Austin College's
ANTHROPOLOGY PROGRAM*
Anthropology, the study of human cultural diversity, involves four distinct subfields -- cultural
anthropology, archeology, physical anthropology and sociolinguistics. All four subfields explore
how culture shapes the human experience, the forces and processes that have shaped human
biology and society over time and the ways in which human societies are similar to and different
from each other. Cultural anthropology, the subfield which is emphasized at Austin College,
investigates human experience within different cultural settings by actually entering into those
cultures and studying those groups from their own perspectives. The courses offered in our
department study a wide range of societies and communities, from gatherers and hunters to tribal
groups, peasants, urban peoples in the third world, and ethnic groups in the U.S. and around the
world. Courses deal with contemporary issues such as gender and family, race and ethnicity,
development and the struggle for modernity, colonialism and the shaping of globalization, politics
and the exercise of power, violence and peacemaking, the relationships of society to the
environment and others. As an integrative science, anthropology has links to other disciplines and
programs including history, biology, religion, environmental studies, gender studies, area studies
programs and the other social sciences.A minor in anthropology consists of five courses: Anthropology 23 (Introduction to Cultural Anthropology); one course in either Anthropology 67 (Ethnographic Research Methods) or Anthropology 69 (History of Anthropological Theory), currently offered as a directed study; two elective anthropology courses; and one approved course outside the discipline in a topic which is relevant to cultural anthropology.
23 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
An introduction to the discipline of cultural anthropology. Explores concepts, theories, methods of
research and the historical development of the discipline. A comparative exploration of various
societies around the world offers insights on family and kinship, inequality and power, religious
beliefs and values, economics, environment and technology, gender relations and contemporary
issues facing societies and communities today. Examines cultural change and the impact of
industrialized societies and global forces on traditional societies. (Each fall and spring)35 Indigenous Peoples and Ethnic Social Movements
Explores the origins of the "primitive" in Western thought; the contributions that the study of tribal
and peasant societies have made to anthropological approaches to the study of the human
experience, the social, economic, political, religious and ideological characteristics of tribal and
peasant societies. Examines the impact of colonialism, state expansion and development on
traditional societies, and cultural expressions of resistance to such impact. No prerequisites. (Fall
2000)36 Anthropology of the City
Focuses on the emergence of cities in human society, the cross-cultural study of contemporary
urbanization and urban life, social and cultural problems common to cities in Third World societies
and the U.S., the role of the city as a cultural symbol, and the city’s role in shaping contemporary
national societies. Prerequisite: Anthropology 23 or Sociology 11. (Fall 1999)37 Latin American Societies and Culture
This course explores the forces that have shaped Latin American culture, examines indigenous
cultures before and after the conquest, the cultural and economic effects of colonialism, the
struggle for emancipation, the forging of national and ethnic identities, and the impact of
modernization on communities and nations. It examines the human experience in Latin America
from an anthropological perspective, probing such issues as how ethnicity and class have
intersected in forging national cultures, the changing relationships between gender and power, the
dynamics of grass-roots social and resistance movements, the impacts of liberation theology and
protestantism on religious and political practices, the debates over economic development and
neo-liberal policies, the responses to a heritage of violence, and the struggle of Latin Americans to
define their place in a global setting. No prerequisites. (Fall 1999)40 Topics in Anthropology
An introductory course on special subjects. May be repeated when topic varies.
60 Advanced Topics
A study of various subfields. Prerequisite: Anthropology 23 and another anthropology course or
permission of instructor. May be repeated when topic varies.61 War and Peacemaking
This course explores the study of warfare and peacemaking from an anthropological perspective.
Some of the questions this course will address include: Are humans biologically inclined to
aggression and warfare? Why (and how) is tribal warfare so different from modern warfare?
What drives nations and individuals to go to war? Why do justice (and revolutionary) movements
often resort to violence? How do ethnic groups and indigenous societies resist more powerful and
violent states? How do weapons of mass destruction change the rules of warfare? How does
non-violent resistance respond to the forces that create warfare? Prerequisite: Anthropology 23, 35, Sociology 11, or permission of instructor. (Spring 2000)64 Teaching/Learning Participation (variable credit)
Individualized study involving sharing in the instructional process for a particular anthropology
course under the supervision of the faculty member teaching the course. Open by invitation only to
certain highly qualified juniors and seniors. (Additional details given in Other Learning
Opportunities.)A comprehensive examination of race and ethnicity as central categories of social experience.
Topics include people's identities and the inequalities they experience, especially as these are
perpetuated within the family, education, religion, and other social institutions in society. The
analysis integrates several sociological and anthropological approaches. Particular attention is paid
to the Hispanic/Latino experience in the U.S. Prerequisite: Sociology 11 or Anthropology 23 and
another anthropology or sociology course or permission of instructor. (Fall 1998)67 Ethnographic Research Methods
In this study of the variety of qualitative methods involved in ethnographic research, students
choose topics for research, collect data through actual fieldwork, and present their results in
ethnographic papers. The course will explore the benefits and limitations of the interpretive
method and focus on ethnographic writing as an important genre in contemporary cultural
anthropology and sociology. (Spring 1999)69 Directed Study
95, 96 Independent Study
*From the Austin College Bulletin.
