ANT Graduate Courses

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Last updated: Oct 05, 2021 by JoAnn Rhoades
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Students enrolled in the Ph.D. program will take some courses from the extensive list of courses offered for graduate credit by the Department of Anthropology. Senior undergraduates as well as graduate students may take courses numbered "5__."

Six and seven hundred-level courses are usually open only to graduate students. The following is a list of all the Department of Anthropology graduate course offerings:

Code indicating how frequently the course is offered. Variations are:

  • S -  Every semester
  • Y - At least 1x fall or spring
  • E -  Even Academic Yr (e.g., 2004-05)
  • O -  Odd Academic year (e.g., 2007-08)
  • SI -  Upon sufficient interest
  • IR - Irregularly
  • SS - Only during the summer

ANT 500  Selected topics   SI  

Exploration of a topic (to be determined) not covered by the standard curriculum but of interest to faculty and students in a particular semester.
Repeatable

ANT 553 (crosslisted with:WGS 553)  Women and Social Change   E  

Function of changes in women’s roles in sociocultural urbanization, revolution, and modernization. Women in Third World countries compared to women in industrialized countries.

ANT 571  (crosslisted with:LIN 571, SOC 571) Topics in Sociolinguistics   SI  

Functions of language in society. Geographical, socioeconomic, and male-female differentiation. Functions if various types if speech events.

ANT 574  Anthropology and Physical Design   E

Interrelationship of social and spatial organization in traditional and modern societies. Nonverbal communication: use of space, territoriality, and impact of physical design on human behavior.

ANT 600 Selected Topics

Exploration of a topic (to be determined) not covered by the standard curriculum but if interest to faculty and students in a particular semester.
Repeatable 

ANT 611  History of Anthropological Theory   Y

Main theoretical approaches to the study of the origin and development of society and culture-culture evolutionists, functionalists, diffusionists, structuralists, and historicists. Prereq.: graduate standing or permission of instructor.

ANT 612  Ethnology  SI
PREREQ ANT 611

Human societies in their many component parts: kinship, politics, social organization, religion, values, etc. Theoretical models most applicable to these differing topics.

ANT 614  Cities, Spaces and Power   O

Processes of urbanization, migration, adjustment of peasants in cities, ethnic and cultural variation in urban areas. Cultural differences in industrial development. Uses of applied anthropology in urban situations. Sometimes offered abroad.

ANT 616  Political Anthropology   IR

Social power in the global political economy. Co-existence of various emergent and residual social formations, such as tribe, peasant, and state. Conflicts over identities in terms of nationality, gender, ethnicity, race and/or class.

ANT 617  Economic Anthropology   IR  

Survey of primitive modes of production: Major adaptive strategies (collecting, hunting, horticulture, and pastoralism), division of labor, and ecological influences impinging on these productive techniques.

ANT 619 (crosslisted with:REL 619) Ritual Theory and Religious Practice IR

Survey and evaluation of major ritual theories, tested against a particular set of religious and cultural practices, such as those involving purification and pollutions, or holiday festivals. 

ANT 620  Readings, Research and Ethnography   S

Individual or group readings and research on topics in ethnography. Student or group works with a faculty member and submits reports as individually arranged.
Repeatable

ANT 621  (crosslisted with:SAS 622) Gender & Sexuality in South Asia   O

Seminar examines gender and sexuality in South Asia through ethnographies and films. Topics explored relating to gender and sexuality include: colonialism; nationalism; development; globalization; kinship; the life cycle; caste and class; religion; same-sex/”third sex” identities. Additional work required of graduate students.

ANT 623  (crosslisted with:LAS 623) Effects of Globalization in Latin America O

A grassroots view of major transformations in Latin America due to globalization/global change, including adapations to global warming, effects of and reactions to neoliberal policies, internal and international migration, ethic movements and social revolutions. 

ANT 624  Negotiation: Theory and Practice   Y

Negotiation skills for resolving differences effectively and achieving mutually satisfying outcomes. Position based versus interest based negotiation. Advanced techniques of communication such as chunking, reframing, anchoring, metaphor and rapport to obtain negotiation outcomes of excellence. Additional work required of graduate students.

ANT 625  Problems in the Anthropology of South Asia (Seminar)   IR  

One topic of theoretical concern to anthropologists dealing with South Asia, e.g. caste, kinship, village, Hinduism, economics, urbanization, rural/urban networks.

ANT 626  (crosslisted with:PAI 626, SAS 626) Cultures and Politics of Afghanistan and Pakistan  E

Major historical and anthropological issues pertaining to people of African ancestry in Latin America and the Caribbean. Search for ‘Africanisms’; kinship, popular culture, and religion. Recent Black Consciousness movements.

ANT 627  Brazil: Anthropological Perspectives    IR

History and culture of Brazil; indigenous populations; Afro-Brazilians; race and ethnic relations; development; kinship; gender; religion; urbanization; politics; nationalism; globalization. Additional work required of graduate students

ANT 628 (crosslisted with:REL 628) Muslim Rituals, Practices and Performances  IR

Historical, cultural, and sociological analysis of pan-Islamic festivals and rituals. Local, culturally specific, unofficial practices in Islam. Prereq: permission of instructor.

ANT 629  Transformation of Eastern Europe   IR

Change and continuity after the demise of communism as experienced by ordinary citizens. Transformations in agriculture, industry, social, and political institutions; the rise of ethnic nationalism; and ethnic conflict.

ANT 631  Method and Theory in Biological Anthropology   Y

Mechanisms of human adaptation to environmental stress; emphasizing human variation. Cultural and biological modes of adaptation. Paradigmatic and methodological issues, with special emphasis on biocultural and contemporary approaches.

ANT 633  Advanced Human Osteology   E
Double numbered with ANT 433
Forensic uses of human osteology. Skeletal differentiation of living and fossil human populations from mammals. Overview of statistics. Procedures for estimating height, age, sex, and race.

ANT 634 Anthropology of Death  E
Double numbered with ANT 434
Survey of the many ways how death has entered into the work of archaeologists, bioanthropologists, ethnographers, and social theorists. 

ANT 636  Bioarchaeology   E
Double numbered with ANT 436
Surveys the analysis of human skeletal remains in archaeological and medico-legal settings. Methods and techniques of analysis and interpretation will be emphasized. Case studies will be used to illustrate application to variable social and historical contexts. Additional work required of graduate students.

ANT 638 Beyond the Biological Need to Eat: the Archaeology of Food E

What does it mean for something to be "good to eat?" Survey of anthorpological and archaeological perspectives on how culture, politics, and power inform what and how we eat. Additional work required of graduate students. 

ANT 641  Anthropological Archaeology   Y 

Methodology and theory in prehistoric archaeology. Development of archaeological theory, design and execution of research. Application of archaeology to solving problems in culture change and development.

ANT 642  Methods in Archaeology   O  

Formulation and conduct of archaeological research with a focus on field and laboratory methods used to obtain and analyze data. Survey techniques, excavation strategies, archaeological classification, and data base management.

ANT 643  Advanced Field Methods in Archaeology   SS  

Supervised training in excavating, organizing, coordinating, and directing research on a prehistoric archeological site.
Repeatable

ANT 644  Laboratory Analysis in Archaeology   E

Introduction to archaeological materials analysis, artifact-classification systems, processing of data, materials analysis (ceramic, lithic, etc.). Conservation and curation of collections.

ANT 645 (crosslisted with:NAT 645) Public Policy and Archaeology   IR

Proactive critique of public policy and implementation efforts to preserve and protect archaeological and historical sites and resources.

ANT 646  Caribbean Archaeology    IR

Caribbean archaeology from the region’s early prehistory through the historic period. Cultural diversity, indigenous societies, Hispanic and colonial impacts, and the African Diaspora.

ANT 647 (crosslisted with:NAT 647) Archaeology of North America  IR  

Introduction to the regional prehistory of North America north of Mexico, from the late Pleistocene until European contact. Adaptation of prehistoric human populations to their ecosystems.

ANT 649 - World Heritage Sites   E

A seminar exploring global perspectives on UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Review of laws and policies aimed at protecting cultural and natural sites that have been defined as universally significant. Includes evaluation and critique of policies and practices. Additional work required of graduate students.

ANT 651 (crosslisted with:REL 651, SOC 651) Classics in the Sociology of Religion and Morals   IR

Classical sociological writings of Emile Durkheim and Max Weber and their contemporary significance.

ANT 652  Anthropology Public Policy   IR

Cultural aspects of the development and implementation of public policy. Emphasizing decision-making methodologies and ethnographic studies of the consequences of implemented policies.

ANT 653  Poverty, Policy and Human Services   IR

National programs and local interventions that address poverty related social conditions in Syracuse and Onondaga County. Field study of current policies and practices in government and in health, education, and human services agencies.

ANT 655 (crosslisted with:WGS 655) Culture and AIDS   Y  

Relationship between AIDS and cultures in which it spreads. Cultural practices and sexuality and social effects of widespread AIDS, including healthcare in Asia, Africa, Latin America and USA.

ANT 656 (crosslisted with:NAT 656)  Representations of Indigenous Peoples in Popular Cultures  IR

Contested images used by colonizers and other non-indigenous people to represent Native Americans and other indigenous peoples. How indigenous people represent themselves in different types of media.

ANT 657 - Race in Latin America and the Caribbean   IR

Theoretical approaches to race; history of racial ideologies; how racial ideologies influence self-concepts and life chances; interactions of racial ideologies with expressive culture and religion; antiracism movements; state efforts to dismantle racial inequality; race and transnational migration.

ANT 659 (crosslisted with:NAT 659) Contemporary Native North American Issues  IR

Contemporary issues including federal Indian Policy, population controls, fishing rights, religious freedom, land disputes, gaming, repatriation, environmental colonialism and Native American artistic response.

ANT 661 (crosslisted with:NAT 661) Museums and Native Americans  IR

The contested relationships among Native North Americans and Museums from earliest contact until the present. Topics include: “salvage” ethnography, collecting practices, exhibition and recent shifts in power.

ANT 662 (crosslisted with:HTW 662) Culture and Reproductive Health and Medicine   IR

Cultural anthropological approaches to cross-cultural variations in reproductive practices (pregnancy, childbirth, infertility, etc.) Impact of globalization, biomedicalization, international development on reproduction and reproductive health. Medical anthropology and gender studies.

ANT 663 (crosslisted with:HTW 663) Global Health   IR

Global health in anthropological perspective. Examines how culture affects people’s experience and response to morbidity and mortality. Considers topics like gender and health, reproductive health, infectious disease, health and inequality and health and war.

ANT 665  Critical Issues in Medical Anthropology  O  

Critical aspects of health care delivery in the United States. Curing in primitive societies. Problems of introducing Western medicine to other cultures. Permission of instructor.

ANT 666  Culture and Sexual Behavior   IR  

Cross cultural patterns of dating and courtship, sexuality, marriage, fertility and divorce from biosocial and medical perspectives. Additional work required of graduate students.

ANT 667  Culture and Mental Disorder   E

Theories portraying mental disorders as social roles Goffman, Szasz, Laing. Synthesis of social role and biogenetic theories performed and applied cross-culturally. Additional work required of graduate students. Prereq: any introductory course in social science. Permission of instructor.

ANT 668 (crosslisted with:MES 668, PAI 668) Middle East in Anthropological Perspective   IR

Anthropology of the social, cultural, geographical, and political realities of the Middle East. Additional work required of graduate students.

ANT 669 - Medical Anthropology in Ecological Perspective   O

Interaction of biological and cultural factors in disease causation, diagnosis, and treatment in Western and non-Western societies. Introducing Western medicine to non-Western cultures. Additional work required of graduate students.

ANT 670 Experience Credit   S

Participation in a discipline or subject related experience. Student must be evaluated by written or oral reports or an examination. Permission in advance with the consent of the department chairperson, instructor, and dean. Limited to those in good academic standing. 
Repeatable

ANT 672 (crosslisted with:LIN 672, WGS 672) Language, Culture and Society   Y

Cross-cultural survey of the role of language in culture and society, including cognition and language usage along the dimensions of class, gender, race, ethnicity, and social status. Prereq. for ANT/LIN 472: anthropology or linguistics majors with senior standing.

ANT 673 - Peace and Conflict in the Balkans: Anthropological Perspectives   IR

Introduction to Balkan histories, cultures, and societies. Topics include ethnic nationalism, the wars of Yugoslav dissolution, effects of international humanitarian interventions on everyday life, and politics of reconciliation and reconstruction. Additional work required of graduate students.

ANT 675  Culture and Disputing    IR

Explores modalities of disputing, dispute resolution, and conflict management in cross-cultural perspective. Decision making in meetings and organizations, negotiation, mediation, inter-cultural negotiation, and third party interventions. Ethnographic materials are drawn from many cultures. Prereq: ANT 477/677 or permission of instructor.

ANT 676 - Women, War and Peace   E

Examines global politics, war and violence through a gender-sensitive lens. The topics include human trafficking, prostitution, militarization, poverty, nationalism, ethnic conflict, war-rapes, torture, genocide, reconciliation and recovery. Additional work required of graduate students.

ANT 677  Culture and Conflict   IR

An overview of conflict in cross-cultural perspective. Covers a variety of approaches to using cultural analysis in the study of conflict and reviews case studies of specific conflicts. Prereq: permission of instructor.

ANT 679  Anthropology of Global Transformations   IR

Impact of global processes, including industrialization, capitalist expansion, transnational migration, environmental change, and international tourism on the daily lives of men and women in Third World contexts.

ANT 681 Ethnographic Techniques   O

Research methods and techniques in cultural anthropology. Participant observation, interviewing, establishing rapport, research design, recording and analyzing field data, etc.

ANT 682  Life Histories / Narratives   IR 

Evaluation of personal narratives (fieldwork memoirs, reflexive writing), oral histories and testimonials of respondents, a means of personalizing ethnographic discourse, giving more direct voice to respondents, and increasing multivocality. Issues of reflexivity, subjectivity, authority.

ANT 683  Social Movement Theory   IR  

Theoretical approaches to analysis of social movements including Marxist and other Utopian traditions of social analysis, rational choice and resource mobilization models, new social movement theory, and Gramscian analysis of power and resistance.

ANT 684  Social Movement Research Methods   IR  

A range of research methodologies relevant to the study of social movements. Stimulates critical thinking about these methodologies’ ethical implications. Students develop proposals for projects carried out the following semester.

ANT 686 - Comparative Cultural Analysis: Africa   Y

Africa through social anthropology complemented by history. Discuss diverse societies to illustrate principles and features of societal life and organization. The major cultural focus is on West Africa, traditional society, colonial legacy, and change.

ANT 689 (crosslisted with:REL 689) Memory, Culture, Religion  IR

Collective memory and constructions of the past as cultural phenomena; the roles religious identities, values, and institutions play as individuals, communities, and nations recollect particular moments, eras, crises, and localities.

ANT 690  Independent Study  S

Exploration of a problem, or problems, in depth. Individual independent study upon a plan submitted by the student. Admission by consent of supervising instructor(s) and the department. 
Repeatable

ANT 691 (crosslisted with:REL 642) Critical Issues in the Study of Native Americans   IR  

Methodological issues related to studies of indigenous traditions and develops interpretive strategies for using literature about Native American religions.

ANT 694 (crosslisted with:AAS 634, HST 634) Underground Railroad   SI

Myth and history of the Underground in the context of African American freedom efforts. Emphasis on events, personalities, and sites in Upstate New York. Student field research and exploration of archival and Internet resources.

ANT 699 (crosslisted with:REL 699) Writing Religions and Cultures: Ethnographic Practice   IR

A range of aims and strategies for writing ethnographies of religion in the multiple contexts of culture, history, and politics

ANT 700 Selected Topics SI

Exploration of a topic (to be determined) not coverec by the standeard curriculum but of interest to facutly and students in a particular semester.
Repeatable

ANT 701 (crosslisted with:PAI 701) Seminar on Multilateral Peacekeeping   IR  

One week intensive course in New York City between Fall and Spring semesters. Combination of peacekeeping theory and analysis and practice of operations. Guest speakers from the United Nations, nongovernmental organizations, and U.S. government.

ANT 707 (crosslisted with: MES 707, PAI 707)  Culture in World Affairs   Y

A systematic survey of the ways in which local, organizational, and transnational issues in world affairs are affected by culture.

ANT 711  Current Anthropological Theory   Y

Theoretical Issues of the past two decades. Includes feminism and anthropology. Reflexive and interpretive ethnography. Sociobiology versus culturology. Marxist anthropology.

ANT 713 (croslisted with: CAS 713) Proposal Writing  SS

A two-week workshop during which graduate students draft a proposal for dissertation or other research; includes extesnsive evaluation of ongoing drafts. 

ANT 741  Archaeological Theory   Y

In-depth examination of contemporary theory in archaeology and application to archaeological research. While focusing on Processual Approach, the course will examine Critical, Pos-Processual, Structural and Symbolic Archaeology.

ANT 756  Development Anthropology   IR 

Provides students of public administration in developing countries with a briefing of the culture and social organization of Third World peoples. Recurrent problems of "development" these peoples confront viewed from an anthropologist's perspective.

ANT 764 (crosslisted with:GEO 764, WGS 764) Gender and Globalization    IR

The impact of the increasing hyper-mobility of capital and culture flows across borders on gender relations.

ANT 800 Selected Topics  SI

Exploration of a topic (to be determined) not covered by the standard curriculum but of interest to facutly and students in a particular semester. 
Repeatabel

ANT 970 Experience Credit  S

Participation in a discipline or subject related experience. Student must be evaluated by written or oral reports or an examination. Permission in advance with the consent of the department chairperson, instructor, and dean. Limited to those in good academic standing.
Repeatable 

ANT 990 Independent Study  S

Exploration of a problem, or problems, in depth. Individual independent study upon a plan submitted by the student. Admission by consent of supervising instructor(s) and the department. 
Repeatable

ANT 996  Final Master's Project  

Writing of master's paper for MA degree, topics individually chosen.

ANT 997  Masters Thesis   S  

Repeatable

ANT 999  Dissertation   S  

Repeatable

In addition, many graduate students take courses for credit in other departments at the university. For example, students with interests in development may take courses in Geography, Political Science, or Environmental Sciences. Students interested in gender issues may take courses in Philosophy, English and Textual Studies, History, Education, or Sociology.