Course List

Course Number	Course Name	C - L - H	Hrs
381-101-DW	Introduction to Anthropology	3 - 0 - 3	45
Description for Course: The course provides an overview of what anthropology encompasses from the history of anthropological thought to the major subfields of study including linguistics, biology, social and archaeology. The unique vision and social scientific perspective that anthropology brings to the social sciences will be discussed. This course will present an approach designed to introduce students to main areas of the discipline that may be explored more profoundly in the higher level courses.
381-201-DW	Human Evolution	3 - 0 - 3	45
Description for Course: The biological and behavioural evolution of humans will be studied with the aim of understanding man's place in nature and the source of his unique culture-creating capacities. Special attention will be given to Darwinian Evolutionary Theory, the study of non-human primates (primatology) and our hominid ancestors. This is the classic “bones and stones” course.
381-204-DW	Development of Civilization	3 - 0 - 3	45
Description for Course: This course will trace the development of civilizations from the prehistoric beginnings of human and social organization, warfare, religion, sexual domination and domestication, to the rise of large, complex urban civilizations.
381-210-DW	Anthropology of Parenthood	3 - 0 - 3	45
Description for Course: This course deals with the concept of parenthood by investigating how different cultures define motherhood, fatherhood and parenthood in practical terms. With this cross-cultural perspective, parenthood in the Western context will be explored by re-examining ideas about biological and social parenthood.
381-302-DW	Race and Racism	3 - 0 - 3	45
Description for Course: This course examines race and ethnic relations from an anthropological perspective with emphasis on the contemporary Canadian scene. Of particular concern is the impact of race as a cultural concept not a biological fact, as well as the influence of institutional racism on residential patterns, immigration, stratification, marriage and the family, identity formation, politics, law and social control, religion, rituals, language and communication.
381-307-DW	Medical Anthropology	3 - 0 - 3	45
Description for Course: This course is an introduction to, and comparison of, the ways health and illness are perceived, defined and treated in different cultures. It will compare Western ideas about the causes of disease with the beliefs of other societies and identify the great variety in cross-cultural processes of curing. It will include information about medications, the specialists who deal with physical and/or mental maladies, and the various institutions and rituals involved. It will also deal with the problems and procedures of introducing Western medical practices to traditional, non-Western societies.
381-BWS-03	Culture on the Move: The Anthropology of Travel and Mobility	3 - 0 - 3	45
Description for Course: This course will approach culture, travel and mobility from an anthropological perspective. Grounded in the experiences of those who are “on the move” we will look at a number of case studies touching on themes such as immigration, working abroad, backpacking, the international primate trade, the global spread of Hip Hop, the practice of yoga in the west and more. Further, we will consider the lack of mobility experienced by many Aboriginal Canadians in residential schools. Motivations, social aspects and impacts (emotional, environmental and economic) will be examined to reveal complexities and nuances of travel and mobility (or lack thereof) in today’s world.
381-BXS-DW	Culture on Display (INTENSIVE)	3 - 0 - 3	45
Description for Course: This course examines the ways in which museum displays shape our understanding of culture. A museum is a place where we can be exposed to cultures of different peoples, times, and aspects of culture. However, what we see in museums is curated, chosen in order to tell a specific story. Selective stories of culture are thus created, where some narratives are emphasized and others are excluded. We will have guided visits to local museums as well as virtual visits to museums elsewhere in the world with the goal of exploring how museum displays are curated. Using comparative analysis we will examine how stories about culture are created and how each story leaves us with a different understanding of the culture we are exploring. The cost of this course is around $36, to cover guided tours at the museums. To offset this cost, there will be no textbook to buy. All readings for this course will be available to the students without charge via the Dawson College library website.
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