Anthropology

What makes us different from each other? What makes us similar? Exploring and comparing practises of kinship, politics, economics and religion in societies from around the world give us powerful insights into the unique human capacity to create cultures, and into the ways in which culture is fundamental and essential to our shared human experience. 

Examines foragers, horticulturalists, pastoralists, and peasants and investigates their systems of exchange with each other and with the environment. 

Explores a diversity of small scale societies, with a focus on their kinship and political systems. 

Examines a wide range of belief systems in order to introduce students to the study of religions from an anthropological perspective. 

Introduces archaeological methods and theories through an examination of the paleolithic cultures of Africa, Europe and Asia. 

This course addresses central dynamic tensions in Archaeology and their impact on archaeological practice, including culture history versus cultural process; materialist versus idealist approaches to the past; processual versus post-processual archaeologies; archaeology as a study of the archaeological record versus archaeology of as a study of past human cultures; academic archaeology versus cultural resource management; archaeology and Aboriginal peoples. 

People have lived in what is now New Brunswick for at least 10,000 years. This course presents an archaeological perspective on the rich and fascinating past of the province, from the earliest archaeological evidence through to the nineteenth century. It is intended for a general audience, as well as students of anthropology. 

An introduction to the field of Biological Anthropology, with an emphasis on genetics, evolution, paleo-anthropology, and primatology. Lecture/laboratory format. 

Examines landmark theories and enduring debates in order to encourage students to evaluate anthropological theories and to think more critically about the nature of theory in the social sciences.

This course allows students to receive university credit for experience in social science research gained under the supervision of a university-seated researcher or from a non-university organization. Registration: Students may only register after making arrangements for supervision and grading with the department.

This course addresses quantitative anthropological research design and statistical analysis. The course guides students through the process of anthropological research: formulating a research question, choosing a methodology, collecting and analysing data, and producing a project report. Students can incorporate archaeology, social anthropology and medical anthropology, research interests into their research projects. 

How do human gender roles vary from culture to culture and over time? How has anthropology attempted to explain these variations? What are the implications for the nature/nurture debate? Examples are drawn from archaeology, physical anthropology, and social and cultural studies.

Examines how human societies have solved disputes, regulated sexuality, and organized property, including the changes brought about under colonialism and globalization. 

This course surveys of the cultural history of North America through an in-depth examination of the origins and development of the Native cultures of North America, from the earliest traces to European contact. 

This course presents a detailed examination of the historical, theoretical and methodological development of Americanist archaeology.

Allows students to receive university credit for experience gained in museum studies, collections management and/or material culture analysis gained outside the university setting. 

The lab school offers an introduction to archaeological analytical techniques through participation in a lab-based research project. This section emphasizes systematic approaches to research, recognition and cataloguing of archaeological materials, and basic data recovery. 

The lab school offers an introduction to archaeological analytical techniques through participation in a lab-based research project. This section emphasizes quantitative methods, data manipulation and presentation, and technical analyses.

This course explores ancient technologies from the view of experimental archaeology and replication of specific tools. Various materials, such as stone, clay, metal and cloth are examined, and particular tool classes, such as weapons, containers, and transport vessels are considered. 

This seminar examines the domain and nature of archaeological inquiry, and the relationships among archaeology and other disciplines in the social, physical and natural sciences.

Allows students to receive university credit for experience gained in archaeological field research outside the university setting.

The field school offers an introduction to archaeological field techniques through participation in a field research project. This section emphasizes safety in the field, systematic approaches to research, site survey, recording, testing and excavation techniques.

The field school offers an introduction to archaeological field techniques through participation in a field research project. This section emphasizes recognition and recovery of archaeological materials, recording of basic field procedures and recovery of materials for technical analyses.

This course provides an overview of the history of archaeological projects in the Maya area. It includes the varied methods and theories employed by Mayanists along with their shifting research interests over time. Key researchers in the history of Maya archaeology will be studied along with the social and historical contexts of their research. 

Taught in Mexico during the intersession, this is an attempt to familiarize students with the languages and cultures of the Yucatan Peninsula. 

Examines nonverbal communication through the exploration of recent interdisciplinary approaches in the social and behavioral sciences in order to provide the necessary theoretical and content knowledge for cross-cultural communication.

A cross-cultural study of human sickness and health from a biocultural point of view. Topics emphasized are: disease among the non-human primates; medical history in the fossil record; adaptation and disease; ethnomedicine and the traditional healer; the influence of culture on human biology and disease.

Why do humans vary from one another and what are the factors responsible for this variation? The focus of this course is to explore the nature and extent of human variation and attempts to explain this variability at the genetic level. The evolutionary framework in which these inherited characteristics came to exist will also be considered.

Explores the distinctiveness of Canada’s Aboriginal peoples through their varied societies and cultures and how these have withstood centuries of colonial impact to confront the many shared challenges of living in contemporary Canadian society.

Nunavut has grown out of an intensive debate about Inuit self-governance. A large part of this debate has been shared with Inuit and Eskimoic groups living in other parts of the Arctic whose cultures and societies often reflect similarities with Canadian Inuit, yet whose administrative and political experiences have differed widely. Here, the cultural world of the Arctic becomes the starting point for understanding the various management strategies adopted by different countries in relation to the circumpolar north and the peoples who live there.

Relates specific ethnographic studies of Latin American societies to the analysis of colonialism, imperialism and underdevelopment.

Introduces basic concepts for the analysis of South Asian society, including class, caste, ethnic groups, local and national state and economic relations, in an historical context of colonialism and underdevelopment. Debates surrounding these issues are addressed.

The ethical codes of many national anthropological associations recommend that teachers impress upon students the ethical challenges involved in every phase of anthropological work, as well as encouraging them to reflect upon available ethical codes. They also encourage dialogue with colleagues on ethical issues. This seminar provides a forum for extended discussions of complex ethical challenges that face anthropologists in their professional work.

Examines how culture mediates the relationship between humans and their environment, including traditional ecological knowledge and/or local knowledge systems. 

Offers an in-depth analysis of one of a range of potential topics in socio-cultural studies. 

Examines the wide diversity of gender roles, kinship forms and marital arrangements in human cultures of all scales. 

Explains the cultural and social roots of religious beliefs as well as the diversity of religious understandings and practices throughout the world.

Identity is often as much about politics as it is about cultural heritage. The inherent difficulties of politicising culture will be examined in light of anthropological theories of political action. 

In this seminar, students examine the 11,000 years of prehistory in the Atlantic region, emphasizing changes in material culture, ecological adaptations, and social interaction.

This seminar provides an in-depth examination of an archaeological topic selected by the instructor. Examples of topics that may be selected include: geoarchaeology, prehistoric human ecology, hunter-gatherer studies, consulting archaeology, or diet and subsistence. 

A seminar course designed to evaluate the application of medical anthropology in understanding and improving human health problems. A selection of case studies reflecting the various dimensions of medical anthropology in different cultural contexts will be considered. The course begins with an introduction to the research methods used in medical anthropology. The important theoretical constructs that have influenced the field of medical anthropology and their application in research problems will be examined.

Examines the genetic basis of human evolution. With the advent of modern genetic technologies, it has been possible to compare and contrast evolutionary relationships at the genetic level. The current debate in biological anthropology surrounds the origin of anatomically modern Homo sapiens based on DNA evidences. An in-depth examination of fossil evidences along with the genetic picture will be considered. 

 Anthropology is primarily concerned with the study of humankind, while the science of genetics deals with heredity and variation among related organisms. This course introduces the basic concepts of human genetics and examines its application in anthropological research. The course focuses on the Human Genome Project including ethical dilemmas surrounding human genetic research.

A seminar course designed to evaluate the gender dimension of health and disease, and addresses the articulation of gender roles and ideology with health status, the organization of health care, and health policy in a cross-cultural perspective. Gender is a cultural construct, and cultural ideas about women’s health and women’s bodies differ between social groups and historical periods. Gender issues pertain to men as well, and male gender roles and expectations are also culturally constructed. There are biomedical consequences to the cultural constructions of gender differences. The course will also examine how expressions of gender and power can play a role in prevention and treatment strategies.

Students explore the research process through conducting individual archaeological research projects developed in conjunction with the instructor. 

Education is quintessentially a cultural matter. Regardless of the context -- be it in the formal education systems found around the world or the many informal ways of passing on skills and knowledge, with the attendant social position, prestige and power -- education is centred in culture. A systematic comparison of learning institutions and practices across a range of different cultural settings reveals surprising insights about social understandings of teaching, learning, and the management of knowledge.

Examines contemporary theoretical approaches and develops research skills in socio-cultural anthropology. Open only to anthropology Honours students, or with permission of instructor.