ANTHROPOLOGY
(AS) {ANTH}  

L/R 001. Introduction to Archaeology. (C) History & Tradition Sector. All classes. Staff.

An introduction to the history, concepts, and methods of the anthropological study of ancient peoples using archaeological illustrations to indicate the relationships of archaeological interpretations with cultural and physical anthropology.

L/R 002. Introduction to Cultural Anthropology. (C) Society Sector. All classes. Staff.

An introduction to the study of culture and human institutions, how they change, and their role in both literate and nonliterate societies.

L/R 003. Introduction to Human Evolution. (C) Living World Sector. All classes. Monge.

How did humans evolve?  When did humans start to walk on two legs?  How are humans related to non-human primates?  This course focuses on the scientific study of human evolution describing the emergence, development, and diversification of our species, Homo sapiens.  First we cover the fundamental principles of evolutionary theory and some of the basics of genetics and heredity as they relate to human morphological, physiological, and genetic variation.  We then examine what studies of nonhuman primates (monkeys and apes) can reveal about our own evolutionary past, reviewing the behavioral and ecological diversity seen among living primates.  We conclude the course examining the "hard" evidence of human evolution - the fossil and material culture record of human history from our earliest primate ancestors to the emergence of modern Homo sapiens.  You will also have the opportunity, during recitations, to conduct hands-on exercises collecting and analyzing behavioral, morphological, and genetic data on both humans and nonhuman primates and working with the Department of Anthropology's extensive collection of fossil casts.

L/R 004. The Modern World and Its Cultural Background. (B) Humanities & Social Science Sector. Class of 2010 & beyond. Urban. Also fulfills General Requirement in Society for Class of 2009 and prior.

An introduction to the diversity of cultures on the planet, this course is divided into two parts.  The first examines different models of human diversity, population, languages and language families, religions, migration patterns, peoples and nations, cultural areas, and subsistence patterns. Students will learn to think about the world as a whole, and to reason about the significance of culture on a global scale.  The second part is an introduction to area studies, in which we undertake a survey of the different regions of the world: Europe, the Middle East/Near East, Africa, South and Central Asia, East Asia and Southeast Asia, the New World, and Oceania and the Circum-polar region.

L/R 012. (HIST012, SOCI012) Globalization And Its Historical Significance. (C) Humanities & Social Science Sector. Class of 2010 & beyond. Spooner.

This course uses data from what is actually happening in the course of the semester to introduce the concepts and methods of the social sciences.  It analyzes the current state of globalization and sets it in historical perspective.  We will focus on a series of questions not only about actual processes but about the growing awareness of them, and the consequences of this awareness.  In answering these questions, we will distinguish between active campaigns to cover the world (e.g., Christian and Muslim proselytism, opening up markets, democratization) and the unplanned diffusion of new ways of organizing trade, capital flows, tourism and the Internet.  The body of the course will deal with a series of analytical types of globalization, reviewing both the early and recent history of these processes.  The overall approach will be historical and comparative, setting globalization on the larger stage of the economic, political and cultural development of various parts of the modern world.  The course is taught collaboratively by two social scientists: an anthropologist and a sociologist, offering the opportunity to compare and contrast two distinct disciplinary points of view.  It seeks to develop a concept-based understanding of the various dimensions of globalization: economic, political, social, and cultural.

        At the end of the course students will understand the significance of globalization in the modern world, and be able to compare the approaches of different social sciences.

SM 018. (AFRC018, AFST018) Popular Culture in Africa. (C) Distribution Course in Society. Class of 2009 & prior only. Barnes. Freshman Seminar.

This course concentrates on popular culture in sub-Saharan Africa.  It examines the way people reflect on and represent various aspects and issues in their daily lives, in public media, and through a diverse range of performative and creative outlets.  It explores the way cultural traditions are created, promulgated, and perpetuated.  It looks at the way popular culture deals with pleasure and pain; identity difference, and diversity; wealth and power; modernity and history; gender relations; suppression, resistance, and violence; and local versus global processes.  In short, popular culture will serve as a window through which to observe contemporary life.

SM 032. (LALS032) The Rise and Fall of Ancient Maya Civilization. (M) Distribution Course in Hist & Tradition. Class of 2009 & prior only. Sabloff, J. Freshman Seminar.

The civilization of the ancient Maya, which flourished between approximately 1000 B.C. and the Spanish Conquest of the sixteenth century A.D. in what is now southern Mexico and northern Central America, has long been of wide public interest.  The soaring temples of Tikal, the beautiful palaces of Palenque, the sophisticated carved monuments and sculpture, and the complex writing, astronomical, and mathematical systems of this pre-industrial civilization have been widely photographed and written about.  However, revolutionary advances in archaeological research which have provided important new data about the farmers and craftspeople who supported the great Maya rulers, and the decipherment of Maya hieroglyphics writing over the past two decades have led to the overthrow of the traditional model of Lowland Maya civilization and the growth of new understandings of the development of Lowland Maya civilization, the rise of urban states, and the successful adaptation to a difficult and varied tropical environment.  Through a series of case studies, this seminar will examine the research that has led to these new insights and will evaluate the exciting new models of Maya civilization and its achievements that have emerged in recent years.

SM 086. Desire and Demand: Culture and Consumption in the Global Marketplace. (M) Diggs-Thompson. Freshman Seminar.

Does consumption shape culture or does culture shape consumption?  Does the archaic term "errand running" now fall under the heading of "power shopping"? As even the most mundane purchase becomes socially symbolic and culturally meaningful we can now persuasively argue that the concept of "need" has been transformed.  When successful selling must account for differences in age, gender, ethnicity, langugage and even religion, how is demand created and how are diverse populations "sold"?  From Delhi to New York, we ask the question ahs the process of globalization also homogenized consumption?  Has shopping become both entertainment and pop culture and exactuly how has it become inextricably bound to issues of self-image, social status and identity? Analyzing a variety of physical and virtual venues in different countries, from the 19th century to the present, this seminar examines the process of shopping in the global marketplace, and the culture surrounding consumption, including social and political-economic facts which impact if, when, why, and how people purchase goods.  We study the efficiency of the "consumer continuum," production -- promotion -- purchase, and examine how culture, consumption, marketing, and global capitalism have become intertwined around the world.

100. (ANTH654, NELC281, NELC681, SAST161) Topics In Anthropology and the Modern World. (B) Distribution Course in Society. Class of 2009 & prior only. Spooner.

This course relates anthropological models and methods to current problems in the Modern World.  The overall objective is to show how the research findings and analytical concepts of anthropology may be used to illuminate and explain events as they have unfolded in the recent news and in the course of the semester.  Each edition of the course will focus on a particular country or region that has been in the news.

102. (ANTH692) American Civilization: The 20th Century. (C) History & Tradition Sector. All classes. Hammarberg.

This course covers the changing society and culture of the United States during the 20th century.  It begins with American regionalism in 1900 and traces the rise of mass culture and economic depression in the period from WWI through WWII, followed by the changing conflicts of idealism, realism and popular culture to the end of the Cold War, the rise of the internet, and the new problems posed by 21st century globalism.  The course will emphasize the discussion and analysis of primary source materials, employing material culture, texts, and film as forms of evidence.  The concept of culture enables us to treat the changing cultural context as the "natural" environment of Americans during the 20th century.

104. Sex and Human Nature. (B) Living World Sector. All classes. Valeggia/Fernandez-Duque.

This is an introduction to the scientific study of sex in humans.  Within an evolutionary framework, the course examines genetic, physiological, ecological, social and behavioral aspects of sex in humans.  After providing the basic principles of evolutionary biology, the course will examine the development of sexual anatomy and physiology.  How is sex determined?  How is orgasm achieved?  Why do girls and boys develop sexually at different ages? The role of ecology and social life in shaping human mating patterns will be evaluated through the use of ethnographies and cross-cultural materials on a variety of human cultures.  Does everybody have sex the way we do?  Why marry? Are there biological bases for love?  Why do we experience jealousy?  Fianlly, topics relevant to human sexuality today will be discussed, such as recreational sex, contraception, and sexually transmitted diseases.  Examples are drawn primarily from traditional and modern human societies; data from studies of nonhuman primates are also considered.

105. Human Adaptation. (C) May be counted as a General Requirement Course in Living World. Class of 2009 & prior only. Staff. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 003 or BIOL 101 or permission of instructor.

An examination of the methods and techniques of physical anthropology as applied to specific problems of biological variation in man.  Emphasis will be upon physical anthropology as a biological science.

106. Anthropological Genetics. (M) Schurr. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 003.

This course explores the use of genetics to understand human biological variation and evolution.  Among the areas of genetics to be explored are dermatoglyphics (fingerprints), craniometrics (skulls and teeth), anthropometrics (body dimensions), simple Mendelian traits, molecular genetics, genetics of complex traits (skin color, height, obesity), population genetics, and disease adaptations.

SM 108. In Search of the Neanderthals. (M) Staff.

This course will outline Neandertal biology, behavior, and current debates over the place of the Neandertals in human evolution.  The main goal of the course is an up-to-date understanding about who the Neandertals were, and how they lived, through the examination of paleontological and archaeological data.  What did they look like?  What did they eat?  What sort of weapons did they make?  What's this I hear about a cave bear cult?  As we do this, we will also explore the history of scientific and popular thought about Neandertals and how it has reflected changes in broader societal attitudes over time.  The course will include in-class, hands-on laboratory activities.  The reading list will range from selected journal articles to excerpts from popular literature like 'Clan of the Cave Bear.'

112. Introduction to Chinese Cultures. (B) Distribution Course in Society. Class of 2009 & prior only. Staff.

In this seminar we look at the diverse cultural traditions and patterns of social formations of traditional and modern China, to gain an introduction to social life in that country.  We will consider basic anthropological topics in the Chinese context, including kinship, power and politics, gender, ethnicity, class and status, economic activities, ritual practices and ceremonies, religion, expressive culture, and diaspora/transnational communities in Greater China.

SM 115. Anthropology and Philosophy. (M) Humanities & Social Science Sector. Class of 2010 & beyond. Sabloff, P. Academically Based Community Service Course.

Students explore the contributions of anthropology, philosophy, and community service to understanding human nature and human behavior.  Within the context of globalization, we will pose basic philosophical questions about the nature of human nature, capitalism, and the forces influencing people's decisions about their own lives.  Anthropological accounts (ethnographies) from Asia, Latin America, England, and the USA; excerpts from political philosophers (Rousseau, Smith, Marx, Foucault, Bourdieu, and Freire); and students' first-hand experience volunteering in West Philadelphia will help students reach their own conclusions about these and other globalization issues. Students will use their ABCS (Academically-Based Community Service) experience as an anthropology laboratory, seeing social theory as it operates "on the ground."

116. (AFRC116, ANTH629) Caribbean Culture and Politics. (M) Thomas.

This course offers anthropological perspectives on the Caribbean as a geo-political and socio-cultural region, and on contemporary Caribbean diaspora cultures.  We will examine how the region's long and diverse colonial history has structured relationships between race, ethnicity, class, gender and power, as well as how people have challenged these structures.  As a region in which there have been massive transplantations of peoples and their cultures from Africa, Asia, and Europe, and upon which the United States has exerted considerable influence, we will quesiton the processes by which the meeting and mixing of peoples and cultures has occurred.  Course readings include material on the political economy of slavery and the plantation system, family and community life, religious beliefs and practices, gender roles and ideologies, popular culture, and the differing ways national, ethnic, and racial identities are expressed on the islands and throughout the Caribbean diaspora.

SM 118. The Information Age: Culture, Society, and Political-Economy. (M) Barnes.

The information age is reshaping our world and the kinds of lives we lead. The forces of globalization, information technology, and the restructuring of capitalism are bringing about new forms of culture, society, and political-economy.  Are we moving toward a single planetary society?  Or will local communities continue to be culturally diverse?  This course will examine these questions from multiple sites around the world, western and non-western. It will include examinations of international institutions and global cities; new types of identity and citizenship; strengths and weaknesses of the nation-state; transnational flows of culture, capital, and social action; and the making and breaking of new global ideologies.

SM 120. Money in Society and Culture. (M) Distribution Course in Society. Class of 2009 & prior only. Staff. Freshman Seminar.

Across history and across cultures, money has profoundly shaped the social world.  In its myriad forms and functions, money finds expression as object and idea, as complex technological system and potent psychological symbol.  In this course we will consider the meanings that social scientists, cultural critics and popular movements have invested in the objects and practices that surround the use of money in human culture.  Topics to be covered include: ideas about the origins and functions of money; the role of money in ancient and contemporary global trading regimes and political formations; diverse and multiple regimes of exchange and money use in different cultures; the impact of money on notions of value, time, social life, and moral order; ritual, magical and symbolic uses of money; and alternate money forms such as community-based currencies and digital/cyber cash.  While focusing on objects and relationships associated with economic life, the course will serve as an introduction to basic concepts anthropologists use to think about society, culture and politics.  Readings, classroom discussion, and guided research projects will provide the basis for a series of short writing assignments.

122. Becoming Human. (B) Natural Science & Mathematics Sector. Class of 2010 and beyond. Dibble. Also fulfills General Requirement in Society for Class of 2009 and prior.

Human evolutionary studies is a composite product of the fieldwork of both Paleolithic archaeology and human paleontology (or what we refer to as "stones and bones").  This marriage of two subdisciplines of anthropology produces a unique set of data that is intellectually managed and driven by theories within anthropology as a whole and even beyond -- to fields such as biology, psychology, and primate ethology, as we try to understand the origins of language, culture, and our unique physical characteristics.  In this course, two archaeologists and one physical anthropologist will jointly discuss and debate the actual evidence of human evolution, describing what the actual evidence is and exploring how far can we take these interpretations.

L/R 123. Communication & Culture. (C) Society Sector. All classes. Agha.

The course looks at varieties of human expression -- such as art, film, language and song -- as communicative practices that connect persons together to form a common culture.  Discussion is centered around particular case studies and ethnographic examples.  Examination of communicative practices in terms of the types of expressive signs they employ, their capacity to formulate and transmit cultural beliefs and ideals (such as conceptions of politics, nature, and self), and to define the size and characteristics of groups and communities sharing such ideals.  Discussion of the role of media, social institutions, and technologies of communication (print, electronic). Emphasis on contemporary communicative practices and the forms of culture that emerge in the modern world.

124. (JWST124, NELC155, RELS024) Archaeology & the Bible. (M) Distribution Course in Hist & Tradition. Class of 2009 & prior only. Staff.

The Hebrew Bible (Tanak) and archaeological research provide distinct, and at times conflicting, accounts of the origins and development of ancient Israel and its neighbors.  Religion, culture and politics ensures that such accounts of the past have significant implications for the world we live in today.  In this course we will discuss the latest archaeological research from Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Jordan as it relates to the Bible, moving from Creation to the Babylonian Exile.  Students will critically engage the best of both biblical and archaeological scholarship, while being exposed to the interpretive traditions of Anthropology as an alternative approach to the available evidence.  Open discussions of the religious, social and political implications of the material covered will be an important aspect of the course.

SM 127. The Meanings of Things: Material Culture and Human Experience. (M) Distribution Course in Hist & Tradition. Class of 2009 & prior only. Staff.

Human beings live in a world of things made by and for themselves.  This material culture and the technologies used to create it reflect the myriad concerns of people and shape their experiences and lives.  This class will explore the ways in which material culture is made meaningful by and creates meaning for people by developing an anthropological understanding of technology.  Students will explore the connections between cultural, social, political and economic values and the development and elaboration of various technologies, such as stone tools, metal production, railroads and computers. Furthermore, the course will address the products of technology and the roles they play in shaping human values and experiences.  Discussion and analysis will be based on readings and videos of case studies from archaeological to contemporary contexts, and will highlight some current debates on the nature of technological progress.  This course will be relevant to those students interested archaeology, anthropology, history of science and technology, design, engineering, architecture, marketing, museum studies and related.

130. The Barbarian Image. (M) May be counted as a General Requirement Course in History & Tradition. Class of 2009 & prior only. Staff.

The barbarian of comic strip and "fantasy" fiction is but one modern version of a pervasive image running deep in European culture, an image that has shaped European perceptions of the European past, and indeed of the world in general. The "barbarian image" will be traced from its roots in Antiquity, and will be examined critically, primarily though not exclusively for its impact upon European archaeology and the contribution that archaeology can make to its objective evaluation.

SM 133. (LALS133) Native Peoples and the Environment. (M) Erickson. Freshman Seminar.

The relationship between the activities of native peoples and the environment is a complex and contentious issue.  One perspective argues that native peoples had little impact on the environments because of their low population densities, limited technology, and conservation ethic and worldview.  At other extreme, biodiversity, and Nature itself, is considered the product of a long history of human activities.  This seminar will examine the Myth of the Ecologically Noble Savage, the Myth of the Pristine Environment, the alliance between native peoples and Green Politics, and the contribution of native peoples to appropriate technology, sustainable development and conservation of biodiversity.

136. Culture and Conflict in International Relations. (M) Distribution Course in Society. Class of 2009 & prior only. Spooner.

Selected international conflicts will be analyzed from a cultural point of view.  This exercise will have the following advantages, each of which will be emphasized throughout the course: (a) students will study a series of internationally important situations from a distinctive academic point of view; (b) they will explore the analytical value of the concept of culture with the rigour with which it has been developed in anthropology, but in application to material not commonly treated by anthropologists, and (c) since anthropologists have difficulty comprehending and analyzing conflict within a cultural framework, they will at the same time be engaging in a theoretically experimental exercise by addressing questions concerning the relationship between conflict and cultural process.  The course should be useful both to prospective anthropology majors and all undergraduates interested in the modern world, and will ideally attract students with a wide variety of interests.

SM 137. (SAST055) Development Debate in India. (C) Distribution Course in Society. Class of 2009 & prior only. Ghosh.

There has been a great deal of discussion, of late, about civilization and attacks upon it.  This course examines the meaning of "civilization" and "progress" by way of i) classical sources in social thought, ii) pivotal issues in contemporary cultural anthropology and iii) materials related to South Asia -- India in particular.  The course demands close readings of (at times) dense texts, class presentations, short video reaction papers, longer papers per assignments given and a research-informed final paper.  The class format combines discussion with lectures with an emphasis on discussion.

139. (NELC182, URBS139) Ancient Civilizations of the World. (M) History & Tradition Sector. All classes. Zettler.

The archaeology of the complex societies of the Old and New Worlds from the end of the paleolithic up to and including the earliest civilizations.

143. Being Human: Biology, Culture & Human Diversity. (C) May be counted as a General Requirement Course in Living World. Class of 2009 & prior only. Valeggia.

This course is an exploration of human biology from an evolutionary and biocultural perspective.  Under this light, the class will provide you with general concepts for a better understanding of what it means to be human.  We will see humas as mammals, as primates, and as hominids.  We will explore the basics of human genetics, growth & development, nutrition, disease and life history.  Biological variation in contemporary and past societies will be reviewed in reference to evolutionary processes.

SM 146. (AFRC146, GSOC146, URBS146) Writing Multiculturalism. (M) Distribution Course in Society. Class of 2009 & prior only. Sanday.

Diversity is a fact of life, characteristic not only of the US national culture but of the global culture as well.  This course introduces anthropological theories of culture and multiculturalism and the method of ethnography.  Students will read and report on selected classic readings. After learning the basic concepts, students will be introduced to the concept of culture and the method of ethnography.  The core of the course will revolve around "doing ethnography" through participant/observation in multicultural settings.  Students can use their life experience, home communities, or Penn as their field of observation.  The goal of the course is to introduce beginning students to public interest anthropology.  No background in anthropology is required.

SM 152. Fat and Society. (C) Kauer.

This course is designed to approach a topic of great interest and relevance to people-both men and women--living in the US today.The readings and concepts of fat: physiology, anatomy, body image, body, weight, macronutrient, "fatty" foods, ideas about low fat and non-fat, and the morality of fat and thin. Using critical thinking skills from anthropology, students and instructor will explore meanings of fat: their origin, their effects on individuals, and on society.  In particular, we will examine ideas taken for granted by society (especially the biomedical culture, as it extends into the community) about the relations between food, fatness, happiness, health and morality.  Course material draws broadly from the social sciences and humanities and deals with the biological, biomedical, and socio- cultural aspects of fat in our culture. In saying "fat", we are also implicitly saying "thin", and this course is designed to delve into the varied discourse on fat/thin, on body/body image, health, and beauty.

168. Genetics and the Modern World. (M) Schurr. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 003; some background in biology and genetics is also helpful, but not required.

Without question, genetic research is making a profound impact on the modern world.  It has led to many new and exciting insights in the field of biological anthropology, particularly those subareas concerned with human origins and biological diversity, and is having an equally important influence on the biomedical sciences.  Furthermore, through the use of new genetic technologies, the entire human genome has been recently sequenced, giving us an opportunity to better understand the nature of human development, disease and biological variation at the molecular level.  This course will explore the new findings in biological anthropology resulting from the use of these genetic methods, as well as examine the social and political implications of these advances.  Among the topics to be covered in the course are the Human Genome Project, genetic testing in forensic and criminal cases, race and biological variation, genetic engineering, the genetic basis of disease, and modern human origins.

170. (ANTH507) Primate Behavior and Human Evolution. (M) Staff.

The course examines the diversity of the living primates, as well as their behavior and evolution.  We will look at the ways in which individuals compete with one another to survive, mate and rear their offspring and how their behavior interacts with ecological factors to produce the sorts of societies that we see among primates.  We will also consider how our understanding of living primates can help us reconstruct the evolution of human behavior.

SM 184. Food and Culture. (M) Staff.

This course will examine the relationship between food and culture through interdisciplinary readings, lectures, films and discussions.  Historical, economic, anthropological, and nutritional sources will be examined to situate food use in its sociocultural and personal context.  Topics will include how food functions symbolically to provide meaning on the social and personal levels; food as a commodity situated within economic and cultural realms of consumption; and food as a medium for subjective and cultural feelings and beliefs.  Emphasis will be placed on anthropological approcahes to understanding food-related phenomena including ethnic identity and nutritional change; body imagery and anorexia nervosa; and cross-cultural foodways and beliefs.  A written paper involving participant observation and library research will be required as well as several small written assignments, including a food diary and descriptions of experienced food events.  Readings will include Sweetness and Power (Mintz), Food, the Body and the Self (Lupton), No Foreign Food (Pillsbury) and a bulk pack.

190. (AFRC190, AFST190, HIST190) Introduction to Africa. (A) Society Sector. All classes. Barnes.

During the semester we will focus on people and communities of sub-Saharan Africa and on the ways people represent, reflect on, and react to various aspects and issues in their lives and the institutions which dominate their communities.  We will focus particularly on the history, contemporary expression, and inter-relationships among politics, religion, and aesthetic practice.  Members of Penn's African Studies community will share their expertise with the class and introduce the University's Africa resources. Texts consist of weekly readings, films, and recordings; and class members will be expected to attend several lectures outside of class.

SM 191. Migration and Multicultural Membership: The U.S.  Experience. (C) Ghosh.

This course examines the movement of peoples across borders.  We focus on national borders in particular and, more specifically, migration to the U.S. The investigation itself will be framed by theories of society, social membership, and social change including the way that migration and other "flows" have challenged these theories.  We will consider the role of media (music, internet, films, etc.), globalization, and religion.  Attention will be given to South Asian origin populations with contrasts drawn vis-a-vis comparable immigrant populations in the U.S. (e.g.  Latin-American/Latino groups) and perhaps elsewhere.  Requirements include papers, class presentations, and one exam.

199. Independent Study in Anthropology. (C) Staff. Prerequisite(s): Junior or senior standing and written permission of instructor and undergraduate chairman. See Department for Advisor.

A study under faculty supervision of a problem area or topic not included in the formal curriculum.

202. (ANTH501, SAST162) Archaeology of South Asia. (C) Distribution Course in Hist & Tradition. Class of 2009 & prior only. Possehl. May be repeated for credit.

A survey of the archaeology of India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan from the Stone Age to historical times.

210. Death: Anthropological Perspectives. (M) Monge.

This course will cover the topic of DEATH from a bio/cultural perspective including the evolution of life history (aging and demography - mortality) as well as from an archaeological perspective (prehistory) and early history of mortuary practices.  Nothing in the lifespan of humans is so revealing on the interface of culture and biology as is death and the experience of death. This course is not concerned specifically with how an individual experiences death, but in the ways that culture and biology have come to define and deal with physical death and the death experience.

211. North American Archaeology. (M) Preucel.

This course provides a basic survey of the archaeology of indigenous peoples of North America from the earliest inhabitants until the arrival of Europeans. The regional coverage includes the continental U.S., northern Mexico, Canada, and the Arctic.  Because of time limitations, specific emphasis will be placed on the Midwest, Southwest and Southeast regions of the U.S.  Topics include the history of North American archaeology, peopling of the continent, origins and evolution of agriculture, early village life, native architecture, prehistoric art and symbolism, native american cosmology and astronomy, ancient technology, outside contacts and relationships, prehistoric economies and trade, social and political structure, the rise of cultural complexity, and early contacts with Europeans.  The focus will be on the archaeological record combined with analogy from ethnohistory and ethnography.  This regional survey course is designed for mid-level undergraduates.  There are no formal prerequisites for the course, although it is expected that students have taken ANTH 001.

SM 214. (AFRC214, AFST214) Societies and Cultures of Africa. (M) Distribution Course in Society. Class of 2009 & prior only. Kopytoff.

An Introduction to the peoples and cultures of Sub-Saharan Africa, including culture history, languages, traditional social and political structures, and traditional religion.

SM 215. What is Culture?. (A) Ghosh. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 002.  Course is designed for Anthropology majors.  Those outside of the major require permission of the instructor.

Anthropology has often been defined as the study of culture.  What is culture? How can "it" be studies, and what do these studies tell us?  The course revolves around three questions i) how should we account for/make sense of the fact of human diversity?  ii) what is the relation between the material and cultural components (or 'orders) of social life?  and iii) what is the relation between the individual and the collectivity?  We will explore how various theories have taken up these notions, in different guises and - at times - in combination.  Our investigation will be theoretical, not ethnographic.  We will examine 'classical' thinkers in social science, history and political philosophy with an aim to ground an understanding of contemporary theories of culture.

SM 219. (ANTH719) Archaeology Field Project. (A) Humanities & Social Science Sector. Class of 2010 & beyond. Schuyler. Permission of instructor required.

First-hand participation in research project in historical archaeology in Southern New Jersey.  Transportation provided by the university.  Students will assist in excavations and archival research on local archaeological sites.  Class is open to all undergraduates, no previous archaeological experience is required.  Attendance will involve Fridays or Saturdays, all day from 8:00 to 5:00 including travel time to the excavations and back to the University Museum.  Students enroll for only one day (F or S).  Enrollment is limited so specific permission of the instructor is required (Robert L. Schuyler: schuyler@sas.upenn.edu; (215)898-6965; U Museum 412).  Course may be repeated for credit and a follow up laboratory course (Anth 220 in the spring semester) will also be available during which the artifacts and documentary sources collected in the fall will be analyzed at the University Museum. Course may be repeated for credit.

220. (ANTH720) Archaeology Laboratory Field Project. (B) Distribution Course in Hist & Tradition. Class of 2009 & prior only. Schuyler.

Follow-up for Anthropology 219.  Students may enroll in either or both courses, and in any sequence; however, preference will be given to those previously enrolled in 219 that Fall.  Class will meet in three hour sections on Fridays and Saturdays and will involve the analysis of artifacts, documentary records, oral historic sources and period illustrations collected on Southern New Jersey historic sites that Fall.  No previous archaeological or lab experience is required. (Robert L.  Schuyler: schuyler@sas.upenn.edu; (215) 898-6965; UMuseum 412).  Course may be repeated for credit.

SM 223. Experimental Archaeology. (M) Staff.

This course will introduce the student to the anthropological sub-field of Experimental Archaeology, by focusing on the role experimentation plays in archaeological interpretation, as well as the process of experimentation. Students will spend the first part of the course gaining an understanding of Experimental Archaeology, its history, varying definitions of its practice and its goals.  Different types of experiments will be highlighted with a particular focus being placed on the sort of results obtainable via experimentation at a variety of degrees of control in experimentation.  During the second part of the course, students will be presented with case studies of experimental archaeological research, as they research and prepare their own presentations on a specific topic of experimental research.  The main aims of the course are to make the students aware of the variety of experimental research being undertaken and to help them develop a critical eye towards the evaluation of experimental results and the usefulness of experimentation in archaeological research.

229. Underwater Archaeology. (M) Distribution Course in Hist & Tradition. Class of 2009 & prior only. Staff.

Archaeological finds are made underwater as well as on land.  These underwater finds may offer vivid and unusually complete information on ancient trade patterns and politics, technology, and environments.  This course will cover research on shipwrecks and on settlements and landscapes that have been preserved underwater.  Attention will be paid to the special challenges and methods of underwater research and to understanding undersea finds in their local archaeological context.

230. (ANTH633) Forensic Anthropology. (M) Monge.

This course will investigate and discuss the various techniques of analysis that biological anthropologists can apply to forensic cases.  Topics include human osteology, the recovery of bodies, the analysis of life history, the reconstruction of causes of death, and various case studies where anthropologists have contributed significantly to solving forensic cases. Discussions will include the limitations of forensic anthropology and the appplication of DNA recovery to skeletal/mummified materials.

231. (CINE231) Anthropology and the Cinema. (C) Humanities & Social Science Sector. Class of 2010 & beyond. Krasniewicz.

This course analyzes mass-market American films using traditional anthropological theories about symbolism, ritual, mythology, language, methaphor, narrative and discourse.  The goal is to think of the movies as significant cultural artifacts that we use to make sense of the world rather than as just forms of entertainment or art.  Through a study of popular American films and their related merchandise and cultural influences, we will also see how anthropology can be used to study contemporary cultures.

SM 233. (SAST360) South Asia: Anthropologies and Histories. (M) Ghosh.

This course offers a survey of readings in the historical anthropology of South Asia, India in particular.  Readings touch on an array of topics, including (post) colonialism, nationalism, violence, village life, family life, media and diaspora.  The common theme will be a focus on how social agents are constructed and represented, and how social change is effected. Class sessions will combine lecture and discussion, with an emphasis on the latter.

236. (ANTH636, NELC241, NELC641, URBS236) Iraq: Ancient Cities & Empires. (M) Zettler.

This course surveys the cultural traditions of ancient Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, a region commonly dubbed "cradle of civilization" or "heartland of cities," from an archaeological perspective. It will investigate the emergence of sedentism and agriculture; early villages and increasingly complex Neolithic and Chalcolithic cultures; the evolution of urban, literate societies in the late 4th millennium; the city-states and incipient supra-regional polities of the third and second millennium; the gradual emergence of the Assyrian and Babylonian "world empires," well-known from historical books of the Bible, in the first millennium; and the cultural mix of Mesopotamia under the successive domination of Greeks, Persians and Arabs.  The course seeks to foster an appreciation of the rich cultural heritage of ancient Mesopotamia, an understanding of cultural continuities in the Middle East and a sense of the ancient Near Eastern underpinnings of western civilization.  No Prerequisite.

L/R 238. (HSOC238) Medical Anthropology. (C) Barg.

Introduction to medical anthropology takes central concepts in anthropology -- culture, adaptation, human variation, belief, political economy, the body -- and applies them to human health and illness.  Students explore key elements of healing systems including healing technologies and healer-patient relationships.  Modern day applications for medical anthropology are stressed.

242. World Ethnography. (C) May be counted as a General Requirement Course in Society. Class of 2009 & prior only. Sanday. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 002.

The aim of this course is to provide an overview of the varieties of human experience in the world culture areas identified by anthropologists.  The course will concentrate on regional cultural themes and social organizational processes in each of these areas.  Students will read a sample of the classic ethnographies and articles that cover central anthropological topics.

243. Being Human: Biology, Culture and Human Diversity. (C) May be counted as a General Requirement Course in Living World. Class of 2009 & prior only. Valeggia. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 003. Formerly titled: Human Biology.

Strategies and approaches of physical anthropology to the question of human biological variation in contemporary populations.  Particular interest given to the interaction of biology and culture.

244. The Evolution of Behavior. (M) May be counted as a General Requirement Course in Living World. Class of 2009 & prior only. Staff. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 003 or permission of instructor.

In this course we will look at behavior from an evolutionary perspective, drawing on a variety of studies of both non-humans and humans.  In particular, we will explore the extent to which our understanding of human behavior might be enhanced by knowing our evolutionary history.  The focus will be on integrating biological and cultural influences into a more complete and useful understanding of ourselves.  We will discuss a number of general topics, including sexuality, diet, cognition, cultural evolution, the evolution of hierarchy, consciousness, cognition, language, and mental illness.

246. (ANTH649) Molecular Anthropology. (C) Schurr. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 003, Intro to Human Evolution; some background in biology and genetics will also be useful.

In this course, we will explore the molecular revolution in biological anthropology, and, in particular, examine the nature and theory of collecting molecular data to address anthropological questions concerning human origins, evolution and biological variation.  Some of the topics to be covered in this course are the phylogenetic relationships among primates, kinship in apes and monkeys, the hominoid trichotomy, modern human origins and migrations, Neandertal genetics, biogenetics of skin color, disease adaptations, and the Human Genome Project.

247. (ANTH747) Archaeology Laboratory Field Project-Summer. (L) Distribution Course in Hist & Tradition. Class of 2009 & prior only. Schuyler.

This course is a summer version of Anth 220 (see that course for full description).  In summer more emphasis will be placed on field visitations. Course open to all students; no instructor permission needed.  Course may be repeated for credit and students may take both anth 247 and 220.  Questions: contact Robert L Schuyler; schuyler@sas.upen.edu; (215) 898-6965; Univ Museum 412/6398.

248. Food and Feasting: Archaeology of the Table. (C) Moore.

Food satisfies human needs on many levels.  Anth 248 explores the importance of food in human experience, starting with the nutritional and ecological aspects of food choice and going on to focus on to the social and ritual significance of foods and feasts.  Particular attention will be paid to the way that archaeologists and biological anthropologists find out about food use in the past.  Contemporary observations about the central significance of eating as a social activity will be linked to the development of cuisines, economies, and civilizations in ancient times.  The course will use lectures, discussions, films, food tastings, and fieldwork to explore the course themes. An optional community service component will be outlined the first week of class.

250. (LALS250) Aztecs, Mayas, and Incas. (M) Distribution Course in Hist & Tradition. Class of 2009 & prior only. Sharer. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 001 or permission of instructor.

A survey of the development of PreColumbian civilization in the Americas, from the appearance of the earliest states in Mexico and the Andes to the Spanish Conquest.

SM 254. Archaeology of the Inca. (M) History & Tradition Sector. All classes. Erickson.

The Inca created a vast and powerful South American empire in the high Andes Mountains that was finally conquered by Spain.  Using Penn's impressive Museum collections and other archaeological, linguistic, and historical sources, this course will examine Inca religion and worldview, architecture, sacred temples, the capital of Cuzco, ritual calendar, ceque system, textiles, metalworking, economic policies and expansionist politics from the dual perspectives of Inca rulers and their subjects.  Our task is to explain the rise, dominance, and fall of the Incas as a major South American civilization.

262. Social Reorganization: Tribes, Communities and Corporations. (M) Spooner.

All human life is organized, unconsciously and culturally, at least (informal organization); in some cases also purposively, or ideologically, for specific objectives (formal organization), either general, as in modern government, or limited, as in business.  This course will interrelate anthropological work on social organization with the history of formal organization in a way that will bring anthropologists into dialogue with a variety of sociological interests in organizational forms.  A wide variety of ethnographic and sociological examples of formal and informal organization will be described and analyzed within the framework of the emerging modern awareness of the possibility of organizing and reorganizing society and social groups for specific short- and longterm objectives.

SM 273. Globalization & Health. (M) Petryna.

In some parts of the world spending on pharmaceuticals is astronomical.  In others, people struggle for survival amid new and reemerging epidemics and have little of no access to basic or life-saving therapies.  Treatments for infectious diseases that disproportionately affect the world's poor, remain under-researched and global health disparities are increasing.  This interdisciplinary seminar integrates perspectives from the social sciences and the biomedical sciences to explore 1) the development and global flows of medical technologies; 2) how the health of individuals and groups is affected by medical technologies, public policy, and the forces of globalization as each of these impacts local worlds.

        The seminar is structured to allow us to examine specific case material from around the world (Haiti, South Africa, Brazil, Russia, China, India, for example), and to address the ways in which social, political-economic, and technological factors -- which are increasingly global in nature -- influence basic biological mechanisms and disease outcomes and distribution.  As we analyze each case and gain familiarity with ethnographic methods, we will ask how more effective interventions can be formulated.  The course draws from historical and ethnographic accounts, medical journals, ethical analyses, and films, and familiarizes students with critical debates on globalization and with local responses to globalizing processes.

280. Language and Culture. (M) May be counted as a General Requirement Course in Society. Class of 2009 & prior only. Staff. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 002 or permission of instructor.

Examination of language as a part of culture, as a source of knowledge about other aspects of culture, and as social behavior.

SM 282. (ENGL282) Topics In Native American Literature. (M) Distribution Course in Arts & Letters. Class of 2009 & prior only.

This course explores an aspect of Native-American literature intensively; specific course topics will vary from year to year.

288. Myth, Fraud, and Science in Archaeology. (M) Sharer. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 001 or permission of instructor.

This course is intended to examine the distinctions between scientific and non-scientific approaches in archaeology.  It is designed for people with a genuine interest in learning what archaeology is really all about, and who wish to critically evaluate the many different accounts about the past in order to make decisions for themselves as to what may be reliable or unreliable information.  The course will analyze a variety of case studies derived from both the archaeological and pseudo-archaeological literature in order to define criteria for evaluating the accuracy and reliability to these accounts.

301. Senior Thesis. (B) Staff. Permit required.

Individual research under faculty supervision culminating in a thesis.

SM 305. Anthropology & Policy: History, Theory, Practice. (B) Sabloff, P.

From the inception of the discipline, anthropologists have applied their ethnographic and theoretical knowledge to policy issues concerning the alleviation of practical human problems.  This approach has not only benefited peoples in need but it has also enriched the discipline, providing anthropologists with the opportunity to develop new theories and methodologies from a problem-centered approach.  The class will examine the connection between anthropology and policy, theory and practice (or 'praxis'), research and application.  We will study these connections by reading about historical and current projects.  As an ABCS course, students will also volunteer in a volunteer organization of their choice in the Philadelphia area, conduct anthropological research on the organization, and suggest ways that the anthropological approach might support the efforts of the organization.

L/R 306. Medical Anthropology. (C) Staff.

Theoretical and applied interpretations of health concepts and human health behavior.  Biological and ecological disease processes; case studies of social interaction in health care settings; social structural analyses of medical institutions.

SM 310. (HSOC310) Anthropology and Biomedical Science. (M) Staff. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 243 or permission of instructor. Priority given to Penn Med students.

An examination of the role of anthropology in biomedical research, focusing upon health and disease as outcomes of biocultural systems.  Where possible, students will engage in collection and analysis of data and the dissemination of the results.

SM 312. (HSOC321, URBS312) Health in Urban Communities. (A) Distribution Course in Society. Class of 2009 & prior only. Johnston.

This course will introduce students to anthropological approaches to health and to theories of participatory action research.  This combined theoretical perspective will then be put into practice using West Philadelphia community schools as a case study.  Students will become involved in design and implementation of health-related projects at an urban elementary or middle school.  As one of the course requirements, students will be expected to produce a detailed research proposal for future implementation.

SM 314. (HSOC314) Nutrition & Community Service. (C) Staff.

A seminar on the role of the anthropological perspective in the enhancement of health and nutrition in urban communities through Academically Based Community Service.  Students will examine the theory and method of participatory action research; sociocultural determinants of health behavior change; the role of cultural models in health related behavior; and factors affecting health risk perceptions.  Course requirements include: participation in the Urban Nutrition Initiative; a class presentation; and a final paper.

341. Psychology and Culture. (C) Distribution Course in Society. Class of 2009 & prior only. Hammarberg. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 002.

The topic in the coming term is identity.  "Identity," according to AFC Wallace, "may be considered any image, or set of images (conscious or unconscious), which an individual has of himself or herself".  The full set of images of self refers to many aspects of the person on a number levels of generality: "his or her" wishes and desires, strengths and capabilities, vulnerabilities and weaknesses, past experiences, moral qualities, social status and roles, physical appearance, sexual orientation, ethnic, religious, or group identification and much else." Our task in this course is to examine the ways people develop and deploy their social and personal identity over the course of their lives under conditions of a culturally constituted conception of self.  Cross-cultural materials we will consider include films, autobiographical writings, personal observations, and life history representations.

353. Political Anthropology. (M) Staff.

Political systems of Western and non-Western societies and theories of politics, culture, and society will be examined from an anthropological perspective.

359. (HSOC359) Nutritional Anthropology. (M) Johnston.

Human nutrition and nutritional status within context of anthropology, health, and disease.  Particular emphasis on nutritional problems and the development of strategies to describe, analyze, and solve them.  Students will participate in the Urban Nutrition Initiative, an academically based community service project in local area schools.

404. Introduction to the Human Skeleton. (M) Staff. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 003 or ANTH 105.

An introduction to the anatomy and biology of the human skeleton.  Laboratory work will be supplemental by lectures and demonstrations on the development structure, function, and evolution of the human skeleton.

SM 411. (GSOC511) Anthropology of Sex and Gender. (M) Sanday. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 002.

This course surveys psychoanalytic and social theories of sex and gender.  We begin with the social organization and construction of sexual expression and engendered subjectivity.  The social ordering of power through the mechanisms of sexual behavior and engendered subjectivity is considered next.  In addition to reading anthropological analyses of sex and gender in specific ethnographic contexts, students will become familiar with relevant theorists such as Belsey, Strathern, de Lauretis, Foucault, Freud and Lacan.  Short papers will be assigned in which students apply specific theories to interpret case material.  Advanced undergraduates and graduate students are welcome.

413. Archaeology of American Southwest. (M) Preucel.

This course provides an overview of the prehistoric cultures of the American Southwest.  It interweaves archaeological data, ethnohistorical accounts, ethnographic descriptions, and indigenous perspectives.  Topics covered include the hi