Course Descriptions

The Common Courses
This sequence of courses is required of incoming graduate students in Anthropology, and is not normally open to other students.

ANTH 701 - (3) (Y)
The History of Anthropological Theory
An exploration of the diverse intellectual roots of the discipline, showing how they converged into a unitary program in the late nineteenth century, and how this program was criticized and revised in the first half of this century.

ANTH 702 - (3) (Y)
Current Anthropological Theory
Deals with the main schools of anthropological thought since World War II, a half century during which separate English, French, and American traditions have influenced each other to produce a broad and subtle international discipline.

ANTH 703 - (3) (Y)
Ethnography
Ethnography is the characteristic literary genre of anthropology, and provides the basis for whatever claims we may make of knowing something about the world. This course fosters a critical reading of them, by comparing different kinds of ethnographies and field reports.

Topical Courses
These courses are available for satisfying the coursework and distribution requirements.

ANTH 504 - (3) (Y)
Linguistic Field Methods
Investigation of the grammatical structure of non-European language on the basis of data collected in class from a native speaker. A different language is the focus of study each year.

ANTH 507 - (3) (Y)
History of Archaeological Thought
A consideration of how archaeological thinking reflects and is related to more general ethnological theory.

ANTH 508 - (3) (Y)
Method and Theory of Archaeology
Intensive investigation of current and past studies of theory, models and research methods in anthropological archaeology.

ANTH 520 - (3) (O)
History of Kinship Studies
A critical assessment of the major theoretical approaches to the study of kinship and marriage (from the 19th century to the present) and of the central role of kinship studies in the development of anthropological theory.

ANTH 521 - (3) (E)
Reconfiguring Kinship (Studies)
Prerequisite: ANTH 520 or permission of instructor
An examination of the ways in which the forms of kinship have been reconfigured in contemporary societies and the ways in which traditional kinship studies have been reconfigured by their intersection with culture theory, feminist theory, gender studies, postmodern theory, gay and lesbian studies, and cultural studies of science and medicine.

ANTH 522 - (3) (E)
Economic Anthropology
Consideration of western economic theories and their relevance to non-western societies and the comparative analysis of different forms of production, consumption, and circulation.

ANTH 523 - (3) (IR)
Political Systems
Comparative study of decision-making processes and authority structures in selected simple and complex societies. Relationship of political processes to social organization and social change.

ANTH 524 - (3) (IR)
Religious Organization
Analysis and comparison of social organization in selected communities from the perspective of systems of belief, ritual, and ceremonialism.

ANTH 525 - (3) (Y)
The Experience of Illness in American Society
Starting with the basic premise that the experience of illness/disease is at once a biological and cultural condition, the course focuses on narratives of the sick as a lens into the interrelationships between the body and society, medicine and culture. While the point of entry is the individual experience of illness and self in one Western society, the course intends to build a theoretical framework within which we can begin to conceptualize cultural and institutional responses to and definitions of disease and ill-health.

ANTH 529 - (3) (Y)
Selected Topics in Sociocultural Anthropology
Seminars in topics of particular interest to faculty and graduate students are announced prior to each semester.

ANTH 530 - (3) (IR)
Foundations of Symbolism
An interdisciplinary course on selected topics in the study of symbolism. Special emphasis is on symbolic anthropology.

ANTH 531 - (3) (E)
Feminist Theory in Anthropology
A critical overview of the historical development of the issues central to feminist theory in anthropology and their relation both to specific ethnographic problems and to other theoretical perspectives within and outside anthropology.

ANTH 532 - (3) (E)
Structural Anthropology
A detailed examination of the works of Levi-Strauss and other structuralists, an assessment of critical responses to these works, and the relationship of structuralism to other analytic modes. Emphasis is on the student's mastery of structural methods and their application to ethnographic data.

ANTH 534 - (3) (E)
Ethnographies of Illness and the Body
Prerequisites: For undergraduates: ANTH 224, ANTH 360, SOC 428; permission of instructor for graduate students
Focus is on illness because it is often at moments of intense stress or ruptures in the normalcy of the body's functioning that individuals/societies reflect on the taken for granted assumptions about self, family, community, social and political institutions, the relation between normal and pathological, the roles of healers and patients, life and death. Writing about illness and the body is a form of therapeutic action. Examines such claims and writings done by those facing bodily distress.

ANTH 535 - (3) (E)
Folk and Popular Health Systems
A survey of various medical beliefs and practices, considering the traditional health systems of several American groups, and examining in detail the input into local traditional health systems from various sources.

ANTH 536 - (3) (IR)
Selected Topics in Folklore
Seminars on topics are announced prior to each semester.

ANTH 537 - (3) (O)
Psychological Anthropology
An introduction to and survey of the epistemology and methodology of personality theory as they relate to the study of other cultures.

ANTH 539 - (3) (SI)
Selected Topics in Symbolic Anthropology
Seminars and classes in topics of specific interest to faculty and advanced students will be announced prior to each semester.

ANTH 540 - (3) (IR)
Linguistic Anthropology
Reviews the many ways in which language is central to the theoretical issues and research in anthropology.

ANTH 542 - (3) (IR)
Twentieth Century Linguistics
An introduction to the basic concepts of linguistics and their development in the twentieth century in Europe and the United States. Focus is on American schools (Bloomfieldian and Chomskyan), but their intellectual roots and relationship to the work of de Saussure and the Prague School are examined in detail.

ANTH 543 - (3) (IR)
African Language Structures
Prerequisites: One course in linguistics, or permission of instructor
Introduction to the major phonological and grammatical features of the languages of sub-Saharan Africa, with some attention also to issues in language classification, the use of linguistic evidence for prehistoric reconstruction, and sociolinguistic issues of relevance to Africa.

ANTH 545 - (3) (IR)
African Languages and Folklore
Focus is on the expressive use of language in Africa with emphasis on such traditional genres as folktales, epics, proverbs, riddles, etc.

ANTH 549 - Credit to be arranged (IR)
Selected Topics: Theoretical Linguistics and Linguistic Anthropology
Seminars on topics of specific interest to faculty and advanced students are announced prior to each semester.

ANTH 551 - (3) (IR)
Selected Topics: North America
Seminars on topics announced prior to each semester.

ANTH 552 - (3) (IR)
Selected Topics: Latin America
Seminars on topics announced prior to each semester.

ANTH 553 - (3) (IR)
Selected Topics: Europe
Seminars on topics announced prior to each semester.

ANTH 554 - (3) (IR)
Selected Topics: Africa
Seminars on topics announced prior to each semester.

ANTH 555 - (3) (IR)
Selected Topics: The Middle East
Seminars on topics announced prior to each semester.

ANTH 556 - (3) (IR)
Selected Topics: South Asia
Seminars on topics announced prior to each semester.

ANTH 557 - (3) (IR)
Selected Topics: East Asia
Seminars on topics announced prior to each semester.

ANTH 558 - (3) (IR)
Selected Topics: Southeast Asia
Seminars on topics announced prior to each semester.

ANTH 559 - (3) (IR)
Selected Topics: Melanesia
Seminars on topics announced prior to each semester.

ANTH 560 - (3) (IR)
Selected Topics: Australia
Seminars on topics announced prior to each semester.

ANTH 565 - (3) (Y)
Creole Narratives
Prerequisites: ANTH 357 strongly recommended
18th-, 19th-, and 20th-century Caribbean intellectual life; Imperialism; Island nationalism; slavery; colonized values; race; class; religion.

ANTH 566 - (3) (IR)
Conquest of the Americas
Exploration of power and personhood specifically related to the Americas; cultural frontiers; cultural contact; society against the state; shamanism and colonialism; violence; resistance.

ANTH 571 - (3) (IR)
The Interpretation of Ritual
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Begins with an overview of anthropology's approach to ritual during a century of diverse speculation on the nature and origins of religions, with discussion of such figures as James Frazer, A. M. Hocar, Claude Levi-Strauss, Max Gluckman, and Victor Turner. Focus is on an issue selected anew on each occasion to cater to the research interests of instructor and students, relating that issue to the whole tradition of interpretation of ritual in anthropology. Issues pursued in previous course include: the nature of sacrifice, the expression of hierarchy in ritual, and the compatibility of historical approaches with ritual analysis.

ANTH 572 - (3) (Y)
Ritual Experience and Healing
Studies the ritual of different cultures, using not only anthropological terms of analysis but also adopting the viewpoints of the cultures themselves. Examines changing attitudes in the study of ritual, along with the problem of the wide variability of religious expression. Explores new directions in the anthropology of experience in light of recent work with healing and spirit possession.

ANTH 575 - (3) (Y)
Buddhism, Politics and Power
A discussion of the political culture of the Buddhist societies of South and Southeast Asia.

ANTH 577 - (3) (IR)
Critiques of Symbolism
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Selected topics in the theories and heuristic bases of cultural meaning or signification, including but not limited to semiotic, psychological, structural or "formal," pragmatic, and religious or "spiritual" approaches.

ANTH 580 - Credit to be arranged (E)
Archaeology Laboratory
Field and laboratory training in the collection, processing, and analysis of archaeological material. Because subject matter varies from semester to semester, course may be repeated.

ANTH 581 - (3) (SI)
Archaeology of the Eastern United States
Prehistory of the eastern woodlands region, with special emphasis on cultural development and change. Discussions of archaeological field techniques and methods, and examination of actual sites in the vicinity of the University.

ANTH 582 - (3) (SI)
Archaeology of the Southwestern United States
Prehistory of the American southwest, with emphasis on cultural development, field techniques, and particular sites.

ANTH 583 - (3) (E)
Archaeology of the Ancient Near East
A review and analysis of archaeological data used in the reconstruction of ancient Near Eastern societies.

ANTH 584 - (3) (E)
Archaeology of Complex Societies
An examination of archaeological approaches to the study of complex societies using case studies from both the Old and New Worlds.

ANTH 585 - (3) (SI)
Archaeological Approaches to Economy and Exchange
A review of archaeological approaches to systems of production, exchange, and consumption. Data from both the Old and New Worlds are discussed.

ANTH 586 - (3) (SI)
Ceramic Analysis
A critical review of the theoretical and methodological issues involved in the archaeological study of ceramics. Topics include ceramic production and exchange, and the uses of ceramics in the study of social interactions.

ANTH 587 - (3) (SI)
Archaeozoology
Laboratory training in the techniques and methods used in the analysis of animal bone recovered from archaeological sites. Topics include field collection, data analysis, and the use of zooarchaeological material in the reconstruction of economic and social systems.

ANTH 588 - (3) (Y)
Quantitative Methods in Archaeology
Prerequisite: A course in introductory statistics
Examines quantitative analytical techniques used in archaeology. Topics include seriation, regression analysis, measures of diversity, and classification.

ANTH 589 - (3) (Y)
Selected Topics in Archaeology
Seminars in topics of specific interest to faculty and advanced students are announced prior to each semester.

ANTH 590 - (3) (E)
Issues in Archaeological Analysis
Prerequisites: ANTH 588 or a basic statistics course
Archaeological databases often violate many of the assumptions made in application of parametric statistics. Course reviews the unique characteristics of those databases and explores alternative analytical methods. Case studies are emphasized.

ANTH 591 - (3) (IR)
Gender in Archaeology
Explores the range of case studies and theoretical literature associated with the emergence of gender as a framework for research in archaeology.

ANTH 706 - (3) (Y)
Reading and Writing Ethnography
Prerequisites: ANTH 701 and 702, or permission of instructor
Provides in-depth analysis of selected genres of prevalent ethnographic writing, with opportunities for writing/rewriting ethnography, based either on one's own original field data or experimentally on a range of selected subjects, contexts, and events.

ANTH 708 - (3) (Y)
Advanced Method and Theory in Archaeology
Seminar in current methodological and theoretical issues in archaeology.

ANTH 711 - (3) (Y)
Paper and Presentation
This course is available for graduate students in their fourth semester, as they prepare to fulfill their Paper and Presentation requirement.

ANTH 715 - (3) (E)
Boasian Anthropology
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
The works of Franz Boas and his students (Kroeber, Lowie, Sapir, Benedict, Mead, Radin, Whorf) in historical perspective; their relevance to contemporary culture theory.

ANTH 716 - (3) (IR)
Culture Theory in American Anthropology
A critical assessment of the development of culture theory in American anthropology over the last half of the 20th century.

ANTH 717 - (3) (Y)
Cultural Studies and Culture Theory
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
The culture concept across the disciplines; ethnographic and textual approaches to cultural research; the highbrow/lowbrow divide; contemporary cultural criticism.

ANTH 719 - (3) (Y)
Marriage, Mortality, Fertility
Explores the ways that culturally formed systems of values and family organization affect population processes in a variety of cultures. Readings are drawn from comparative anthropology and historical demography. Cross-listed as ANTH 329.

ANTH 720 - (3) (Y)
Marriage, Gender, Political Economy
Provides cross-cultural comparison of marriage and domestic groups, analyzed as a point of intersection between cultural conceptions of gender and a larger political economy.

ANTH 725 - (3) (Y)
Anthropology of the Third World
Considers the situation of peoples in the Third World in the circumstances of the contemporary world economy.

ANTH 727 - (3) (O)
Theory of Political Anthropology
Survey of major theoretical approaches in political anthropology including evolutionism, structural functionalism, transactionalism, and ideological approaches.

ANTH 729 - (3) (SI)
Nationalism and the Politics of Culture
Considers the ways in which a spirit of national or ethic solidarity is mobilized and utilized.

ANTH 732 - (3) (SI)
American Folklore
Problems of definition, origin, collection, and analysis of the main genres of folklore in America, both narratives and songs. Cross-listed as ENAM 885.

ANTH 733 - (3) (E)
Ethnohistory: Research and Methods
Introduction to ethnohistory, considering various sources and methods for conducting ethnohistorical research, and requiring a practical application of these to a historical case study in Albemarle County. Conceptions of group identity and culture, or "ethnos," and the nexus between history and anthropology are discussed.

ANTH 734 - (3) (O)
Life History and Oral History
Course offers an in-depth study of the life history and its use as a sociocultural document, and of oral history methodology. Students read and critique various works, both historical and contemporary, that use oral history or present what various scholars have termed personal narrative, personal experience story, life story, life history, conversational narrative, or negotiated biography. Practical experience is gained in conducting interviews and writing life histories.

ANTH 735 - (3) (O)
The Museum in Modern Culture
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Topics include the politics of cultural representation in history, anthropology and fine arts museums, and the museum as a bureaucratic organization, educational institution, and nonprofit corporation.

ANTH 741 - (3) (SI)
Selected Topics in Sociolinguistics
Deals with particular aspects of the social use of language selected from year to year.

ANTH 745 - (3) (O)
Native American Languages
A survey of the classification and typological characteristics of Native American languages and the history of their study, with intensive work on one language by each student. Some linguistics background is helpful.

ANTH 751 - (3) (E)
Native American Women
Prerequisite: Background in Anthropology
Explores the lives of Native American women through reading and discussion of biographies, autobiographies, ethnographies, and articles addressing specific questions of the roles and status of women in Native American societies before and after contact with Europeans.

ANTH 761 - (3) (SI)
Hindu World-view
An exploration of the indigenous philosophies of Hindu south Asia, as revealed in ritual, myth and text.

ANTH 763 - (3) (Y)
Social Structure of China
Provides anthropological analyses of a variety of features of traditional Chinese social organization as it existed in the late imperial period. Topics include: the late imperial state; Chinese family and marriage; lineages; ancestor worship; popular religion; village social structure; regional systems; rebellion.

ANTH 781 - (3) (E)
Archaeology I
Focuses on the transformation of societies based on a mobile, hunting-gathering adaptation to an agricultural economy with permanent villages and emerging political complexity. Models of the origin of agriculture and sedentism are reviewed and evaluated.

ANTH 782 - (3) (E)
Archaeology II
Examines the development of social ranking, operation of complex societies and formation of the state. Case-studies from Old and New Worlds provide the basis for evaluating classic and recent constructs proposed by anthropologists for the emergence and organizational dynamics of complex societies. Topics include models for the organization and collapse of chiefly society, theories on state formation, urbanism, and early empires.

ANTH 783 - (3) (Y)
Seminar in North American Archaeology
A discussion of important current topics in the evolution of prehistoric cultures in North America. Emphasis is on patterns in the development of organization, exchange, and subsistence.

ANTH 788 - (3) (Y)
African Archaeology
Course begins with the emergence of modern humans in the Middle to late Stone Age and concludes with the archaeology of European colonialism, covering the major transformations in African archaeology over the last 100,000 years. These issues include diverse hunter/gatherer societies, the origins of plant and animal domestication and their impact on the continent, innovations of the Iron Age, complex societies north and south of the Sahara, the impact of Islam, the trans-Saharan, Atlantic, and Indian Ocean trades, and the role of archaeology in developing nationalisms on the African continent.

ANTH 789 - (3) (SI)
Current Issues in Archaeology
Advanced seminar dealing with issues of current interest in archaeology. Topics are announced prior to each semester.

Independent Study and Research

ANTH 841 - (3) (SI)
Seminar in the Teaching of Anthropology
Available for graduate students who are currently engaged as teaching assistants, this seminar aims to foster the effective design and conduct of classes, particularly sections.

ANTH 897 - (3-12) (SI)
Non-Topical Research, Preparation for Research
For master's research, taken before a thesis director has been selected.

ANTH 898 - (3-12) (SI)
Non-Topical Research
For master's thesis, taken under the supervision of a thesis director

ANTH 901, 902 - (Credit to be arranged) (SI)
Directed Readings

ANTH 905, 906 - (Credit to be arranged) (SI)
Research Practicum

ANTH 997 - (3-12) (SI)
Non-Topical Research, Preparation for Doctoral Research
For doctoral research, taken before a dissertation director has been selected.

ANTH 999 - (3-12) (SI)
Non-Topical Research
For doctoral dissertation, taken under the supervision of a dissertation director.

Continue to: Departmental Degree Requirements
Return to: Chapter 5 Index