California State University, Fresno
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Anthropology - Courses

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Department of Anthropology

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COURSES

 

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American Indian Studies (AIS)

AIS 5. American Indian History (3 units)
An interpretive survey of American Indian history from the native point of view including accounts of American Indian origin and the arrival of immigrants from Asia, Africa, and Europe. (Formerly AAIS 5)

AIS 9T. Topics in American Indian Studies
(1-3; max total 9 units if no area repeated)

Selected topics at an introductory level in American Indian Studies. (Formerly AAIS 9T)

AIS 50. Contemporary Life of the American Indian (3 units)
Prerequisite: G.E. Foundation A2. Current problems of American Indians and Arctic Natives resulting from culture conflict, acculturation, minority status, and governmental policy. G.E. Breadth D3. (Formerly AAIS 50)

AIS 65T. Topics in Indian Education (3; max total 9 units)
Foundations and history of Indian education, methods of teaching Indian children, curriculum and practices for Indian education, guidance for the Indian student, problems of teachers of Indian children, education of Indian adults. (Formerly AAIS 65T)

AIS 90. Introduction to American Indian Religion (3 units)
Introduction to the concepts of religion and belief systems in American Indian societies. Examines American Indian religion as an integration of culture, geography, economic activity, social obligations, and environmental responsibilities. Explores conflicts and adaptations with non-native religious systems. (Formerly AAIS 90)

AIS 100. American Indian Religion (3 units)
American Indian religious systems, including basic concepts of religion and the sacred, ceremonial life, medicine, functions of religious institutions and practices, and contrast/conflict with non-Native religious systems. (Formerly AAIS 100)

AIS 101. American Indian Law (3 units)
Concepts of laws on Indian reservations, termination, litigation and complaints, strengthening tribal governments. Law related to Indian land and resources. (Formerly AAIS 101)

AIS 103. Indians of California (3 units)
Prerequisites: G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area D. Survey course on the ancient cultures of California, historical development of California Indian cultures according to regional resources, conflict between the California Indian people and various colonial forces, arts and culture of California Indian people, and contemporary issues of California Indians. G.E. Integration ID. (Formerly AAIS 103)

AIS 160. The Politics of Indian Education (3 units)
This seminar examines the interaction of politics, culture, and education, using case studies of federal financing of Indian education in the mission, Bureau of Indian Affairs, tribal, and public school systems. (Formerly AAIS 160)

AIS 170. Experience in American Indian Community (3; max total 6 units)
Offers students supervised field experience working for a tribe, tribal/Indian organization, tribal school or Indian education program, public agency, or the university's Indian organizations. (Formerly AAIS 170)

AIS 190. Independent Study (1-3; max total 6 units)
See Academic Placement -- Independent Study. Approved for RP grading. FS (Formerly AAIS 190)

 

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Anthropology (ANTH)

A. The Core Curriculum

ANTH 2. Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (3 units)
Prerequisite: G.E. Foundation A2. Examines the nature of culture, humanity's unique mechanism for adapting to the changing environment. Explores the varieties of human life and explains how culture has made possible the range of different and successful societies, from hunters and gatherers to industrial civilization. G.E. Breadth D3. FS

ANTH 3. Introduction to Prehistory and Physical Anthropology (3 units)
Prerequisite: G.E. Foundation A2. Examines the biological and cultural basis of being human. Compares us with our primate relatives, traces the biological and cultural evolution of our species from earliest ancestors, through the development of agriculture to the emergence of civilization. G.E. Breadth D3. FS

ANTH 100. Concepts and Applications (3 units)
This foundation course demonstrates the use of selected core concepts in research and analysis. Acquaints students with the conceptual framework of the discipline and the basic processes of anthropological inquiry and application of knowledge. F

ANTH 101. Introductory Fieldwork in Archaeology (6; max total 12 units)
An introduction to basic methods for archaeological excavation and site survey. Involves a block of time in the field away from campus. Can be repeated up to two times for credit. (Course fee, $75) (Formerly ANTH 101A) S

ANTH 101A-S. Introductory Fieldwork in Archaeology (6 units)
An introduction to basic methods and strategies for archaeological excavation and site survey in a public service context. Involves a commitment by students of a block of time in the field away from campus. Not open to students who have taken 101A. S

ANTH 101B. Advanced Fieldwork in Archaeology (6 units)
Advanced methods and strategies for archaeological excavation and site survey. Involves a commitment by students of a block of time in the field away from campus. Not open to students who have taken 101B-S. S

ANTH 104. History and Theory of Anthropology (3 units)
Prerequisite: ANTH 100. A history of the growth of anthropological thought through an analysis of the informational and explanatory powers of five major theoretical schools: Nineteenth-century Evolutionists, British Functionalists, Boasian Historical Particularists, Neo-Evolutionists/Marxists, and Cognitivists. S

ANTH 111. Ethnographic Fieldwork (3; max total 12 units)
An introduction to ethnographic field methods. Topics include the ethics of fieldwork, organizing data, and ethnographic writing. Students will conduct fieldwork locally. Can be repeated up to four times for credit. (Formerly ANTH 111A) F

ANTH 111B. Intermediate Ethnographic Fieldwork (3 units)
Prerequisite ANTH 111. Students conduct an enthnographic field project under the direction of the instructor, employing participant observation. Involves field trips and weekend sessions. Involves a commitment of a block of time away from campus. Not open to students who have taken 111B-S. S

ANTH 195. Colloquium (1 unit)
Each spring semester students and department faculty will meet three times to discuss current problems in the field of anthropology. These three hour seminars will be led by a faculty member. Students will be expected to do all assigned readings and complete a paper on one of the topics discussed. F

 

B. CULTURAL Curriculum

ANTH 30. Critical Thinking in Anthropology (3 units)
Distinguish belief vs. knowledge and fact vs. opinion; examine relationship between language/logic; use inductive/deductive reasoning; recognize informal/formal fallacies; appreciate socio-cultural context of critical thinking. These skills are applied to topics of race/intelligence, religion/values, and social policy. Skills demonstrated/assessed through oral and written performance. G.E. Foundation A3. FS SU

ANTH 102. Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology (3 units)
A compendium of current thinking on language and culture from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives. Examines the nature of language, language description, language and worldview, gendered speech, ethnicity and language, power and performance, verbal and nonverbal art, and associated theories and research methods. S even

ANTH 105W. Applied Anthropology (3 units)
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area D, satisfactory completion (C or better) of ENGL 5B or 10 graduation requirement, to be taken no sooner than the term in which 60 units are completed. Examination and assessment of the use of anthropological data and concepts to address contemporary issues in education, health care, law, environmental planning, and social services. Students work on applied problems and write observations, plans, reports, and research documents geared to the needs of professionals, service providers, and particularly planners in modern institutional contexts. Meets the upper-division writing skills requirement for graduation. G.E. Multicultural/International MI. FS SU

ANTH 115. World Cultures (3 units)
An examination of contemporary issues in anthropology based on evidence from both classical and modern ethnographies. Considers strategies of qualitative research and reporting, including ethics and the application of enthographic research in modern societies. S even

ANTH 116W. Anthropology of Religion (3 units)
Prerequisites: G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area D, satisfactory completion (C or better) of the ENGL 5B or 10 graduation requirement, to be taken no sooner than the term in which 60 units are completed. Examines the patterned belief systems of the world's tribal, peasant, and sectarian societies. Stresses the role of religion in individual and group perception, cognition, ritual, and social organization. Topics include myth, magic, shamanism, mysticism, witchcraft, trance, hallucinogens, and cultism. Meets the upper-division writing skills requirement for graduation. G.E. Integration ID. FS SU

ANTH 117. Anthropology of Health, Illness, and Healing (3 units)
A cross-cultural examination of health practices and of the cultural assumptions and attitudes on which they are based. Reviews ethno-medicine, ethnopsychiatry, and epidemiology in the health care systems of diverse cultures and of ethnic communities in pluralistic societies such as the United States. S even

ANTH 118. Women: Culture and Biology (3 units)
(Same as WS 170.) A cross-cultural and interdisciplinary analysis of the determinants of female statuses and circumstances. Examines theories, including biological and cultural determinism, which explain variations in the expression of sexuality, maturation, reproduction, and the life cycle. F odd

ANTH 119. Law and Culture (3 units)
A comparative, holistic perspective on the evolution of law. Examines its natures and origins, the basic assumptions behind legal systems, their cross-cultural expression and effects, and the directionality of legal evolution. S even

ANTH 120. Ethnic Relations and Cultures (3 units)
Prerequisites: G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area D. The cultural and social origins of ethnicity, and its opportunities and problems for contemporary mass societies. Offers a critical review of major theories on ethnic politics, economics, and ideology in the light of cross-cultural evidence. G.E. Multicultural/International MI. S even

ANTH 123. Peoples and Cultures of Southeast Asia (3 units)
Prerequisites: G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area D. An introductory survey of the cultural and historical adaptations of societies in Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam; and of Insular societies in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Examines the major effects of culture contact between East and West. G.E. Multicultural/International MI. F odd

ANTH 124. Peoples and Cultures of East Asia (3 units)
Examines cultural pluralism. Considers cultural adaptations and change among minorities such as Moslems, Tibetans, and Mongolians in China, and ethnic groups of Japan and Korea. Outlines kinship, religion, organization, and technological factors in the Asiatic culture complex. S even

ANTH 125. Tradition and Change in China and Japan (3 units)
(Same as HUM 140.) Prerequisites: G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area D. Examines the current aspirations and problems of the Chinese and Japanese in terms of their traditional cultures, and explains how their histories, values, world views, and intellectual traditions affect their lifestyles and their international relations today. G.E. Multicultural/International MI. S even

ANTH 126. Cultures and Foods of East Asia (3 units)
(Same as ASAM 151.) Treats cuisine as a systematic product of the interaction between culture and ecology. Focuses on sociocultural rather than bio-nutritional factors in the preparation and ritual implications of food in Mainland and Insular Asia. Students learn to prepare and serve a variety of Oriental dishes. F even

ANTH 128. Environmental Anthropology (3 units)
Examines the interactions between environment and human culture. Specific topics include theoretical and empirical trends in environmental anthropology, materialist and cognitive approaches to human-environment interactions, human culture in ecosystem perspective, religion and ecology, and contemporary environmental movements. F even

ANTH 130. Peoples and Cultures of the Southwest (3 units)
A survey of Native American cultures of the Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico from their prehistoric origins to the present. Emphasis is placed on cultural continuity and change during the past 400 years of contact with western culture. F odd

ANTH 135. Muslim Communities in the Middle East (3 units)
A survey of both rural and urban Muslim cultures and societies in the Middle East. Emphasizes the variety of lived experiences of Islam, gender and ethnic relations, and the impact of the West. F odd

ANTH 138T. Topics in Cultural Anthropology (1-6; max total 12 units if no topic repeated)
Prerequisite: varies with title. Special studies in the theory and practice of organized cooperation and conflict in nature and culture. FS

 

C. ARCHAEOLOGY Curriculum

ANTH 101A-S. Introductory Fieldwork in Archaeology (6 units)
Introduces basic methods and strategies for archaeological excavation and site survey in a public service context. Involves a commitment by students to a block time in the field away from campus.

ANTH 101B-S. Advanced Fieldwork in Archaeology (6 units)
Advanced methods and strategies for archaelogical excavation and site survey in a public service context. Involves a commitment by students to a block of time in the field away from campus.

ANTH 140. Contemporary Archaeology (3 units)
Examines archaeological theory (both historical and contemporary) as well as methods and techniques used by archaeologists to gather, analyze, and interpret data. S odd

ANTH 141. Prehistory of North America (3 units)
Traces the development of Native American cultures from the Arctic to Mesoamerica, from the peopling of the continent to early historic times. Examines the archaeological evidence for the antiquity, spread, and variation of cultural adaptations to changing ecological conditions. F odd

ANTH 142. Old World Prehistory (3 units)
Examination of current knowledge of the prehistory of one area of the Old World. Chronologies, current findings, and important issues in theory method are reviewed. Consideration of these matters in relation to work in archaeology throughout the world and to work in closely related disciplines such as biology and geology. Some historic archaeology may also be included. Areas include Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Australia. S even

ANTH 143. Archaeology and Prehistory of California (3 units)
Origins and prehistory of the California Native Americans. Examination of the archaeological record, both statewide and regionally, with emphasis on adaptations to natural and social environments from 12,000 B.P. until early historic times. S odd

ANTH 145. Cultural Resources Management (3 units)
Prerequisites: G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area D. Provides an in-depth overview of historic and prehistoric cultural resources (districts, sites, buildings, and objects), their significance, and their management in the U.S. Topics include the legal context for CRM, identifying and evaluating cultural resources, assessing effects, treatment planning, and careers in CRM. G.E. Integration ID. F even

ANTH 159T. Topics in Archaeology (1-6; max total 12 units if no topic repeated)
Prerequisite: varies with title. Special studies in archaeological methods, techniques, history and theory, or of prehistoric culture areas not covered in the regular curriculum. FS

 

D. PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY CURRICULUM

ANTH 161. Bio/Behavioral Evolution of the Human Species (3 units)
Prerequisites: G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area B. Examines the evolution of the human species and its relationship to living and extinct primates. Explores the biological basis of human culture. Integrates evolutionary biology, geochronology, and anthropology in order to understand the bio/behavioral nature of modern man. G.E. Integration IB. FS

ANTH 162. Primates (3 units)
An introduction to the study of primate biological and behavioral evolution. Explores sociobiological theory in order to explain the unity and diversity of social behavior in prosimians, monkeys, and apes. F odd

ANTH 163. Human Variation (3 units)
A cross-cultural examination of variations in human morphology, physiology, and biochemistry. Establishes the correlation between variations in human biology and variations in climate, culture, nutrition, and disease. F even

ANTH 164. Human Osteology (3 units)
Introduces a range of analytic techniques for extracting information from human skeletal remains: sexing and aging, osteometry, odontometry, the examination and diagnosis of epigenetic traits and pathological lesion, and the statistical interpretation of skeletal data. S odd

ANTH 169T. Topics in Physical Anthropology (1-6; max total 12 units if no topic repeated)
Special studies of the discovery and interpretation of information in physical anthropology, and of the application of this subdiscipline in legal, medical, and scientific research. FS

 

E. ADVANCED STUDY CURRICULUM

ANTH 190. Independent Study (1-3; max total 6 units)
See Academic Placement - Independent Study. Approved for RP grading. FS

ANTH 192. Directed Readings (1-3; max total 3 units)
Supervised reading on a student-selected topic outside the regular curriculum, conducted through regular consultation with a faculty sponsor. FS

ANTH 193. Internships in Anthropology (1-6; max total 6 units)
Interns will work on a variety of tasks involving the analysis and curation of archaeological collections; design and curation of museum displays; the collection and analysis of physical anthropological data, including working with primates at local zoos; and ethnographic data collection. CR/NC grading only. FS

ANTH 194. Honors Thesis (1-3; max total 3 units)
Development of a student report or paper into a manuscript of professional and publishable quality. Requires approval by an Honors Committee of three faculty members. FS

ANTH 197T. Current Topics in Anthropology (1-6; max total 12 units if no topic repeated)
Subject matter of these courses combines topics from the various subfields of anthropology, providing the student with a more integrated view of the discipline. FS

 

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Asian American Studies (ASAM)

ASAM 15. Introduction to Asian Americans (3 units)
Prerequisite: G.E. Foundation A2. Historical, social, and psychological factors in the changing status and identity of Americans from Asia. Examines variables such as cultural heritage, family organization, intergenerational conflict, and the experience of racism in the changing world of Asian Americans. G.E. Breadth D3. FS

ASAM 30. Japanese Americans in the United States (3 units)
A survey of social adaptations and cultural changes among Japanese Americans in different communities such as California and Hawaii. Considers identity, marginality, acculturation, and cultural traditions in Japan and in American communities. F odd

ASAM 110. Asian American Communities (3 units)
Prerequisites: G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area D. A multidisciplinary study of Asian American communities and their relations with the larger society. Analyzes values, lifestyles, processes of group identity and boundary maintenance, social organization, and cultural change. Examination of Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and other Asian American subcultures. G.E. Multicultural/International MI. FS

ASAM 138. Asian American Women (3 units)
Addresses race, ethnic, and class issues from the vantage point of Asian American women. For Asian American and Southeast Asian communities, the status of women has long been neglected. Yet women play an important role in the family and its economy even as they enter new roles in U.S. society. Helpful to students in sciences and applied fields. F even

ASAM 140. Southeast Asian Americans (3 units)
Since the Immigration Act of 1965 the Asian American population has grown dramatically. This course focuses on recent issues that are facing new arrivals and supplements a history of Asian American communities (e.g., ASAM 110). Useful to students in education, social work, health sciences, the social sciences, and many other fields. S odd

ASAM 151. Cultures and Foods of East Asia (3 units)
(See ANTH 126.) S even

ASAM 180T. Topics in Asian American Studies (3; max total 6 units)
Prerequisites: ASAM 15, permission of instructor. Detailed consideration of a single topic concerning the past or present position of Asian Americans in U.S. society. S even

ASAM 190. Independent Study (1-3; max total 6 units)
See Academic Placement -- Independent Study. Approved for RP grading. FS


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