Examination of the social lives of apes and consideration of similarities to and differences from them. Biological foundations of human behavior, emphasizing thought, movement, and interaction. Introductory survey of anthropological studies of human thought and behavior in different world cultures, covering social, cultural, economic, political, and religious practices and beliefs. Exploration of human origins and the development of cultural diversity. Topics include biological and cultural evolution, the structure and functions of social institutions, belief systems, language and culture, human-environmental relationships, methods of prehistoric and contemporary cultural analysis, and theories of culture.
Archaeology is the study of past human cultures.
Physical anthropology is the study of human biology and evolution. Linguistics is the study of human language. Cultural anthropology is the study of the organizing principles of human beliefs and practices. Examines the aims and methods of archaeology with particular emphasis on the nature of archaeological evidence and its interpretation. Branch campuses only.