The Anthropology major is designed to develop a critical awareness and understanding of the diversity of peoples and cultures, and of the relevance and application of anthropological perspectives and methods to contemporary issues. The program specializes in the Caribbean, Latina/o’s in the U.S. and the U.S-Mexico Borderlands, and is anchored by a faculty member each in Anthropology and Feminist Studies. Courses cover issues central to our contemporary global society: questions of race, class and gender; environmental (in)justice; and the making of religious and spiritual forms and identities. Additionally, contributing courses from Political Science and Religion address politics and social change in Latin American and Caribbean societies, gender in/and religions, spiritual traditions in native America, pilgrimages and more. Anthropology majors acquire solid grounding in both the social and cultural theory employed and generated by anthropologists and the ethnographic methods that define our discipline and conduct and present a paper based upon their own independent research.
Students seeking a major in Anthropology complete the requirements for the BA degree. Students are required to complete a period of in-depth ethnographic research during which they collect data for their capstone. This research period must be completed by end of the fall semester of their senior year and must entail a minimum of four weeks of intensive research or its equivalent. Students are encouraged to conduct this research during a study abroad experience with an appropriate study abroad program (see approved list of study abroad providers). Students may also complete this research through extending a project begun in the Theory and Method course, or otherwise developing a project.
Major in Anthropology
Eight courses (Majors consist of a minimum of 30 credits.)
- ANT35-104 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
- SOC34-114 Introduction to Sociology or SOC34-124 Social Problems
- ANT35-424 Theory and Method in Cultural Anthropology (offered every fall, recommended for junior or senior year)
- ANT35-964 Senior Seminar (Capstone, to be taken in the spring of the senior year)
- Four additional upper-level courses that are either in or contribute to Anthropology, one of which may be a Sociology course
Minor in Anthropology
Five courses (Minors consist of a minimum of 18 credits.)
- ANT35-104 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
- Four additional courses that are either in or contribute to Anthropology
Note: In the event that a student majors in Sociology and minors in Anthropology, an extra elective must be taken in either the major or the minor to earn the minimum credit requirements for both.
Courses outside of Anthropology that Contribute to the Major and Minor:
Feminist Studies
- FST04-254 Latinx Spiritualities
- FST04-364 Chicana Feminisms
Political Science
- PSC32-184 Politics of Latin America and the Caribbean
Religion
- REL19-214 Native American Traditions
- REL19-354 Gender and Sexuality in Native America
- REL19-384 Rastas, Saints and Virgins
- REL19-364 Pilgrimage
- REL19-324 Women, Goddesses and Religion