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ANSC 201

ANSC 201: Introduction to Anthropological Research (WI)

Pre- or Corequisites: ANSC 106 or permission of instructor

Credit Hours: (3) Three hours seminar

This seminar serves as an Introduction to the Anthropological Sciences major and prepares students for success in the major.  Topics will include the nature of scientific inquiry in Anthropology as well as career options and planning.  Students will learn more about each subdiscipline in the field through a series of recursive writing assignments. They will learn to find, read and evaluate the primary literature. They will also begin to learn about the research process in anthropology from identifying feasible topics and research questions to preparing background literature reviews on their topic. 

Note(s): Cultural or Behavioral Analysis designated course. Students cannot receive credit for both ANSC 497 and ANSC 201.

Detailed Description of Content of Course

Topics to be covered:

  • Major subfields in the discipline (Biological Anthropology, Archaeology, and Cultural Anthropology), their connections, and their contributions to Anthropological Sciences’ holistic view of humanity;
  • An understanding of the nature of scientific inquiry in the Anthropological Sciences and the links between anthropological issues, students’ lives, and the world in which they live;
  • Prominent approaches to anthropological research and the links between theory and research;
  • Knowledge of how to read, understand, and critically interpret the primary literature in the Anthropological Sciences;
  • Knowledge of how to design research projects in the Anthropological Sciences;
  • Differences between qualitative and quantitative methodologies in the Anthropological Sciences, and the advantages and disadvantages of each;
  • Differences between anthropological, popular science, and common-sense approaches to the understanding of human behavior and biology;
  • The value of the Anthropological Sciences major in terms of a career and the skills, knowledge, and perspectives Anthropological Sciences majors bring to the workplace
  • Career exploration and the identification of a career goal

Detailed Description of Conduct of  Course

This course will be taught in seminar format. Although there will be some “lectures,” most of the course will involve discussion and debate that will emanate from reading the primary literature.  Thus, the students themselves will accept a great deal of responsibility for the conduct of the course.


Goals and Objectives of the Course

This course is designated as A (Cultural or Behavioral Analysis) Area and fulfills the learning goal: To examine the context and interactions of culture(s) and/or behavior(s). Students will fulfill the learning outcomes in this area: describe behaviors, beliefs, cultures, social institutions, and/or environments and analyze the interactions of behaviors, beliefs, cultures, social institutions, and/or environments. 

This course may be applied to the REAL Studies Minor in Cultural/Behavior Analysis.

This course is designated as Writing Intensive (WI). The following conditions apply to this course:

  • Courses substantially integrate sole-authored student writing within the course objectives and assessments.
  • Courses use discipline-specific reading strategies to facilitate effective written communication.
  • Courses engage students in a recursive writing process that includes revision supported by consistent, detailed instruction and the incorporation of feedback.

This course fulfills the following learning goal: Through instruction and feedback, students become more adept at producing appropriate and effective written work. Students will fulfill the following learning outcomes: demonstrate proficiency in the writing conventions of a discipline and communicate through writing their understanding of disciplinary content and/or texts.

This course fulfills the writing intensive requirements for the REAL Curriculum.

Goal: To explore the discipline of anthropology, and practice the tools and methods needed for life-long success in the discipline. 

At the conclusion of the course, students will be able to:

  1. Discuss and interrelate the major subdisciplines (cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, archaeological anthropology and biological anthropology) of the field and understand how they contribute to our understanding of culture and the world around us;
  2. Describe why Anthropology is a science and how scientific inquiry is conducted in the Anthropological Sciences;
  3. Describe the relationships between behavior, culture and social institutions;
  4. Critically read and evaluate the primary literature in anthropology, including ethnography and research articles. 
  5. Apply the writing conventions in the discipline to effectively communicate anthropological information 
  6. Design their own original research project in the Anthropological Sciences;
  7. Identify career goals and the steps needed to complete to accomplish those goals. 

Assessment Measures

A variety of assessment measures will be used. These will include frequent writing assignments (e.g., article reviews and summaries), class participation (e.g., attendance, discussion, short presentations, etc.), and the completion of a professional resume or curriculum vitae. As a final project for the course, students will produce a basic research design on a selected topic.

Other course information
None.

 

Review and Approval
December, 2009

Revised: March 20, 2012

August, 2021

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