Pre-requisite: One of ARCH 101, ANTH 103, ANTH 106, BIOA 101, BIOL 112, CELS 191, HUBS 191, HUBS 192 and 36 further points, OR 108 points.
An introduction to human bioarchaeology, particularly evolutionary and comparative anatomy of the human body, what makes it unique among other primates, and why it varies among populations. Includes aspects of forensic anthropology.
What makes humans unique to all other primates, and how did we come to be that way? How can we explain the variation in morphology among human populations? How can we use aspects of the skeleton of past people to look at their life history? This paper explores these questions by providing an introduction to the study of Biological Anthropology of the human skeleton. The paper primarily focuses on the evolution, structure and function of the human skeletal system, with an introduction to bioarchaeological and forensic methods.
Assessment
Internal assessment: 40%
Final examination (2 hours): 60%
This course is targeted towards students with an interest in Italian food traditions, society, and culture. The main focus consists of what is generally defined as “made in Italy” culture and style in post-war Italy. Also covered are the relationships between Italian traditions, folklore and contemporary Italian society drawing from examples including festivals, food, tourism, and economy, and the influence of foreign civilizations. Students will be asked to regard the subject of food outside of the context of ingredients and the procedures used to create a dish; we will instead examine a large scale context in which food is either featured as a main component or an integral element in cultural situations. Thus the student is asked first and foremost to observe the presented material across an anthropologic lens that roves over the entire Italian peninsula. Lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and/or tastings.
Students explore major cities across Europe using literature and the arts as a guide to understanding the rise and establishment of the urban setting. Through readings and media studies, students examine the artistic process from inspiration to creation. Site visits and guided tours then allow students to experience the historical, geographical, and demographical foundations that inform the fictional representations of European cities and their impact on perceptions of those cities today. Students have the opportunity to learn from and exchange their observations with experts as well as distinguished on-site scholars and local guides in order to frame their own perception of the cities and these cities’ representation through the arts.
This course will explore the rise and the establishment of the urban setting as the nexus of contemporary European culture and civilisation. Literature and the arts will serve as the focal point. The course will concentrate primarily on the late nineteenth-century up to the contemporary setting, more specifically on Rome, Aix-en-Provence/Marseille, Paris, Amsterdam and Prague. Students will explore a variety of media: novel, poetry, cinema and the fine arts.
Courses offered include:
- European Studies 303: Europe and the Urban Space
- Anthropology 301: The Artist and the City
- Literature 375: The European City in Literature
- Communications 375: The European City in the Visual Arts
- Geography 201: Europe and its Cities
The syllabus for this program remains the same regardless of which course the student undertakes. As students are visiting the same sites, attending the same lectures, partaking in the same activities, etc. they are learning the same content. The difference is in their assessment pieces. The topic and focus of a student’s assessment pieces will be based on what course they have chosen.
This course will examine various aspects of the relationship between food, culture and society in the Mediterranean basin, where eating is not a simple act of survival but rather a cultural and social activity. Looking at the local culture through the lens of food allows us to discover and understand social constructs, values and even the history of Europe, from ancient Greece to the great chefs of the 21st century such as Ferran Adrià. Through this we will discover the similarities and differences between how the Spanish, Italian and Greece societies work.
In this course we offer a cross-cultural perspective that will focus on history, anthropology, sociology, literature, gastronomy and the business that works behind the food industry.
Introduces basic principles of evolutionary biology, human origins, genetics, reproduction, socio-ecology, and the evolution of primate and human behavior and adaptions. Laboratory sections include examination of fossil and skeletal material, and hands-on projects involving human and primate behavior and biology.
Carries natural science divisional credit (with lab) in CAS. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
An introduction to the basic concepts, principles, and problems of cultural anthropology, emphasizing the study of both traditional and complex societies. Special attention to the organization and meaning of religion, economic life, kinship and political order; and the problem of cultural variation in the contemporary world.
Carries social science divisional credit in CAS. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.
This lecture and discussion-driven course uses ethnographic case materials and active learning strategies to introduce students to socio-cultural anthropological modes of understanding and analyzing health-related experiences and institutions, including political and ethical dimensions of illness and suffering around the globe.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
Cross-cultural examination of changing gender roles, expectations, and activities. Focuses on economic, social, political, and ideological determinants that structure the hierarchy of power and privileges accorded the thoughts, activities, and experiences of women and men in various societies.
Counts towards the Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies minor. Carries social science divisional credit in CAS.
An exploration of female behavioral biology focusing on evolutionary, physiological, and biosocial aspects of women’s lives from puberty through pregnancy, birth, lactation, menopause, and aging. Examples are drawn from traditional and industrialized societies, and data from nonhuman primates are considered.
Counts for Natural Science credit; as a Biology – Specialization in Behavioral Biology – elective; and towards the Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies minor. Carries natural science divisional credit in CAS. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
Anthropology is a discipline studying human beings from a holistic and cross-cultural perspective; science fiction is a genre exploring facets of human behavior in imaginary settings. Both deal with a combination of the foreign and the familiar, and together anthropology and science fiction offer an ideal opportunity to explore a variety of interesting topics: politics, cross-cultural communication, religion, evolution, socialization, identity, gender, war, government, dreams, and others. Readings include short stories, novels, and essays by authors such as Ursula Le Guin, Octavia Butler, Isaac Asimov, and Chad Oliver.
This course is targeted towards students with an interest in Italian food traditions, society, and culture. The main focus consists of what is generally defined as “made in Italy” culture and style in post-war Italy. Also covered are the relationships between Italian traditions, folklore and contemporary Italian society drawing from examples including festivals, food, tourism, and economy, and the influence of foreign civilizations. Students will be asked to regard the subject of food outside of the context of ingredients and the procedures used to create a dish; we will instead examine a large scale context in which food is either featured as a main component or an integral element in cultural situations. Thus the student is asked first and foremost to observe the presented material across an anthropologic lens that roves over the entire Italian peninsula. Lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and/or tastings.
Examination of human sexual relations and social behavior from evolutionary perspective. Emphasis on theories and evidence for differences between men and women in their patterns of growth, maturation, fertility, mortality, parenting, and relations with members of opposite sex. P/NP or letter grading.
Language as social phenomenon. Introduction to several angles from which language use can be critically examined as integral to interactions between individuals and between social groups. P/NP or letter grading.
Intended for students interested in conceptual structure of scientific archaeology. Archaeological method and theory with emphasis on what archaeologists do and how and why they do it. Consideration of field strategies, formation processes, chronological frameworks, and other crucial principles of archaeological analysis and interpretation. P/NP or letter grading.
Course Description Coming Soon!
Designed for junior/senior social sciences majors. Introduction to modern industrial cities and urban life. Examination of notion of urban space in context of social relations by drawing from historical and cross-cultural urban ethnographies. Urban space is created according to needs of capital and actions of urban subjects. Exploration of ways in which class, gender, race, and geography shape or contest perspectives and priorities on urban issues. P/NP or letter grading.
This entomology course explores the use of insects as food sources for human and animal feeding. In an era of a food crisis, climate change, habitat loss, air pollution and so many environmental problems, the look for more sustainable solutions is pushing to look back into ancient traditions, technical strategies and the scientific integration of both to supply the nutritional needs for human development. One of these possible solutions is the use of insects as food sources. Entomophagy is the practice of consuming edible insects. Latin America, South Asia, and African countries have engaged on entomophagy since ancient times. However, this is a disappearing practice. This course is theoretical and practical look at the origins of entomophagy, its current state and how to use it for a sustainable future. This course will be based on the study of multimedia, literature, visits and practical contact with edible insects whenever possible. Therefore, this course is aimed at any professional with an interesting sustainability, gastronomy, anthropology, and biology.
