Anthropology Program of Study (CAS Bulletin)

FIELDS OF INQUIRY

Cultural anthropology is the study of social organization and the systems of thought and values that both reflect and inform social practice in different cultures. Cultural anthropology is interdisciplinary in orientation, analyzing and synthesizing religious, artistic, economic, and political practices through the common medium of culture. Traditionally, cultural anthropology emphasized the study of small-scale societies (often termed “exotic,” indigenous, and/or nonliterate peoples). Contemporary anthropology maintains such interests but increasingly applies its insights and methods to complex, urban, and industrialized societies. An emphasis of the department is the ethnographic study of cultural, social, and political processes that shape our lives and those of other people, especially as we are drawn together and influence one another in increasingly transnational and global interactions.

The department participates in the University’s Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, the Institute of French Studies, the Program in Museum Studies, the Program in Culture and Media, and the Center for Media, Culture, and History. Linguistic anthropology focuses on how language is interpreted and used in cultural contexts. Lan-guage use is socially organized; it is a key to understanding the ways in which speakers create and change social realities. Studied within historical as well as cultural frameworks and in relation to other social institutions (such as politics, education, law, medicine), variation in ways of speaking language(s) adds to our understanding of how social categories such as ethnicity, race, and gender are interactionally constituted across contexts, cultures, and societies.

Anthropological archaeology is the use of artifacts and other material remains to understand human culture. It attempts to breathe life into a material record that at first glance appears static and fragmentary. The research interests of anthropological archaeologists range from the earliest production of durable tools 2.5 million years ago to the refuse currently being generated by modern cities. All aspects of past human existence, including art, technology, religion, gender, economic and social organization, and food-getting strategies, are addressed by researchers in anthropological archaeology.

Biological anthropology encompasses the study of primate biological diversity and includes the anatomy, genetics, behavior, ecology, and evolution of humans and other primates. It is linked to the other subfields of anthropology by its commitment to the study of human biology and evolution within the context of culture, society, and ecology. Close ties with the American Museum of Natural History, the New York University School of Medicine, and the Wildlife Conservation Society International Programs at the Bronx Zoo facilitate the department’s diverse research interests in biological anthropology.

 

DEPARTMENTAL OBJECTIVES

Anthropology courses contribute to undergraduate education in two ways. First, the scope of the discipline’s interests effectively bridges the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. Anthro-pology asks basic questions concerning the origins and development of humans and their cultures and divergent systems of thought, belief, and social order. By systematically analyzing various cultural traditions—contemporary as well as historically known—anthropology raises critical questions concerning the bases of both world civilizations. An understanding of the distinct way anthropology formulates and attempts to answer its basic questions is a necessary component of a comprehensive liberal education.

Second, the department offers concentrated programs of study for the minor, major, or honors student. A minor usually emphasizes one of the four subdisciplines. For the major, the department encourages study in all of the subdisciplines, because each supplements and complements the others in presenting humans as both biological and social beings. An honors program includes in-depth research and writing in one aspect of biological, archaeological, linguistic, or cultural anthropology.

The director of undergraduate studies works closely with students in designing minor and major programs of study that integrate the goals of individual students with the offerings and intellectual goals of the department and complementary disciplines.

The department prides itself on its graduate and undergraduate programs’ integrated nature, which enables minors, majors, and honors students to participate in a variety of challenging graduate courses and seminars. Also, the active Anthropology Undergraduate Student Association (AUSA) connects students to one another through events and an e-mail forum (listserv).

 

MAJORS

The major consists of 36 points, which include Human Society

and Culture (V14.0001), Human Evolution (V14.0002), Archaeology: Early Societies and Cultures (V14.0003), and Anthropology of Language (V14.0017; offered only during the spring semester). The other courses may be selected from any subfield of anthropology. Internships approved by the director of undergraduate studies, however, may not be applied toward the major, and a grade of at least

C is required in every course to be counted toward the major. Any course with a grade of C- or lower will not count toward the major. Majors should consult regularly with the director of undergraduate studies in order to take full advantage of the seminars and research opportunities open to them.

Joint major with the Department of Classics: This is an interdepartmental major including courses from the Department of Anthropology and the Department of Classics. One anthropology course, Human Society and Culture (V14.0001), is required, along with four other anthropology courses taken in consultation with the directors of undergraduate studies in both departments. Twenty (20) points are required in classics. See Classics (27) for additional information. A grade of at least C is required in every course to be counted toward the joint major.

Joint major with the Department of Linguistics: The joint major in anthropology and linguistics emphasizes the complementarity of anthropological and sociolinguistic approaches to language. Students are required to take 20 points (five courses) each from the Department of Anthro-pology and the Department of Linguistics. A grade of at least C is required in every course to be counted toward a joint major. Required courses in anthropology: Human Society and Culture (V14.0001), Anthropology of Language (V14.0017), Symbolism, Meaning, and Social Life (V14.0048), and two other cultural or linguistic anthropology courses approved by the Department of Anthropology’s director of undergraduate studies. Required courses in linguistics: V55.0660 or V61.0015, plus at least three additional courses chosen in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies in linguistics. See Linguistics (61) for additional information.

 

MINOR

The minor consists of any four courses in the department. The “principles” courses (V14.0001, V14.0002, and V14.0003) are recommended as overviews of the discipline and as prerequisites for more advanced courses. Minors consult with the director of undergraduate studies to design a program that best accommodates their interests. A grade of C- or lower will not count toward the minor.

 

HONORS PROGRAM

A degree in anthropology is awarded with honors to selected majors who apply for admission to the program through the director of undergraduate studies during their sophomore or junior year. Honors program candidates are expected to maintain an overall GPA of 3.65 with an average of 3.65 in the major. Candidates for the honors program complete 10 courses for a total of 40 points of anthropology course work. Two honors tracks are available. The first, typically followed by students concentrating in sociocultural or linguistic anthropology, consists of two senior honors seminars with substantial research and writing components. The second track, typically followed by those concentrating in biological or archaeological anthropology, includes two research courses, V14.0950 and V14.0951, in which a research project is carried out, and a Special Seminar in Anthropology (V14.0800 or V14.0801) or a graduate course. All of these courses count toward the major.