ANTH 497
SENIOR SEMINAR IN ANTHROPOLOGY

1. Catalog Entry

ANTH 497. Senior Seminar in Anthropology.
Three hours seminar (3).

Prerequisites: Senior standing; completion of all Anthropology core requirements.

The Senior Seminar serves as the capstone experience for Anthropolgy majors. Students will revisit the basic concepts, theories, and methods of anthropology and interconnect them to demonstrate and learn more about the complexity of the discipline.

2. Detailed Description of Content of Course

Topics to be covered:

• Major theoretical paradigms in anthropology and the process of theory building
• Prominent approaches to anthropological research and the links between theory and research
• Major subfields in the discipline (cultural anthropology, physical anthropology, archaeology and linguistics), their connections, and their contributions to anthropology's holistic view of humanity
• Major topical areas within cultural anthropology (social organization, political anthropology, economic anthropology, anthropology of religion, anthropology of education, anthropology of art)
• Differences between qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and the advantages and disadvantages of each
• Differences between anthropological, journalistic, and common-sense approaches to the understanding of social problems and social issues
• A comparison of the anthropological method of inquiry to those in other disciplines -Anthropological perspectives on cultural diversity within our nation and on a global, cross-cultural scale -The links between anthropological issues, students' lives, and the intercultural world in which they live
• The contribution of anthropology to a liberal arts education
• The value of the anthropology major and the skills, knowledge, and perspectives that anthropology majors bring to the workplace

3. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

The course will be taught in seminar format. Although one faculty member will be responsible for the coordination of the course, all members of the department will occasionally be asked to contribute their expertise. Although there will be some lectures, most of the course will involve discussion and debate that will emanate from readings. Thus, the students themselves will accept a great deal of responsibility for the conduct of the course.

4. Goals and Objectives of the Course

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

1) synthesize the knowledge they have obtained in other anthropology courses;
2) appreciate fully the value of the discipline of anthropology, its relationship to other disciplines, and its contribution to a liberal arts education;
3) understand the basic arguments in the field; and 4) prepare a "collective resume" that illustrates what, as anthropology majors, they have to offer employers. In addition, the course will be used as a mechanism to assess the rest of the anthropology curriculum.

5. Assessment Measures

A variety of assessment measures will be utilized. These will include measurement of performance on individual and collaborative class presentations, writing assignments, and participation in class discussions.

6. Other Course Information

None.

7. Review and Approval

DATE ACTION REVIEWED
September, 2001 Reviewed Peggy A. Shifflett