University of Maine at Farmington 2017-2018 Catalog

 
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Anthropology
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  ANT 101S - Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

This cross-cultural course is one of the fundamental building blocks to understanding diversity in many different cultural and social contexts. We will discuss symbols and symbolic behavior, material culture, ethnicity, colonialism, gender roles, subsistence patterns, boundary markers and many facets of human adaptations through time and space. This course will also investigate issues of language in cultural and social context from a comparative perspective. Students will have the opportunity to conduct rudimentary ethnographic research in this course in order to provide them with the tools necessary for upper division courses in anthropology and other social science courses. Every semester.



Credit: 4

  ANT 102S - Introduction to Archaeology

The purpose of this course is to introduce the beginning student to the principal techniques and central concepts used by archaeologists in the study of past human cultures. After a review of archaeological methods, a brief overview of special problems oriented topics including human evolution, origins of agriculture/animal domestication, and peopling of the Americas is presented. Every two years.



Credit: 4

  ANT 103S - Human Origins and Cultural Development

A paleoanthropological examination of human society extending from Hominid origins to the establishment of Neolithic societies in the Old World. Basic aspects of organic evolution, taxonomy, and archaeological classification are examined and applied. (Pass/Fail option) Every year.



Credit: 4

  ANT 202S - Civilizations of the Ancient World

The social development and traditions of many of the early civilizations that dominate the Old World are examined by means of data and theory derived from archeology, history, comparative sociology and ethnography. Attention if given to cultural development in Mesopotamia, Egypt, South and Southeast Asia, bronze and iron age Europe.(Pass/Fail option) Every three years.



Credit: 4

  ANT 210S - Latin America: Cultures and Contexts

This course provides an overview of the diverse peoples of Latin America from an anthropological perspective. It explores the cultural, economic, political and religious aspects of life in this large and varied region. Themes that we will focus on include problems associated with contact, identity and ethnicity, political and economic processes, urbanization and migration, social movements in the region; the changing status of women; and the relationship between ecology and culture. Prerequisite(s): None. Every two years.



Credit: 4

  ANT 215S - Social Problems and Social Change

Utilizing various anthropological and sociological theories, concepts and techniques, this multicultural course examines a wide array of topics considered to be "social problems" in our society. Students examine such issues of inequality as racism, classism, and sexism as well as institutional concerns surrounding crime, education, health care and the impact of migration and globalization in U.S. society. Students also explore various techniques that have been utilized to create social changes to remedy these "problems". Every two years.



Credit: 4

  ANT 220S - Peoples and Cultures of North America

This course will focus on the various ethnic groups located in the United States. We will spend a good deal of time discussing diversity and minority issues, issues of stratification, power relations, ethnic boundary markers. This course will focus on either Native Americans or the wide variety of ethnic groups residing in the United States. (Pass/Fail option) Every three years.



Credit: 4

  ANT 230S - Linguistic Anthropology

Language and Culture are patently and intrinsically tied. This course will investigate issues of language and culture in cross-cultural settings focusing on a wide variety of topics affiliated with both Anthropological linguistics and sociolinguistics. We will discuss methodology, language and gender, language and power, language acquisition, and other related topics. (Pass/Fail option) Every two years.        



Credit: 4

  ANT 233S - Prehistory of North America

Using a Culture Area approach, the Prehistory of North America surveys the social history and adaptive ingenuity of First Nation societies in North American. Controversies, puzzles and particular sites are intensively examined from a post-processual perspective. Spans the earliest settlement to the proto-historical. (Pass/Fail option) Prerequisite(s): None. Every three years.        



Credit: 4

  ANT 235S - The Culture of Capitalism

Capitalism has brought widespread economic development around the globe, and this in turn has profoundly changed the way humans live their lives.  But the world is full of many masks, and behind the mask of economic prosperity lie numerous stories of colonization, war, forced “modernization,” poverty, hunger, disease, environmental degradation, religious fundamentalism, and social unrest.  These stories, and their relationship to capitalist systems, are not always obvious to us; they seem far removed from our daily lives, appear to have little historical basis, and look as if they are isolated, encapsulated occurrences.  In this course, we will peer behind the mask of the global expansion of capitalism and connect the dots. Prerequisite(s): None. Every two years.



Credit: 4

  ANT 240S - Cultural Ecology

This course centers on the relationship between society and the environment, specifically focusing on literature from the growing field of political ecology.  We will explore various environmental conflicts and management issues by careful consideration of particularities of place, culture and history.  Using an anthropological perspective, nuances of local level details are set in relation to the broader political economy to explore not only environmental problems, but also potential solutions. (Pass/Fail option) Prerequisite(s): None. Every two years.



Credit: 4

  ANT 250 - Ethnography

This writing intensive course will examine the history of anthropological ethnographic tradition paying close attention to the trends and developments of anthropological theory contemporaneous with those ethnographies studied.  Students will be expected to become ethnographers themselves through a host of writing assignments which sharpen methodological skills such as:  observation, participant observation, and questionnaires.  The goal of this course thus is twofold:  to introduce students to the art and science of ethnographic writing and to help students enhance their own ethnographic writing skills. Prerequisite(s): ANT 101S or permission of instructor. Every two years.



Credit: 4

  ANT 255S - Performance: Culture, Meaning and Society

The intention of this course is to expand and deepen our notion of performance and to address such questions as, “Why do people perform?” and “How does performance constitute our social and political worlds?”  Using performance as an entry point for understanding texts, drama, culture, social roles, identity, resistance and technologies, and drawing from analytical principles embedded in anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, and performance studies, we will explore such diverse performance practices as ritual and social drama, multicultural and street performance, dance, theater, site-specific performance, and a wide range of hybrid forms. Prerequisite(s): None. Every two years.



Credit: 4

  ANT 260S - Violence, Warfare and Culture

This course explores processes of social conflict, including violence and warfare in past and present societies. By accessing cross-cultural case studies from archaeology, history and cultural anthropology, the course investigates the roots of human conflict and its development over time and space at a number of spatial and temporal scales. The course considers the causes and effects warfare, the role of power and social control, as well as how the environment, technology and poverty play into patterns of violence. Every two years.



Credit: 4

  ANT 265S - Climate Change and Society

This course examines how climate change has impacted society across time and space. Using a range of archaeological, historical and contemporary case studies, this course explores how climate change has served as an inhibitor (stressor) and stimulator (opportunity) in societal and cultural development in a range of different contexts (e.g., subsistence, economics, migration). The course examines important concepts of climate change (e.g., vulnerability, resilience, mitigation and adaptation), explores the myriad of human responses to climate change and concludes with an assessment of impacts of climate change in the state of Maine. Cross listed with GEO 265S. Students may receive credit for only one of these courses. Every two years.



Credit: 4

  ANT 270S - Ancient Latin America

This course offers a synthesis of prehistoric cultures from the Latin America region and more specifically examines the patterns of cultural development in the Mesoamerican and Andean regions. The course tracks the rise of the earliest complex societies in Latin America, compares and contrasts the major sociopolitical developments in the central Andes and Mesoamerica and considers interregional and colonial contact. Every two years.



Credit: 4

  ANT 275S - Gender, Development and Globalization

This course takes an anthropological perspective and examines how conceptions of gender shape theories of development, how globalization has impacted gender relations, and how men and women around the world navigate cultural and economic marginalities.  Material will be drawn from a wide range of regions around the world and will explore topics such as: globalization and labor; immigration and the family; crime and incarceration; prostitution and the global sex trade; HIV/AIDS; among others. Prerequisite(s): None. Every two years.



Credit: 4

  ANT 277S - Special Topics in Anthropology

This course offers study in a specialized topic in anthropology that is not offered in the usual anthropology curriculum, at an introductory level.  These topics include but are not limited to the Anthropology of Gender, Anthropology of Native North America, or Cultures in Conflict. Varies.



Credit: 4

  ANT 300 - Food and Culture

Food provides a window onto the human experience: how we find the means to survive and meet our basic needs; how we form communities; how we give our lives meaning and express our identities. Our relationships to food are individual and at the same time reflect our connections to local, national and global communities and networks. This course will consider what food—the ways we obtain and use it, and the meanings we give it—tell us about being human and being part of community.  We will address topics including sources of food, the development of cuisines, food as an expression of identity and solidarity, body image and food, the ethics and politics of food choices, and the ritual uses of food.(Pass/Fail option) No prerequisites. Every three years.



Credit: 4

  ANT 333 - Visualizing Culture Through Film
This course borrows from anthropology, film, communication, media, and cultural studies in order to examine those aspects of culture that are accessible to us through the visual. Using early ethnographic films as a starting point, we will delve into such subject matters as anthropological film as a documentary genre and a research tool, the visual study of cultural patterns, the creation of subjective voices through film, and indigenous media-making. To better facilitate these explorations, this course will be run as an interactive seminar in which we will debate pertinent theoretical and methodological issues, with considerable class time devoted to screening and critiquing films. This course counts toward the Minor in Film Studies. Prerequisite(s): None. Every three years.


Credit: 4

  ANT 340 - Theoretical Foundations of Anthropology

This multicultural course provides an introduction to various theoretical foundations in anthropology and social science more generally.  Students trace the evolution of social thought aimed at understanding culture and society. Students study both classical and contemporary theory and learn how to apply these concepts toward understanding current issues in society. Theorists include: Marx, Durkheim, Foucault, Weber, Boas, Mead and many others. Prerequisite(s): ANT 101S or permission of instructor. Every two years.



Credit: 4

  ANT 360 - Social Science Research Methods

This course provides an introduction to various theories and methods of social science research. Students discuss the importance of research, explore different types of social research methodologies (e.g., interviews, focus groups, observations, surveys) and techniques as well as go through the process of creating an actual research design or proposal. The course helps sharpen students' ability to evaluate and critique research, think logically and critically, and gain hands on experience with the concepts we explore in class. Additionally students learn how they can apply the skills and knowledge gained in this course to a wide range of professions and fields. Prerequisite(s): ANT 101S or permission of instructor. Every two years.



Credit: 4

  ANT 365 - Medical Anthropology

This course explores one of the fastest growing sub-fields of anthropology, medical anthropology, and its relevance in our age of globalization. Taking an evolutionary and cross-cultural perspective, this course examines how and why different people around the world experience and understand reproductive health, healing, diet and nutrition, growth and development, infectious disease, mental health, and health disparities, among other topics. Prerequisite(s): ANT 101 or permission of instructor. Every two years.



Credit: 4

  ANT 377S - Special Topics in Anthropology

This course offers an in-depth exploration of a specialized topic in anthropology that is not offered in the usual anthropology curriculum. This course may offer a subject matter that is completely new or will serve as a continuation of a topic taught at the 200 level. These topics include but are not limited to the Ethnography of Maine's People, Peasants and Small Scale Agriculture, Rural Maine Service Learning or Paleoanthropology. (Pass/Fail option) Varies.



Credit: 4

  ANT 397 - Independent Study in Anthropology

The purpose of this course is to provide the exceptional student with an opportunity to explore specialized topics within the discipline of anthropology. Students are required to be involved in the design of the course; submitting in writing a detailed outline of their course of study to the instructor they are working with prior to registering for the course. Students require permission by the instructor to enroll in the course. Prerequisite(s): ANT 101S, ANT 103S and permission of the instructor. Varies.



Credit: 4

  ANT 400 - Internship

Internships allow students to gain direct experience in areas that are relevant to their fields of study. Students work directly with faculty to determine which organization to work with as well as to determine what project(s) the student may do that is relevant to the internship. Internships must be approved by this faculty member as well as the site where students are performing their internship prior to registration. Students are strongly encouraged to establish these relationships at least one semester prior to enrolling in the internship. (Pass/Fail option) Prerequisite(s): ANT 101S, ANT 103S and permission of instructor. Every semester.



Credit: 4

  ANT 460 - Independent Research in Anthropology

This course is designed to provide an opportunity for advanced students seeking additional experience performing directed research. Students work individually with instructors on projects driven by the student's interests or as part of larger on-going projects that the instructor is involved in. This course is particularly useful for students interested in attending graduate school. (Pass/Fail option) Prerequisite(s): ANT 101S, ANT 103S, and ANT 360 or permission of instructor. ANT 245 is highly recommended. Every semester.



Credit: 4

  ANT 477 - Special Topics in Anthropology

The study of a specialized topic not offered in the usual curriculum. Varies. 



Credit: 2-4

  ANT 480 - Senior Seminar/Capstone in Anthropology

This course is designed to be a culminating experience for students with a Sociology/Anthropology major. This seminar asks students to build upon previous work in both disciplines, by conducting a research project of their own choosing. Students are also able to focus their research within a particular discipline or subfield of Anthropology. Students work independently but discuss their work with one another, examining the process of research and their progress as a whole. Prerequisite(s): ANT 340 and ANT 360 or permission of instructor. Every Year.



Credit: 4

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