5000. Seminar in Cultural Anthropology. 3 hours. A survey of anthropological attempts to understand and explain the similarities and differences in culture and human behavior.
5010. Anthropological Thought and Praxis I. 3 hours. Considers the history of anthropological concepts, the major historical debates in anthropological theory and historical tensions between applied and theoretical knowledge. Special emphasis is given to critical examination of concept and theory formation and the application of anthropological ideas to the problems of everyday life.
5021. Anthropological Thought and Praxis II. 3 hours. Considers contemporary anthropological concepts and theories and the major debates that have been produced by them. Special emphasis is given to the most recent tensions and debates on the relationships between theoretical and applied knowledge. Specific attention is paid to the relationships between social theory and social policy formation.
5031. Ethnographic and Qualitative Methods. 3 hours. Focuses on ethnographic and qualitative methods and the development of the skills necessary for the practice of anthropology. Special emphasis is given to qualitative techniques of data collection and analysis, grant writing, the use of computers to analyze qualitative data and ethical problems in conducting qualitative research.
5041. Quantitative Methods in Anthropology. 3 hours. Basic principles and techniques of research design, sampling, and elicitation for collecting and comprehending quantitative behavioral data. Procedures for data analysis and evaluation are reviewed, and students get hands-on experience with SPSS in order to practice organization, summarizing, and presenting data. The goal is to develop a base of quantitative and statistical literacy for practical application across the social sciences, in the academy and the world beyond.
5050. Pre-Practicum: Problems and Cases in Applied Anthropology. 3 hours. Examines case studies and specific problems in applied anthropology, and guides students in preparing for the practicum. Students are exposed to the practice of anthropology in a variety of settings, such as health, business, development, education, environment, crime, ethnic and race relations, and social policy. The class includes case study readings and guest speakers to help students discover the range of what applied anthropologists do, and to help focus their own interests. In addition, students learn how to identify potential agencies as practicum sites, how to approach them and how to develop a practicum proposal.
5100. Organizational Anthropology. 3 hours. Anthropologists have developed numerous tools for analyzing culture and culture change. Many of these can be put to use in studying business organizations. This course is a look at business organizations from an anthropological point of view. Often an organization’s productivity or lack thereof is directly related to the degree to which its strategy and culture mesh. Methods used in anthropology can aid in defining the specific culture of an organization and in providing strategies for change within it. This course explores those anthropological tools that can be useful in increasing productivity in business organizations.
5110. Design Anthropology. 3 hours. Fundamentals of the field of design anthropology. Students collaborate on an applied project, practice applied research methods and video ethnography. Students learn to engage in collaborative analysis and work with customers to translate their research into practical applications. In addition to hands-on experience, students conduct readings on topics relevant to the project and to design anthropology in general.
5201. Medical Anthropology. 3 hours. Perspectives in contemporary medical anthropology, with a focus on the biocultural basis of health and sociocultural variations in illness and healing (ethnomedicine). Study of comparative health systems, political-economic and ethical issues in health and care, health professions and patients’ views of illness.
5210. Anthropology of Public Health. 3 hours. Introduction to the contributions of anthropology to public health. Highlights the socio-cultural perspective on the fundamentals of public health, including but not limited to international health, domestic health, epidemiology, infectious disease, child survival, women’s and men’s health, and health policy.
5220. Introduction to Health Services Research. 3 hours. Survey of the history of the development of the field of health services research; the interdisciplinary contributions of the disciplines of sociology, economics, anthropology, gerontology, political science and public health to the field; and the use of survey research to collect information on health status and health services utilization. (Same as AGER 5420.)
5300. Migrants and Refugees. 3 hours. Focuses on the factors embedded in people’s displacement, either through migration or refugee movements. Aims at identifying the cultural processes that promote displacement and those emanating from the consequences of displacement. Emphasizes the human factor encapsulated in the phenomenon of displacement.
5400. Environmental Anthropology. 3 hours. Emphasis on theory, major environmental questions, problems, issues, and possible solutions illustrated by case studies from different parts of the world. Examination of environmental issues pertaining to land/sea and natural resources, food production systems, deforestation, population problems, poverty and environmental justice, natural hazards and risks, resource conflicts and warfare, over-fishing, economic development, globalization and transnationalism, mineral and oil extraction, landscapes, biodiversity conservation, the commons, ecofeminism, and valuation of nature. Course goals are to provide a global sample of the literature in environmental anthropology; a survey of concepts, issues, theories, methods and practices in environmental anthropology; and an in-depth acquaintance with a particular topic in environmental anthropology through an individual research project.
5620. Anthropology of Education. 3 hours. Examines issues and approaches relevant to the study of education within the field of anthropology. Provides an introduction to anthropological concepts and anthropological methods used in the study of education and schooling. Includes an examination of the relation between anthropology and education as it pertains to cultural transmission. In addition, it looks at cultural difference, minority status, and educational outcomes. It also highlights current perspectives and critiques relevant to educational “problems” and emerging solutions derived from an anthropological perspective of education. (Same as EDCI 5620.)
5700. Topics in Applied Anthropology. 3 hours. Applied ethnographic investigation, analysis and discussion of a significant, contemporary topic of interest to students in various graduate programs. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
5710. Symbolic/Cognitive Anthropology. 3 hours. Anthropological consideration of symbolism provides a unique view of cultural beliefs and values as stamped in the process of policy making. Attention is given to how symbols are used to give meaning to social life and how symbols define and create belief systems, including traditional anthropological concerns with religion, kinship, politics, economics, business and advertising.
5800. Applying Anthropology: Practicum I. 3 hours. Provides experiential learning in applied anthropology through placement in business, government, community, and social service organizations and agencies. Students design and implement an applied anthropology project under the supervision of a faculty member. This placement is planned in cooperation with the student to meet specialized career goals.
5810. Applying Anthropology: Practicum II. 3 hours. Provides experiential learning in applied anthropology through placement in business, government, community, and social service organizations and agencies. Continuation of Practicum I. Students finish up any remaining research, deliver their findings to the client, and prepare a written report and a verbal presentation for the department of anthropology.
5900-5910. Special Problems. 1–3 hours each.
Date of initial release: July 1, 2009 — Copyright © 2008 University of North Texas
Page updated:
February 23, 2010
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