Anthropology of the Human Face

3 units

A survey of the human face, including both an evolutionary perspective on why our faces changed to look the way they do today and a theoretical perspective on how we create and maintain self-image through body modification. Comparative and cross-cultural approaches are used to understand modern human craniofacial and cultural diversity. The course includes discussions of how perceptions of biological variation inform social interactions and of how sociocultural norms pattern body modification, both presently and historically. Most importantly, students will learn how information obtained with archaeological, sociocultural, and biological methods is integrated to address anthropological questions.