Anthropology Department

Archaeology and physical anthropology provide a unique opportunity to examine the development of human society. With their long temporal depth, we can examine how humans, and their ancestors, evolved and populated the entire globe. The nature of modern archaeological and physical anthropological research including topics of hominid evolution, origins of agriculture, rise of state-level societies and First Nations archaeology will be discussed. Students will have an opportunity to apply this knowledge using real archaeological data. Three credits. Offered every year.

Socio-cultural anthropology involves the comparative study of societies throughout the world. Students will learn how societies differ from each other, as well as observing similarities among them. The course surveys traditional ways of understanding cultures while incorporating current insights and research. Topics include diverse political and economic systems, kinship patterns, religion, forms of ethnic and gender identity, health and medicine, development and migration. Department foci relating to First Nations, development and general anthropology are introduced. Offered every year.

An examination of global health and illness from an anthropological perspective, this course applies key anthropological concepts to topics such as the meaning of health and illness cross-culturally, cultural construction of the body, medical pluralism, cross-cultural psychiatry, critical medical anthropology and the health of Indigenous peoples in Canada and other parts of the world. Cross-listed as HLTH 218. Prerequisites: ANTH 111, 112 or permission of the instructor. Three credits. Offered 2023-2024 and in alternate years.

This course explores the rich cultural diversity of human societies around the globe through an ethnographic lens. Using a variety of ethnographic works, students will analyze how anthropologists have represented this diversity. Course material will include classic and current texts about ‘other’ and ‘own’ societies, the representation of Indigenous peoples, ethnographic film, as well as portrayals of culture in new media. Prerequisites: ANTH 111, 112 or DEVS 101 or permission of the instructor. Three credits. Offered 2023-2024 and in alternate years.

The diversity and complexity of contemporary cultural, political and legal Indigenous issues are explored using anthropological methods and theories. Beginning with the historical antecedents of colonial relations and leading to contemporary ethnography, this course assesses the impacts of state policies and legislation on Indigenous treaty rights and livelihoods today. Students will study engaged anthropology and the relationships between Indigenous peoples and settlers in areas of Indigenous rights, culture, law, governance, politics, environment, media, social development, gender, and health, and critically examine reconciliation strategies and pathways to self-determination. Prerequisites: ANTH 111, 112 or permission of the instructor. Three credits. Offered 2023-2024 and in alternate years.

This course offers an examination of modern archaeological research including how archaeologists work in the field, their analytical techniques, and some of the principal methodological and theoretical issues facing the discipline. A wide variety of archaeological examples (from lavish Egyptian tombs to simple nomadic settlements) will be used to illustrate the main themes of the course. Students will participate in the process of archaeological research through a series of practical exercises and assignments. Prerequisites: ANTH 111, 112. Three credits. Offered 2023-2024 and in alternate years.

The topic for 2023-2024 is Fraud, Myths, and Mysteries. Did aliens help build the Pyramids, was Atlantis a real continent, and did a race of giants once roam eastern North America? From the “missing link” to alien landing strips, this course explores and exposes some of the biggest archaeological hoaxes in history. In the process, it will investigate the role pseudoscience plays in perpetuating such frauds and examine how archaeologists debunk hoaxes by establishing what we know about the past. Prerequisites: ANTH 111, 112 or permission of instructor. Three credits.

This course will give students an understanding of past and present trends in anthropological theory. Students will learn about the purpose of theory and the main elements of major theoretical frameworks. There will be an emphasis on how to apply theory to anthropological material. Prerequisites: ANTH 111, 112 and at least 6 ANTH credits at the 200 level. Three credits. Offered every year.

This course introduces students to qualitative field methods used by anthropologists and social scientists. Through lectures, seminars and field assignments, students will participate in a variety of research techniques including digital data gathering, video ethnography, participant observation, archival searches, oral and life histories, interviewing, sampling, mapping and focus group strategies. In addition to practical application of these skills, students will learn about Indigenous research methods, and collaborative participatory action and ethical research design. Prerequisites: ANTH 111, 112 or permission of the instructor. Three credits. Offered every year.

This course introduces students to the basic principles of statistics and quantitative analysis of anthropological data. Through lectures, seminars and lab assignments students will learn skills such as quantitative research design and methods, data analysis, and computer applications in anthropological research. Prerequisites: ANTH 111, 112. Three credits. Offered every year.
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Tourism is an important industry as well as a source of identity and meaning for individuals, local groups, and nations. ‘This course examines tourism using a variety of theoretical frameworks. Students analyze various forms of tourism, such as historical tourism, cultural heritage tourism, eco-tourism, ethnic tourism and development tourism. Attention is given to gender, ethnicity, nationalism, class, environmental and economic impact, and the political importance of tourism in a globalizing world. Prerequisites: ANTH 111, 112. Three credits. Offered 2023-2024 and in alternate years.

This course examines the people engaged in development policy and practice, from target populations, to NGO workers, international organizations, business and governments. Students will develop critical analytical skills and knowledge by considering the impacts of strategies such as those promoting popular participation, gender equality, small-scale business, local knowledge and democratic reform, as well as of different forms of development institutions. The course uses case studies based on long-term, first-hand participant observation that place development processes in larger historical, political and economic contexts. Cross-listed as DEVS 321. Prerequisites: ANTH 111, 112 or DEVS 201, 202. Three credits. Offered every year.

Weave your way through Celtic knots and ”horror vacui” fear of empty space,” and discover the art of the Celts. From the Battersea Shield to the Book of Kells, we will trace our way through the extraordinary legacy of weaponry, jeweller, illuminated manuscripts, Celtic crosses, and Sheela-na-Gigs to arrive at a deeper understanding of the people who made them. Acceptable as a course in history. Cross-listed as ART 321 and CELT 321. Three credits. Not offered 2023-2024.

This course examines how past and present feminist anthropologists have used and problematized categories of difference and identity, such as, gender, class, sexuality, race, ethnicity, ability, religion and nationality as they pursue anthropological research. The course explores themes of contemporary importance through socio-cultural anthropology, archaeology, linguistic anthropology and/or biological anthropology. Topics might focus on: Indigenous gender roles; cross-cultural sexualities; masculinity and pre-historic gendered hierarchies; etc. Credit will be granted for only one of ANTH 323 and ANTH 324 and WMGS 324. Cross-listed as WMGS 327. Prerequisites: ANTH 111, 112 or WMGS 100 or WMGS 200 or permission of the instructor. Three credits. Offered 2023-2024 and in alternate years.

This course explores current themes and debates about the constitution of families cross culturally. It will examine topics such as: cultural understandings of kinship; historical transformations of kinship systems; current reconfigurations of marriage; partnering strategies; new reproductive technologies; transnational adoption; intra-familial conflict; the role of kinship for individuals and in societies; and the influence of the state on kin patterns. Course material will include ethnographic examples from around the world. Cross-listed as WMGS 326. Prerequisites: ANTH 111, 112, or WMGS 100 or 200 or permission of the instructor. Three credits. Offered 2023-2024 and in alternate years.

This course will use archaeological and ethnohistorical information to examine the people who lived in Mesoamerica (currently, Mexico, Belize, Honduras and Guatemala) prior to and at the time of early contact with Europeans. Students will use archaeological data to study the Aztecs, Maya, Zapotecs and their predecessors. Students will also refine their knowledge of archaeological inquiry and methods through practical assignments based on actual archaeological data. Prerequisite: ANTH 243 or 253. Three credits. Offered every year.

A required course for all senior honours students. Six credits. Offered every year.