Learning Outcome #3

 Apply appropriate and ethical methodological skills to explore anthropological questions.

Quantitative Methodological Skills

GLM

Linear Models

Bar Graphs

Box and Whiskers Plot 

Qualitative Methodological Skills

Survey

Participant Observations

Interviews

Field Notes

Ethnography 

Learning Outcome #2

 

Explain how multiple anthropological theories offer insight to the problems of the past, present, and/or future.

Cultural Relativism

Franz Boas

The belief that one's culture is far more superior than the other. This is a very important anthropological theory when discussing the past, present, and/or the future due to racial ideologies that steadily gets passed on with time.

Structuralism

Claude Lévi-Strauss

Mental structures/ideologies of how humans view or make of the world surrounding them. This theory shapes the various differences between man and women how those inequalities may change over time.

Intersectionality

Kimberlé Crenshaw

How multiple social identities make up various experiences of inequalities and unfair treatment within society. This emphasizes the power of social structures and power imbalances within social spaces.

Postcolonialism

Examines colonialism and the historical factors of inequality on a global scale. This important piece of history shapes other major disparities within our systems and could potentially foster into the future.

Symbolic Anthropology

Clifford Geertz

How people determine everyday practices through symbolism. Symbols through religion, rituals, traditions, identity, or anything with cultural values.

Agency

Individuals’ ability to make choices within structural constraints. This follows into past, current, or future restraint, conformity, and decision making.

Globalization

How global connections shape local lives. This theory helps explain identity, diaspora, and transnational systems

Historical Particularism

Franz Boas

Each culture must be understood through its unique history. This theory doesn't support generalizations and is great when studying colonial histories and local contexts.

Learning Outcome #1

 

Describe the diversity of the human experience through a holistic anthropological lens.

The discipline of the Anthropology fits well within the diversity of the human experience on its own. We see culture as the everyday human experience and practices that tend to be normalized based on geography and/or lineage. Any traditional, spiritual/customs/beliefs, food, and more makes up the everyday human experience. Language is truly impactful within a human lifestyle based on how we interact within one another, linguistic history of how it came across a nation(s) and its impact, rather someone is bilingual or knows many more languages; etc. Even physical reactions are a form of language of how we carry ourselves in society.

Anthropology Course List

 Cultural Anthropology- ANTH 110

Course Description

Introduction course of Cultural Anthropology and recognize social patterns through an Anthropological lens. Students learn social patterns and those processes within and across varying cultures. 

Relevant Skills

1. Learning how to examine and develop Ethnographic case studies.

2. Basic understanding of Anthropology language, kinship, and religion as cultural systems. 

Class Experience

Create an Ethnography of your own choice that has social and/or cultural relevance. Students look into Anthropological studies and map out ethnographic formatting. Using fieldnotes/field journals to reflect on information that was gathered.

History of Anthropological Ideas-ANTH 200

Course Description

A more in-depth introduction to Anthropology and its subdisciplines. The course dives into various Anthropologists and/or theorists, and the relevance of why Anthropology is studied in the first place.

Relevant Skills

1. Gaining a better understanding of Anthropological Theories

2. Learning Anthropological ethics and fieldwork methods

Class Experience

Obtaining library research skills and fieldwork professionalism. Understanding Anthropological Theories and learning how to apply them when conducting data. Learning historical Anthropology and their impact within the discipline.

Research Methods in Cultural Anthropology-ANTH 210

Course Description

Focuses on research methods and skill development for students within the Anthropological field. This course includes library research skills, career discernment for Anthropology students, ethics in anthropology, and personal safety in the lab, field, and other professional settings.  

Relevant Skills

1.  How to gather up surveys and/or focus groups

2. Gathering relevant fieldnotes that reflects the student’s overall body of work

Class Experience

Reflecting on various forms of ethical principles. Developing a Ethnographic report of choice related to microcultures on Lawrence University’s campus. Using statistical data and learning how to analyze it within the Ethnographic report.

Anthropology of Gender- ANTH 306

Course Description

An anthropological approach to the study of gender and sexuality. This course looks into how gender and sexuality intersect with social differences such as race, class, and ethnicity.  

Relevant Skills

1.   Understanding sexual behavior and identity through an Anthropological lens

2.   Reading Ethnographies and analyzing it to gain new perspectives within the space

Class Experience

Read various sources and books focusing on gender and sexual identity. Focused on topics such as sexual behavior, reproduction, parenting, transgender identity, work, communication, and violence. 

Language & Culture-ANTH 330

Course Description

This course goes over the concept of linguistic anthropology, definitions of language, and the basic methods of linguistic anthropology (observation, transcription, analysis, ethnography). 

Relevant Skills

1. Gaining the knowledge of how influential language is

2. Using methods of linguistic anthropology

Class Experience

Students learn the impact of language, language discrimination, and language ideology theory. Students choose what they would like to write their Ethnography reports on and do an oral presentation during finals week.

Reading Feminist Ethnography-ANTH 353

Course Description

Reading a range of articles and book length works, students survey several ethnographic genres including classic realist, experimental, narrative, self-reflexive, and critical ethnography. 

Relevant Skills

1. Students lead discussions and deliver oral reports and presentations

2. Gain an understanding of prominent Feminist Anthropologist

Class Experience

Understanding how to read and analyze Feminist Anthropological works while gaining historical knowledge. Students must pick one book from the course and create an oral presentation of their added commentary and findings.

Research Prep in Anthropology- ANTH 401

Course Description

Students will develop advanced library research skills with a focus on anthropological resources and topics. Each student will write a thematic annotated bibliography based on library research, consider ethical implications of empirical research on the topic they have chosen, and formulate a plan for their senior experience foundation and independent study courses.

Relevant Skills

1. This course will also explore career development for anthropology majors. 

2. Library/ Research skills

Class Experience

Students create a synthesis essay of their research question of choice, along with an extended annotated bibliography. 

Food Justice Movements-ANTH 503

Course Description

An examination of a particular topic in anthropology using at least one theoretical perspective to underpin a significant portion of the course. The specific topic investigated changes each year. 

Relevant Skills

1.  Cultural arrangements controlling food production, distribution, preparation, consumption, and food as symbol and meaning in food media and food cultures.

2.  It explores what it means to approach the study of food systems through the lens of justice. 

Class Experience

Students are expected to carry out independent research on the topic, either through a review of relevant literature or through field or laboratory work and to demonstrate their ability to understand and apply theory. May be repeated when the topic is different.