Introduction to Anthropology Honors

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Human beings may be classified as one species among many in biological terms, although a strict physical determination marks only the starting point for a broad inquiry into what we mean by human nature. Anthropology moves forward from this beginning to explore, in theory and by empirical investigation, the particular forms of cultural expression that characterize the development of human societies and account for their richness and their remarkable variety. This course examines the fundamental elements of this fascinating social science. It addresses the sometimes-controversial evidence related to such questions as evolution and genetics, as well as issues of ecological adaptation and the emergence of complex societies. It looks into language and other symbolic systems as central components of distinctively human behavior. It concentrates with special emphasis on the vast domain of social and cultural life, drawing upon many ethnographic examples from near and far, to illustrate how anthropologists seek to study all dimensions of human experience, from kinship to kingship and from cyborgs to shamans. Seminar format.