Introduction to GIS for Anthropologists

3 units

Use of GIS is rapidly becoming standard practice in anthropological research. This course will introduce students to the basic theories and techniques of GIS. Topics will include the application of GIS in archaeologial survey and ethnographic research, as well as marketing, transportation, demographics, and urban and regional planning. This course will enable students to become familiar not only with GIS software such as ArcGIS, but also the methodologies and tools used to collect and analyze spatial data. Students will gain expertise engaging with data situated across a number spatial scales, from households, communities and cities to landscapes, nation-states, and global phenomena. Students will need to work on their own laptops, but no software purchases are necessary.