GWST 101 Women,
Culture, and Society (1)
An introduction to the analysis
of culture and society from a feminist perspective. Using gender as a
category of analysis, and with attention to the distribution of power
in society, we explore such questions as: What are the shaping
influences on women's lives and how do women's lives compare with
men's? What is the interplay of gender, race, and class in cultural
forms and social institutions? What kinds of biases have shaped our
understanding of biological "facts," literary "value" and historical
"importance"? HSS;
M.Day; Syllabus
AnSo 101 Human Origins (1)
Humankind's place in nature, the origins of humanoid traits, the nature
of the earliest human societies, and the relation of biology to human
behavior are discussed on the basis of current anthropological
evidence.
J.Wagner;
AnSo 102 Non-Industrial
Societies (1)
This course examines the major forms of non-industrial societies
(including foraging, horticulture, and peasant societies) and the major
social and cultural processes that help shape these societies
(including kinship and family organization, political economy, religion
and ritual practices). Attention is also given to contemporary
processes of sociocultural change and to the current relationship
between non-industrial societies and the industrialized world. HSS;
N.Eberhardt;
M.Day; Syllabus, Syllabus
AnSo 103 Contemporary
Social Issues (1)
This introductory sociology course begins with an examination of
globalization and social inequality in the U.S. from both a
microsociological and macrosociological perspective. We then explore
the "rationalization" of social and economic life and the social
dimensions of consumerism. The course invites students to develop their
"sociological imagination" by attempting to link their lives as workers
and consumers to broader social and economic forces at work in the
contemporary world. HSS;
C.Broughton;
Course Website
AnSo 201 School and Society (1)
Acquaints students with the forces that have shaped the formation of
American public education and explores the social context of which
schools are a part. The relationships between the school and the wider
social, political, economic, and cultural order are explored. Course
includes 20 hours of aiding at a local social service agency. HSS;
Prereq : sophomore standing or permission of the instructor; Cross
Listing : EDUC 201;
D.Beck;
K.Gourd;
D.Jurich;
AnSo 205 Race and
Ethnic Relations (1)
This course examines the development and role of race and ethnicity in
comparative perspective. HSS; Cross Listing : BKST 205;
W.Hunigan;
AnSo 215
Poverty and Social Welfare Policy (1)
This course examines poverty and social welfare policy in the United
States from a historical and sociological perspective, drawing upon the
social history of Chicago as a case study. It begins with an historical
analysis of American poverty and early social reforms aimed at the poor
before and during the New Deal. The course then shifts to an extensive
sociological-both statistical and ethnographic-analyis of contemporary
poverty and the social consequences of recent changes to the American
welfare system.HSS;
C.Broughton; Course Website
AnSo 228
Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective (1)
The course examines the gendered experiences of women and men in a
range of cultures to try to come to some understanding of the
factors--economic, socio-cultural, religious, political and
biological--that could account for the similarities and differences in
gender ideologies and behavior. HSS; Prereq : AnSo 102 or GWST
101; Cross Listing : GWST 228;
M.Day; Syllabus
AnSo 231
Native America: Identity and Adaptation (1)
Cultural diversity of North American tribes at the time of contact,
adaptive strategies of particular culture areas, intellectual and
artistic traditions of native North America, and confrontation of
Indian and European cultures are explored. Cross Listing : ENVS
231;
J.Wagner;
AnSo 232
Indigenous Peoples of Latin America (1)
This course will provide an ethnographic and historical introduction to
the indigenous peoples and cultures of Mexico, Central and South
America from the pre-Colombian period up to the present. Particular
attention will be paid to processes of colonialism, neoliberalism, and
globalization. Cross Listing : LAST 232;
M.Day; Syllabus
AnSo 233 American Utopias (1)
This course treats nineteenth century and modern communal societies
from a social science viewpoint, examining conditions under which the
societies arose, and the social and cultural characteristics of
"successful" and "unsuccessful" utopias. Cross Listing : AMST 233;
J.Wagner;
AnSo
234 Culture, Class, and Identity in Mexico (1 1/2)
This course will examine how national, regional and cultural identities
have been constructed in Mexico. Particular attention will be given to
the status of indigenous groups within Mexico and regional
socio-cultural dynamics. It will examine the idea of Mexican identity
as 'mestizaje', the issue of whether indigeneity in Mexico is a class
or cultural issue, the 'indigenismo' philosophy articulated by Mexican
intellectuals, 'Aztlan' identity, and current indigenous political and
cultural movements. The course will meet weekly as a seminar during the
Fall Term and then travel to Mexico during the Winter Break. Cross
Listing : LAST 234;
M.Day;
X.Romano; Syllabus
AnSo 236
Peoples and Cultures of Southeast Asia (1)
This course considers the historical background of contemporary
Southeast Asian societies, the similarities and differences between the
various ethnic groups of both mainland and insular Southeast Asia, and
some of the major choices and controversies that Southeast Asians face
today.
N.Eberhardt; syllabus
AnSo 241 Social Movements (1)
Analysis of the origins, strategies and political impact of social
movements. Readings focus mainly on American movements including the
Civil Rights movement, the Gay and Lesbian movement, the Labor movement
and the Christian Right. HSS; Cross Listing : PS 241;
D.Oldfield;
AnSo 245
Migration, Diaspora and Transnationalism (1)
The course focuses on the centrality of geographical mobility to the
human experience by introducing students to three major approaches to
its study. Concentrating on recent migratory and diasporic trends, and
placing them in historical contexts, students explore the impact of
decolonization, post fordist capitalism and the advent of so-called
"informational society" on political stability, labor markets and
cultural production at a global scale. Prereq : one 100-level
course in Anthropology and Sociology or permission of the instructor;
Staff
AnSo 248 Teaching
Assistant (1/2 or 1)
Prereq : Permission of instructor; Staff
AnSo 250 Independent
Study (1/2 or 1)
Staff
AnSo 260 Medicine,
Culture and Society (1)
This course provides an historical and theoretical introduction to the
anthropology of medicine using a cross-cultural perspective. Several
different contemporary approaches to the field of medical anthropology
will be examined, with a particular emphasis placed on critical medical
anthropological perspectives. The course will engage in an examination
of the relations between medicine and colonialism; examine current
debates over indigenous medical knowledge and property rights; discuss
global capitalism and medical ethics; and explore variations in
cultural responses to emerging global epidemics such as AIDS.M.Day;
Syllabus
AnSo 265 Science, Technology & Culture in Everyday Life (1)
This course will consider how debates in the study of the philosophy,
history and sociology of science can contribute to, and be influenced
by, anthropological discussions about the relationship between
knowledge and power, colonialism, identity politics and
(post)modernity. The course will discuss such issues as the way social
interests influence laboratory practices, how 'multiculturalism'
influences both the content and very definition of science, and the
relationship between capitalism and science in students' everyday
lives. HSS;
M.Day; Syllabus
AnSo 270 Language and
Culture (1)
An examination of the relationship of language to culture and social
organization. Topics include the relationship between language and
thought, ways in which language structure (phonology & grammar) is
shaped by culture, and communicative styles as culturally-embedded
behavior. HSS; Prereq : a 100-level Anthropology and Sociology
course or permission of the instructor;
L.Breitborde;
AnSo 280
-AnSo 281 Social Service Internship (1)
This course combines experiential learning and academic study to
investigate the practical, social and theoretical issues of social
work. At the beginning of this two-term, two-credit course sequence,
students are placed as interns in local social service organizations.
Students have interned with a wide variety of populations (e.g. the
elderly, the developmentally delayed, at-risk teens, domestic violence
victims) across a broad range of issues and practices (e.g. teen
reproductive health and education, public housing, Teen Court,
individual counseling, legal assistance). In the classroom, students
discuss and analyze their internship experiences, while also exploring
the principles of introductory social work practice. Prereq :
junior standing; AnSo 215 recommended. AnSo 280 is a prerequisite for
AnSo 281.;
C.St. Amant; Syllabus
AnSo 295 Special Topics
(1/2 or 1)
Courses offered occasionally to students in special areas of
Anthropology and Sociology not covered in the usual curriculum.
Staff
AnSo
295: Media Images of Crime MWF 3
Instructor:
This course will look at
how crime and criminals are portrayed through various forms of mass
media, including TV news, print journalism, and popular
entertainment. We will explore where these images come from, how
these portrayals impact our perceptions of crime, and the extent to
which they are consistent with the reality of crime and with
criminological theories of crime and criminality. No
prerequisites. A. Leverentz
AnSo 300
Modern Theories of Society and Culture (1)
Major nineteenth and twentieth century theorists are discussed, with
particular attention given to the emergence of the disciplines of
anthropology and sociology and the types of social theory that have
been developed. Majors should take this course in the junior year.
Prereq : two courses in the department;
C.Broughton; Course Website
AnSo
301 Methodologies in Sociology and Anthropology (1)
An examination of philosophical, theoretical and practical issues that
arise when humans attempt to study other humans scientifically. The
strengths and weaknesses of a variety of methodological strategies that
have been devised by social scientists to deal with these issues are
explored. Majors should take this course in the senior year.
Prereq : AnSo 300;
N.Eberhardt;
AnSo 315 Paleoanthropology (1)
This course uses lab materials, computer simulations, internet
activities and seminar discussions to cover basic archeological
methods, primate and hominid anatomy, and current issues in the study
of hominid evolution. Students pursue and present individual research
projects based on the latest developments and sources. Prereq :
AnSo 101 and sophomore standing;
J.Wagner;
AnSo 322 Black Religion (1)
An interdisciplinary approach to African American religion, focusing on
its history and sociology, but also including its social psychology and
how it has affected politics, economics, music, theology and biblical
scholarship. It begins with a consideration of the invisible slave
church as the first instance of collective Black self-determination in
America, and continues to examine Black religious ideas as the
independent Black church expanded in the 1800s and 1900s within the
wider context of race discrimination and white-over-black social and
economic oppression. We analyze ways in which the black church as an
institution has responded to the various conditions of African American
life, and how it has shaped those conditions. Alternate years.
Cross Listing : BKST 322;
F.Hord;
AnSo 323 Media and Society (1)
Topics include media as instruments of communication, as political
intermediaries, as shapers of contemporary ideology and culture, and as
commodity-producing industries. The course explores their impact on
individuals, institutions and society at large. Print and broadcast,
news, entertainment, advertising and the Internet are examined. Some
familiarity with social or critical theory is recommended. Prereq :
junior standing or permission of the instructor; Cross Listing : JOUR
323;
D.Amor;
AnSo 326 Psychological Anthropology: Self, Culture, and Society (1)
How is our subjective experience of ourselves and others shaped by the
social and cultural context in which we live? How might one investigate
this? Are Western accounts of human psychology valid cross-culturally?
Drawing on recent research in the field of psychological anthropology,
this course takes a comparative approach to such topics as emotional
experience and its expression, gender identity, the role of power in
social life, language and discursive practices, notions of self and
personhood, and the indigenous representation of these in various 'folk
theories' or ethnopsychologies. Prereq : two courses in
Anthropology and Sociology and junior standing; AnSo 102 recommended;
Cross Listing : GWST 326;
N.Eberhardt; Syllabus
AnSo 330 The Sociology of the Global System: Galesburg and Reynosa (1)
This course examines global forces, connections, and inequities from a
sociological perspective. After an overview of theoretical perspectives
on the global system, we explore connections between advanced and
developing countries through case studies of deindustrialization in the
U.S. and industrialization at the Mexican border. We devote special
attention to the social impact of the Maytag factory relocation from
Galesburg to Reynosa, Mexico - and, when possible, include fieldwork
and field trips. Prereq : junior standing or permission of
instructor; Cross Listing : LAST 332;
C.Broughton;
Course Website
AnSo 335 Museum Anthropology
(1)
This course examines museums critically in their social context and
considers some of the cultural issues at stake in the conception and
design of museum displays. The course takes a dual approach that gives
attention both to practical problems and methods of museum work, and to
such general issues as the politics and theory of cultural
representation, appropriation of cultural artifacts and meanings, and
the social analysis of tourism. Alternate years. Prereq : three
courses in Anthropology and Sociology; AnSo 300 recommended;
J.Wagner;
AnSo 340 Order and Dissent (1)
This course explores the constructed nature of law, order, justice, and
social reality itself. In addition to sociological and cross-cultural
readings, we will consider the issue of social order and control
through literature, which provides key insights into social
institutions that generate order, including the educational and legal
systems, the police and military, the family, the workplace, and the
media. We will also examine traditions of dissent that have challenged
existing social orders. Prereq : junior standing; AnSo 300
recommended;
C.Broughton;
AnSo 342 Contemporary Indigenous Movements in Latin America (1)
This course will examine contemporary political, cultural and
environmental movements involving indigenous peoples in Latin America,
including the armed struggles of the Zapatista army in Sourthern
Mexico, the Pan-Maya cultural movement in Guatemala, and indigenous
concerns and activism surrounding environmental and intellectual
property rights issues. Prereq : AnSo 232 or AnSo 234 recommended;
Cross Listing : LAST 342;
M.Day; Syllabus
AnSo 348 Teaching
Assistant (1/2 or 1)
Prereq : Permission of instructor; Staff
AnSo 350 Independent
Study (1/2 or 1)
Staff
AnSo 395 Special Topics
(1/2 or 1)
Courses offered occasionally to students in special areas of
Anthropology and Sociology not covered in the usual curriculum.Staff
AnSo 395: Social Constructions of Deviance MWF 5
Instructor:
In this course we will
look at deviance as a socially constructed phenomenon: how people
and activities come to be defined as deviant, why, and what effect a
deviant label has on them and the broader society. We will
explore various types of deviance and look at how time, place, and
personal characteristics impact the application of the deviant label,
and how deviance is responded to by society. Prerequisites: junior standing or two courses in
anthropology-sociology.A. Leverentz
AnSo 398 Research Design (1)
Working closely with a departmental faculty member, each student
prepares a research proposal including appropriate theoretical and
methodological background materials and a detailed research design to
be implemented in AnSo 399. During periodic group meetings, issues that
have emerged in research design are shared and alternative solutions
are discussed. Prereq : senior standing or AnSo 300, AnSo 301, or
permission of the instructor; Staff
AnSo 399 Research Seminar (1)
Working closely with a departmental faculty member, each student
executes the research design prepared in AnSo 398 and prepares a
"professional" research report. These reports are orally summarized and
discussed during group meetings toward the end of the term. Prereq
: AnSo 398 or permission of the department; Staff
AnSo 400 Advanced Studies
(1/2 or 1)
See College Honors Program. Staff
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