Anthropology
College of Liberal Arts
Department of Anthropology
Bachelor of Arts
General Anthropology Concentration
Minor
Certificate
Faculty
Jerry Moore, Department Chair
Jan Gasco, Margaret Gordon, Susan Needham, Sandra L. Orellana
Victoria Miller, Office Manager
Department Office: SBS G-322, (310) 243-3434
Emeritus Faculty
Joann Fenton, Kenneth L. Kuykendall
Program Description
The Department of Anthropology offers undergraduate students course work in the four anthropological subdisciplines: ethnology, archaeology, physical anthropology and anthropological linguistics. In addition, courses focus on contemporary disciplinary research, area studies and societal applications of anthropological knowledge.
By majoring or minoring in Anthropology, a student gains a better understanding of people’s behavior within cultural settings. Anthropology studies the varied nature of human experience in American society and in the cultures of the world. Through this study of people, their lifestyles and how they adapt to cultural change, both present and past, a student is better prepared to comprehend human behavior. What distinguishes anthropology from other disciplines concerned with people is its holistic perspective or encompassing view, and its central concern with the concept of culture.
The Department of Anthropology, in the College of Liberal Arts, offers a major and minor in the discipline. Majors may choose between the General Anthropology concentration or the Archaeology concentration. With additional applied work in Cultural Resource Management, the student will be awarded a certificate.
Comparative and evolutionary, scientific and humanistic, Anthropology provides a unique opportunity for broadening and integrating one’s view of human existence. Goals of the major concentration in General Anthropology include an understanding of cultural heritage along with a general overview of the significance of cultural change, whether that change be ongoing, from the past, or anticipated in the future. Acquainting students with the cross-cultural perspective and cultural pluralism also are major goals of the General Anthropology concentration.
The major concentration in Archaeology is designed to provide the undergraduate student with a strong background in general anthropology, archaeology and cultural preservation. It stresses anthropological theory, archaeological methodology, field research, data collection, area studies and applications of the field to cultural resource management. In the face of rapid population expansion and increased development, public concern has grown to protect the quickly diminishing cultural resources related to our ancestral and traditional heritage. In addition to the concentration, the department offers a certificate in Cultural Resource Management to those students who complete the program and demonstrate competence in applied aspects of the field.
The Minor in Anthropology complements a major in other disciplines and professional programs such as biology, health sciences, art, communications, history, philosophy and the other behavioral sciences. Students have the opportunity to develop a focused minor in consultation with an advisor in specialized areas such as medical anthropology, New World cultures, physical anthropology, cognitive anthropology, etc.
Features
A current description of research projects and other activities is available at our website, www.csudh.edu/anthropology/. The Robert J. Franklin Anthropology Laboratory is equipped for the student study of archaeological collections. Several comparative collections have been developed for analysis of artifactual materials from Southern California archaeological sites. A variety of computers and technical equipment is available that can be used to measure, analyze and compile data applicable to archaeological research. In addition, the laboratory possesses anthropometric and photographic equipment, and specimens for the study of comparative primate anatomy.
Students are provided the directed opportunity to experience archaeological and ethnographic fieldwork in the context of course work and extracurricular research activities. Local learning and research opportunities often are arranged through internships with local museums, research organizations and in corporate settings.
Field studies in archaeology are often offered in the spring semester, making use of sites at the CSU Desert Research Center in the Mojave Desert, Baja California, and other localities in the vicinity of the university. Students are instructed in field and laboratory research procedures.
The Archaeology Concentration and Cultural Resource Management Certificate Program is the only undergraduate program of its kind in the Los Angeles Basin.
Academic Advisement
As early as possible each major and minor student should select an academic advisor from among the department faculty. It is suggested that students select the department faculty member whose experience and expertise most closely reflects their own interests and career plans. An advisor will provide educational and professional guidance during the undergraduate curriculum. Advisors are familiar with disciplinary opportunities and current directions and can assist with career planning. In addition, the academic advisor can recommend or refer students to other campus services such as skills assessment, development and enhancement. Advisors will assist in verifying that each student completes university and departmental requirements.
Preparation
Students will find classes in the following areas useful to the appreciation of anthropological course work: history, ancient civilizations, art history, biology, geography, earth science, foreign languages and social studies.
Transfer students with previous course work in anthropology should consult with an advisor to determine which courses are transferable for lower and upper division units towards completion of the major or minor.
Career Possibilities
The Department of Anthropology provides undergraduate training for students interested in developing careers in academic, research and applied aspects of the discipline. Often postgraduate work is useful or required in certain job categories. However, persons with anthropological background are employed in a wide range of service areas: education, government, environmental and socioeconomic consulting, medical research, planning, social services, personnel, marketing/advertising, international business, law, tourism and a variety of occupations for which knowledge and appreciation of cultural diversity is important. Students should discuss career objectives with an academic advisor in order to develop an appropriate curriculum and research interests.
Graduation with
Honors
Undergraduate students may be candidates for graduation with Honors in Anthropology if they meet the following criteria:
1. A minimum of 36 units in residence at CSU Dominguez Hills.
2. A minimum grade point average of 3.5 in all courses used to satisfy the upper division requirements for the Anthropology major.
3. Recommendation by the faculty of the Department of Anthropology.
Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology
Total Course
Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree
See the "Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree" in the University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 40 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.
Elective Requirements
Completion of elective courses (beyond the requirements listed below) to reach a total of a minimum of 120 units.
General Education Requirements (55-62
units)
See the "General Education" requirements in the University Catalog or the Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education requirements and course offerings.
Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement
See
the "Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement" in the University
Catalog.
Minor Requirements
Student completing this major will need to complete a minor in another field.
Major Requirements (33 units)
Students must select one of the concentrations listed. The following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required of all candidates for this degree.
General Anthropology Concentration (33 units)
A. Lower Division Required Courses (9 units)
ANT 100. Introduction to Cultures (3)
ANT 101. Introduction to Biological Anthropology (3)
ANT 102. Ancient Civilizations (3)
B. Upper Division Required Courses (9 units)
ANT 312. Language and Culture (3)
ANT 375. Ethnographic Methods and Techniques (3)
ANT 388. Anthropological Theories of Behavior (3)
C. Select one course from each of the following groups (9 units):
1. A real and World Culture Survey Courses (3 units)
ANT 335. Comparative Cultures (3)
ANT 330. North American Indians (3)
ANT 370. Peoples of the Old World (3)
2. Core Topics in Sociocultural Anthropology (3 units)
ANT 310. Culture and Personality: Psychological Anthropology
ANT 315. Magic and Religion (3)
ANT 341. Folklore (3)
3. Archaeology (3 units)
ANT 313. Methods and Techniques of Archaeology (3)
ANT 333. Ancient Peoples of Mexico and Guatemala (3)
ANT 350. Prehistory of Africa and Eurasia (3)
ANT 351. Prehistory of the Americas (3)
D. Electives: Select two upper division courses in anthropology in addition to those taken to fulfill the above requirements (6 units).
Archaeology Concentration (33 units)
A. Lower Division Required Courses (9 units)
ANT 100. Introduction to Cultures (3)
ANT 101. Introduction to Biological Anthropology (3)
ANT 102. Ancient Civilizations (3)
B. Upper Division Required Courses (12 units)
ANT 313. Methods and Techniques of Archaeology (3)
ANT 350. Prehistory of Africa and Eurasia (3)
ANT 351. Prehistory of the Americas (3)
ANT 388. Anthropological Theories of Behavior (3)
C. Select one course from the following (3 units):
ANT 315. Magic and Religion (3)
ANT 335. Comparative Cultures (3)
ANT 341. Folklore (3)
D. Select two courses from the following (6 units):
ANT 330. North American Indians (3)
ANT 333. Ancient Peoples of Mexico and Guatemala (3)
ANT 370. Peoples of the Old World (3)
E. Electives: Select one upper division anthropology elective in consultation with the archaeology program coordinator (3 units).
Minor in Anthropology (15 units)
The minor consists of five courses in anthropology. In consultation with an advisor, a specialized minor focusing on a specific aspect of anthropology can be developed in an area such as: Medical Anthropology, Human Evolution, Applied Anthropology, Educational Anthropology.
A. Lower Division Requirements: Select two courses from the following (6 units)
ANT 100. Introduction to Cultures (3)
ANT 101. Introduction to Biological Anthropology (3)
ANT 102. Ancient Civilizations (3)
B. Upper Division
Requirements: Select three upper division Anthropology
courses (9 units).
Certificate in Cultural Resource Management
In addition to the course work listed for the major concentration in Archaeology, the awarding of the certificate is based on demonstrated applied experience in the professional aspects of Cultural Resource Management. Students must demonstrate competence in at least two of the following areas:
1. Intensive archaeological or ethnographic field experience relating to Cultural Resource Management; this experience must extend beyond an introductory field course.
2. Laboratory analysis in which the student demonstrates knowledge of methods and techniques in handling, processing, and interpreting either archaeological or ethnographic findings.
3. Report preparation experience in which the archaeological or anthropological aspects of Cultural Resource Management are stressed.
The applied experiences required for the Certificate in Cultural Resource Management can be obtained through independent study, enrollment in a special topics course, volunteer training, internships or actual professional experience of reasonable duration gained through employment in cultural resource management programs or projects. Arrangements for such experiences and individual competencies need to be made in advance under the guidance of the program coordinator and the department chair. Consultation should take place as soon as possible after the student selects this certificate program and also periodically while participating in the program.
Course Offerings
The credit value for each course in semester units is indicated for each term by a number in parentheses following the title. For course availability, please see the list of tentative course offerings in the current Class Schedule.
Lower Division
ANT 100 Introduction to Cultures (3).
Examination of the
anthropological approach to the study of human behavior. The concept of culture, cultural institutions
and processes, evolution of cultural systems, application of the concept of
culture to current social problems.
ANT 101 Introduction to Biological Anthropology (3)
Examination of human
biology. Introduces scientific
approaches to genetics and evolution, primate evolution and behavior, evidence
from fossil record for human evolution, and biological variation among modern
humans, human growth and disease patterns, and human demography.
ANT 102 Ancient Civilizations (3).
Examination of
origins and development of world civilizations.
Using evidence from the archaeological record, the written record, the
arts, literature, and the sciences, human cultural achievements are examined
from the earliest beginnings to the sixteenth century.
Upper Division
ANT 310 Culture and Personality: Psychological Anthropology (3).
Examination of the
human personality within cultural contexts.
Topics include personality formation and child-rearing; stress and
mental/physical health problems which occur with cultural change; aging, roles
and communication among local and worldwide ethnic groups.
ANT 312 Language and Culture (3).
Analysis of language
as an aspect of culture. Relationship
between language and culture patterns, dynamics of language and cultural
change; the problem of meaning.
ANT 313 Methods and Techniques of Archaeology (3).
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Basic procedures and
techniques used by archaeologists to excavate, analyze and interpret prehistoric
remains. Field and/or laboratory
activities. Variable topics will include
field procedures, laboratory procedures or archaeological method and theories. Six hours of activity per week.
ANT 315 Magic and Religion (3).
A comparative
analysis of magico-religious systems in their cultural setting and the role of
the supernatural in human societies.
ANT 330 North American Indians (3).
Comparative study of
cultural patterns of selected past and present native peoples of the United
States and Canada.
ANT 333 Ancient Peoples of Mexico and Guatemala (3).
The history and
archaeology of cultures of Central Mexico and Guatemala. Alternating topics include the rise of the
Olmecs to the establishment of Teotihuacan and Tenochtitlan and the rise of
Izapa to the development of classic and Postclassic Maya Civilization.
ANT 335 Comparative Cultures (3).
The world’s cultural
and social diversity from a sociocultural anthropological perspective. Variable topics include regional surveys
(North America, South America, Africa, Eurasia) and/or selected themes in the
study of culture. Repeatable course with
alternate topics.
ANT 341Folklore (3).
Theory and method in
the study and collection of folktales, myths, legends, proverbs, riddles, and
other forms of verbal tradition.
ANT 344 Aging in Cross-Cultural Perspective (3).
Survey and analysis
of cultural influences on the physical and social processes of aging.
Examination and comparison of societal roles available to and assumed by older
men and women of various cultures.
ANT 350 Prehistory of Africa and Eurasia (3).
Examination of the
archaeological record of the Old World (Europe, Africa, Asia). Emphasis on the study and critical analysis
of excavated materials, processes of culture change, and reconstructions of
social patterns. Variable topics will
include the prehistory of different culture areas and chronological
periods. Repeatable course.
ANT 351 Prehistory of the Americas (3) .
Examination of the
archaeological record of the New World (North America, Mesoamerica, and Andean
area). Emphasis on critical analysis of
excavated materials, processes of culture change, and reconstructions of social
patterns. Variable topics will include
the prehistory of different culture areas and chronological periods. Repeatable
course.
ANT 370 Peoples of the Old World (3).
A survey of one or
more cultural regions of the old World. Specific topics and areas may vary; for
example: Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa,
Middle East, India, Asia, Southeast Asia, Pacific. Repeatable course.
ANT 375 Ethnographic Methods and Techniques (3).
Prerequisite: ANT 100.
Basic methods in the
ethnographic study of contemporary communities.
Students conduct supervised field work using audiovisual recording and
computer techniques to collect and analyze data. Two hours of lecture and two hours of
activity (including computer lab) per week.
ANT 388 Anthropological Theories of Behavior (3).
Prerequisite: One course in Anthropology.
Historical survey and
critical analysis of major schools of anthropological thought employed in
explaining sociocultural behavior and phenomena. An integrative examination of current
developments, issues and applications of the field of anthropology.
ANT 389 Transmission of Culture (3).
Examination of the
concept of culture; emphasis on exploration of cross-cultural commonalities and
differences in societal responses. Analysis of dynamics of cultural change with
reference to ethnic and immigrant groups and institutions in America
today. Topics include roles,
institutions, educational processes, family interaction and structure of social
systems.
ANT 494 Independent Study (2,3).
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Independent study of
a particular problem under the direction of a member of the anthropology
department. Repeatable course.
ANT 495 Selected Topics in Anthropology (3).
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
An intensive study of
an issue, concept or theory in anthropology that is of special interest to both
the faculty member and the students.
Repeatable course. Three hours of
lecture per week.
Infrequently Offered
Courses
The following course is scheduled on a "demand" basis. Students should consult the department office for information about the next schedule offering.
ANT 115 Introduction to Archaeology and Physical Anthropology (3).
Introduction to
archaeological methodology and human biology.
Review of fossil evidence for the biological evolution of humans and
archaeological evidence for the major stages in cultural development.
ANT 345 Medical Anthropology (3).
Cross-cultural survey
of critical problems common to
anthropology and health-related fields; cultural ecology of health and
pathology, folk medical practices; medical beliefs in relation to other aspects
of culture; public health and medical education problems as affected by ethnic
culture; effects of acculturation upon mental and physical health.
ANT 346 Anthropology of Work (3).
Examination of the
significance of work in contemporary societies.
Cross-cultural comparisons of workers' life styles. Impact of changing cultural conditions on
work patterns.
ANT 348 Society and Automated Technologies (3).
Examination of the
ramifications of the installation of automated systems on social and economic
conditions of contemporary and future societies. Analyses of culture change issues and the
interrelationships between automated technologies and lifestyles.
ANT 349 Anthropology of the Future (3).
Examination of newly
emerging questions and ideas about the cultural future of humankind. Topics of discussion include the relevance of
anthropology to building a Solar System culture, the possibility of
extraterrestrial contact, and alternative cultural futures.