Anthropology is predominantly founded on field research, and students are encouraged to register for a field school. Many course requirements for the major or minor in anthropology and other departments can be met through approved field schools, and field school elective hours are applicable to any College major. Anthropology credit for field school participation is guaranteed only for programs directed by IU anthropology faculty or with advance approval by the director of undergraduate studies. Opportunities for participating in fieldwork with IU faculty exist outside of formal field school courses. For more information about field schools and fieldwork, contact the Department of Anthropology, Student Building 130, (812) 855-1041; for study abroad, contact the Office of Overseas Study, Franklin Hall 303, (812) 855-9304.
Course Descriptions
General Anthropology
ANTH–A 105 Human Origins and Prehistory (3 cr.) CASE S&H Human biological evolution and prehistory from the
earliest archaeological record through the rise of civilization. Credit given for only one of the following: A105, A103, or A303. A105 does not count toward major.
ANTH–E 105 Culture and Society (3 cr.) CASE S&H
Introduction to the ethnographic and comparative study of contemporary and historical human society and culture. May be taken simultaneously with A105. Credit given for only one of the following: A104, E105, E303, or A304. E105 does not count toward major.
ANTH–A 150 Freshman Seminar in Anthropology: Topics (3 cr.) CASE S&H Introduction to the study of anthropology
through the applicability of anthropological theory and method to specific social and cultural issues. May be repeated once with different topic.
ANTH–A 200 Topics in Anthropology of Culture and Society (3 cr.) CASE S&H Selected topics in the
anthropological study of social and cultural institutions. Emphasizes understanding and developing anthropological approaches to questions about social, economic, political, and historical relationships among groups and individuals in contexts across the globe. Course topics may utilize ethnographic, archaeological, linguistic, and historical information. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
ANTH–A 205 Anthropology Today: Selected Topics in Current Research (1–4 cr.) Selected topics in
anthropological methods, techniques, and area or thematic studies. Course content will draw on the fieldwork
experiences and/or current research of the instructor(s). May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
ANTH–A 208 Topics in the Anthropology of the Arts and Expressive Behavior (3 cr.) CASE A&H Introduction to
selected topics in the anthropology of art, performance, music, literature, folklore, belief, and ritual. Examines the methods anthropologists use to study the arts or other expressive behaviors and explores art and expression in a variety of cultural settings. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
ANTH–A 211 Anthropology Topics in the Natural and Mathematical Sciences (3 cr.) CASE N&M Selected topics
in anthropology that explore human interaction with physical and biological environments, or apply scientific methodology to anthropological questions. May emphasize human evolution and biology, nutrition, forensics, non-human primates, technology, archaeometry, and other scientific measurement, experimentation, and inquiry as it relates to anthropological study.
ANTH–A 221 Anthropology of Food (3 cr.) CASE S&H In
this course we will examine, across space and time, the significance and meaning of food, its production and consumption in human culture and society. Ideas and practices concerning food are deeply held markers of who we are and how we define ourselves.
ANTH–A 303 Evolution and Prehistory (3 cr.) CASE S&H
R: Junior standing. Introductory course for more advanced students. Human beings’ place in nature, emergence of humans and contemporary races, development of culture from Paleolithic onward, problems arising from interaction of biological and cultural phenomena. Not open to students who have taken A105. A303 does not count toward major. SS.
ANTH–A 306 Anthropological Statistics (3 cr.) CASE N&M Fundamentals of univariate and bivariate statistics,
construction and interpretation of graphs, and
computer-assisted data analysis. Both statistical methodology and theory will be emphasized as well as computer literacy. Students will examine the primary literature in all branches of anthropology to familiarize themselves with the role of
statistics in anthropological research. Credit given for only one of A306, CJUS K300, ECON E370 or S370, MATH K300 or K310, POLS Y395, PSY K300 or K310, SOC S371, STAT K310 or S300, or SPEA K300.
ANTH–E 303 Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology (3 cr.) CASE S&H R: Junior standing.
Introductory course for more advanced students. Approaches to the study of contemporary cultures: structure, process, and change. Topics include kinship, economy, politics, religion, and worldview. Not open to students who have had E105. Not sequential with A303. E303 does not count toward major.
ANTH–A 399 Honors Tutorial (3 cr.) P: Consent of
departmental honors advisor. Research and writing, culminating in honors thesis. May be repeated once.
ANTH–A 400 Undergraduate Seminar in Anthropology (3–4 cr.) Seminar in various anthropology topics not covered
by other anthropology courses, excluding ethnography and ethnology. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 9 credit hours.
ANTH–A 403 Introduction to Museum Studies (3 cr.)
Introduction to general principles, goals, and objectives of museum practice. Museum history, administrative
organization, physical plant design, restoration, acquisition, exhibit, and educational programs.
ANTH–A 405 Museum Methods (3 cr.) P: A403 or consent
of instructor. Methods and techniques of museum design, administration, accessioning, conservation and restoration, acquisition of specimens, curatorial work, exhibition, and education.
ANTH–A 406 Fieldwork in Anthropology (1–8 cr.)
Fieldwork in anthropology carried out by the student in consultation with faculty members. May be repeated to a maximum of 8 credit hours.
ANTH–A 408 Museum Practicum (1–4 cr.; 8 max. cr.)
P: A403, A405, or consent of instructor. Independent work of student’s choice in one aspect of the field of museum work. Relevant readings required. May be repeated.
ANTH–A 410 Anthropology Capstone Seminar (3 cr.) CASE S&H P: Senior status or advanced anthropology
students. Selected topics in anthropology approached using concepts from all four subfields of the discipline. Asks students to examine the goals of anthropology and apply what they have learned in previous course work to current research and contemporary issues. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
ANTH–A 420 Undergraduate Teaching Internship (1–3 cr.)
Open to junior or senior anthropology majors with consent of instructor. Students assist in preparation and
implementation of undergraduate courses, especially those involving hands-on laboratory work. Students prepare materials, implement laboratory activities, and maintain educational collections. Students enrolled in A420 do not assist in grading. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
ANTH–A 495 Individual Readings in Anthropology (1–4 cr.) P: Consent of instructor. May be taken in
successive semesters for credit.
ANTH–A 496 Field Study in Anthropology (1–8 cr.)
P: Consent of chairperson. Supervised fieldwork of an anthropological nature arranged through an outside agency or institution, such as an internship, apprenticeship, or volunteer work at a governmental office, zoo, or
archaeological site. One credit hour per full week of fieldwork. May be repeated for a maximum of 8 credits.
Bioanthropology
ANTH–B 200 Bioanthropology (3 cr.) CASE N&M
Bioanthropology of humans, basic biological principles, morphology, function of evolutionary history. Human evolution from lower forms, environmental factors, speciation and differentiation into varieties, mixture, growth, sexual differences, and constitutional variability. I Sem., II Sem.
ANTH–B 260 Biocultural Medical Anthropology (3 cr.) CASE N&M A survey of health and disease from a biocultural
perspective, which incorporates the evolutionary, ecological, and sociocultural context of health and disease to answer such questions as why we get sick and why there is population variation in the risk of becoming sick. Topics include reproductive, infectious, and chronic diseases.
ANTH–B 301 Laboratory in Bioanthropology (3 cr.) CASE N&M P or C: B200 or consent of instructor. Laboratory
investigations of human skeletal biology, including age and sex determinations, bone pathologies, and forensic identification; human paleontological and primate observations; variability in living populations, including anthropometry, blood grouping, and dermatoglyphics. Emphasis on a biocultural perspective in applying methods and techniques of bioanthropology.
ANTH–B 310 Bioanthropology: A History of Ideas (3 cr.) CASE S&H P: B200, B301, or permission of instructor.
Emergence of modern bioanthropology as an academic discipline, emphasizing the careers of prominent scholars and theoretical contributions they made. Influences of funding institutions and major departments on the directions of research. Relationships to other fields of study.
ANTH–B 312 Evolutionary Medicine (3 cr.) CASE N&M
P: An introductory course in bioanthropology, medical science, psychology, or biology; or instructor consent. Incorporates principles from evolutionary theory into our understanding of various infectious and chronic diseases common to human populations both past and present. Although proximate mechanisms involving physiology and behavior will be discussed, the focus will be to determine why such mechanisms have evolved in the first place.
ANTH–B 340 Hormones and Human Behavior (3 cr.) CASE N&M P: Junior or senior standing, and an introductory
course in bioanthropology, medical science, psychology, or biology; or instructor consent. Reviews the roles of hormones in the evolution and expression of human and nonhuman animal behaviors. Emphasis placed on behaviors associated with aggression, stress, mating, and parenting. Particularly relevant for students interested in evolutionary psychology and human health.
ANTH–B 350 Issues in Human Origins: Creation and Evolution (3 cr.) A review of the creation/ evolution
controversy in a seminar setting. Fundamentals of organic evolution covered, especially pertaining to the origin of our species. Additionally, the major arguments as set forth by
“scientific creationists” are presented, along with an appraisal of the “balanced treatment” notion that has been proposed for inclusion in public school curricula.
ANTH–B 368 The Evolution of Primate Social Behavior (3 cr.) CASE N&M Major patterns of social organization in
the order Primates, with focus on several important primate species. Examination of Darwinian theories of behavioral evolution. Particular attention paid to the influence of food-getting and diet on social behavior.
ANTH–B 370 Human Variation (3 cr.) CASE N&M
P: Sophomore standing. Variation within and between human populations in morphology, gene frequencies, and behavior. Biological concepts of race, race classification along with other taxonomic considerations, and evolutionary processes acting on humans in the past, present, and future.
ANTH–B 400 Undergraduate Seminar (3 cr.) Selected
topics in bioanthropology. Analysis of research. Development of skills in analysis and criticism. Topic varies. May be taken for a total of 9 credit hours as long as the topic changes.
ANTH–B 405 Fieldwork in Bioanthropology (arr. cr.)
P: Consent of instructor. Fieldwork involving the collection and analysis of biological or biosocial data on prehistoric and contemporary human populations. The materials or data may be paleontological, archaeological, physiological, or ecological in nature. 1 credit hour per full week of fieldwork. SS.
ANTH–B 464 Human Paleontology (3 cr.) P: B200-B301.
Human fossils: their structure, classification, evolution, geologic range, and geographical distribution.
ANTH–B 466 The Primates (3 cr.) CASE N&M P: A105,
B200-B301, or consent of instructor. Paleontology, functional morphology, behavior, and natural history of the infrahuman primates. Emphasis on behavioral and ecological correlates of morphology.
ANTH–B 470 Human Adaptation: Biological Approaches (3 cr.) CASE N&M Examines the concept of adaptation
within the framework of bioanthropology, anthropology, and other disciplines. Focuses on individual and population responses to heat, cold, solar radiation, high altitude, and nutritional and disease stress.
ANTH–B 472 Bioanthropology of Aboriginal America (3 cr.) P: B200. Bioanthropological survey of past and
present aboriginal inhabitants of North and South America: origins and antiquity, archaeological and ethnic relationships.
ANTH–B 480 Human Growth and Development (3 cr.)
P: B200-B301. Characteristics of normal growth and development from birth to maturity, establishment of constitutional qualities, and aging. Anthropology of individual considered from standpoint of causal factors, patterns of expression, and methods of assessment.
Social and Cultural Anthropology
ANTH–E 101 Ecology and Society (3 cr.) CASE S&H How
do humans relate to the environment? Addresses this question from cross-cultural, historical, scientific, and ethical perspectives. Considers current problems; examines how technical, socioeconomic and political changes transform people's use of natural resources. Students evaluate how societies vary in perceptions of nature and explore
implications for behavior, decision making, and environmental change.
ANTH–E 102 Anthropology of America (3 cr.) R: Freshmen
only. Anthropological analysis of American society: marriage, descent, kinship organization, religion, social stratification, and economic basis of social structure.
ANTH–E 110 Indians of Mexico: Ancient and Modern (3 cr.) CASE S&H, CASE GCC Introduction to the cultures
and societies of the pre-Columbian and contemporary Indians of Mexico. Considers their religion, arts, social and political organization, subsistence, and everyday life, including roles of women and men. The relationship of the Indian to the colony and the nation is also examined in terms of opposition and integration.
ANTH–E 200 Social and Cultural Anthropology (3 cr.) CASE S&H Intermediate survey of theories and problems
in social and cultural anthropology. Historical development, methods of inquiry, focal problems, and contemporary theoretical perspectives. I Sem., II Sem.
ANTH–E 205 Peoples of the World (3 cr.) CASE S&H All
peoples have to confront similar challenges in order to survive and thrive as individuals and as societies. This course will examine how eight or nine cultures around the world shape their values, behaviors, institutions, and stories in response to external and internal challenges.
ANTH–E 206 Chanting Down Babylon: Protest and Popular Culture in the Afro-Caribbean (3 cr.) CASE S&H, CASE GCC Explores Afro-Caribbean popular culture as a
mechanism of political protest against colonialism and its legacies, the failures of local government, and first-world political and economic hegemony. Examines popular culture on the grass-roots level while incorporating mass-media content such as recorded music and film.
ANTH–E 208 Global Jazz, Reggae, and Hip-Hop: African Diasporic Music Beyond the African Diaspora (3 cr.) CASE A&H With focus on jazz, reggae, and hip hop, this
course links musical production and consumption in the African diaspora to issues of social identity. Among those aspects of social identity considered are race, nation, religion, class, and gender. The course investigates the spread of these musical genres around the world.
ANTH–E 210 Rethinking Race Globally (3 cr.) CASE S&H
Provides a synthetic approach to human diversity including such aspects as biology, linguistics, culture, and psychology. What do humans have in common? Why do we vary so much? Is physical appearance a good measure of difference?
ANTH–E 212 The Anthropology of Youth and
Adolescence (3 cr.) CASE S&H A broad introduction to the
cross-cultural study of adolescence. Examines classic anthropological concerns such as age sets and age grades, generational groups, and rites of passage, as well as current research on youth language, global youth culture, and intergenerational politics.
ANTH–E 230 American Ethnic Diversity (3 cr.) CASE S&H This course focuses on racial and ethnic groups within
the United States, including Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, Jewish Americans and the self-defined “white ethnics.” Topics will include the
nature of prejudice and stereotypes, the immigrant experience, ethnic strategies for success, education, the arts and competitive sports as a means of expression and social mobility.
ANTH–E 240 Southwestern American Indian Ritual and Belief (3 cr.) CASE S&H, CASE DUS This seminar will
examine the beliefs and rituals of several of the Indian peoples of the Southwest, particularly the Apache, the Navajo, and the Pueblo peoples. After setting the historical and ethnographic context, we will look at beliefs and rituals focusing on origins, sacred places, healing, the natural environment, life passages as well as other topics. Credit given to anthropology majors and minors.
ANTH–E 251 Post-Taliban Afghanistan and the War on Terror (3 cr.) CASE S&H, CASE GCC The September 11th
attacks prompted the on-going "War on Terrorism" against Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. This course examines this conflict while focusing on Afghanistan as a multi-ethnic, modern nation-state ravaged by a century of internal colonialism and most recently by foreign invasions, proxy wars, and global terrorism. Credit given for only one of ANTH-E 251, CEUS-R 251, or NELC-N 251.
ANTH–E 260 Culture, Health, and Illness (3 cr.) CASE S&H, CASE DUS Across the world, ideas about and
experiences of health, “disease,” and medicine are profoundly shaped by culture. Introduction to cross-cultural approaches to understanding health and illness, covering topics such as ethnomedicine, ritual healing, gender and health, and international development and global health.
ANTH–E 275 Indigenous Worldviews (3 cr.) CASE S&H, CASE GCC A survey of some basic concepts of indigenous
lifeways, this course introduces comparative cultural analysis, providing a foundational course for those interested in thinking about how others think and how we think about otherness. Students will examine mythology, ritual, health, art, and philosophy within the context of colonialism and globalization.
ANTH–E 300 Culture Areas and Ethnic Groups (1–3 cr.)
An ethnographic survey of a selected culture area or ethnic group. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
ANTH–E 302 Laboratory in Ethnography (3 cr.) CASE S&H P: ANTH E105 or E200, or permission of the instructor.
Students learn the approaches and methods of ethnography by conducting their own hands-on field research projects in and around the community. Students complete a series of ethnographic lab assignments on participant observation, mapping and visual technologies, interviewing, and writing up research findings.
ANTH–E 306 Hasidic Culture and Oral Tradition (3 cr.)
The contemporary Hasidic community is studied in terms of its history, beliefs and values, and unique social system. Factors affecting continuity and change, religious revitalization, and sect development will be considered. Special attention will be given to Hasidic tales, as well as plays, memoirs, and anthropological studies.
ANTH–E 307 Shamanism and Spirit Possession (3 cr.) CASE S&H An overview of anthropological approaches to
two important religious phenomena: shamanism and spirit possession. Topics include how individuals are called to
these vocations, whether curing rituals “work,” and the nature of shamanism in the modern world.
ANTH–E 309 Problems in African Ethnography (3 cr.)
This advanced seminar focuses on the anthropological tradition of fieldwork in African societies. Readings combine ethnographic and theoretical approaches to the study of the continent. Topics range from the history of anthropological thought concerning the continent to a critical analysis of contemporary ethnographic work.
ANTH–E 310 Introduction to the Cultures of Africa (3 cr.) CASE A&H, CASE GCC R: ANTH E105 or E200 or E303
or AFRI L231 or L232. Explores the vitality and diversity of African cultures today in communities ranging from town neighborhoods to remote villages and from desert to rainforest. Demonstrates the tenacity and creativity of human