ANSO - Anthropology and Sociology

Course Descriptions

 

ANSO 1000 Introduction to Sociology (3)

This course introduces students to key concepts in sociology that provide a systematic study of social interaction, social institutions, and social change. Topics include sociological perspectives on culture and social structure, personality and self, political and social inequality, crime and deviance, and the significance of race, class, and gender. Understanding sociology helps to reveal the structures and processes that shape social life. Students gain career skills in critical thinking, analysis, and communication. GCP Coding: (SSHB) (WCOM).

ANSO 1050 Global Social Problems (3)

This course examines social problems from a global perspective and sheds light on how these issues impact our global society. Topics includes homelessness, crime and poverty, and how these social problems differ by race, class, gender, and country. We draw from sociological as well as anthropological perspectives on such social problems. Students gain career skills in critical thinking, problem solving, and communication. GCP Coding: (SSHB) (INTC).

ANSO 1060 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (3)

This course introduces students to core concepts in cultural anthropology, the branch that studies human cultures in their diversity and variation. Topics include ethnocentrism and cultural relativity, fieldwork and ethnography, gender and kinship, race and ethnicity, sickness and healing, and the global economy. Understanding cultural anthropology helps to reveal how people create meaning and make sense of the world. Students gain career skills in critical thinking, interpersonal communication, and intercultural competence. GCP Coding: (ROC) (INTC).

ANSO 1075 Introduction to Archaeology (3)

Archaeology, defined simply, is the study of humanity through its material cultures. The course explores how to understand human societies by examining the physical traces of the people of the past. It introduces students to key theory and methods in archaeological research, data collection, and analysis. We will study the scope and scale of archaeology, and the ethics of excavating remains. Students gain career skills in data analysis and problem solving.

ANSO 1085 Human Origins (3)

This course explores the evolution of human and culture through the concepts of and mechanisms of evolution, humans’ place in the natural world, and human variation. Students gain career skills in critical thinking and analysis. GCP Coding: (PNW) (CRI).

ANSO 1095 Introduction to Geography: World and Regional (3)

This course investigates geographic concepts and knowledge in understanding social-spatial and political dynamics including imperialism, globalization, immigration, and nationalism. Students gain career skills in intercultural communication, critical thinking, and social mapping.

ANSO 1800 Careers in Anthropology and Sociology (1)

This course helps students get career-ready by equipping them with the skills needed to land internships and jobs in the fields of anthropology, sociology, and criminology. It also prepares students for graduate school opportunities. Students will learn how to create personal statements, develop resumes, sharpen interview skills, and build other tools needed to succeed after college.

ANSO 2015 Issues in Society and Culture (1-3)

This course introduces students to today’s most pressing social and cultural issues with an emphasis on the dynamics of living in globalized, industrialized, urban societies. May be repeated for credit if content differs.

ANSO 2025 Topics in Archaeology (3)

This course allows students to concentrate on special topics in archaeology from different historical time periods and societies (e.g., Ancient Greece, Dynastic Egypt, or Cahokia). ANSO 1075 is recommended but not required prior to enrollment. May be repeated for credit if content differs.

ANSO 2060 Culture and Communication (3)

This course explores the diverse means of communicating with others in different cultural contexts, including understanding cross-cultural communication, language use, and symbolic systems. We study the systems of meaning that people create which shape not only our language but human behavior. Students gain career skills in intercultural communication and teamwork. GCP Coding: (ROC) (INTC).

ANSO 2070 Introduction to Sex, Gender and Sexuality (3)

This course examines how sex, gender, and sexuality intersect with wider forms of identity such as race, ethnicity, class, and nationality, among others, and their connections to power and inequality. We apply sociological and anthropological perspectives to understand how these concepts are connected to power and inequality. By understanding the social construction of these categories, we study how they impact contemporary issues (i.e., labor force participation, social mobility). Students gain career skills in critical thinking and interpersonal communication. May be repeated for credit if content differs.

ANSO 2200 Peoples and Cultures (3)

This course introduces students to the study of cultural groups and the complex ways people respond to issues and processes taking place in the contemporary world. Instead of treating culture as static and unchanging, student examine the diverse ways communities understand their place and identities in an increasingly globalized world. We apply anthropological perspectives to understand relationships of power and inequality and seek out solutions to contemporary global issues. Students gain career skills in intercultural communication and critical thinking. May be repeated for credit if content differs. GCP Coding: (GLBL) (INTC).

ANSO 2300 Social Movements (3)

This course provides students with the analytic tools and theories to understand and evaluate a broad range of social movements in both a national and global context. We examine the history, evolution and momentum of movements such as women’s rights and civil rights to better understand the impacts of these movements on individuals and in society. Students gain career skills in critical thinking, problem solving, and communication. GCP Coding: (SSHB) (OCOM).

ANSO 2460 Good Intentions: The Need to Help (3)

What does it mean to "do good" in the world? This class examines the intentions, motivations and practices behind the need to "save others" and questions in whose interests these actions are carried out. Who helps and who receives help? We will discuss topics such as deservingness, white saviors, voluntourism, and celebrity activism, among others, and consider questions of power and privilege embedded in good intentions. Students interested in pursuing nonprofit and government careers gain skills in critical thinking, problem solving, and communication. GCP Coding: (GLBL) (ETH).

ANSO 2530 World Music (3)

This course introduces students to the diversity of musical traditions from around the world. Music is not only an art form but a reflection of social and cultural values, histories, and shared experiences. By taking an ethnomusicological approach, this course emphasizes understanding music within its unique cultural contexts. Students will gain an appreciation for the global connections inspired by different musical styles. Prior musical knowledge is not required for this course. Students gain career skills in intercultural communication. GCP Coding: (ARTS) (INTC).

ANSO 2540 Environmental Anthropology and Sociology (3)

This course introduces students to sociological and anthropological perspectives on human ecology and environment and focuses on the relationship between humans and the environment. Topics include consumption and sustainability, environmental politics and law, urban systems and development, residential patterns and housing, and "natural" disasters. Students gain career skills in critical thinking and problem solving.

ANSO 2690 Food and Culture (3)

Food is an integral part of community and how we connect with others. This course explores the production and consumption of food across diverse social and cultural contexts and their connection to shared histories, values and attitudes. By actively preparing, cooking, and tasting food in our kitchen lab, we explore how food serves as a lens to understanding social and cultural rules that shape a society, and how culture and globalization intersect. Students gain career skills in intercultural communication.

ANSO 2720 Introduction to Measurement and Statistics (3)

This course helps students learn how to "make sense" of a body of numbers: how to summarize and extract information from numbers; how to detect, measure, and use relationships between variables; and how to use statistical aids to the decision-making process. We cover descriptive statistics, correlation and regression, and inferential statistics such as the t-test and analysis of variance. GCP Coding: (QL).

ANSO 2760 Urban Studies (3)

This course explores some central themes and concerns in the social scientific study of urban spaces, in particular, the “city” as cultural construct, the “city” as the site and object of local and global social struggles, and the “city” as part of the cultural imagination of the social, inequality, justice, and the “good life. Students interested in pursuing public policy and urban planning careers gain skills in critical thinking, problem solving, and policy analysis. GCP Coding: (SSHB) (CRI).

ANSO 2790 Asians in America (3)

This course examines comparatively the experiences, histories and cultural worlds of Asian communities of different national origins and identifications in the United States. It introduces the historical, political, cultural and economic processes that shape Asian and Asian American community and identity formation. We explore how these identities have been shaped by cultural history, migration, and globalization. Students gain career skills in intercultural competence, critical thinking, and policy analysis. GCP Coding: (GLBL) (CRI).

ANSO 2850 Introduction to Research Methods (3)

Research is an integral part of understanding people: what we do, why we do it, and how our actions are meaningful. This course introduces students to basic research methods and design, with a strong emphasis on qualitative analysis. Students will design their own research projects, collect data using various methods, and analyze and assess the ethics of research findings. Students gain career skills in data analysis, problem solving, communication, and organizational skills.

ANSO 2890 Culture, Health and Illness (3)

How do people experience health and illness across different social and cultural contexts? This course examines how our experiences of disease are structured by factors such as access to care, social and cultural beliefs and values, local and global knowledges, availability of medicines and distribution of resources. We look at how these experiences intersect with wider structures of power and inequality. Students interested in pursuing careers in health and medicine gain skills in interpersonal/intercultural communication, empathy, and problem solving. GCP Coding: (PNW) (ETH).

ANSO 2950 Community Practicum (1-3)

In this course, students engage in service-learning work at a community agency and have an opportunity to experience agency operations firsthand. Each student is expected to identify and gain admission to a field placement in consultation with their advisor prior to the beginning of the course. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor and approval of placement proposal.

ANSO 3100 Topics in Anthropology and Sociology (3)

An advanced, in-depth analysis of issues and topics in anthropology and sociology. Topics vary by semester. May be repeated for credit if content differs.

ANSO 3110 Advanced Topics in Archaeology (3)

This advanced level course is designed to allow for focused study of special topics in archaeology. Topics may vary by semester. May be repeated for credit if content differs.

ANSO 3130 Race and Ethnicity (3)

What is race, ethnicity? Are they still relevant to understanding the contemporary world? This course examines the construction of race and ethnicity and the ways their meanings have changed in the U.S. and cross-culturally. It offers a critical understanding of how racial and ethnic politics inform institutional and social policies, the organization of everyday social life, cultural expressions, and resistance movements. Students interested in pursuing careers addressing social-economic inequality gain valuable skills in intercultural competence, understanding public policy, and critical thinking.

ANSO 3340 From Aid to Advocacy: NGOs in a Global Context (3)

NGOs, or non-governmental organizations, have become powerful actors on the global stage. From larger groups like Médicins Sans Frontières (MSF) to smaller community organizations, NGOs impact the way we think about poverty and inequality and what we do about these issues. This course examines NGO practices across diverse global contexts and how they affect local communities. Topics may include microfinance, disaster relief, international development, gender and sexuality, human rights and global health. Students interested in pursuing international careers (i.e., United Nations) gain valuable skills in communication, problem solving, cultural competence, and adaptability. 

ANSO 3560 Theories in Anthropology and Sociology (3)

This course will provide a history of anthropological and sociological thought. It will introduce students to key works and scholars in each discipline, as well as familiarize them with the foundational schools of theory that have been critical to shaping the discipline. 

ANSO 3630 Independent Reading Course (1-3)

This course is designed for individual student exploration of a given body of knowledge or specific area of interest. Topic of the course, detailed learning outcomes and means of evaluation to be negotiated between student and faculty member. May be repeated for credit if content differs. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

ANSO 4110 Advanced Studies in Anthropology and Sociology (3)

Designed for in-depth study of a specific area or issue in anthropology/sociology. May be repeated for credit if content differs.

ANSO 4175 Globalization (3)

This course explores the diffuse and diverse social, cultural, and economic processes of globalization and nationalism. As people, states, and economies become more interconnected, what impact do global processes have on individuals and communities? And how are the effects of globalization unevenly distributed? We consider issues of ethno-national identities, citizenship, the mobility of labor, and cultural forms (music, media, film), among others, to understand globalization disrupts ideas about national belonging and identity. Students interested in pursuing international careers gain valuable skills in intercultural competence, critical thinking and policy analysis. 

ANSO 4250 Class, Status and Power (3)

This course analyzes sociological and anthropological perspectives on social class, status, power and stratification. We explore a variety of topics such as prejudice and discrimination, legislative responses to minorities, social inequality, social mobility, and work and labor force participation. By applying these concepts to contemporary topics, we better understand how power and inequality shape people’s everyday lives. Students interested in pursuing careers in government and public policy gain valuable skills in problem solving, critical thinking, and communication. 

ANSO 4300 Global Sex, Gender and Sexuality (3)

This course takes a cross-cultural approach to sex, gender, and sexuality by examining global variations in sex/gender systems, social-cultural constructions of sex and gender, and alternative sexualities across diverse social and cultural contexts. Emphasis is on global systems of these topics and understanding how they are lived and experienced by communities around the world outside of Euro-American contexts. Students interested in pursuing careers in global policy and advocacy gain valuable skills in interpersonal communication and critical thinking. Cross-listed with WGST 4330.

ANSO 4630 Advanced Independent Reading Course (1-3)

This advanced level course is designed for individual student exploration of a given body of knowledge or a specific area of interest. Topic of the course, detailed learning outcomes, and means of evaluation to be negotiated between student and faculty member. May be repeated for credit if content differs.

ANSO 4950 Senior Thesis (3)

This capstone course allows students the opportunity to carry out independent research projects under the guidance of a faculty member. The final product should demonstrate the sum of the student’s anthropological and sociological knowledge: comprehension and application of relevant theories; appreciation of the diverse body of anthropological and sociological work done on chosen topic; and capacity to critique the methodological choices, representational strategies and ethical implications of social scientific research. Students gain career skills in data analysis, communication, qualitative research, and critical thinking. Prerequisite: Senior status in Anthropology and Sociology or permission of the instructor.