2023-2024 Schoolcraft Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Anthropology
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Anthropology courses provide students with an understanding of other cultures and an opportunity to study humankind around the world and throughout the ages. Schoolcraft offers courses in archeology, world religions, Native American traditions, linguistics, cultural diversity, and prehistoric cultures that could lead to careers as historians, teachers, museum curators, or archeologists. In addition, students can:
- Participate in lab work that includes working directly with skeletal material, fossil casts, and stone tool replicas.
- Get involved with campus events like the Multicultural Fair and Global Roundtables.
Students interested in Anthropology should talk to their Academic Advisor about transfer guides and articulation agreements with Schoolcraft College. Students interested in studying Anthropology at a 4-year university may be interested in completing the Associate of Arts, Associate of General Studies, or Associate of Sciences degree at Schoolcraft College.
Degrees
Transfer Degrees
Anthropology
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ANTH 112 - Introduction to Anthropology
Credits: 3
Lecture Contact Hours: 3
Description: Anthropology is the scientific study of humans - in all times and all places. This course introduces the discipline by surveying its four subfields: cultural anthropology, physical or biological anthropology, archaeology and linguistics. Students will explore methods, perspectives and theories for each subfield and how they are applied to solve global issues in today’s complex and rapidly changing world.
Prerequisites: None.
Corequisites: None.
Recommended: None.
Course Category: Liberal Arts | Social Science
This course counts toward Schoolcraft’s General Education Requirements.
This course counts toward a Michigan Transfer Agreement General Education Requirement.
This Course is Typically Offered: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
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Course Competencies
- Apply the key concepts, methods and perspectives used in the major subfields of anthropology.
- Outline the characteristics of culture.
- Illustrate how anthropology can be applied to modern social problems.
- Evaluate the relationship of language and culture.
- Assess the characteristics and behavior of modern primates.
- Outline trends in human physical evolution using fossil evidence.
- Evaluate explanations for modern human physical diversity.
- Summarize the major trends in cultural evolution.
- Compare similarities and differences in cultures worldwide.
- Assess the impact of change, including globalization, on global communities.
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ANTH 117 - Introduction to Archaeology
Credits: 3
Lecture Contact Hours: 3
Description: This course is a general survey of archaeology and includes an overview of the history of the field and the basic theories and methods employed in the study of archaeological cultures. Cultures from around the world are used as examples.
Prerequisites: None.
Corequisites: None.
Recommended: None.
Course Category: Liberal Arts | Social Science
This course counts toward Schoolcraft’s General Education Requirements.
This course counts toward a Michigan Transfer Agreement General Education Requirement.
This Course is Typically Offered: Fall Only
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Course Competencies
- Explain significant developments in archaeology.
- Examine the role of the scientific method in archaeology.
- Investigate current archaeological methods used in the field and laboratory.
- Interpret archaeological data.
- Illustrate how archaeological data is used to reconstruct past cultures.
- Outline the major transitions in cultural evolution.
- Illustrate the use of historic archaeology.
- Explore recent developments in cultural resource management and legislation.
- Examine the use of archaeology in solving modern problems.
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ANTH 120 - Introduction to Physical Anthropology
Credits: 3
Lecture Contact Hours: 3
Description: This course provides a survey of biological anthropology - the study of human beings and their ancestors within an evolutionary framework. The biocultural approach highlights the ways biology, culture and behavior interact. We will cover the basics of genetics and evolutionary theory; study primate physical characteristics and social behaviors; and investigate human biological variation and adaptation to the environment. This evidence will be used to trace human evolution: from the earliest primates to the first bipedal hominids to modern humans.
Prerequisites: None.
Corequisites: None.
Recommended: None.
Course Category: Liberal Arts | Social Science
This course counts toward Schoolcraft’s General Education Requirements.
This course counts toward a Michigan Transfer Agreement General Education Requirement.
This Course is Typically Offered: Fall Only
Check Course Availability
Course Competencies
- Summarize the topics and methods used in Physical Anthropology.
- Identify the role of genetics in the process of evolution.
- Recognize the physical characteristics common to all living primates.
- Describe the social behaviors and culture of living primates.
- Interpret the fossil history of primate evolution.
- Illustrate the evidence documenting the origin of hominids.
- Summarize the biological and cultural evidence for early populations of modern humans.
- Outline the trends in the cultural and physical evolution of modern humans.
- Analyze patterns of modern human adaptation and variation.
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ANTH 201 - Cultural Anthropology
Credits: 3
Lecture Contact Hours: 3
Description: This course provides an introduction to the anthropological concepts, theories and methods used in the study of sociocultural systems throughout the world. Topics such as linguistics, subsistence, economics, family and marriage, kinship, religion and politics are examined to reveal both commonalities and diversity among cultures. The course focuses on the role of anthropology in understanding modern problems such as inequality, globalization, the environment, human health and illness.
Prerequisites: None.
Corequisites: None.
Recommended: None.
Course Category: Liberal Arts | Social Science
This course counts toward Schoolcraft’s General Education Requirements.
This course counts toward a Michigan Transfer Agreement General Education Requirement.
This Course is Typically Offered: Winter, Summer, Fall
Check Course Availability
Course Competencies
- Identify the key concepts, theories and perspectives of cultural anthropology.
- Identify methods and ethics of anthropological fieldwork.
- Describe the characteristics of culture.
- Apply the concepts of holism, ethnocentrism and cultural relativism.
- Identify how anthropological linguistics is used in the study of diverse cultures.
- Compare basic sociocultural institutions such as kinship, economics, religion and politics from societies throughout the world.
- Identify the interaction between culture and the environment.
- Illustrate examples of globalization and cultural change.
- Analyze modern problems from an anthropological perspective.
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ANTH 211 - Myth, Magic, World Religions
Credits: 3
Lecture Contact Hours: 3
Description: This course provides a survey of religious traditions, including magic and witchcraft, using anthropological concepts and theories. Ethnographic and archaeological examples from both indigenous and world religions are compared, showing commonalities and diversity among cultures. Topics include the function and meaning of religious elements such as myth, ritual, symbols, altered states of consciousness and religious specialists. The historical background and cultural context of religious traditions are emphasized, including perspectives of both cultural insiders and outsiders. The role of religion in culture change, conflict and peace is explored.
Prerequisites: None.
Corequisites: None.
Recommended: ANTH 112 or ANTH 201
Course Category: Liberal Arts | Social Science
This course counts toward Schoolcraft’s General Education Requirements.
This course counts toward a Michigan Transfer Agreement General Education Requirement.
This Course is Typically Offered: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
Check Course Availability
Course Competencies
- Identify the concepts, methods and theories used in the anthropology of religion.
- Apply the anthropological principles of ethnocentrism, cultural relativism and holism.
- Identify common features of diverse religious traditions.
- Identify insider and outsider perspectives on religious traditions.
- Explain the varied functions of religious traditions in societies.
- Describe archaeological evidence of religion.
- Analyze religious traditions in small-scale societies from an anthropological perspective.
- Analyze world religions from an anthropological perspective.
- Identify patterns of religious change.
- Identify examples of the role of religion in war and peace.
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ANTH 214 - Native American Traditions
Credits: 3
Lecture Contact Hours: 3
Description: This course provides a survey of Native American cultures from both Native and non-Native perspectives. Social, economic, religious and artistic traditions will be examined. Course content includes a review of prehistoric origins as well as an evaluation of the effects of centuries of contact with people from Europe, Africa and Asia.
Prerequisites: None.
Corequisites: None.
Recommended: ANTH 112 or ANTH 201
Course Category: Liberal Arts | Social Science
This course counts toward Schoolcraft’s General Education Requirements.
This course counts toward a Michigan Transfer Agreement General Education Requirement.
This Course is Typically Offered: Winter Only
Check Course Availability
Course Competencies
- Apply the four subfields of anthropology to the study of Native Americans.
- Evaluate ethnocentric bias and examples of cultural relativism.
- Illustrate the concepts of culture, culture as adaption and culture area.
- Assess the archaeological theories and creation stories about the origins of first Americans.
- Discriminate between the etic and emic perspectives on the traditional culture history of Native Americans.
- Outline the record of key U. S. government policies pertaining to American Indians.
- Explore active construction of culture and responses to change.
- Determine how social and economic structures by culture area are adaptations to shared human needs.
- Explore major issues of importance to contemporary Native Americans.
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ANTH 220 - Environmental Anthropology
Credits: 3
Lecture Contact Hours: 3
Description: This course is an introduction to environmental topics from a holistic and cross-cultural perspective. Environmental anthropology focuses on how diverse populations understand and adapt to the natural world. This course highlights the interplay of human populations and their ecosystems, including topics like globalization, structural discrimination, conservation and sustainability. Anthropological concepts and methods offer a unique perspective on past, current and future environmental challenges.
Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Recommended: None
Course Category: Liberal Arts | Social Science
This course counts toward Schoolcraft’s General Education Requirements.
This course counts toward a Michigan Transfer Agreement General Education Requirement.
This Course is Typically Offered: Fall
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Course Competencies
- Apply the key concepts, theories and perspectives of environmental anthropology.
- Explain alternate cultural frameworks for understanding the environment.
- Outline adaptive strategies for diverse human populations in different time periods.
- Evaluate the impact of human populations on environments.
- Compare the impact of change, including globalization, on the environmental systems of a variety of global communities.
- Assess the impact of social inequalities and structural discrimination on human populations and their ecosystems.
- Outline the origins and issues of the Anthropocene.
- Illustrate culturally appropriate strategies for conservation and sustainability.
- Analyze case studies of environmental issues from an anthropological perspective.
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ANTH 230 - Medical Anthropology
Credits: 3
Lecture Contact Hours: 3
Description: This course provides a survey of medical anthropology - the study of disease, illness and health from a cross-cultural perspective. Anthropological concepts and methods offer a unique perspective on interactions of cultural frameworks, lived experiences and health care institutions. This course highlights a biocultural approach; including topics such as cultural change, globalization, adaptation, social inequality, nutrition and public health. Examples from around the world and over time illustrate the commonalities and diversity among cultural constructions about what it means to be sick or well.
Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Recommended: None
Course Category: Liberal Arts | Social Science
This course counts toward Schoolcraft’s General Education Requirements.
This course counts toward a Michigan Transfer Agreement General Education Requirement.
This Course is Typically Offered: Winter
Check Course Availability
Course Competencies
- Apply the key concepts, theories and perspectives of medical anthropology.
- Compare various cultural constructions of mental, spiritual and physical health; illness; and healing.
- Outline lived experiences of health, illness and disability for individuals and social groups.
- Explain the impact of human adaptive strategies on nutrition and health.
- Outline how social inequalities and structural discrimination impact disease, disability and health.
- Compare public health practices and institutions across a variety of cultures.
- Interpret the impact of change, including globalization, on the origin, distribution and treatment of disease.
- Apply medical anthropology to past and contemporary case studies involving disease and health care.
- Evaluate the future challenges to human health and the promises of medicine.
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ANTH 290 - The Individual and Community - An Honors Capstone
Credits: 3
Lecture Contact Hours: 3
Description: This course offers a conclusion to the Schoolcraft Scholars Honors Program. In this course, students conduct community-focused fieldwork and present a capstone project. Concepts, methods, and perspectives from multiple social sciences will be used. The analysis focuses on social-cultural structures and dynamics at the individual, group, community, and global levels. Students reflect on contemporary social issues and their experiences in service learning.
Prerequisites: HUM 190
Corequisites: None
Recommended: None
Course Category: Liberal Arts | Social Science
This course counts toward Schoolcraft’s General Education Requirements.
This course counts toward a Michigan Transfer Agreement General Education Requirement.
This Course is Typically Offered: Winter Only
Check Course Availability
Course Competencies
- Identify the key concepts, methods, and perspectives used in the social sciences.
- Analyze social-cultural structures and dynamics at individual, group, community, and global levels.
- Identify how social structures, institutions, and trends shape the lives of individuals in modern society.
- Apply course concepts and social science theories to issues of diversity and inequality in society.
- Evaluate underlying causes of contemporary social issues.
- Conduct fieldwork in the community as part of a capstone service-learning project.
- Work cooperatively with partners and in groups.
- Illustrate the cultural context and function of a community organization as it relates to capstone fieldwork.
- Present an analysis of a capstone service-learning project.
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