1001 Freshman Topics in Anthropology
(1-1) 1 hour credit.
Required for entering freshmen in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts with
less than 15 hours of coursework and who are interested in majoring in Anthropology.
Critical study of topics in anthropology. Innovative classroom and learning
techniques are used to introduce students to these topics and to help strengthen
critical thinking, problem solving, and writing skills. A maximum of three semester
credit hours of freshman topics courses may apply to a bachelor's degree, although
this specific topic may be taken only once.
1013 Introduction to Anthropology
(3-0) 3 hours credit.
The study of human culture, past and present; its origin, development, and contemporary
change; and the exploration of human physical and cultural differences using
the paradigm of adaptation. [TCCN: ANTH 2346.]
2033 Introduction to Physical Anthropology
(3-0) 3 hours credit.
Examines basic issues, concepts, and orientations of physical anthropology,
regarding human development and variation both past and present, as well as
the relationship between human biology and culture. [TCCN: ANTH 2301.]
2043 Introduction to Archaeology
(3-0) 3 hours credit.
A problem-solving approach to classic and contemporary questions in archaeology.
The nature of anthropological inquiry as reflected in the field is stressed.
[TCCN: ANTH 2302.]
2053 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
(3-0) 3 hours credit.
This course discusses culture and other basic anthropological concepts and their
use in understanding variation in economy, social structure, and ideology. Ethnographic
descriptions provide examples of cross-cultural variation. Attention is also
given to processes governing culture continuity and change. (Credit cannot be
earned for both ANT 2023 and ANT 2053.) [TCCN: ANTH 2351.]
2063 Language, Thought, and Culture
(3-0) 3 hours credit.
This course surveys anthropological approaches to the study of language, emphasizing
the relation between language and worldview, and the social uses of speech.
Instruction is given in the fundamentals of descriptive linguistics. The biological
basis of language and patterns of historical development are also examined.
(Credit cannot be earned for both ANT 2023 and ANT 2063.)
3103 Social Organization
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2053 recommended.
Comparative analysis of family and social organization, primarily among non-literate
peoples.
3133 Ritual and Symbol
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2053 recommended.
An examination of rituals-highly stereotyped, stylized, and repetitive acts
usually taking place in carefully selected locations and marked by use of material
items. Students will be offered an introduction to symbolic anthropology through
the study of ritual and its material culture.
3153 Indians of the Great Plains
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2053 recommended.
An examination of the fundamental cultural transformation and flourishing of
Native American societies of the Great Plains following the introduction of
the horse. Attention is also given to the subsequent retrenchment under the
imposition of Anglo-American dominance, and the recent emergence of new forms
of cultural expression within tribal and urban areas.
3173 Ethnomedicine: Theory and Applications
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2053 recommended.
Integration of sociocultural and medical approaches to health maintenance based
on cross-cultural and contemporary urban research. Evidence for the efficacy
of non-Western medical practices, the interaction of medical systems in biethnic
social situations, cross-cultural studies of mental health, and the analysis
of cross-ethnic programs of medical care receive attention.
3223 Cultural Ecology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2053 recommended.
Human adaptation to the environment and interaction with it, comparing simple
and complex societies in various environmental contexts.
3253 The Archaeology of South America
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2043 recommended.
The origins and development of the native cultures of South America, and their
relationships to the cultural areas of Central America and the Caribbean. Emphasis
on the variety of cultural forms and cultural evolution. The roles of demography,
subsistence systems, militarism, religion, and other factors in the rise of
South American cultures may be discussed.
3263 Archaeology of North America
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2043 recommended.
Survey of prehistoric cultures in North America from earliest times to historic
contact. May include discussion of Ice Age mammoth hunters, Eastern mound-building
cultures, Southwestern pueblo cultures, and Plains bison hunters. Chronology,
sites, settlement and subsistence patterns, and recent research issues may be
considered.
3273 Ancient Civilizations of Mesoamerica
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2043 recommended.
Examination of the development of the ancient civilizations of Guatemala, Mexico,
and Central America: Olmec, Teotihuacan, Maya, Toltec, Aztec, and Zapotec, among
others.
3293 Research Methods in Anthropology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: ANT 1013, and completion of Core Curriculum
requirement in mathematics; ANT 2023 or ANT 2053 recommended.
Quantitative analysis and computer applications as used in anthropological research.
3323 Native American Art
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2053 recommended.
A survey of the traditional arts of Native Americans north of the Rio Grande,
focusing on case studies from the Arctic, the Northwest Coast, the Great Plains,
the Southwest, and the Northeast. Arts of the sacred and the secular, the domestic
and the political, and the ceremonial and the commercial are examined from pre-contact
to the present day.
3333 Physical Anthropology of Human Populations
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2033 recommended.
Examines the biological variability of living populations; includes genetics,
anatomy, demography, and change within a physical anthropology framework.
3353 Anthropology of American Culture
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2053 recommended.
Presents anthropological approaches to the modern and postmodern United States.
Case studies in social structure, language, and ideology are examined. Attention
is given to the extent and limits of cultural variation and to cultures both
in and outside the mainstream.
3363 Indians of Mesoamerica
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2053 recommended.
A survey of the development, content, and variety of Mesoamerican Indian cultures
from before the Spanish conquest to the present. Emphasis is placed on the cultural
responses of the Indian peoples to the pressures of the Spanish and National
regimes.
3383 Folklore and Folklife
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2053 recommended.
Examines vernacular arts, crafts, and customs and their function in the maintenance
of group identity. National, regional, ethnic, and occupational traditions are
nvestigated. Attention is given to texts such as legends, myths, and ballads,
as well as folk performance, clothing, architecture, and foodways.
3403,6 Field Course in Archaeology
3 or 6 hours credit. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing, consent of instructor,
and at least one previous anthropology or archaeology course.
Offers the opportunity to gain intensive training in archaeological field methods:
excavation, site survey, mapping, sampling, and interpretation. Additional fees
are equired. May be repeated for credit with advisor's permission, but not more
than 6 semester credit hours may be applied to a major in anthropology.
3413 The Fieldwork Experience
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 2023, ANT 2053, or consent of instructor.
Drawing upon the field experiences of major figures in anthropology, the course
explores the scientific and humanistic aspects of research in cultural anthropology.
thnographic methods and techniques are discussed, with emphasis on participant
observation and ethical considerations.
3503 Human Origins
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2033 recommended.
The fossil record of human emergence and comparative studies of human evolution.
Evolution of social organization, technology, and language development to the
end of the Ice Age.
3513 The Human Skeleton
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2033 recommended.
Students are given the opportunity to develop skills in the study and analysis
of human osteological remains. Applications of skeletal analysis in a variety
of fields are considered, including physical anthropology and archaeological
demography.
3523 Medical Anthropology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013, ANT 2033, or ANT 2053 recommended.
This course approaches the study of health and disease patterns in human populations
through the combined perspectives of culture, biology, and ecology.
3603 Sex, Gender, and Culture
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2033 recommended.
Examination of the biological and cultural sources of differences between men
and women.
3633 Mexico: Transforming Cultures
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2053 recommended.
Contemporary issues facing Mexico's diverse peoples. Emphasis is placed on ethnicity,
gender, and class in a globalizing economy. Case studies examine Mexico's "Indian
problem," the peasantry, urban squatter settlements, women in maquiladoras,
and the contested United States-Mexico border.
3663 Hunters and Gatherers
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013, ANT 2043, or ANT 2053 recommended.
The study of lifeways of hunting and gathering peoples around the world. Emphasis
is placed on archaeological approaches to past hunting and gathering societies.
Cross-cultural analyses utilizing ethnographic and archaeological data within
an ecological context are emphasized.
3673 Ancient Civilizations of the Near East, Egypt, and Europe
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2043 recommended.
Development of agriculture and village life; beginnings of civilization in the
Near East and Mediterranean as compared with Mesoamerica, India, and China;
rise of civilization in the Nile Valley.
3683 Archaeology of the Biblical Lands
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2043 recommended.
Survey of the prehistoric and early historic periods of the geographic area
mentioned in biblical and related texts. Time periods covered are approximately
7,000 B.C. to A.D. 100, or from the Aceramic Neolithic to the Late Iron Age,
with emphasis on the later periods. Cultural evolution and culture history,
as well as the historicity of textual materials, will be treated.
3713 Material Culture Systems
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 2043 required and ANT 2053 recommended.
This course surveys the role of material culture in human social systems of
the past and present. Archaeological, historical, and ethnographic case studies
are used to illustrate how the material world is variously woven into the fabric
of culture.
3723 Ancient Complex Society
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: ANT 2043 required and ANT 3273 or ANT 3673
recommended.
Cross-cultural exploration of social, economic, and political institutions found
in ancient complex societies. Archaeological evidence is used to examine sources
of variation in the development and organization of complexity. Comparisons
are drawn from the ancient civilizations of South America, Mesoamerica, Africa,
and Asia.
3733 Political and Legal Anthropology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2053 recommended.
Comparative political and legal systems; forms of authority, legitimacy, and
power. Major trends in anthropological thought are explored with emphasis on
the political uses of myth, symbol, and ritual. Law and judicial processes are
examined in Western and non-Western societies.
3813 Anthropology of Business
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2053 recommended.
This course examines how anthropological concepts and methods are used to understand
and improve work conditions, corporate culture, and marketing; and how businesses
can be better integrated into global markets by understanding the cultures of
international business partners.
3823 Applied Anthropology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2053 recommended.
Applied cultural anthropology directly addresses the needs and problems of communities
and organizations throughout the world. Topics include the history of applied
anthropology; a conceptual framework for understanding the different styles
of applied research; methods of applied anthropology; domains of applied anthropology:
international development, medicine, education, business, criminal justice,
and the environment; career options and becoming a professional.
3833 Indians of Texas
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2053 recommended.
Ethnological survey of the Indian populations of Texas from the early historic
period to the present. (Formerly ANT 4133. Credit cannot be earned for both
ANT 3833 and ANT 4133.)
3843 Introduction to Primate Diversity
(3-0) 3 hours credit.
This course offers a broad survey of the social behavior and ecology of the
living primates. It begins with a survey of primate taxonomy, drawing distinctions
among prosimians, monkeys, and apes. The course concludes with consideration
of what the study of non-human primates can tell us about human evolution.
3853 Modern Ape Behavior and Ecology
(3-0) 3 hours credit.
Modern apes show considerable diversity in their behavioral and morphological
adaptations. This course will focus on the major theoretical approaches to understanding
the biological variation within this primate group. The question of whether
great apes exhibit culture will also be discussed.
3863 The Evolution of Human Nature
(3-0) 3 hours credit.
A central concept in the evolution of human behavior is the idea that our brains,
like our bodies, have been shaped by natural selection. The extent to which
this factor influences the diverse behavior of modern humans is a topic of considerable
debate. This course will take a critical look at different attempts to explain
human behavior based on adaptive design.
3873 Food, Culture, and Society
(3-0) 3 hours credit.
This course explores the relationship between food and culture in diverse societies
throughout the world. By examining food, food practices, and the meanings associated
with food we can better understand how people live, how they define themselves
in terms of ethnicity, gender, or class, and how they think of themselves relative
to nature. Topics include the variation of food habits and meanings across cultures,
food and gender roles, eating disorders in Western societies, and the global
food system and world hunger.
4113 Archaeology of Texas
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 2043, ANT 3263, or ANT 3663 recommended.
Detailed review of prehistoric and historic aboriginal cultures of Texas and
adjacent areas; current trends in Texas archaeology; examination of artifacts;
and field trips to local prehistoric sites.
4123 Archaeology of the American Southwest
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 2043 or ANT 3263 recommended.
Consideration of the prehistoric cultures in the American Southwest and northern
Mexico from the earliest occupations to European contact. Paleo-Indian, Archaic,
Mogollon, Anasazi, and Hohokam occupations are reviewed with a consideration
of recent research directions and theory.
4243 Ethnographic Film
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2053 recommended.
Critique of major ethnographic films, concentrating on field methodology, production
values, and the issue of representation.
4263 Social and Cultural Change
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: ANT 1013 or ANT 2053 recommended.
Anthropological perspectives on the nature, causes, and consequences of social
and cultural change, with an emphasis on how local cultures are shaped by and
resist the process of globalization.
4403 Laboratory Analysis in Anthropology
(0-6) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: ANT 3403 or ANT 3406, and completion of
the Core Curriculum requirement in science.
Supervised analysis of field data; methods of analysis; research techniques;
and preparation of reports. May be repeated for an additional 3 semester credit
hours with consent of instructor.
4911-3 Independent Study
1-3 hours credit. Prerequisite: Permission in writing (form available) from
the instructor, the student's advisor, the Department Chair and Dean of the
college in which the course is offered.
Independent reading, research, discussion, and/or writing under the direction
of a faculty member. May be repeated for credit, but not more than 6 semester
credit hours of independent study, regardless of discipline, will apply to a
bachelor's degree.
4933,6 Internship in Anthropology
3 or 6 hours credit. Prerequisite: Consent of internship coordinator.
Supervised experience relevant to anthropology within selected community organizations.
A maximum of 6 semester credit hours may be earned through Internship in Anthropology.
Must be taken on a credit/no credit basis.
4953 Special Studies in Anthropology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
An organized course offering the opportunity for specialized study not normally
or not often available as part of the regular course offerings. Special Studies
may be repeated for credit when the topics vary, but not more than 6 semester
credit hours, regardless of discipline, will apply to a bachelor's degree.
4983 Anthropology Honors Research
3 hours credit. Prerequisite: Enrollment limited to candidates for Departmental
Honors during their last two semesters; approval of the Department faculty.
Supervised individual research and preparation of a major paper in support of
Departmental Honors. May be repeated once with advisor's approval.
4993 Honors Thesis
3 hours credit. Prerequisites: Enrollment limited to candidates for University
Honors in Anthropology during their last two semesters; and consent of the Honors
College.
Supervised research and preparation of an honors thesis. May be repeated once
with advisor's approval.