Sociology and Anthropology Courses

An exploration of cultural differences throughout the world, with emphasis on nonwestern societies, from the perspective of cultural anthropology.

This course explores what it means to be human by tracing our biological and cultural roots. Topics include the evolutionary process; our place among the living primates; fossil and archaeological evidence of human ancestors; and the origins of language, society, and culture.

The comparative study of human society and culture, focusing on theories of culture and cultural institutions and ethnographic and cross-cultural methods of research.

An examination of biological aspects of humanity from comparative and evolutionary perspectives. Topics include evolutionary theory, the origin and evolution of nonhuman primates and humans, primate behavior, biological variation among human populations, and anatomical and physiological influences on behavior.

An introduction to the goals, methods, theories, issues, and ethics of archaeology-the study of cultures in the past from the remains they left behind. Topics will include archaeological survey, excavation, dating techniques, artifact analysis, conservation, and cultural adaptation and change.

This course is an introduction to the field of linguistic anthropology, with special emphasis on language as a basic component of human culture. Subjects include the humanness of language, the study of linguistic structure, description and analysis of languages, origins of human speech, the history of languages and writing, the use of language in social relations, and the relationship among language, thought, and culture.

An integrative learning experience which addresses the practice of citizenship and promotes an awareness of and participation in public affairs by incorporating community service with classroom instruction. Includes 40 hours on-task service to a community organization, agency or public sector provider. The community service placement agency and service assignment will vary, dependent on the disciplinary course topic and learning objectives. May be repeated.

Theories, concepts, and case studies relating to the cultural and social construction of gender from an anthropological perspective. Students will examine gender in relation to sexuality, fertility, child-bearing, self-identification, family, power, status, voice, hegemony/resistance, colonialism, and globalization in cultures and societies around the world. Identical with AAS 312. Cannot receive credit for both ANT 312 and AAS 312.

An introduction to the anthropological study of the dynamic relationship between humans and their environment. Students will learn how belief systems, political ideologies and religions around the world have shaped human-environment relationships.

This course critically examines the interconnected modern world using theories, methods, case studies, and concepts developed in cultural anthropology. Students will explore how economic exchanges, new media, human migration, knowledge flows, and other dimensions of globalization are variously experienced in diverse parts of the world by tracing global structures of power and mobility.

This course explores the social, cultural, and biological nature of human personhood in the context of death and dying. Students will examine anthropological literature that seeks to explain and interpret the tremendous cross-cultural variation in mortuary rituals and funerary behavior, the cultural construction of death, mourning and bereavement, and medical and ethical issues relating to death and dying. Students will also examine a variety of ways that U.S. society deals with death and dying today.

In this course students will read, critique, and compare selected ethnographic accounts of societies around the world and explore ways in which anthropologists have written about and interpreted cultures.

A survey and comparison of Native American societies and cultures in North America (north of Mexico), including their ecology, subsistence, technology, social organization, politics, and religion.

This course examines the origins, development, and traditional cultures of Native American groups in the North American Plains region. Topics will include the prehistoric record, historical influences, material culture, subsistence, languages, social organization, trade, law and social control, warfare and alliances, art and religion.

Anthropological study of a cultural region of the world (such as the Caribbean, Latin America, or Southeastern Indians), including environment, subsistence, technology, economy, social and political organization, and religion. Identical with AAS 330. Cannot receive credit for both ANT 330 and AAS 330. Variable content course. May be repeated when topic changes.

An exploration of African societies (especially sub-Saharan), including family structure, gender relations, social and political organization, beliefs, economics, art, oral literature, music, dance, and other aspects of culture. Identical with AAS 333. Cannot receive credit for both ANT 332 and AAS 333.

An anthropological survey of the culture and cultural development of the peoples of Japan, from prehistory to the present, including cultural ideology and ethos, social organization, major cultural principles, customs, religion, technology, material culture, and the arts.

An overview of the peoples and cultures of Latin America. Explores culture, politics, economics, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, health, popular culture, social movements, environmental issues, and historical developments in Latin America from an anthropological perspective.

A detailed consideration of the archaeological study of complex societies, emphasizing the origins and development of social forms and institutions of the modern world such as social inequality, urbanism, and nation-states and empires. Case studies may be selected from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America.

Explores past and present hunter-gatherer (non-agricultural) societies through all subfields of anthropology, especially cultural anthropology and archaeology. Topics include subsistence, technology, gender, social organization, religion, environmental sustainability, the cultural sustainability of contemporary hunter-gatherers, popular stereotypes, and the history of anthropological approaches to hunter-gatherers. Uses case studies from diverse regions such as Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Historical archaeology investigates the emergence of the modern world over the past ca. 500 years through the study of the material traces of human behavior, in conjunction with the study of written and oral records. This course provides an in-depth introduction to the field of historical archaeology including its methods, theoretical approaches, debates, and applications. Key topics include the historical archaeology of colonialism, slavery, class, gender, ethnicity, consumerism, capitalism, and industrialization. By the end of the course, students will understand how archaeologists recover, analyze, and interpret historical artifacts.

Field experience in the techniques, methods and theories of reconnaissance and excavation of archaeological sites. May be repeated to a maximum of nine hours.

This course focuses on the archaeological study of human interactions with the environment over long periods of time and in multiple settings. It will emphasize both the methods scientists in multiple disciplines use to reconstruct past environments and the conceptual frameworks that are relevant to understanding how people acted on and reacted to the changing world around them. As a holistic and diachronic study of the socio-natural system, environmental archaeology can provide unique perspectives on today's ecological challenges.

Americanist archaeology is distinctive as a set of theoretical and methodological orientations. This course illustrates those orientations through archaeological case studies of initial human migrations, hunting-and-gathering societies, the formation of more complex polities, and European colonialism in North America. The multiple contexts of archaeological research and its impacts on living people are also considered.

A survey of techniques and materials used in biological anthropology. Course will cover the main areas of biological anthropology with a focus on hands-on learning activities in the realms of evolutionary theory, basic human genetics, primatology, human evolution, and forensic anthropology. Students will use the departmental collection of bones and fossil casts to become familiar with skeletal remains and the variability that exists in human and nonhuman primate populations, past and present.

A survey of the scope of forensic anthropology, which deals with identification and interpretation of human skeletal remains in medico-legal contexts. Included in this course are both theoretical and practical components. Topics to be discussed include the history and ethics of forensic anthropology, forensic investigation, influence of activity and disease on bone, and human rights applications. Practical aspects cover identification of bones and features of the human skeleton; techniques for determining age, sex, stature and race, and distinguishing human from nonhuman skeletal remains.

An examination of ways in which humans have adapted both genetically and physiologically to a wide variety of environments and how these adaptations have produced the biological variation seen in contemporary human populations. Major topics will include historical and current approaches to classifying human groups, human growth and development, adaptation and acclimatization to specialized environments, genetic disease, and tracing lineages through DNA analysis. It will also explore recent studies relating human biology to social constructs such as gender, race, ethnicity, and intelligence.

An introduction to the human species' closest relatives, the nonhuman primates (prosimians, monkeys, and apes); their taxonomy, distribution, morphology, ecology, evolution, behavior, and conservation.

An exploration into the evolution of the human species, through examination of fossil and molecular evidence.

Advanced study in linguistic anthropology on topics such as ethnographies of speaking, ethnolinguistics, language change and historical linguistics. Variable content course. May be repeated when topic changes.

This course explores the use of Native American languages in U.S. military service during World War I and World War II. The cultural background of code talkers, their recruitment, use in combat situations and post war experiences will be examined, along with their unique status in Native American cultures and recent efforts to document and recognize them.

This course traces the development of anthropology and anthropological theory, with emphasis on the major theorists and schools of thought in the twentieth century. Public Affairs Capstone Experience course.

Selected topics such as primitive technology, cultural ecology and behavioral evolution. Variable content course. May be repeated to a maximum of nine hours when topic changes.

Supervised group study and/or research in an off campus setting. A fee may be charged to cover travel expenses. Identical with AAS 490. Cannot receive credit for both ANT 490 and AAS 490. Variable content course. May be repeated when topic changes.

This independent study course provides an opportunity to earn academic credit for supervised work experience related to anthropology with an approved business, industry, organization, or government agency. May be repeated to a maximum of six hours. Graded Pass/Not Pass only.

An introduction to the field of applied anthropology, which is the application of anthropological methods, theories, and knowledge to the problems of society. Applied anthropology is the fastest growing field of anthropology today because it provides a basis for many careers. Course will examine the role of cultural anthropologists in areas such as foreign aid and development projects, migrant and refuge services, disasters and humanitarian assistance, human rights issues, business and industry, health and medicine, tourism, environmental protection, fisheries management, the military, and cultural preservation.

The use of documents, maps, photos, recordings, oral histories, artifacts, folklore, linguistics, and ethnography to reconstruct the culture history of a social or ethnic group, particularly historically marginalized peoples such as Native Americans.

Ethnographic methods and techniques in the study of culture, with emphasis on participant-observation, interviewing, note-taking and management, data analysis, and ethics.

This course examines theories, concepts, underlying assumptions, and case studies about aid and other assistance to developing nations. It will consider the various meanings given to development by residents of particular regions, as well as those of aid workers, policy makers, private industries, non-governmental and non-profit organizations, and government officials. The course will examine how development projects and policies in areas such as public health and food systems are experienced in daily life in urban and rural areas in Africa, Latin American, and Asia. Students will develop critical thinking skills about the role of culture in the complex and diverse world of international aid.

An examination of health, illness and healing from an applied anthropological perspective, Medical anthropology is one of the largest fields in the discipline of anthropology today, and one that has obvious applications. Topics may include: evolutionary perspectives on illness, the cultural construction of illness, cross-cultural variations in illness and healing, ethnomedical beliefs and practices, shamanism and other forms of symbolic healing, ethnobotany, and relations between biomedicine and ethnomedicine.

Tourism is a huge, powerful, and problematic industry that is having profound effects on peoples and cultures around the globe today, particularly in societies traditionally studied by anthropologists. The anthropological study of tourism seeks to understand the motives and experiences of the tourist, the relationships between "hosts" and "guests", and the impacts of the industry on communities, cultures, and identities. This course pays particular attention to ethnic, cultural, and heritage tourism and to "best practices" that promote sustainable community development as well as social justice and cultural preservation.

Recommended Prerequisite: ANT 325. Focuses on major developments in North American Indian life in the 20th and 21st centuries, including cultural, social, economic, political, environmental, and legal issues that affect Native Americans today.

An examination of laws and regulations pertaining to the preservation of American history and culture and the professional management and preservation of ethnic, historic, and prehistoric cultural resources. May be taught concurrently with ANT 645. Cannot receive credit for both ANT 545 and ANT 645.

Advanced study and practice in methods and techniques employed in archaeology such as lithic, ceramic, and faunal analysis. Variable content course. May be repeated when topic changes.

A comprehensive and in-depth examination of theoretical issues and perspectives concerning the practice of archaeology and the interpretation of archaeological remains.

Readings designed to supplement material introduced in previous anthropology courses. Includes a wide selection of literature in the field. May be repeated to a maximum of six hours.

A detailed investigation and analysis of a specialized or advanced topic of interest to anthropology (e.g., Upper Paleolithic art, the evolution of human behavior, ethnographies of religion). May be repeated when topic changes. Variable content course.

Individual or group research involving supervised collection and analysis of cultural data. May be repeated to a maximum of nine hours.

An examination of laws and regulations pertaining to the preservation of American history and culture and the professional management and preservation of ethnic, historic, and prehistoric cultural resources. May be taught concurrently with ANT 545. Cannot receive credit for both ANT 645 and ANT 545.

Supervised readings in preparation for a practicum or thesis project.

The study of society including its structure and operation from the perspective of sociology. The course focuses on ways society is constructed by people and, in turn, on the ways society shapes people. This general education course supplies students with a community as well as global, multicultural understanding of society.

Sociological perspectives on contemporary social issues and problems in American society that are faced by today's communities. A public sociology focus is addressed in this course. This general education course will allow students to recognize the importance of contributing their knowledge and experiences to help resolve social problems in their own community and the broader society.

An integrative learning experience which addresses the practice of citizenship and promotes an awareness of and participation in public affairs by incorporating community service with classroom instruction. Includes 40 hours on-task service to a community organization, agency or public service provider. The community service placement agency and service assignment will vary, dependent on the disciplinary course topic and learning objectives. May be repeated.

Methods of collecting and analyzing data including survey, interviewing and observation techniques, scaling and sampling designs.

A first course in statistics for students whose college and career paths require knowledge of the fundamentals of the collection, analysis and interpretation of data. Topics include the presentation of interpretation of univariate and bivariate data using graphical and numerical methods, probability, discrete and continuous probability distributions, linear regression, statistical inference, confidence intervals and hypothesis testing. Emphasis is placed on the development of statistical thinking and the use of technology. Cannot receive credit toward a degree for more than one of the following courses: AGR 330, IPE 381, MTH 340, PSY 200, QBA 237, REC 328, SOC 302.

The industrialization of society and its impact on formal and informal organization, management philosophies, worker attitudes and labor relations. Current trends affecting the work place are examined.

An historical survey of the explanations of deviant behavior. Emphasis will focus on the structure of norms and rules, their diversity, and their role in identifying deviance.

This course studies a wide range of sexual phenomena from a sociological perspective. Sociologists know that sex does not happen in a vacuum. To the contrary, sex is tied up with history, culture, politics, and power. Though we like to believe that our sexual behavior is a private experience untouched by society, sexual desire and sexual activity are in fact structured by social interactions. We can see this in the way that sexuality, sexual practice, and sexual identity are not static concepts, but rather are fluid and different throughout time and space.

The family as a social institution; its adjustment to modern social conditions; personality adjustments in marriage.

The rise and development of urban settlements (cities), their ecology, problems, and an examination of urbanism as a way of life generated in cities.

This course will explore love, romance, desire, courtship, and intimate relationships in the modern world. Course will examine some of the cultural, structural, and historical conditions that shape one of the most profound sets of human experiences: those associated with love and relationships.

This course examines the causes and consequences of environmental problems, environmental movements, impacts of technological change, environmental policy and the state, environmental values, attitudes, and behaviors. Specific topics will vary, but may include resource scarcity, toxics, overconsumption, agricultural production, and more.

Introduces students to a sociological analysis of political organization forms and their relations with other elements of social life. Students examine the concept of power and the intersection of personality, social structure, and politics. The course also emphasizes how social inequality between groups (e.g. race, class, and gender, etc.) influences politics and elaborates major social trends affecting the political process including how various social forces work to change political policies.

A survey of the development of sociological theory with emphasis upon the social and historical influences shaping the thought of classical theorists.

This course examines the topic of juvenile delinquency from a sociological perspective. Emphasis is placed on measuring and explaining the occurrence of delinquency in the United States. The course also takes a critical look at societal responses to the delinquency problem, including the juvenile justice system.

This course explores the social construction of race and ethnicity. Issues of differential power between racial and ethnic groups and the economic, political, and social structures which are utilized to maintain these power differences are identified. Social movements and social policies designed to address social inequality, prejudice and discrimination are also examined. Identical with AAS 336. Cannot receive credit for both SOC 336 and AAS 336.

This course focuses on gender differences, patterns, and inequalities. It analyzes the social construction of gender, femininities and masculinities, gender socialization, and how gender intersects with race, class, and sexuality. Specific attention is paid to the significance of gender in interaction, culture, and social institutions, including work, politics, media, and the family.

An analysis of the ecological, sociopsychological and cultural aspects of health and illness, both physical and mental, and of the social organization of health care services and of health professions.

This course offers an interdisciplinary approach towards the understanding of violence and society in Latin America, allowing the students to develop an in-depth understanding of Latin American social history. Students will examine the issue of violence as the history, government, culture, values, language, nation, gender, race, and social inequalities within Latin American societies. The course will provide a broad understanding of the major elements in the development of Latin America over the past decades. Topics may include socioeconomic development, poverty and inequality, social movements, institutions, and social change. The course will demonstrate Latin America in a transnational context. Students are expected to be critically engaged throughout the course. Expert guest lecturers will also be invited to participate.

Investigation and analysis of the relationship between sport and society; the development and changing nature of sport as an institution; role of sport in modern society.

This course explores how self understanding emerges in a social context and is inseparable from that context. It examines the symbolic basis of communication, traces the interdependency of self and other awareness, and probes the social organization of human experience.

This course examines the aging process, demographic trends, and the social, economic, and social-psychological aspects of aging in the United States. Students will be introduced to current theories on aging in social gerontology and their application to the everyday lives of older people. Topics of interest include social attitudes toward aging, family and social bonds, work and retirement, gender issues, ethnicity and aging, living environments, and approaches to aging well. Students will learn about the role of federal, state and local agencies in meeting the needs of the elderly. Identical with GER 375. Cannot receive credit for both GER 375 and SOC 375.

The interaction of law and society from a sociological perspective with emphasis upon legal institutions as instruments of social control. The impact of social values on the development of the legal order and the reciprocal influence of the law on social behavior.

The study of collective attempts to implement social change in society. Specific groups studied will vary, but may include the civil rights, feminist, political, religious, environmental and health movements.

Examines the relationship between religion and its social context. Students will explore the social nature of individual religious institutions. The relationship between religion and modernity will be studied. The course will pay special attention to the role of religion in American society, as well as the religious dimensions of class, gender, region, and race/ethnicity. Identical with REL 390. Cannot receive credit for both SOC 390 and REL 390. May be taught concurrently with SOC 790. Cannot receive credit for both SOC 390 and SOC 790.

Selected topics of contemporary interest in Sociology. May be repeated to a total of 6 hours when the topic changes. Variable content course.

Explores how Public Sociology is practiced and connected to the local community. Provides conceptual tools for analyzing communities and creates a foundation for meaningful community engagement. Each section will apply sociological theories and methods to a specific community issue or problem.

This course provides instruction and applied experience in a particular research method such as: survey design, program evaluation, interview/focus groups, field method, quantitative analysis, etc. Variable content course. May be repeated to a total of six hours when the topic changes. No more than six hours may be applied to the Sociology major.

An analysis of the structure, sources, and consequences of social inequality and the dimensions along which it may be observed.

This course is a broad exploration of the nonprofit organizational environment and how it relates to civil society. It explores the wide variety of organizations within the nonprofit sector, such as nonprofit and voluntary organizations, non-governmental organizations, philanthropic foundations, and civil society institutions. It reviews theories explaining the development of the nonprofit sector in relation to business and government. It combines a theoretical/conceptual approach with practical applications and local community examples. Nonprofits are explored at local (Springfield), national, and global levels.

This course provides an introduction to the field of demography with an emphasis on demographic techniques, population processes of fertility, mortality, migration, and the impact of population change on society and public policy. Topics of interest will include analysis of population size, characteristics, and growth/decline; overpopulation and sustainability; population aging, cohorts, and generations; changes to the family (fertility, marriage, divorce, and cohabitation); myths and realities surrounding immigration; and the role of public policy in addressing population issues.

This course examines how procuring food impacts societal organization and is a catalyst for social change. The basic premise of this course is that understanding how a society feeds itself will reveal many sociological insights such as the distribution of wealth and power and the health of individuals and communities.

Group experience in designing and carrying out an applied community research project. Variable content course.

Why are some social groups more susceptible to poorer health outcomes than others? In this course, we address this question by examining the extent of, patterns of, and reasons behind social inequities in health and wellbeing across the life span. This course draws on interdisciplinary perspectives including sociology, social epidemiology, psychology, health demography, feminist theory, critical studies, and health services research to provide an in-depth investigation of how health inequities across race/ethnicity, gender/sex, sexual identity, class and other social locations emerge and are perpetuated throughout time. The focus will largely center on social and structural determinants of health. Lastly, the course will focus on health policy, and the ways that health policy shapes priorities regarding actions taken to lessen health inequities across groups. Though the course will center on the U.S. context, we will also investigate health inequities across the globe, particularly as they compare to U.S. inequities. This course is ideal for anyone interested in research or applied careers in health and health care as well as those curious at how the social environment can influence one's health and wellbeing.

All students majoring in Sociology are required to enroll in this course during their senior year. This course serves as the Public Affairs Capstone Experience for the Sociology major. The course has three focus areas: 1) career or graduate school preparation for upcoming graduates; 2) leadership concepts and applications; and 3) an individualized, community-based, applied experience in community service, career preparation, or research. In addition, students will complete several program-specific assessments of learning outcomes.

Selected topics in substantive areas in sociology such as theory, methodology, social organization, social psychology, demography, criminology and family. Offered when resources and demand allow. May be repeated to a total of 6 hours when topic changes. Variable content course.

Supervised work experience in business, industry, governmental, institutional and/or agency settings where sociological skills are utilized. One credit hour for each 35 clock hours on the job. No more than six hours internship credit may be applied to the Sociology major.

Readings designed to supplement material introduced in previous Sociology courses. Includes a wide selection from literature in the field. May be repeated to a total of 9 hours, but no more than 6 hours may be applied to the sociology major. May be taught concurrently with SOC 697. Cannot receive credit for both SOC 697 and SOC 596.

Independent and/or group work in research methodology, data manipulation and presentation in selected fields of sociology. May be repeated to total of 9 hours.

Readings designed to supplement material introduced in previous Sociology courses. Includes a wide selection from literature in the field. May be repeated to a total of 9 hours, but no more than 6 hours may be applied to the sociology major. May be taught concurrently with SOC 596. Cannot receive credit for both SOC 596 and SOC 697.