A survey of evidence and interpretations of how humans originated as a species and of the origins of physical and cultural differences. Examines evidence of fossil humans, the evolution of gender roles and relationships, the origin of racial, ethnic, and cultural differences, basic facts about race and the concepts of race that are in use today, the roles of genes, technology, and thought in the evolution of humans, and the origin of technology, culture, language, religion, etc.
Cultural anthropology is the study of human beings as creatures and creators of society.
This course is an introduction to that study which aims to demonstrate how the basic concepts and techniques developed by cultural anthropologists help us to understand societies of various degrees of complexity, including our own. We will consider topics such as language, kinship, gender, ethnicity, economics, politics, religion, and social change in a broad comparative framework. This course satisfies the Cultural Diversity Requirement. Examines the connections between folklore as a discipline and anthropology as a discipline. Examines specific folk cultures both in Western societies and in non-Western societies.