Anthropology Course Descriptions
ANTH 300
Physical Anthropology
3 Units
Prerequisite: None.
Advisory: ENGWR 51 or ESLR 50; or equivalent skills demonstrated through the assessment process.
General Education: AA/AS Area IV; CSU Area B2; IGETC Area 5B
Course Transferable to UC/CSU
Hours: 54 hours LEC
This course is an introduction to the science of physical anthropology, and analyzes the human place in nature. This class focuses on how humans evolved and the unique role of culture in our evolution and how genetics and reproduction shape our lives. The course also covers the classification and distribution of living and extinct human populations, how we determine the geological age of our ancestors, and our relationship to non-human primates such as monkeys and apes. Topics covered in this course include: the scientific method, principles and mechanisms of genetics and heredity, geological dating methods, classification of humans and our near relatives, social organization and behavior of living primates, comparative skeletal anatomy of humans and non-human primates. Local field trips may be required and may involve a small entrance fee.
ANTH 301
Physical Anthropology Laboratory
1 Unit
Prerequisite: None.
Corequisite: ANTH 300
Advisory: ENGWR 51, ESLR 50, and MATH 30
General Education: CSU Area B3; IGETC Area 5B
Course Transferable to UC/CSU
Hours: 54 hours LAB
This course is an introductory laboratory course designed to provide students with an opportunity to become familiar with the methods of the science of physical anthropology while investigating topics in laboratory and field situations. Topics covered in the course are: the scientific method, sources of biological variation and forces of evolution, human osteology (bone identification), human variation, taxonomy and comparative osteology of the primates, comparative behavior, and the fossil evidence for human evolution. A field trip to the local zoo will be included and will involve a small entrance fee. This course is designed as a companion course to Anthropology 300 - Introduction to Physical Anthropology.
ANTH 303
Introduction to Forensic Anthropology
3 Units
Prerequisite: None.
Advisory: ANTH 300, ANTH 301, and ENGWR 51
General Education: AA/AS Area IV
Course Transferable to CSU
Hours: 54 hours LEC
This course provides an overview of forensic anthropology, which is an applied field of physical anthropology. Forensic anthropologists answer questions of medicolegal significance by applying techniques designed for the analysis of human skeletal remains. Includes techniques used for human skeletal identification and trauma analysis. This identification will provide understanding of the broader aspects of applied anthropology and its role working with law enforcement agencies, human rights issues as well as ethical considerations.
ANTH 310
Cultural Anthropology
3 Units
Prerequisite: None.
General Education: AA/AS Area V (b); AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area D1; IGETC Area 4A
Course Transferable to UC/CSU
Hours: 54 hours LEC
This course is an introduction to the cultures and customs of human groups throughout the world with the aim of understanding how cultures function based on their world views. Topics include subsistence methods, religious belief systems, linguistics, economics, political organization, kinship, gender, marriage and family systems, social stratification, and globalization. This course stresses anthropological concepts such as culture, cultural relativism, holism, ethnocentrism, cross-cultural comparisons, world view, culture change, fieldwork, ethics and theory. A field trip may be required at the discretion of the instructor.
ANTH 316
Global Forces in Culture Change
3 Units
Prerequisite: None.
Enrollment Limitation: None.
General Education: AA/AS Area V (b); AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area D2; IGETC Area 4
Course Transferable to CSU
Hours: 54 hours LEC
The course will focus on how global forces in culture change have an impact on groups of people within the United States and non-western cultures, such as European colonialism (including the slave trade), minority and indigenous people activism, and a redefinition of male and female roles with migration. The course considers such global forces as modernization, development, trade and finance, tourism, migration and refugees, transnationalism, ethnicity and diasporas, technology and digital media, and tribal cultures. Culture change will be illustrated through various ethnographic examples and includes issues such as women's issues, AIDS/HIV, underemployment, famine, terrorism, the digital divide, and overpopulation.
ANTH 320
Introduction to Archaeology and World Prehistory
3 Units
Prerequisite: None.
General Education: AA/AS Area V (b); CSU Area D2; IGETC Area 4
Course Transferable to UC/CSU
Hours: 54 hours LEC
This course is an introduction to Archeology and World Prehistory. It is a study of the prehistoric, cultural and social record of Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas and island societies. The course introduces students to the theory, concept, and methods employed in the study of human prehistory in the social sciences. It stresses how archeology addresses questions about the development and diverse evolution of social and cultural systems. The course conveys an understanding of how the questions, methods and techniques of archeology are directed by anthropological theory, and surveys the history of archeology/prehistory and its modern concerns. Prehistory explores the problems and achievements of non-literate and "traditional" cultures, diverse communities, and classes over time based on a comparison of a wide range of archaeological examples from all over the world.
ANTH 323
Introduction to Archaeology
3 Units
Prerequisite: None.
General Education: AA/AS Area V (b)
Course Transferable to UC/CSU
Hours: 54 hours LEC
This course is an introduction to the concepts, methods and theoretical perspectives employed in the scientific study of archaeology. Emphasis will be placed on how data is retrieved from the archaeological record, and how it can be used to address questions about the development and evolution of human social systems. Topics will include archaeological theory, survey and excavation methods, laboratory analysis, reconstructing past environments, and drawing conclusions about the past from archaeological data. This course will draw upon examples from the New World as well as archaeological examples worldwide. A field trip may be required.
ANTH 324
World Prehistory
3 Units
Prerequisite: None.
General Education: AA/AS Area V (b)
Course Transferable to UC/CSU
Hours: 54 hours LEC
This course is a broad survey of world prehistory, from an archaeological perspective. Patterns of culture change will be examined beginning at the emergence of human culture through the development of domestication of plants and animals, to the development of literate societies capable of recording their own history (in writing). Included are major cultural developments on every continent, emphasizing similarities and differences in the nature and timing of key technological, cultural, and social changes. The course will be focused around several key developments in human societies including the transition out of the last ice age, domestication of plants and animals, the establishment of "complex" societies, and the development of important technologies, including pottery and writing. Methodologies for learning about the past, major archaeological discoveries, important personalities, and contributions to the modern world are discussed in the context of understanding the strengths and limitations of a scientific approach to human prehistory.
ANTH 331
The Anthropology of Religion
3 Units
Prerequisite: None.
Advisory: Eligibility for ENGWR 300
General Education: AA/AS Area V (b); AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area D1; IGETC Area 4A
Course Transferable to CSU
Hours: 54 hours LEC
This course is a cross-cultural study of the forms and functions of supernatural beliefs and associated rituals in various societies around the world. Emphasis of the course is on understanding beliefs and rituals within their social contexts and on broad comparisons to derive insight into the general functions of beliefs and rituals in human life. Students who have already completed ANTH 330 should not enroll in this course.
ANTH 332
Native Peoples of California
3 Units
Prerequisite: None.
General Education: AA/AS Area V (b); AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area D1; IGETC Area 4A
Course Transferable to UC/CSU
Hours: 54 hours LEC
This course provides a study of the many cultures of the different native inhabitants of California from the prehistoric period to the present time. In addition it will cover an introduction to the diversity and complexity of aboriginal California. It includes the environmental adaptation, material culture, social structure, ideology, and response to change. In addition to gaining perspectives on the great diversity of indigenous cultures in California, the student will examine the impact of the other Native, European, Asian and African groups on those cultures as well as the contributions of Native Californians to the cultures of the Americas. A field trip, with a possible small entrance fee may be required.
ANTH 334
Native Peoples of North America
3 Units
Prerequisite: None.
General Education: AA/AS Area V (b); AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area D1; IGETC Area 4A
Course Transferable to UC/CSU
Hours: 54 hours LEC
This course is an introductory survey of traditional Native American societies. The course will describe our understanding of the peoples and cultures of North America and emphasize native ecological adaptations, languages, social organizations, religion, mythologies and world view, and artistic representations. The student will critically examine the impact of tribal nations on each other as well as the interactions between Native Americans and Europeans, Africans, Asians, Pacific Islanders and others. Perspectives on changes in traditional life and Native American's current position in American society will be included as well as contributions of Native Americans to the cultures of the Americas. A field trip, with a small entrance fee, may be required.
ANTH 341
Introduction to Linguistics
3 Units
Prerequisite: None.
General Education: AA/AS Area V (b); CSU Area D1; IGETC Area 4A
Course Transferable to UC/CSU
Hours: 54 hours LEC
This course will involve the student in the exploration of the role of language in social interaction and world view, minority languages and dialects, bilingualism, literacy and the social motivation of language change. The student will also be introduced to the analytical techniques of linguistics and the demonstration of their relevance to language in sociocultural issues.
ANTH 374
Birth to Death: The Anthropology of Primate Culture and Behavior
3 Units
Prerequisite: None.
Advisory: ANTH 300
General Education: AA/AS Area V (b); AA/AS Area IV; CSU Area D1; IGETC Area 4A
Course Transferable to UC/CSU
Hours: 54 hours LEC
This course will provide an overview of the life cycle of all primates, including humans, from an anthropological perspective. The basic biology behind the human life cycle will be examined and compared to nonhuman primates. Human and nonhuman primate life histories will be examined cross-culturally and will be compared and contrasted in light of their evolution and origins. The class will stress how cultural practices interact and support optimal reproductive behavior. Topics will include gestation and birth, adolescence, mating strategies and group structure, adulthood and senescence.
ANTH 495
Independent Studies in Anthropology
1-3 Units
Prerequisite: None.
Course Transferable to CSU
See UC Limitations & Counselor
Hours: 54 hours LEC; 54 hours LAB
An independent studies project involves an individual student or small group of students in study, research, or activities beyond the scope of regularly offered courses. See the current catalog section of "Special Studies" for full details of Independent Studies.
ANTH 498
Work Experience in Anthropology
1-4 Units
Prerequisite: None.
General Education: AA/AS Area III (b)
Course Transferable to CSU
Hours: 300 hours LAB
This course provides students with opportunities to develop marketable skills in preparation for employment or advancement within their current job. Course content will include understanding the application of education to the workforce; completion of required forms, which document the student's progress and hours spent at the work site; and developing workplace skills and competencies. During the course of the semester, the student is required to fulfill an 18 hour orientation and 75 hours of related paid work experience, or 60 hours of unpaid work experience for one unit. An additional 75 or 60 hours of related work experience is required for each additional unit. The course may be taken again when there is new or expanded learning on the job for a maximum of 16 units.
ANTH 499
Experimental Offering in Anthropology
.5-4 Units
Prerequisite: None
Course Transferable to CSU
See UC Limitations & Counselor
Hours: 18 hours LEC; 54 hours LAB