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College of Arts and
Sciences
Course Descriptions
Unless otherwise noted, the following courses may be taken without prerequisites.
LOWER LEVEL
C055. Fundamentals of Biological Anthropology (4 s.h.)
(SB/D2) FS
Human populations, both past and present, are the focus of
biological anthropology. In this course, the biological
characteristics of human populations are studied in terms of
their adaptive significance. Students will be introduced to
concepts in medical and population genetics, review studies of
human morphological and physiological variation, and learn basic
concepts in evolutionary biology and human paleontology.
R060. Introduction to Anthropology: A Four-Field
Integrated Approach to Race and Racism (3 s.h.)
This 14 week introductory Anthropology course is designed to
introduce students to important scholarly and practical concepts
in the study of "race" and racism historically and
across cultures. It builds upon the important contributions of
four-field anthropological practice to our understanding of the
ways societies have constructed racial categories and meanings
and deployed racialized hierarchies. Students will be asked to
read a variety of basic materials in linguistics, biological
anthropology, ethnology, and archaeology. This will be
supplemented with student efforts to analyze popular
representations of race to acquire a familiarity with the
important debates in contemporary social science and politics.
C061. Cultures of the World (3 s.h.) (IS) FS
An introductory survey of various cultures from different regions
of the world. Ethnographic case studies will be compared to show
diversity and continuity in human life styles. A major emphasis
will be placed on the impact of transglobal economic, political,
and sociocultural change in the 20th-century.
C064. American Culture (3 s.h.) (AC) FS
This course will provide an overview of the anthropological view
of American culture. Ethnographic views of particular lifestyle
groups based on ethnicity, region, class, age, etc. will be
explored. Studies of the historical development of relationships
and conflicts between groups will also be included. These will be
linked together by the literature on the overarching themes,
values, rituals, and institutions which characterize the national
culture.
C065. Origins of Cultural Diversity (3 s.h.) (IS)
Many non-US cultures have long, distinguished histories which can
be traced ultimately to a common origin. This course examines the
evolution of these cultures through the use of archaeological and
paleoanthropological data, which ranges from 2 million years ago
to the time of recorded history. Topics include the emergence of
culture, the spread of human populations throughout the world,
the origins of agriculture, and the rise of civilizations. The
persistence of hunter/gatherer and other small-scale societies
into the 19th and 20th centuries is also investigated.
UPPER LEVEL
W120. Fundamentals of Cultural Anthropology (3 s.h.)
(D3) FS
A review of theoretical approaches to cultural anthropology.
Designed for anthropology majors, but useful for students in
other social sciences and the humanities. Emphasis on contrasting
points of view and on the relationship between research methods
and theoretical positions.
0124. Fundamentals of Archaeology (3 s.h.) (D3) FS
An introduction to the theories and methods used in
archaeological anthropology. Topics include excavation
techniques, analysis of material remains, and reconstruction of
ancient cultural patterns.
0125. Fundamentals of Biological Anthropology (4 s.h.)
(D2) FS
An introduction to the biological study of human populations,
past and present. The biological characteristics of human
populations are studied in terms of their adaptive significance.
Includes basic genetics and the genetics of human groups. A
review of modern human skeletal/muscular anatomy is followed by
consideration of evolutionary changes in human lineage. Concludes
with lectures on human growth and aging, human physiology, and
human demography. Students should complete this course before
enrolling in any other upper level biological anthropology
course.
0127. Fundamentals of Linguistic Anthropology (3 s.h.)
(D4) FS
An exploration of basic linguistic concepts from a social and
cultural anthropological perspective. Fundamentals of linguistic
analyses, the study of language change and dialect variation, and
issues in the ethnography of speaking.
0151. Economic Anthropology (3 s.h.) F
Investigates the political economies of non-industrial societies
-- how these are articulated with, transformed by, and
incorporated into the modern world systems. Includes the history
and development of theories of political economy on the one hand,
and detailed studies of selected local and regional groups on the
other. Although 'tribal' and 'peasant' economies have 'internal'
conditions of development, these cannot be fully understood
without the wider context in which the majority of them exist and
have always existed.
0152. Political Anthropology: Traditional Societies
and Modern States (3 s.h.) S
This course will examine the rise of political anthropology as a
specialized field, in relation both to others within
anthropology, as well as to the social sciences generally. This
perspective will be achieved by a critical reading of some of the
classical texts in the field in the light of recent developments
in the relation between political economy and anthropology. Among
the issues addressed will be: the nature of politics and
under-development and the articulation of modes of production and
social formation.
0158. Fundamentals of Culture and Visual Communication
(3 s.h.) F
Prerequisites: Anthro 0060, 0061, or equivalent. A survey of
theoretical approaches to an anthropological understanding of
visual/pictorial communication. Among the topics explored:
theories of culture and communication, models of both social and
visual communication, perception, cross-cultural aesthetics,
non-verbal communication as well as photography, film, and mass
media. Emphasis will be placed on the value of constructing
ethnographies of visual/pictorial communication. This course has
been designed for anthropology majors specializing in the studies
of visual communication, but it is also useful for sociology,
FMA, and mass communication majors. Course consists of required
readings, screenings, and active class participation. No exams.
Students keep a journal and write several short papers.
0161. Human Paleontology (3 s.h.)
Designed to familiarize students with both theoretical and
methodological frameworks for interpreting the human fossil
record with a review of the synthetic theory of evolution,
socio-biological concepts, and procedures in taxonomy and
phylogenetic reconstruction. Attention given to the origin of the
human lineage and what the fossils of that lineage tell us about
the evolution of anatomical systems that are peculiar to humans.
0162. Human Biology of Modern Populations (3 s.h.) S
An investigation of how physical anthropologists approach the
study of living human populations. It will explore topics in
population genetics, demography, physiology, growth and
development, disease, nutrition, ecology, and energetics.
0163. Human Population Genetics (3 s.h.) S
This course is designed to acquaint the undergraduate major in
Anthropology (especially those in the human biology
specialization) with the fundamental concepts of population
genetics with particular relevance to human genetics. Although
the course, as indicated, has a particular emphasis on genetics,
the influence of environmental effects will be especially
appreciated in this course, as the impact of culture is so
dramatic, even with respect to human genetic evolution.
0169. South American Archaeology (3 s.h.) S
A survey of prehistoric cultures of South America. Concentrates
on (1) the initial entry and spread of human populations into
South America and the West Indies, (2) origins of tropical and
highland agriculture, (3) the rise of urbanism, civilization, and
the state in the Andes, and (4) the impact of prehistoric
cultures on the environment.
0172. Archaeology of North America (3 s.h.)
This course surveys the cultural development of native peoples
from the time of the initial colonization of North America to the
historic period. The cultural diversity seen across the continent
at any given point in time is dramatic and difficult to cover in
detail within the scope of a single course. Common and
contrasting themes in development are stressed and information is
organized by cultural/geographic regions or "areas,"
and chronological periods. The emphasis of the course is on the
peoples found north of Mexico.
0211. Anthropology and Culture Change (3 s.h.) F
Examines competing series of society and explanations of change
and development. The first half of the course exposes the network
of assumptions underlying various theories of change and
investigates their implications; it shows the commonality of
social thought in different societies and challenges notions
about the uniqueness of Western thought. The second half of the
course deals with selected instances of historical change and
transformation: the rise of capitalism, the colonial encounter
and decolonization, the transition to socialism, and the crisis
of modernity.
0212. Medical Anthropology (3 s.h.) F
An integration of the cultural and biological perspectives on
health, disease, and therapies developed from the anthropological
study of human diversity. Evolving patterns of birth, disease,
and death; the effects of modernization on health; cross-cultural
variations in definitions of illness and therapies; and conflicts
between health care systems.
0220. Environmental Physiology (3 s.h.)
Prerequisite: Anthropology 0125. A survey of physiological and
biochemical variability in human populations examined as a
function of environmental adaptation. Emphasis on the responses
of different populations to discernible environmental stresses.
0223. Comparative Law (3 s.h.) S
Prerequisite: An introductory course in anthropology or consent
of instructor. Law as a universal characteristic of all culture
defined and discussed. The relationships between law and other
forms of social control and the relationship between law and
economic, social, and political systems. Special problems related
to law in complex societies and legal change.
0224. Art and Anthropology (3 s.h.)
This course serves as an introduction to research by
anthropologists on non-Western arts and the worlds they come from
and are brought into. It is also an introduction to examples of
art developed and used by some non-Western peoples. By
implication, it raises questions concerning Western arts and
their social and cultural contexts. It explores diverse systems
of visual and artistic representation, symbolic and political
expressions, and place of satire, parody, and lampoon in the
making of visual traditions. Other topics include a critical
assessment of the "primity art" category, art as a
cultural system, comparative aesthetics, performance (music,
movement, mime, etc.) as artistic expression, tourist/airport art
forms, among others. A field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of
Art in New York may be required.
0241. Introduction to Visual Anthropology (3 s.h.) S
This course offers a review of old and new versions of Visual
Anthropology, or, stated in terms preferred at Temple University,
the Anthropology of Visual Communication. The course offers a
theoretical overview and perspective that applies concepts of
culture to processes of visual communication as well as concepts
of communication to visual culture. Lectures, readings, and
coursework will focus on understanding relationships between
culture constructs, visual codes, and social/cultural contexts.
Each semester, emphasis will be given to several general topics,
including the diversity of pictorial codes and modes used on an
everyday basis; socialization and interpretation; and images as
cultural documents. This semester we will attend to four topics,
specifically (1) the imagery of National Geographic, (2)
graffiti, (3) postcards, and (4) snapshots. Students will do
observational exercises on/with each topic.
0248. Introduction to Primates (3 s.h.) S
This is a three-part introduction to the order Primates. The
first part deals with the classification, diversity and
anatomical adaptation of the living primates. The second part is
a survey of primate phylogeny as revealed by the fossil record.
Then, we look at the behavior of non-human primates.
0270. Early Comparative Civilizations (3 s.h.) F
This comparative analysis of the rise of early civilizations uses
archaeological and historical information to examine the
development of ancient societies. It focuses on problems of the
Neolithic revolution and the autochthonous transformation of
kin-based communities into stratified societies and the
subsequent formation and development of archaic states.
0273. Japanese Culture (3 s.h.) S
Introduction to traditional and contemporary Japanese culture.
Topics covered include: early literature, aesthetic principles as
expressed in art and architecture, religion, gender roles,
Japan's shifting relationships with the outside world, rural
communities and urban centers in the 20th-century, and the
construction of the self in modern Japan. (Cross-listed with
Asian Studies 0253).
0274. The Anthropology of Modern China (3 s.h.) S
This course provides an introduction to the culture and society
of the contemporary People's Republic of China. The first half of
the course explores the dramatic changes in both rural and urban
sectors of Chinese society since the turn of the century, with a
particular focus on post-1949 socialist transformations. The
second half of the course examines such topics as gender and the
status of women, ethnic minorities, religion and healing, the
self and society, the party and the state, and P.R.C. narratives
of modernity. Throughout, the P.R.C. will be examined as a
society which embodies a distinctively Chinese synthesis of
tradition and modernity. (Cross-listed with Asian Studies 0254.)
W301. History of Anthropological Theory (3 s.h.) FS
Prerequisites: At least two courses in anthropology or permission
of instructor. The development of anthropological thought from
the mid-19th century to present. Major theoretical schools, such
as evolutionism, historicism, functionalism, structuralism,
cross-cultural methods, and the new ethnography.
0313. Problems in Social-Cultural Anthropology (3
s.h.)
A variable topic course whose content usually changes each time
it is offered. Provides an opportunity for instructors and
students to explore specialized topics of current interest.
Recent topics have included: the development of Hispanic-American
communities in the U.S., women and literature in Heian Japan,
ethnic communities in Philadelphia, and gender, literacy, and
autobiography. Consult department chair or adviser for current
topic.
0315. Theory and Method in Cultural Anthropology (3
s.h.) S
The relationship between ethnographic theory and various
investigative methodologies. Analysis of different ethnographies
in terms of their theoretical bases and data-gathering processes.
Focus will vary from semester to semester.
0321. Methods in Archaeology (3 s.h.)
Prerequisites: Recommendations vary depending on course topic,
check with instructor. A series of practical, topical courses
which deal with aspects of archaeological fieldwork and
laboratory analysis. The topic or focus of the course varies by
semester and includes: field methods; ceramic analysis; lithic
analysis; soils and stratigraphy. Because the topic changes,
students may take 321 more than once.
0322. Indigenous Media (3 s.h.) S
This course critically reviews the relationships between
ethnographic film and indigenous forms of self-representation in
video, film, photography and art. Native, minority, and elite
visual texts from several societies will be compared with each
other and with forms of pictorial representation in contemporary
Western societies. The course first explores the emergence of
non-professional models of indigenous expression in written forms
focused on a reading of indigenous texts written by perceptive
individuals. Second, we will examine pictorial forms by viewing
and analyzing films and video programs made by indigenous
individuals and associations. Examples will come from North and
South America, Australia, and India, specifically the Navajo, the
Inuit, the Kayapo, the Walpiri, as well as Indian and Tongan
videography. Bio- and socio-documentary films made by American
teenagers will be discussed; Anglo American examples such as
snapshots/slides, family albums and home movies/videos will also
be included in an effort to provide a comparative focus and
global perspective.
0324-0524. The Genetic Basis of Human Variation (3
s.h.) S
Explores the hereditary variation in our species and its special
relationship to disease incidences and susceptibilities. Emphasis
on contrast between adaptations of traditional societies to
infectious disease loads and contemporary societies with
degenerative disease loads, and the genetic susceptibilities
concerned.
0326. Methods in Physical Anthropology (4 s.h.) S
Prerequisite: Anthropology 0125 or consent of the instructor.
Advanced undergraduate and graduate students will have the
opportunity to develop individual research projects in biological
anthropology, utilizing materials in the department collections
and from department expeditions. Students will be introduced to
problems in research design, sampling theory, research paper
writing, and commonly used statistical techniques in biological
anthropology, and will apply them in their project analyses.
0330. Culture and Visual Communication Fieldwork (3
s.h.) S
This course serves as the required capstone course for students
in the Visual Anthropology Track within the Anthropology
Department. As a capstone, this course allows students to review,
integrate, and operationalize what they have learned in previous
coursework by undertaking a brief study in visual anthropology.
Each student will be responsible for (1) formulating a study (as
a proposal), (2) doing background library research, (3)
undertaking a period of original fieldwork, (4) writing findings
and results, and (5) making a brief presentation of results.
Students will be responsible for a writing assignment at each
stage of the process. Students may work individually or in pairs.
Camera work is optional but encouraged.
0332. Anthropology and Photography (3 s.h.) F
Prerequisite: Anthro. 0060 or 0061 and Anthro. 0158 or
permission of the instructor.
A critical examination of an anthropological approach to
photography. Special attention will be given to a socio-cultural
history of photography in the U.S. Examples from documentary,
fine art, and commercial photographic genres will be shown,
discussed, and compared to ethnographic studies. Field methods,
models of analysis, and ethical issues will also be included.
Knowledge of camera technology and darkroom procedures are
helpful but not required. Required readings, active class
participation. No exams. Students keep a journal and write
several short essays. (Sometimes this course is cross-listed with
Art History or American Studies.)
0333. Anthropological Film
A review of major films styles useful for anthropological film
and video in conjunction with an analysis of the role of
film/video in anthropology. Topics will include relationships of
anthropological and ethnographic films, the significance of
historical and ideological contexts, values of research
"footage" vs. "film," comparisons to
indigenous video and feature films, and problems in the
communication of anthropological theory and insight through film
and video media. A broad range of ethnographic films will be
screened to illustrate a progression of work and variety in
relationships of theory, subject matter, cultural context,
production techniques and style, and projected audiences.
0334. Anthropological Problems in Visual Production (3
s.h.) S
The introduction of visual recording techniques to a sample of
problems in the anthropology of visual communication. Discussions
will include ways anthropologists construct problems, develop
observational strategies, select appropriate image-making
technology, work in field conditions, among others. Strategies of
representation connected to the integration of cultural and film
theories will be explored in conjunction with a wide range of
film examples. Students will be introduced to the department's
production facilities and do short exercises in image-making,
viewing, and interpretation. A lab fee may be necessary depending
on the extent of each semester's assignments.
0335. Advanced Problems in Production (3 s.h.) S
This course concentrates on the enhancement of production skills
(possibly gained in Anthro 0334) and on the application of more
complex technologies to making anthropologically significant
texts. Significance will be given to why certain techniques vary
and are more appropriate when films and other visual texts pursue
different objectives. Readings and assignments will focus on
text-making strategies by acknowledging underlying ideologies and
conventions as related to relationships between alternative
rationales, strategies, and choices. Students will undertake
video assignments experimenting with different kinds of
information and pictorial formats. Editing equipment will be used
to illustrate assignments.
0336. Anthropology in Feature Films (3 s.h.) F
Students will critically review a series of feature films that
include topics, themes, and subject matter often treated within
anthropology and related human sciences. It is clear that
American feature films -- usually thought of as "Hollywood
films" -- can be very influential in establishing or
reinforcing social and cultural stereotypes of 'states of
knowledge' about peoples living in various parts of the world.
Viewership of these materials, either as films shown in movie
theaters or as their videotape counterparts seen on home
television screens, certainly exceeds the size of audiences in
introductory anthropology courses in the U.S. The potential for
influence and false senses of familiarity is enormous.
0337. Pictorial Lives (3 s.h.) S
We will critically review the anthropological relevance of
written forms such as biography and autobiography and
subsequently compare these spoken/written models to modern
pictorial traditions -- still photography, film, and videotape.
The course will integrate such topics as personal narrative,
storytelling, family folklore, construction of personal
knowledge, and creation of social and collective memories. We
will address a series of questions: How do ordinary people use
cameras to communicate information about themselves to
themselves? Why are snapshots important to the study of human
cultures? How do ordinary people construct versions of their
lives, create evidence of human existence, as well as maintain
identities and cultural presence in their family albums? How can
we understand these pictorial forms as "stories" that
are told across generations? How are human lives transformed to
be preserved and remembered in snapshots, home movies and home
videotapes? How do these picture collections contribute to our
memories?
0355. Gender Theory (3 s.h.) S
This course explores anthropological literature on gender as a
means of exposing hidden assumptions about power, language, and
social action. Emphasis is on the development of theoretical
critiques of various schools of thought, symbolic analysis of
social practice, and the reconciliation of Marxist and cultural
approaches to the analysis of gender.
0380. Seminar in Evolutionary Biology (3 s.h.) F
An in-depth review of the synthetic theory of evolution and
special topics in evolutionary theory. Emphasis will be placed on
human evolution, human bio-cultural adaptation, and evolutionary
biology.
0392-0393-0394. Independent Study (2-3-3 s.h.) FS
Prerequisite: Agreement by staff member to supervise
student's work.
Directed reading and research on a specific anthropological
topic. Does not count toward major requirements in anthropology.
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For description of courses, consult the complete course listing for Art under Tyler School of Art.
Return to the list of courses.
Art History courses offered at Temple University are of two basic types: very broad-ranging introductory surveys of art, from prehistoric times to the present, and the more closely focused courses, treating limited segments of the vast historic panorama, such as Greek Art, Italian Renaissance Art, or Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. Approximately 60 courses of the latter type are offered over the span of a four-year period. A further dimension of the curriculum is the junior year abroad program in Rome, Italy or Temple Japan. For description of courses, consult the complete course listing for Art History under Tyler School of Art.
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