Anthropology (ANTH) Courses
ANTH 300 Biological Anthropology
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:Eligibility for ENGWR 300 or equivalent skills as demonstrated through the assessment process.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area IV; CSU Area B2; IGETC Area 5B
- C-ID:C-ID ANTH 110
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course is an introduction to the science of biological anthropology, and analyzes the human place in nature. Applying principles of genetics and evolution, this course will explore modern human variation and how we evolved, including the unique role of culture. 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.
ANTH 301 Biological Anthropology Laboratory
- Units:1
- Hours:54 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:None.
- Corequisite:ANTH 300
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:CSU Area B3; IGETC Area 5C
- C-ID:C-ID ANTH 115L
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course is an introductory laboratory course designed to provide students with an opportunity to become familiar with the methods of the science of biological 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 may be included. This course is designed as a companion course to Anthropology 300 - Biological Anthropology.
ANTH 303 Introduction to Forensic Anthropology
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ANTH 301 or BIOL 100 or BIOL 102, and eligibility for ENGWR 300 or equivalent skills as demonstrated by the assessment process
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); AA/AS Area IV; CSU Area B2; IGETC Area 5B
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course provides an overview of forensic anthropology, which is an applied field of biological anthropology. Forensic anthropologists answer questions of medicolegal significance by applying techniques designed for the analysis of human skeletal remains. This course will focus on the introductory 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
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:Eligibility for ENGWR 300 or the equivalent skills demonstrated through the assessment process.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area D1; IGETC Area 4A
- C-ID:C-ID ANTH 120
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
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 313 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology: Medical Focus
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:Eligibility for ENGWR 300 or the equivalent skills demonstrated through the assessment process.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area D; IGETC Area 4
- C-ID:C-ID ANTH 120
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
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 emphasizes the intersection of culture and medical practices, perspectives on healing and health, and the notion that biology and culture matter equally in the human experience of disease. Through ethnographic examples the course stresses anthropological concepts such as culture, cultural relativism, holism, ethnocentrism, cross-cultural comparisons, world view, culture change, fieldwork, ethics and theory. This Introduction to Cultural Anthropology course is highly recommended for students pursuing degrees in the health fields. This class is not intended for students who have already completed Anthropology 310. A field trip may be required at the discretion of the instructor.
ANTH 316 Global Forces in Culture Change
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:Eligibility for ENGWR 300 or the equivalent skills demonstrated through the assessment process.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area D1; IGETC Area 4A
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
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 323 Introduction to Archaeology
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); CSU Area D1; IGETC Area 4A
- C-ID:C-ID ANTH 150
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
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
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area D1; IGETC Area 4A
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
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
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:Eligibility for ENGWR 300 or the equivalent skills demonstrated through the assessment process.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area D; IGETC Area 4
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
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
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area D1; IGETC Area 4A
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course provides a study of the many cultures of the different native inhabitants of California from the prehistoric period through the present time, introducing the diversity and complexity of aboriginal California. Topics include native ecological adaptations, material culture, social structure, language, religion and mythology, ideology and worldview, and response to change. The course critically examines the impact of Native Californian cultures on each other as well as interactions between Native Californians and other Native Americans, Americans, Europeans, Africans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and others. Perspectives on changes in traditional life and Native Californians’ current position in American society will be included as well as contributions of Native Californians to the cultures of the Americas. A field trip may be required.
ANTH 334 Native Peoples of North America
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area D1; IGETC Area 4A
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course is an introductory survey of the cultures of the different native inhabitants of North America from the prehistoric period through the present time. Topics include native ecological adaptations, material culture, social structure, language, religion and mythology, ideology and worldview, and response to change. The course critically examines the impact of Native American cultures 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 Americans’ current positions in North American societies will be included as well as contributions of Native Americans to the cultures of the Americas. A field trip may be required.
ANTH 336 Anthropology of Sex, Sexuality and Gender
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ANTH 300 (Physical Anthropology) or ANTH 310 (Cultural Anthropology) with a grade of "C" or better, and eligibility for ENGWR 300 (College Composition).
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area D; IGETC Area 4
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course provides an introductory overview of anthropological perspectives on sex, sexuality and gender, drawing from all four sub-fields (archaeology, cultural, linguistic, and physical). Topics will include cross-cultural comparisons of the diversity of sex, sexuality, and gender, comparisons of sexual behavior among extinct human ancestors and non-human primates such as monkeys and apes, drawing conclusions about the past from archaeological data, examining the nature/nurture debate, and examining evolutionary perspectives related to sex, sexuality and gender. A field trip may be required at the discretion of the instructor.
ANTH 341 Introduction to Linguistics
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:Eligibility for ENGWR 300 or the equivalent skills as demonstrated through the assessment process.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); CSU Area D1; IGETC Area 4A
- C-ID:C-ID ANTH 130
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course explores the role of language in social interaction and world view. It examines minority languages and dialects, bilingualism, literacy and the social motivation of language change through technology, globalization, and colonialism. The student will also be introduced to the analytical techniques of linguistics, the universal structures of language, and the demonstration of their relevance to language in sociocultural issues.
ANTH 374 Birth to Death: The Anthropology of Primate Culture and Behavior
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); AA/AS Area IV; CSU Area D; IGETC Area 4A
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
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 480 Honors Biological Anthropology
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Enrollment Limitation:Enrollment is limited to Honors Program students. Details about the Honors Program can be found in the front of the Catalog and on the CRC website.
- Transferable:CSU
- General Education:AA/AS Area IV
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course is an introduction to the science of biological anthropology, and analyzes the human place in nature. Applying principles of genetics and evolution, this course will explore modern human variation and how we evolved, including the unique role of culture. 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.
This honors course offers rigorous preparation in critical thinking, and analytic reading and writing skills for students intending to transfer to a four-year college or university. It provides an opportunity to engage contemporary biological and anthropological issues through small group discussion, a structured sequence of papers and reading analysis requiring higher-level thinking tasks, and collaborative projects. Research projects require extensive analysis of topics such as ethics in biological anthropology, fossil hominin taxonomy placement and primate conservation. Paper requirements are designed to challenge and motivate. This course is not open to students who have completed ANTH 300. Enrollment is limited to Honors Program students. Details about the Honors Program can be found in the front of the Catalog and on the CRC website. This course is the same as Honor 386. This course, under either name (ANTH 480 or HONOR 386), may be taken only one time for credit.
ANTH 482 Honors Biological Anthropology Laboratory
- Units:1
- Hours:54 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:None.
- Corequisite:ANTH 300, ANTH 480, or HONOR 386
- Enrollment Limitation:Enrollment is limited to Honors Program students. Details about the Honors Program can be found in the front of the Catalog and on the CRC website.
- Transferable:CSU
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course is an introductory laboratory course designed to provide students with an opportunity to become familiar with the methods of the science of biological 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 may be included. This course is designed as a companion course to Anthropology 300 - Biological Anthropology, Anthropology 480-Honors Biological Anthropology and Honors 386-Honors Biological Anthropology.
This honors course offers rigorous preparation in critical thinking, and analytic reading and writing skills for students intending to transfer to a four-year college or university. It provides an opportunity to engage contemporary biological and anthropological issues through small group discussion, debates and activities, reading analysis requiring higher-level thinking tasks, and collaborative projects. This course will also provide in depth opportunities for students to complete extensive hands-on study of pertinent fossil material. This course is not open to students who have completed ANTH 301. Enrollment is limited to Honors Program students. Details about the Honors Program can be found in the front of the Catalog and on the CRC website. This course is the same as Honor 387. This course, under either name (ANTH 482 or HONOR 387), may be taken only one time for credit.
ANTH 495 Independent Studies in Anthropology
- Units:1 - 3
- Hours:54 - 162 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:None.
- Transferable:CSU
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
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 499 Experimental Offering in Anthropology
- Units:0.5 - 4
- Prerequisite:None.
- Transferable:CSU; UC (UC Transfer Note: Credit for variable topics courses is given only after a review of the scope and content of the course by the enrolling UC campus.)
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This is the experimental courses description.