Anthropology Concentration

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About the Program

Coordinators: Dr. Whitney A. M. Leeson and Dr. Chad Morris

A concentration in Anthropology offers students the opportunity to study human beings around the globe using a comparative and holistic framework. In this interdisciplinary concentration, students will develop a recognition of global and historical cultural diversity that will be beneficial in careers that value cross-cultural communication, including business, the arts, education, public policy, and social services. Students in the anthropology concentration will systematically explore the extraordinary range of similarities and differences in humans and human behavior across time and space. Students from any major may graduate with a concentration in Anthropology by successfully completing at least six units from the classes described below and earning a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0. Of these six units, one must be ANTH 101, Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, which the coordinators recommend taking as early as possible. ANTH 101, however, is not a prerequisite to other courses in the Anthropology concentration. Of the remaining five units at least one must come from Anthropology's other subfields of archaeology (ANTH 218), linguistics (ANTH 320), or physical anthropology (ANTH 240). Additionally, at least one course must include a fieldwork experience, chosen from ANTH 310, ANTH 380, ANTH 406, ANTH 416, or another approved course. In accordance with the general rules applicable to all concentrations, no more than three courses from a student's major may apply to the concentration and at least three courses in the concentration must be completed at Roanoke College.

Requirements

Required Courses:

ANTH 101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology; along with at least one course from both the subfield and fieldwork categories

Subfield Category:

ANTH 218 Introduction to Archaeology (cross-listed as HIST 218)
ANTH 240 Race and Human Evolution
ANTH 320 Basic Linguistics (cross-listed as ENGL 320/LING 320)

Fieldwork Category:

ANTH 310 Global Storytelling: Exploring the Ethnographic Process
ANTH 380 Creating Community Change: Applied Anthropology
ANTH 416 Internship
Any approved IL or other course with a substantial anthropology fieldwork component


Elective Courses:

ANTH 212 Food and Culture
ANTH 218 Introduction to Archaeology (cross-listed as HIST 218)
ANTH 240 Race and Human Evolution
ANTH 261 Selected Topics in Anthropology
ANTH 310 Global Storytelling:  Exploring the Ethnographic Process
ANTH 320 Basic Linguistics (cross-listed as ENGL 320/LING 320)
ANTH 361 Selected Topics in Anthropology
ANTH 380 Creating Community Change: Applied Anthropology
ANTH 405, 406, 407 Independent Study
ANTH 416 Internship
ARTH 220 Ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology
ARTH 222 Archaeology of Death in the Ancient Near East
ARTH 224 Encyclopedic Museums and Archaeological Ethics
HIST 206 Historical Archaeology
MUSC 240 Music in Culture
SOCI 323 Health, Illness and Healing
SOCI 327 Religion and Culture
SOCI 329 Global Perspectives on Family
SOCI 337 Environmental Sociology


An internship or independent study focused on an anthropological topic is encouraged; the topic must be approved by the concentration coordinators. Interested students should contact the concentration coordinators as soon as possible for help in identifying additional appropriate courses available on campus (including special topics, INQ, and INQ-IL courses) or through overseas studies programs.

Three of the following: ANTH 101, ANTH 212, ANTH 310, and ANTH 380 may count as electives in the Sociology major (but only one 300-level ANTH course).