Anthropology


361 Social Sciences 1 Building
(831) 459-2380
http://anthro.ucsc.edu

Program Description

Anthropology studies people throughout the world and through time. Because it covers a wide range of topics—physical evolution, material remains of the past, and the world that humans create through their ideas and practices in present-day societies—anthropology is an especially integrative discipline.

The anthropology program at UCSC offers courses that reflect the diversity of the field.

• Cultural anthropology explores the movements of people, objects, and ideas in diverse societies, including our own. Cultural anthropology courses examine such topics as race and ethnicity, medicine, science, gender, sexuality, the environment, religion, law, popular culture, and politics.

• Archaeology uses the material evidence of human activities to understand past human lives. Archaeology at UC Santa Cruz focuses on past people’s interactions with one another at the local level and within their wider social and ecological contexts. Faculty research areas include the pre-colonial and early post-colonial history of East Africa and the American Southwest.

• Physical anthropology traces the human journey from its beginnings in Africa over five million years ago. Physical anthropology courses look at fossil evidence, evolutionary theory, human variation, and the behavior of primate relatives in order to analyze biological, social, and cultural changes over time.

UCSC students have the opportunity to do independent library and field research in cultural anthropology, archaeology, and physical anthropology. Laboratory courses in archaeology and physical anthropology offer practical experience in the analysis of biological and cultural materials. Students may use the social science media laboratory to develop technical and creative skills in visual and audio media. In cultural anthropology courses, students learn to carry out anthropological research through interviews, participant observation, surveys, the collection of oral histories, and the interpretation of archives.

Because anthropology is concerned with understanding human interaction, it is a useful major for anyone planning a career that involves working with people, especially those from diverse cultures. Some UCSC anthropology graduates are in social work, many are in teaching, and others pursue careers in law, city planning, politics, medicine, public health, cultural resource management, and journalism. Students intending to specialize in anthropology usually go on to graduate school because professional employment in the field almost always demands an advanced degree.

Most anthropology faculty have their offices in Social Sciences 1 Building. Social Sciences 1 also houses the Visual Culture Research Laboratory and laboratories for archaeology and physical anthropology where space is provided for laboratory and individual studies courses and for collections of mammalian skeletal material, casts of fossil hominids, ceramics, stone tools, and other archaeological artifacts.

The Anthropology Society, a campus club, is open to all students interested in anthropology. The Anthropology Colloquium showcases guest speakers and gives faculty and students an opportunity to discuss new approaches to anthropological questions. Students and faculty interested in archaeology also gather informally at the Archaeology/ Physical Anthropology Forum to share information on fieldwork and employment opportunities.

Undergraduate Handbook

All undergraduate majors should obtain a copy of A Guide to the Anthropology Department at UCSC from the department office (361 Social Sciences I Building). It outlines information on department procedures and requirements, program planning, independent study, faculty interests, and campus resources for anthropology majors.

Major Requirements

The Anthropology Department urges students to seek faculty advice early in planning for the major. Faculty hold regular office hours weekly and encourage students to come in to talk about their program or course work. Peer advisers are also available.

The anthropology major is available as a general track or as an intensive specialization in one of the three major subdivisions of the discipline represented at UCSC. To graduate with an anthropology major in the general track, students must take courses 1, 2, 3, and either course 4 or an 80s-level course as background for upper-division courses. They must take a minimum of eight upper-division anthropology courses. At least one of these eight courses must be selected from each of the four categories below:

Sociocultural Anthropology Courses
120 Culture Through Film
123 Psychological Anthropology
124 Anthropology of Religion
126 Sexuality and Society in Cross-Cultural Perspective
128 Born-Again Religion and Culture
129 Other Globalizations
131 Women in Cross-Cultural Perspective
132 Photography and Anthropology
133 Narratives of the Popular
134 Medical Anthropology
136 Diaspora and Transnational Identities
137 Consuming Culture
138 Political Anthropology
139 Language and Culture
140 Art, Artists, Artifacts
142 Anthropology of Law
146 Anthropology and the Environment
150 Communicating Anthropology
151 Workshop in Ethnography
152 Survey of Cultural Anthropological Theory
154 Documenting Culture
161 Hello Dolly! Cultural Politics of Animals
164 Anthropology of Dance
165 Anthropological Folklore
167 Practicing Folklore

Ethnographic Area Studies Courses
130A Peoples and Cultures of Africa
130B Brazil
130C Politics and Culture in China
130D Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East
130E Culture and Politics of Island Southeast Asia
130G Asian Americans in Ethnography and Film
130L Ethnographies of Latin America
130I Cultures of India
130K Politics and Culture in East Asia
130N Native Peoples of North America
130Q Mejicanos in Anthropological Discourse
130S The Anthropology of Black America
130U Amazonia
130X Special Topics in Ethnography

Physical Anthropology and Archaeology Courses
101 Human Evolution
101E Human Evolution Laboratory (2 credits)
102A Human Skeletal Biology
103 Forensic Anthropology
104 Human Adaptability
106 Primate Behavior and Ecology
106E Primate Behavior Laboratory (2 credits)
107 Anatomy of the Human Body
07L Anatomy of the Human Body Laboratory (2 credits)
110 Anthropology of Movement
170 History of Archaeological Theory
172 Archaeological Research Design
173 Origins of Farming
174 Origins of Complex Societies
175A African Archaeology
176A North American Prehistory
180L Ceramic Analysis Laboratory
182A Lithic Technology
183 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Archaeology
184 Zooarchaeology
185 Osteology of Mammals, Birds, and Fish

Senior Seminar Courses
194A History of Evolutionary Theory
194B Community
194E Advanced Topics in Folkloristics
194F Locality and Globalization
194H Thinking with Bateson
194I Anthropology of Development
194J Histories of Forests and Other Wild Places
194K Reading Ethnographies
194L Southwest Prehistory
194M Special Topics in Medical Anthropology
194N Comparison of Cultures
194O Anthropology of Sexuality
194P Space, Place, and Culture
194Q Race, Hegemony, Diaspora
194R Behavioral Ecology in Archaeology
194S Hearing Culture
194T Politics and Inequality
194V Picturing Cultures
194X Women in Politics: A Third World Perspective

Because of the importance of writing in the anthropology major, we offer an additional course, Anthropology 150, Communicating Anthropology, as an upper-division elective every year. This course is strongly recommended for all students in the major.

Two-credit courses cannot be counted toward the eight upper-division courses for the major. Only one 5-credit individual studies course (197, 198, or 199) may be counted toward the eight required upper-division courses.

Comprehensive Requirement

The senior comprehensive requirement in anthropology can be fulfilled either by passing an advanced senior seminar (194-series course), by writing an acceptable independent senior thesis, or by passing a graduate-level anthropology course. Senior seminars are small, writing-intensive classes focusing on advanced topics in anthropology. Prerequisite for admission to a senior seminar is successful completion of courses 1, 2, and 3; senior seminars are restricted to anthropology majors. Students considering an independent thesis must arrange for the sponsorship and support of a faculty member before beginning research. An independent senior thesis (not written within a 194-series course) should be based on original research and reflect the student’s understanding of fundamental theories and issues in anthropology. The thesis should be comparable in content, style, and length (generally 25–30 pages) to a professional journal article in its subfield. Students writing a senior thesis must complete five, instead of four, upper-division electives.

All majors, including double majors, must prepare a program of study in consultation with a member of the Anthropology Department. Double majors in anthropology and another discipline may be arranged by special petition. A combined major in anthropology and Earth sciences, leading to a B.A. degree, is also offered; for that program description see the Earth Sciences Program Description section. Students going on to graduate school should plan course schedules in close consultation with faculty advisers.

Many students emphasizing archaeology within the anthropology major have benefited from concurrent study in the Cabrillo College Archaeological Technology Certificate Program. This vocational certification program is sponsored entirely by Cabrillo College, but credit for its summer field survey and excavation component may be transferred for credit at UCSC. Although courses in the Archaeological Technology Certificate Program cannot be counted toward the anthropology major at UCSC, students who have obtained the certificate in tandem with their bachelor’s degree in anthropology have expanded their employment and advanced degree program opportunities. Students interested in exploring this possibility are encouraged to consult with UCSC archaeology faculty and to visit the program’s web site at:

www.cabrillo.cc.ca.us/divisions/socsci/archtech

Intensive Tracks

Students majoring in intensive tracks will complete the same lower-division requirements as for the general track. Upper-division requirements differ by track and replace the upper-division requirements of the standard track. The senior exit requirement may be filled by a senior seminar (course 194) or a senior thesis and an additional elective. One 5-credit independent study course may be counted as an upper-division elective.

Archaeology
Anthropology 130 (one ethnographic course)
152 Survey of Cultural Anthropological Theory
170 History of Archaeological Theory
172 Archaeological Research Design
173 Origins of Farming, or
174 Origins of Complex Societies
One upper-division area culture history course (175/176 series)
Two upper-division electives
One upper-division laboratory methods course (5 credits or more)
Senior exit requirement

Cultural Anthropology
One upper-division archaeology or physical anthropo-logy course
130 (one ethnographic course)
150 Communicating Anthropology
152 Survey of Cultural Anthropological Theory
151 Workshop in Ethnography, or
154 Documenting Culture
Three upper-division electives
Senior exit requirement

Physical Anthropology
101 Human Evolution
106 Primate Behavior and Ecology
Two laboratory courses from the following:
102A Human Skeletal Biology
107/L Anatomy of the Human Body and Laboratory
130 (one ethnographic course)
152 Survey of Cultural Anthropological Theory
Three upper-division electives
Senior exit requirement

Transfer Students

If possible, transfer students should complete lower-
division requirements for the major before coming to UCSC by taking classes equivalent to courses 1, 2, and 3. Department policy also allows up to 10 quarter credits (equivalent to two UCSC courses) of upper-division transfer credit toward the major requirement. Transfer students should bring a copy of their UCSC Transfer Credit Summary and an unofficial copy of all pertinent transcripts to the adviser in charge of undergraduate studies in the department office (361 Social Sciences 1 Building) as soon as possible after reaching campus so that prerequisites can be verified and course enrollment can proceed smoothly.

Peer Advisers
As a supplement to academic advising offered by faculty members, the Anthropology Department has instituted a peer adviser program. The peer advisers are juniors and seniors who have been trained to help students with questions and general guidance through the anthropology major. Peer advisers hold regularly scheduled office hours in the department office, the Peer Advising Office (347A Social Sciences I), and the Ethnographic Library (328 Social Sciences I).

Honors

Honors in anthropology are awarded to graduating seniors whose evaluations are judged to be consistently outstanding by a committee of anthropology faculty. Highest Honors in the major are reserved for students who have received consistently superior evaluations and a notation of Honors on their senior comprehensive requirement (senior seminar or senior thesis).

Minor Requirements

Students earn a minor in anthropology by completing all of the requirements for the major with the following differences:

• The number of upper-division courses is reduced from eight to six. Of these, at least one must be from each of the following categories: (1) sociocultural anthropology, (2) ethnographic area studies, and (3) physical anthropology or archaeology.

• Independent study courses cannot be used toward completion of the minor.

• No senior seminar or thesis is required.

For more information regarding department policies, please consult the undergraduate adviser at the Anthropology Department Office, 361 Social Sciences 1 Building. A handbook on the anthropology program is available there or online.

Graduate Program

The anthropology doctoral program at UCSC consists of three tracks. The majority of students are admitted to the cultural anthropology program. Small numbers of students are admitted to the programs in either archaeology or physical anthropology. Although applicants are accepted only for the Ph.D. program, students may obtain an M.A. degree after fulfilling specific requirements during the first or second year.

The study of culture and power unites the research interests of the faculty in the cultural anthropology graduate program at UC Santa Cruz. In recent years, anthropology’s central concept of culture has been subjected to extraordinary ethnographic and theoretical pressures. For certain kinds of problems, anthropologists can study culture as shared meanings—symbols, assumptions, and knowledge—which are enduring and stabilizing and possess an internal logic that organizes apparently contradictory or unrelated activities. But problems requiring attention to power—including not only coercion, persuasion, and authority, but also the discursive practices by which meanings are produced and contested—have led anthropologists to retheorize culture. In this perspective, culture is not shared equally but is positioned within a field of inequalities; is more the outcome of events than their precondition; and is as readily manifested in disorder, conflict, and fragmentation as in order and stability.

Our concentration on culture and power and on the construction of anthropological knowledge is especially well suited for drawing together specialists in challenging and enriching conversations. Rather than reproduce the boundaries among the traditional subfields of anthropology, we explore how recombinations of these approaches can elucidate specific anthropological problems.

Working with their faculty advisory committee, students in cultural anthropology have considerable freedom to design their own programs of study after completing the two-quarter core course and the ethnographic practice course during the first year. To achieve Ph.D. candidacy, students are expected to pass a first-year review of their written work, take three additional 5-credit courses in anthropology (excluding independent study courses), maintain satisfactory academic progress, satisfy the ethnographic writing requirement and the foreign language requirement, pass a qualifying exam at the end of the third year, and meet the specific requirements of the Division of Graduate Studies. After advancing to Ph.D. candidacy, students carry out a sustained ethnographic fieldwork project and are expected to complete their dissertation within a year after returning from the field.

Graduate students in cultural anthropology may obtain a notation on the anthropology Ph.D. diploma indicating that they have specialized in women’s studies if they meet requirements spelled out by the individual committee composed of anthropology and women’s studies faculty.

The Ph.D. program in archaeology is highly selective and emphasizes intersections of theories of economy and production, human ecology, gender, and ethnicity, all of which is augmented by rigorous laboratory apprenticeships. Training is offered in combinations of the following: ceramic analysis; zooarchaeology; isotopic characterization studies; and archaeology of the Southwest, California, and Africa.

The Ph.D. program in physical anthropology combines a strong emphasis on hard and soft tissue anatomy with a broad evolutionary perspective. This highly selective track is characterized by intense mentoring of students, involvement of students in instruction as well as course work, and interdisciplinary training. Specific training is offered in skeletal biology, primate anatomy, forensic anthropology, and evolutionary theory.

Although the areas of study of the archaeology and physical anthropology programs are distinct, their paths toward the Ph.D. are the same. In the first year, students take two foundational theory courses and pass a review of their work. Within the first two years of study, students complete at least two foundational materials/methods courses or laboratory courses in other departments; two advanced laboratory apprenticeship courses or similar courses in other departments; two foundational courses in geographic/temporal areas or, in physical anthropology, topical areas; two graduate seminars with other anthropology or campus faculty; one quantitative methods course; and two terms of supervised teaching experience.

The third year requirements are three laboratory apprenticeship courses, the grant writing seminar, and tutorials to prepare for the qualifying exams. All courses outside the department must be approved by the student’s adviser. After advancing to Ph.D. candidacy, the student carries out a sustained laboratory or fieldwork project and is expected to complete the dissertation within a year after finishing research.