality, bio sociality, and hominin evolution from the perspective of anthropology; B) Identify, define, and explain the roles of shamans, cyborgs, and divine rulers from multiple cultural contexts; C) Construct a definition of human nature that synthesizes scientific, humanistic, and personal knowledge; D) Construct a collaborative wiki-based database of information related to the course topics; E) Prepare and present independent research projects related to a chosen topic; F) Critically reflect on the relationship between humans and technology in the past and future. Method of Instruction: Lecture and discussion, Feedback on weekly journals and wiki project, and Feedback and one-on-one discussion sessions on independent research projects. Method of Evaluation: Reading journals (weekly) (20%); Participation in collaborative wiki project (weekly tasks) (40%); Preparation and presentation of independent research, multiple stages for evaluation (i.e., choose a topic related to course topics, prepare annotated bibliography, prepare 10-15 minute presentation with additional materials for discussion) (40% altogether). Meets *NWP Distribution Requirement.
ANT 2970MARKING THE BODY:THE ANT OF BODYMODIFICATION3.0
Will explore the range and diversity of the human practice of body art. The social, religious and political underpinnings for these practices will be discussed. Students will explore their own interest in body modification and the adoption of such practices in their own society. Objectives: A) Name and describe several body modification practices; B) Explain the reasons for some body modification practices where they occur; C) Categorize various practices according to their location and-or purpose (e.g., as a religious or ethnic practice); D) Provide the history of one or more body modification practices. Method of Instruction: Lecture, discussion, films, possible local fieldtrips and-or visitors. Method of Evaluation: Attendance and participation 10%; Quizzes (four-one per week 10% each) 40%; Group project 25%; Presentation 15%; and Public Poster Session 10%. Meets *NWP Distribution Requirement.
JUNIOR OR SENIOR STATUS and/either ANT 1040 CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY (or) SOC 1010 INTRODUCTORY SOCIOLOGY
ANT 3200PSYCHOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY3.0
An introduction to psychological anthropology. We will first examine its historical development and will then use a comparative approach to explore the cross-cultural validity of personality, the “self” and self-identity, and emotional experience. We will also examine recent developments in cognitive anthropology, symbolic anthropology and language and discourse. Objectives: A) Describe the historical development of psychological anthropology; B) Explain the basic concepts and ideas of psychological anthropology; C) Discuss the effects of culture on personality development; D) Understand the cultural shaping of cognition and emotions; E) Describe the influence of culture on psychiatric disorder; F) Critically examine received or common-sense notions about self and mind particularly as they relate to cultural context. Method of Instruction: Lecture and discussion; student presentation of readings; three book reviews, and three exams. Method of Evaluation: Three exams in short essay form (15% each), three essays on three ethnographies from a psychological perspective (15% each), and participation, including attendance, comments and discussion in class, and participation in-group work (10%). Meets *NWP Distribution Requirement.
Introduction to the ways in which different societies satisfy their needs and wants through the related processes of production, consumption, distribution and exchange. Students will survey the different theories and perspectives of economic anthropology, and examine the economic arrangements of societies such as (but not limited to): African herding peoples, Amazonian lowland peoples, New Guinea Horticulturalists, Andean agriculturalists, and Belizean farmers. Objectives: To provide students with a range of economic arrangements in different human societies and the theoretical paradigms within the study of economic anthropology. Method of Instruction: Lecture and discussion; group activities, videos and films, and student presentation. Method of Evaluation: Three essay exams; research paper on an approved topic and course participation. Meets *GLP Distribution Requirement.
Across time and around the world, members of diverse societies have relied on different systems of knowledge to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness. The field of medical anthropology specializes in analyzing cross-cultural approaches to health and illness, identifying how different societies experience sickness and well-being. This course serves as an introductory survey of topics in medical anthropology and a gateway to more advanced courses in medical and cultural anthropology. Will address several approaches and key topics of research within medical anthropology, including reproductive health and family planning, ethno medicine, international public health, emerging diseases, culture bound syndromes, health disparities, political economy, and structural vulnerability. Objectives: A) Identify, define, and explain the concepts of illness, health, and well-being with respect to the various social and cultural factors that influence people’s experiences of these phenomena; B) Identify, define, and explain the concepts of ethno medicine, culture bound syndrome, and medical pluralism; C) Summarize and explain the relationship between social inequities and health disparities; D) Critically evaluate case studies of health treatments or public health interventions; E) Summarize and explain a case study of an ethno medical illness experience or healing practices from a non-western context; F) Demonstrate an understanding of ethnographic research in medical anthropology and public health. Method of Instruction: Lecture and discussion; Workshop introduction to ethnographic field methods; and Organization and participation in semester-long ethnographic research project on public health topics. Meets *NWP Distribution Requirement.
Senior or Junior level Anthropology and Sociology students.
ANT 4998INTERNSHIP IN MUSEUM STUDIESAND PUBLIC HISTORY3.0
This course is a variable credit course. Course credits are for 3.0 OR 6.0 credits. For students interested in working in the fields of museum studies or public history. The internship may include exhibition development, archival research, working with museum professionals, or anything similarly related to a career in the museum studies and public history. Students will choose a faculty member to supervise the internship. Objectives: A) Students will successfully apply disciplinary knowledge in a setting appropriate to the field of museum studies or public history; B) Students and supervising faculty members will develop at least one additional course-specific learning outcome for the internship. The student will be evaluated by the faculty member on the basis of the learning outcomes. Method of Instruction: This is an internship. Method of Evaluation: The faculty member will assess the final product that was mutually agreed upon. No student can pass the internship without completing the minimum number of hours for a 3 credit or 6 credit internship. Graded on Pass-Fail basis.
