ANTH 3010 - Issues in Anthropology I

Goals: ANTH 3010, in combination with ANTH 3020, provides students with a year long gateway seminar exploring the anthropology major at Hamline University. Students will examine anthropology’s four fields, theoretical perspectives, and ethical issues through readings, discussions, lectures, and exercises. The goal of this course is to help anthropology majors successfully navigate their undergraduate education and prepare for their post undergraduate career. Students will begin working on their anthropology portfolio, develop disciplinary specific research and writing skills, and become familiar with the different methodological and theoretical approaches of anthropology’s four fields. Ideally, students should take these courses in their sophomore year in conjunction with declaring a major (or for transfer students, during their first year at Hamline). Students need to take both ANTH 3010 and ANTH 3020, although these courses do not need to be taken in sequence.

Content: The main focus of this course will be a survey of current issues in anthropology (e.g., the utility of the concept of race; the role of the environment in cultural change; the uniqueness of human language; the responsibilities of anthropologists to the people they study). We will approach these issues through critical reading of text, individual research, and group discussion. Students will also learn about the anthropology department and major including resources and responsibilities of the major, careers in anthropology, anthropology as vocation and anthropology in the media. Guest speakers, including alumni; will be brought in to talk about graduate school, professional development, and applied anthropology.

Taught: ANTH 3010 is offered during fall semester of each year while ANTH 3020 is offered during spring semester of each year.

Prerequisites: ANTH 1160 or consent of instructor.

Credits: 2 credits