Department of Anthropology and Sociology
102 Old Library
610-436-2556
Douglas McConatha, Chairperson
PROFESSORS: Johnston, McConatha, Morales, Stoller
ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS: Freeman-Witthoft, Wholey
ASSISTANT PROFESSORS: DeSousa, Leveille, Ruchti, Zalewski
The Department of Anthropology and Sociology offers two programs leading to the bachelor of arts degree.
- The B.A. in ANTHROPOLOGY focuses on human biological evolution; on the origin, development, and integration of human cultures; and on the interrelationship of biological and cultural factors in the etiology of human behavior.
- The B.A. in SOCIOLOGY focuses on understanding the processes involved in the creation, maintenance, and evolution of social structure, and on the impact of diverse structural forms on individual behavior.
Majors in the two B.A. programs should consult the appropriate department handbook and their adviser for current requirements. Students planning to major in one of these programs are advised to take ANT 102 and SOC 200 no later than their sophomore year. Application for admission is made on forms available from the Office of the Registrar.
REQUIREMENTS COMMON TO THE B.A. PROGRAMS
120 semester hours
- General ed. requirements, see pages 38-44 (48 semester hours)
Social science requirements:
ANT majors must take SOC 200
SOC majors must take ANT 102 - Language/culture cluster requirement (0-15 semester hours)
- Program requirements (60-72 semester hours)
BACHELOR OF ARTS - ANTHROPOLOGY
- Required core courses (15 semester hours)
ANT 101, 102, 103, 459, and 495 - Specialization requirements (18 semester hours)
Six courses in anthropology - Cognate requirements (15 semester hours)
LIN 230; additional courses outside of anthropology approved by the student's adviser - Free electives (12-24 semester hours)
BACHELOR OF ARTS - SOCIOLOGY
- Required core courses (15 semester hours)
SOC 200, 300, 321, 322, and 492 - Specialization requirements (18 semester hours)
Any six advanced courses in sociology - Career preparation sequence (15 semester hours)
Five nonsociology courses approved by the student's adviser - Free electives (12-24 semester hours)
Minor Programs
Students may minor in the two following programs. A minimum of 18 semester hours is required. Elective courses are selected in consultation with the student's minor adviser. Students may take either of these minors as one of the minors in the B.A. liberal studies - arts and sciences or B.S. liberal studies - professional studies programs.
Anthropology Minor (18 semester hours)
- Required courses (9 semester hours)
ANT 102, either ANT 101 or 103, and one 400-level course in anthropology - Elective courses (9 semester hours)
Three other courses in anthropology
Sociology Minor (18 semester hours)
- Required courses (9 semester hours)
SOC 200, 300, and 322 - Elective courses (9 semester hours)
Three other courses in sociology
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
ANTHROPOLOGY
Symbol: ANT
101 Introduction to Anthropology: Biological (3) Fundamentals of human biology, evolution, and the prehistoric development of culture.
102 Introduction to Anthropology: Cultural (3) Comparative analysis of culture systems.
103 Introduction to Anthropology: Archaeology (3) Interpretation of culture through analysis of archaeological remains.
113 Archaeological Field Techniques (3) Implementation of archaeological principles and theory in laboratory and field studies. PREREQ or COREQ: ANT 103.
202 World Ethnology (3) Survey of the social organization, belief systems, and cultures of selected peoples. PREREQ: ANT 102 or permission of instructor.
220 Cultures of Ethnic Groups in America (3) Survey of the cultural history and traditions of ethnic groups in America.
224 Native Peoples of South America (3) This course will introduce the student to the study of native peoples of South America after the European contact. Geographically, the course will cover the cultural characteristics, similarities, and differences among South American natives including the Amazonia.
Culture cluster
260 Artifacts and Culture (3) (See also HIS 353.) PREREQ: ANT 102.
280 Museum Techniques (3) Exploration of techniques of cataloging, conserving objects, and of designing and setting up exhibits. Involvement in actual museum work. PREREQ: ANT 102 or 103 or permission of instructor.
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A. Biological Anthropology
310 Human Paleontology (3) Human origins and evolution, including evolutionary thought, the evolution of nonhuman primates, and the hominin fossil record. PREREQ: ANT 101 or permission of instructor.
312 Medical Anthropology (3) Overview of the field, including theory, methods, and concepts. Evolutionary and ecological bases of disease and health; how culture affects the definition and treatment of illness (including in the U.S.); how culture and biology interact in health and illness; role of healers; application of medical anthropological knowledge to address human problems. PREREQ: ANT 102 or permission of instructor. Writing emphasis course
B. Ethnology: Area Courses
320 North American Indian Cultures (3) Survey and comparative study of the ethnographic record of North American Indian cultures, including belief systems and social organization. PREREQ: ANT 102.
321 American Indian Today (3) Native Americans in contemporary Anglo-America. PREREQ: ANT 102 or permission of instructor.
Diverse communities course
322 Ethnology of Central America (3) Survey of the modern cultures of Central America: relationships to ancient peoples; the process of modernization in this area. PREREQ: ANT 102.
Culture cluster
324 Native Peoples of the Andes (3) This course provides a comprehensive survey of the historical formation and development of the Andean society before and after the Spanish conquest.
Culture cluster
326 Cultures and Peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa (3) Examination of the cultures and societies of Black Africa. PREREQ: ANT 102.
327 Cultures and Peoples of India (3) (See also HIS 302.) PREREQ: ANT 102.
329 Problems in Ethnology (3) Survey of the ethnographic literature pertaining to specific geographic regions. Area of focus to be announced in advance. PREREQ: ANT 102.
This course may be taken again for credit.
C. Ethnology: Topical Courses
340 Folklore in Society (3) Survey of basic American folklore genres. Emphasis on folklore as process, tradition, and as an element of culture.
341 Social Organization (3) Study of social groups, their structure, and functioning. PREREQ: ANT 102.
342 Political Anthropology (3) Analysis of tribal and peasant political systems. PREREQ: ANT 102.
343 Economic Anthropology (3) Analysis of tribal and peasant economic systems. PREREQ: ANT 102.
344 Magic, Religion, and Witchcraft (3) An analysis of supernaturalistic ideology and ritual in both tribal and civil society. PREREQ: ANT 102.
345 Culture and Personality (3) Study of the relationship between culture systems and personality. PREREQ: ANT 102.
346 Culture Change (3) Empirical and theoretical study of culture change. PREREQ: ANT 102.
347 The Culture of Cities (3) This seminar introduces students to the cultural dynamics of city life in the era of globalization. Topics of study include globalization, the politics of urban space, informal economies, and immigration.
Diverse communities course
348 Dimensions of Ethnographic Film/Video (3) This course will introduce students to the study of ethnographic film/video. Topics to be considered include visual anthropology, ethnographic representation, and film theory.
350 Primitive Art (3) (See also ARH 350). PREREQ: ANT 102.
D. Archaeology
360 Historical Archaeology (3) Historical research through archaeology. Chester County is emphasized through local research projects. PREREQ or COREQ: ANT 103.
362 Archaeology of Central America (3) The archaeological record of Central America, covering the significant features of each culture area from modern Mexico to Panama.
Culture cluster
364 Archaeology of Ancient North America (3) A survey of North American prehistory from the earliest inhabitants to the time of European colonization. Covers all culture areas but with an emphasis on the Eastern woodlands. PREREQ: ANT 103.
366 Archaeological Lab Methods (3) An overview of analytical methods used to process, describe, and interpret archaelogical materials. Emphasis on practical, hands-on laboratory research through the implementation of qualitative observation and quantitative methodologies. PREREQ: ANT 103.
368 Archaeological Field School (3-6) Application of archaeological recovery techniques through field investigation. Students participate in the gathering, processing, and study of archaeological site data. PREREQ: ANT 103.
Advanced and Senior Courses
380 Language and Culture (3) (also LIN 380) See LIN 380.
381 Sociolinguistics (3) (also LIN 381) The study of the use of language in society and in educational settings; social dialects; language policy; black English. PREREQ: ANT 102.
383 Structuralism: From Chaos to Order in the World of Ideas (3) This course is a general survey of structuralist theory as it relates to linguistics, anthropology, psychology, and literature. The goal of the course is to demonstrate how structuralism is a theoretical orientation in the social sciences and the humanities that attempts to transform the chaos of appearances into order of reality in the world of ideas.
405 Topical Seminar in Anthropology (3) Selected topics in the subdisciplines of anthropology. Topics announced in advance. Juniors and seniors only.
This course may be taken again for credit.
410 Independent Studies in Anthropology (1-3) Special research projects, reports, and readings in anthropology. Juniors and seniors only. PREREQ: Permission of department chairperson.
This course may be taken again for credit.
459 History of Ethnological Theory (3) Development of ethnological theory with emphasis on the nature of explanation in ethnology. PREREQ: Six hours in ethnology and junior or senior standing.
490 Seminar in Social Anthropology (3) History and theory of social anthropology. PREREQ: Six hours in ethnology and six hours in sociology. Seniors only.
495 Senior Seminar in Anthropology (3) Discussion and supervised research designed to integrate conceptual and methodological skills. The research paper for the seminar must be acceptable as a required departmental senior research paper. Senior anthropology majors only.
SOCIOLOGY
Symbol: SOC
200 Introduction to Sociology (3) Fundamentals of the sociological perspective on human behavior.
240 Sociology of the Family (3) Comparative, historical, and cross-cultural analysis of the family institution.
300 Sociological Theory (3) Historical development of the sociological perspective on human behavior, with emphasis on the perennial issues in sociological explanation. PREREQ: SOC 200.
302 Sociology of Everyday Life (3) How people interact in everyday settings, examined from the dramaturgical perspectives of Goffman, Douglas, Burke, and others. PREREQ: SOC 200.
321 Statistics in Sociological Research (3) The application of statistical methods to sociological hypothesis testing. PREREQ: SOC 200.
322 Methods of Sociological Research (3) The logic of social research. Fundamentals of research design, data collection and reduction, and nonstatistical analysis. PREREQ: SOC 200.
333 Self and Society (3) A symbolic interactionist perspective on social psychology which focuses on the self in social interaction. PREREQ: SOC 200.
335 Racial and Cultural Minorities (3) Analysis of the implications of racial differences, the factors affecting prejudice and discrimination, and structural aspects of group conflicts. PREREQ: SOC 200.
340 Sociology of Work (3) Survey of past and present types of work, trends in work structures, and the impact they have on experiences, norms, values, and inequality.
341 Social Stratification (3) Analysis of inequalities in wealth, power, and prestige in contemporary societies. PREREQ: SOC 200.
342 Urban Sociology (3) A descriptive study of the form and development of the urban community with respect to demographic structure, spatial and temporal patterns, and functional organization. PREREQ: SOC 200.
343 Sociology of Organizations (3) Analysis of large-scale, formal organizations with emphasis on bureaucracy as the dominant form of social organization in the West. PREREQ: SOC 200.
344 Sociology of Religion (3) Theoretical analysis of social functions of religion, the history and internal structure of religious institutions, and their relationship to other institutions. PREREQ: SOC 200.
345 Sociology of Education (3) Sociological dimensions of educational institutions. PREREQ: SOC 200.
346 Sociology of Gender (3) Analysis and evaluation of sociological research on sex roles. PREREQ: SOC 200.
349 Perspectives on Mental Illness (3) An interdisciplinary examination of mental disorders - their definition, cause, and treatment. PREREQ: SOC 200.
Approved interdisciplinary course
350 Sociology of Mental Illness (3) A sociological perspective on mental disorders. PREREQ: SOC 200.
351 Deviance (3) Causes and consequences of the construction and violation of social norms. PREREQ: SOC 200.
352 Criminology (3) Sociological analysis of the definition, distribution, and causes of crime, and of social response to it. PREREQ: SOC 200.
353 Juvenile Delinquency (3) Theories of delinquency; evaluation of programs for its prevention and control. PREREQ: SOC 200.
360 Sociology of Culture (3) Analysis of the major social movements that have shaped the character and future of modern man. PREREQ: SOC 200.
361 Sociology of Medicine (3) A sociological perspective on health, illness, and medical care. PREREQ: SOC 200.
362 Sexuality in Society (3) The social dimensions of human sexuality. PREREQ: SOC 200.
364 Sociology of Aging (3) An examination of the problems, adaptations, and contributions of the aging population. PREREQ: SOC 200.
366 Gender, Labor, and Globalization (3) (Also WOS 366) Sociological and feminist analysis of global labor issues such as immigration, citizenship, motherhood, childcare, emotional labor, guest workers, commodification, and exploitation. PREREQ: SOC 200 or permission of instructor.
369 Social Movements (3) An introduction to the study of social movements, both historical and contemporary. PREREQ: SOC 200.
370 Social Problems (3) Analysis of current social disorders: urban unrest, racial tension, poverty, addictions, crime, and mental illness. PREREQ: SOC 200.
371 Applied Social Change (3) Strategy and tactics of planning and guiding change in small and large-scale social systems.
376 Sociology of War and Peace (3) Exploration of the relationship between social structure and war. PREREQ: SOC 200.
377 Clinical Sociology (3) Analysis and evaluation of therapeutic applications of sociology in group and individual settings. PREREQ: SOC 200.
401 Social Change (3) Critique of the leading models of social order and change; analysis of major transformation in Western civilization. PREREQ: SOC 200.
402 Career Internship in Sociology (6) Field experience in agencies involved in social change. Majors only with permission of instructor.
410 Issues in Sociological Thought (3) Analysis of several of the key philosophical issues underlying sociological thought. PREREQ: SOC 300, or permission of the instructor.
490 Independent Studies in Sociology (1-3) Individual research projects, reports, and/or readings. Seniors only. PREREQ: Permission of department chairperson. Majors only.
This course may be taken again for credit.
491 Topical Seminar in Sociology (3) Special topics in theory or methodology. Topics announced in advance. Admission by permission of instructor. Juniors and seniors only.
This course may be taken again for credit.
492 Senior Seminar in Sociology (3) Preparation of senior research paper. Senior sociology majors only.
