Course Descriptions
Please note that all courses highlighted in red are being offered in the 2011 - 2012 academic year
ANTH 1202.1(.2) Introduction to Socio-Cultural Anthropology
An introduction to the cultures and social systems of people from around the world. Topics include economics, politics, kinship, family and religion as well as the expressive aspects of culture such as the arts, myth, and ritual.
ANTH 1271.1(.2) Introduction to Archaeology
An introduction to archaeology and its contribution to an understanding of the development of culture. The course will investigate the history of the discipline and the development of techniques and principles used by archaeologists throughout the world.
ANTH 1280.1(.2) Introduction to Biological Anthropology
A survey of human biological evolution. The principal topics are evolutionary theory, human genetics, the nature of race, living primates and the fossil record of humanity.
ANTH 1290.1(2) Introduction to Human Communication
This course provides students with some of the basic concepts for understanding language as used by humans. Topics to be considered include, but are not limited to, the nature of language and communication, the organisation of communicative behaviour and linguistic diversity. The emergence of ethnolinguistics as a subdiscipline of anthropology is also discussed.
ANTH 2273.1(.2) Who Owns The Past?
Prerequisite: one of ANTH 1202.1(.2), ANTH 1271.1(.2), ANTH 1280.1(.2), ANTH 2282.1(.2), ANTH 1290.1(.2)
Why preserve the past, and in what form? How has the past been used and abused for political purposes in different historical and cultural contexts? To what extent have administrative policies and ethnocentric attitudes towards indigenours peoples alienated indigenes from anthropologists? How do museums, collections, the restitution of cultural property and the illicit traffic in relics contribute to the situation?
ANTH 2282.1(.2) Introduction to Forensic Anthropology
This course is an introduction to the multidisciplinary nature of forensic anthropology. It explores the myths and realities of the search for human remains in crime scenes, what should be expected from a forensic anthropology expert in the courtroom, some of the challenges in mass fatality incident responses, and what a student should consider if they want to pursue a career in forensic anthropology.
ANTH 2301.1(.2) Anthropology of Children and Childhood
Prerequisite: ANTH 1202.1(.2)
This course examines the nature of childhood in various societies with attention to the development and socialization of children from birth through adolescence. Primary emphasis will be given to a perspective that views children as active participants in their own worlds as well as the worlds of others. While focusing on the social and culture contexts of children's lives, we will explore topics that include parent-child relations, education, child labor, friendship, play, and the relationship of children to media technologies and consumer culture.
ANTH 2311.1(2) Ethnology: Melanesia
Prerequisite: ANTH 1202.1(.2)
Selected societies and cultures of Papua New Guinea and adjacent islands and island clusters are examined. Special attention is given to cultural diversity within this region. Specific topics covered include variation in the relationship between men and women, variation in leadership patterns, warfare and descent systems.
ANTH 2316.1(.2) Native Peoples of Canada
Prerequisite: ANTH 1202.1(.2) or six (6) credit hours in HIST or a social science
This course provides a survey of the varied Native cultures of Canada. Some of the socio-cultural changes associated with contacts between indigenous peoples and Europeans are considered. Variation in roles assumed by men and women are also discussed.
ANTH 2326.1(.2)Contemporary East Asia
Prerequisite: ANTH 1202.1(.2) or ASNT 3300.1(.2)
This course will consider East Asia as a region with shared cultural and historical legacies, while examining the radically diverse contemporary conditions of each country.
ANTH 2327.1(.2) Japanese Society
Prerequisite: ANTH 1202.1(.2) or ASNT 3300.1(.2)
This course introduces Japanese society through a life course perspective. Topics include family, education, the work place, gender, class, ethnic minorities and contemporary social problems.
ANTH 2391.1(.2) Linguistic Anthropology [LIN 391.1(.2)]
Prerequisite: ANTH 1290.1(.2) or three (3) credit hours in LING
The study of the relationships between linguistics and anthropology through the understanding of the nature of language. Concepts and methods used by anthropologists to analyse linguistic data. Training in the manipulation of linguistic tools in the analysis of languages other than English.
ANTH 2392.1(.2) Language, Culture and Society [LIN 392.1(.2)]
Prerequisite: three credit hours in either ANTH or LING
Survey of different approaches and concepts in linguistic anthropology (ethnoscience, ethnosemantics, ethnolinguistics). Exposure to main topics of interest in the field (the relationship between language, culture, and thought, for example). Characteristics of an anthropological perspective on language(s).
ANTH 2401.1(.2) Anthropology of Work
Prerequisite: a social science course
Anthropologies have long been interested in work as an aspect of economy (that is, how productive tasks get accomplished), as a determinor of general social structure (that is, a core institution), and as a theme in the ethos of various societies (that is work as ethic). As anthropologists turn their attention to industrial societies (and as other disciplines adopt ethnogeographic methods), the workplace itself is often treated as were small communities in the past. In this course, special attention will be given to methods of data collection in workplaces in complex societies. There will also be an examination of the application of these techniques by scholars, development agencies, commercial enterprises, and political movements.
ANTH 3301.1(2) Nature of Culture
Prerequisite: ANTH 1202.1(2) or SOCI 1210.1(.2)
An introduction to the concept of culture as an essential aspect of human nature. Emphasis is given to contemporary theories concerning society and culture.
ANTH 3302.1(.2) Social Organisation
Prerequisite: ANTH 1202.1(2) or SOCI 1210.1(.2)
This course introduces the student to the basics of social structure and social anti-structure. Emphasis is placed upon the importance of kinship, politics, economics, beliefs and the arts for an understanding of human socio-cultural life.
ANTH 3303.1(.2) Sex, Gender and Society [WMST 3303.1(.2)]
Prerequisite: ANTH 1202.1(2), 1290.1(2), or one (3) social science credit
This course introduces students to an anthropological perspective on the relationship between culture, biology, and social expectations of male and female behavior. Emphasis is given to examining how individuals and societies imagine, negotiate, perform and contest dominant gender ideologies, roles, relations and identities.
ANTH 3304.1(.2) Egalitarian Societies
Prerequisite: ANTH 1202.1(.2)
This course provides a survey of selected egalitarian societies including foragers, horticulturalists and pastoralists located in Africa, North and South America, Asia and Oceania. A number of theoretical issues are raised related to the cultural variations and similarities noted.
ANTH 3305.1(.2) Chiefdoms
Prerequisite: ANTH 1202.1(.2)
Non-egalitarian societies (societies emphasizing inherited rank) are surveyed in this course. Consideration is given to explanations of cultural diversity and to theories of socio-cultural evolution.
ANTH 3306.1(.2) Anthropology of Education
Prerequisite: ANTH 1201.1(.2), or consent of the instructor
This class will introduce students to issues and approaches relevant to the study of education within the field of anthropology. Emphasis is placed upon the exploration of education in its social, cultural and institutional contexts, with particular attention to the influence of cultures and subcultures on the learning process, and the role of educational institutions in community, regional or national development.
ANTH 3307.1(.2) Visusal Anthropology
Prerequisite: at least twelve (12) credit hours in ANTH.
This course is designed to introduce students to the field of visual anthropology. It has two major foci:
1) it examines the use of visual material in anthropological research and in the presentation and consumption of anthropological knowledge, focusing particularly on photography and film, and
2) it addresses visuality itself as a domain of anthropological inquiry, exploring ways of seeing in culturally and historically specific contexts.
ANTH 3309.1(.2) Peasant Society and Culture
Prerequisite: ANTH 1202.1(.2)
A number of substantive studies of peasant society and culture are examined. Examples are drawn from diverse regions including Mexico, India, China, Japan, Europe and Southeast Asia. Theories relating to similar and contrasting features of peasant cultures are considered.
3316.1(.2) Anthropology of Religion [RELS 3316]
Prerequisite: any of of ANTH 1202, RELS 1201, 1211, 1220, 1221, 1251
This course surveys major developments in the anthropological study of religions. The course will provide a solid theoretical foundation for the field study of contemporary religions.
ANTH 3329.1 (.2) The Arctic Culture Area
Prerequisite: six (6) credit hours in ANTH
This course focuses on the contemporary situation of people in the circumpolar regions of the world with an emphasis on northern Canada. Students are introduced to issues of modernity in the north, including environmental problems, health, culture, development and power. Specific attention is paid to the evolution of political agreements and Aboriginal Autonomy.
ANTH 3334.1(.2) Warfare and Aggression: Anthropological Approaches to Human Conflict
Prerequisite: ANTH 1202.1(.2)
The course will examine the nature and structure of human conflict by evaluating anthropological theories of warfare and aggression in light of the case materials available on small-scale societies. In addition, particular attention wil be devoted to: 1) the role of racism in human conflict, and 2) a critique of sociobiological theories of human aggression.
ANTH 3338.1(.2) Medicine as Culture
Prerequisite: six (6) credit hours in a social science
This course examines medicine as culture. Because conceptions of health and illness differ around the world, questions of health and illness are complex issues. Light is shed on some of these complexities by exploring cross-cultural explanations of birth, disease, illness and death; by tracing the rise of Western medicine; by investigating sociocultural biases in treatment practices; by acquainting students with theoretical perspectives on health and illness, and; by examining the body in medicine and culture.
ANTH 3339.1(.2) Medicine in Culture
Prerequisite: six (6) credit hours in a social science
This course builds on ANTH 3338.1(.2) by investigating the organisation and structures of medical systems, its relationships, its patients and healers, their technologies and their effects on and the responses of groups and individuals in cross-cultural contexts.
ANTH 3366.1(.2) Worldview: Anthropological Approaches
RELS 3366.1(.2)/4466.1(.2)
Prerequisite: ANTH 1202.1(.2), ANTH 1290.1 (.2) RELS 1201.0
This is an examination of anthropological theories pertaining to worldview -- a people's perception of the world and how it works. While examples are drawn from many societies, the course will concentrates on the beliefs current in a single society.
ANTH 3371.1(.2) Prehistory of Canada
Prerequisite: ANTH 1271.1(.2)
A survey of the development of prehistoric cultures in Canada. The course uses the archaeological record from the Arctic, sub-Arctic, far Northeast, Northern Plains and West Coast to examine cultural change.
ANTH 3373.1(.2) Fieldwork in Archaeology
Prerequisite: ANTH 1271.1(.2)
This course offers detailed instruction with practical application of archaeological field techniques. This course is generally off-campus at an archaeological site. As such, the course is dependent upon external funds and has a limited enrollment. Please consult the Departmental Chairperson regarding availability.
ANTH 3374.1(.2) Archaeology Laboratory
Prerequisite: ANTH 3373.1(.2)
The course offers training in the laboratory analysis of materials recovered from an archaeological site. To maintain continuity of the learning experience, students must take ANTH 3373.1 (.2) in the same year this course is offered.
ANTH 3375.1 (.2) World Prehistory
Prerequisite: ANTH 1271.1 (.2) or six (6) credit hours in a social science
This course investigates the earliest known tools and their associated activities. The development of technology is traced from the early stone age through the iron age in a world-wide setting.
ANTH 3376.1(.2) Archaeology of Death
Prerequisite: ANTH 1271.1(.2)
This course will examine funerary customs within a global framework. Mortuary rituals afford not only insight into the death practices of past societies, they may also provide a basis from which to investigate a broad range of important social and anthropological questions, from social organization, gender relations, and social inequality, to health and disease, diet, and bilogical affinity, to the ethical and legal aspects of exhumation and reburial of skeletal remains.
ANTH 3377.1(.2) Urban Archaeology
Prerequisite: ANTH 1271.1(.2)
The development of the sub-discipline of urban archaeology in eastern North America will be reviewed. Particular emphasis will be placed on the design and application of urban archaeology management plans. Questions regarding the contribution of archaeological methods, research and analysis to questions of urban phenomena will be addressed.
A NTH 3378.1(.2) Landscape Archaeology
Prerequisite: ANTH 1271
This course offers an introductory survey to both the empirical and interpretive aspects of Landscape Archaeology incorporating real-world case studies drawn from local archaeological resources. It emphasizes the human-scale experience of the past rather than grand, overarching models, and borrows liberally from socio-cultural anthropology.
ANTH 3379.1(.2) The Archaeology of Acadia
Prerequisite: ANTH 1271
Drawing upon primary source evidence, and placing a particular emphasis on materiality, thematic emphasis is given to colonial Nova Scotia as a stage for conflict and negotiation between Aboriginal and European peoples, adaptation of Europeans social, political, and economic practices to a North American environment. This course explores the European colonization of the Maritime Provinces from contact to the middle of the 18th century.
ANTH 3381.1(.2) Anthropological Genetics
Prerequisite: ANTH 1280.1(.2)
A survey of human genetics, including Mendelian genetics, multifactorial genetics, cytogenetics, and opulation genetics, intended to enhance understanding of human biological variation.
ANTH 3382.1(.2) Paleoanthropology
Prerequisite: ANTH 1280.1(.2)
A survey of primate and human evolution as revealed in the fossil record.
ANTH 3395.1(.2) Language Use and Issues in Northern Canada [LING 3395.1(.2)]
Prerequisite: three (3) credit hours in either ANTH or LING
The main focus of the course is Inuktitut, the language spoken by the Inuit. The linguistic situations in Nunavut and Nunavik (northern Quebec) are compared. Topics discussed include linguistic identity, language status, language maintenance and official languages of Canada. Although some exposure to Inuktitut is provided, this is not a language course.
ANTH 3396.1(.2) Language Use and Issues in Southern Canada
Prerequisite: ANTH 1290 or three (3) credit hours in LING
This course examines the two official languages of Canada, English and French, as well as Aboriginal and heritage languages. It will take a descriptive approach at the languages in Canada and their current status, as well as a critical look at the respective place of these languages in our society. Issues related to multilingualism at an individual and societal level are also examined.
ANTH 3471.1(.2) Forensic Skeletal Identification
Prerequisite: ANTH 2282.1(.2) A detailed examination of bones of the human skeleton for forensic purposes.
Note: It is recommended that students who complete ANTH 3471.1(.2) also complete ANTH 3472.1(.2).
ANTH 3472.1(.2) Forensic Skeletal Analysis
Prerequisite: ANTH 3471.1(.2)
A detailed analysis of the human skeleton aimed at creating profiles of decedents and understanding circumstances surrounding their deaths.
Note: It is recommended that students who complete ANTH 3471.1(.2) also complete ANTH 3472.1(.2).
ANTH 3710 - 3719 Field Study in Anthropology
Prerequisite: Twelve credit hours in Anthropology and permission of the instructor.
Students will deepen their understanding of a particular culture through first-hand interactions with people, places, and institutions. Students will travel to a particular field site (Japan, Arctic Canada, etc.) with a faculty member. On-site instruction will be provided. This course generally takes place between May and August and involves additional costs. Locations and foci will vary from year to year. Please consult Departmental Chairperson for availability.
ANTH 3826-3849 Special Topics/Anthropology of Food
Prerequisite: six (6) 2000-level university credits.
This course explores food and eating through the lens of anthropology. The goal is to understand deeply the socio-cultural and economic dynamics that shape food and eating, and, in turn, the roles that both play in shaping people's everyday lives. Food and eating are conceptualized as political elements of the human condition and as interactive with gender, power, class, and various other social realities. Students will critically examine a wide range of processes connected to food and eating around the world. They will apply the lessons learned to their own lives and immediate surroundings.
ANTH 3876 - 3899 Directed Independent Study in Anthropology
ANTH 4306.1(.2) Foraging Adaptations
Prerequisite: ANTH 1202.1(.2)
Humans have spent more of the past as foragers than they have pursuing other subsistence strategies, and foraging has supported a wide range of cultural traditions. This course provides a survey of selected foraging societies that have been described by ethnologists. Both egalitarian and on-egalitarian foragers are discussed and examples are drawn from a wide range of environments and regions. Consideration is given to theories aimed at accounting for recurring cultural patterns as well as the diversity exhibited by foragers.
ANTH 4365.1(.2) Myth: Anthropological Approaches
[RELS 4365.1(.2) / 4465.1(.2)]
Prerequisite: ANTH 1202.1(.2) , ANTH 1290.1 (.2), RELS 1201.0
The student is exposed to a number of theoretical approaches employed by anthropologists in the study of myth. While examples may come from a number of societies, there is a concentration on the myth corpus of a single society.
ANTH 4411.1(.2) Research Design in Socio-Cultural Anthropology
Prerequisite: ANTH 1202.1(.2) or SOCI 1210.1(.2)
This course introduces students to the design of socio-cultural research through examination of major philosophical, theoretical and ethical issues as well as hands-on experience with data collection techniques. Students are expected to conduct a sustained research project within the local community.
ANTH 4412.1(.2)Qualitative Data Analysis
Prerequisite: ANTH 4411.1(.2)
This course examines strategies for the analysis of socio-cultural data in the form of textual and alternative formats. Emphasis is given to hands-on application of analytic techniques and interpretation of real data sets collected by the students. The course culminates in a final portfolio and presentation that articulates a well-defined intellectual issue.
ANTH 4452.1(.2) Anthropological Theory After 1900
Prerequisite: ANTH 1202.1(.2), ANTH 1271.1(.2), ANT 1280.1(.2), ANTH 1290.1(.2)
A history of anthropological theory in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
ANTH 4462.1(.2) Method and Theory in Historical Archaeology
Prerequisite: ANTH 1271.1(.2)
Concepts and methods of historical archaeology, survey techniques, data collection and laboratory analysis. Suggested for students who intend to take fieldwork courses in archaeology.
ANTH 4464.(.2) Advanced Fieldwork in Archaeology
Prerequisite: ANTH 3373.1(.2)
Students are expected to have knowledge of field techniques used in archaeology. They assist a senior archaeologist in the excavation of an archaeological site, being responsible for all levels of recording. Please consult the Departmental Chairperson regarding availability.
ANTH 4465.1(.2) Advanced Archaeology Laboratory
Prerequisite: ANTH 3373.1(.2)
Students must have a knowledge of laboratory techniques used in archaeology. They use this knowledge to record, analyze, and report on archaeological specimens. This course may be twinned with ANTH 4464.1(.2), should the site being excavated produce sufficient archaeological materials.
ANTH 4466.1(.2) Researching Halifax Heritage
Prerequisite: ANTH 1271.1(.2)
An introduction to research techniques and resources, some off-campus, used to assess the historical and archaeological significance of properties in Halifax.
ANTH 4467.1(.2) Cultural Resource Management (CRM) Archaeology
Prerequisite: ANTH 1271 and 18 credit hours in 2000-level university courses, of which 9 credit hours must be Anthropology
Cultural Resource Management (CRM), as an applied form of archaeological research, is a rapidly expanding field of practice where many students and graduates of archaeological curricula develop their professional careers. Students will be introduced to its principles and learn about legislation, policy and protocols that impact CRM archaeology. Students will also be introduced to applications of geomatics technology, including geographic information systems (GIS), for CRM archaeology. Case studies will comprise a fundamental source of information in this course. The format is that of a seminar.
ANTH 4473.1(.2) Palaeopathology
Prerequisite: ANTH 3471.1(.2), ANTH 3472.1(.2)
Palaeopathology is the study of diseases in past human populations. In this course you will learn how to diagnose simple bone pathologies, and in the process gain an understanding of bone physiology and pathology and how these processes work. The main part of the course will focus on the major categories of disease that affect the skeleton. We will also examine how certain diseases have affected human history.
ANTH 4474.1(.2) Human Variation
Prerequisite: ANTH 3381.1(.2) and ANTH 3382.1(.2)
This class will introduce students to the history of the way people have viewed human variation, and will teach critical thinking skills necessary to analyze issues such as eugenics, The Bell Curve, racism, ‘environmental racism', sexism, The Human Genome Project, and other difficult topics that affect our daily lives.
ANTH 4491.1(.2) Ethnography of Communication
[LING 4491.1(.2)]
Prerequisite: ANTH 1290.1(.2) or three credit hours in LING
Introduction to communication description as developed by Dell Hymes and John J. Gumperz. Observation and practical analysis (fieldwork) of communicative events in diverse situations.
Cross-cultural comparison of communication activities.
Classes 1 hr. and lab 1 1/2 hours a week. 1 semester
ANTH 4492.1(.2) Anthropological Analysis of Linguistic Communities
[LIN 492.1(.2)]
Prerequisite: ANTH 1290.1(.2) or three (3) credit hours in LING
Language as a criterion to delimit group boundaries. The relationships between cultural and linguistic norms. Comparative analysis of linguistic behaviour. One case study or geographical area chosen at each offering of the course (either one language in different social contexts or the interacting ethnolinguistic groups in one region).
Classes 1 hr. and lab 1 1/2 hours a week. 1 semester
ANTH 4501.1(.2) Honours Thesis Research
Prerequisite: Restricted to students who have been accepted by the department into the honours program
The application of anthropological theory and methods to a well-defined area of study identified and communicated to the student's honours thesis committee prior to enrolment. Students will work closely with their principal advisors and two other committee members.
ANTH 4502.1(.2) Honours Thesis Writing
Prerequisite: ANTH 4501.1(.2)
This course examines the communication of the results of anthropological inquiry to the scholarly community through the writing of an honours thesis essay. While students will work closely with their thesis committees, all faculty members of the department will evaluate theses on the basis of content and style.
ANTH 4701 Internship in Forensic Anthropology
Prerequisite: ANTH 3471, ANTH 3472
This is a practical, hands-on course in forensic anthropology. Students will use their knowledge of forensic methodologies for the examination and identification of human remains as well as the writing of official 'police' reports through work in an official morgue.
This page last modified Friday, 18-Nov-2011 11:30:26 AST