ANSO 105 Intro to Cultural Anthropology

Survey of world cultures from foraging to industrial societies, with an emphasis on how specific cultures exemplify problems central to the anthropological study of humanity. AOS (SS); CR (Comparative)

ANSO 107 Introduction to Sociology

Introduction to the study of contemporary industrial societies, primarily the United States; basic perspectives, methods, and concepts; fundamental social institutions; and areas of social change. AOS (SS); CR (US)

ANSO 110 Medicine and Society

Cross-cultural analysis of the relationship of society to health and the disease process through the examination of the evolution of knowledge about disease; views of disease by different societies, ethnic groups, and social classes; alternative national health care systems. AOS (SS); CR (Comparative)

ANSO 140 Contemporary Social Issues

Examination of various social issues, both domestic and global, and how they are defined and contested in the public arena. Topics will vary but may include inequality, family patterns and policies, and ethnic conflict. AOS (SS); CR (US)

ANSO 205 Urban Sociology

Study of competing explanations of urban problems, neighborhood revitalization, suburbs, and strategies of equalizing resources; field trips and field projects. AOS (SS) Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or permission.

ANSO 207 The Social Context of Sexual Behavior

A systematic analysis of contemporary sexual codes and behavior in American society. Present-day beliefs and practices are viewed in historical context to gain insight into current as well as future patterns. We will examine both immediate and potential effects and consequences of these patterns for both individuals and couples, as well as for the larger society.

ANSO 210 Social Class in America

Study of the processes through which social classes are created in American society and the degree to which and ways in which class differences shape lifestyles, opportunities, and power. Particular attention will be given to the impact of transformations in the American economy and occupational structure on social class formation and boundaries; patterns of social mobility; intersections of class with racial, ethnic, and gender differentiation; and ways in which Americans reconcile class differences with individualistic values and images of the "American dream." AOS (SS); CR (US)

ANSO 212 Quantitative Analysis and Statistical Reasoning

An introduction to the use of quantitative analysis and statistical reasoning in the fields of sociology, anthropology, and human development and social relations. The course will emphasize understanding and critiquing data and conclusions, and students will produce data sets as well. Students will develop skill in using SPSS. (Though it is not recommended, students may substitute, with permission, MATH 105 or MATH 260 for this requirement.) QR

ANSO 215 Crime and Society

Examination of crime causation, policy alternatives, and specific problems relating to illegal drugs. (Offered in alternate years.) AOS (SS); CR (US)

ANSO 220 The Family

Study of the family as a social institution. Informed by historical and cross-cultural perspectives, the primary focus is on contemporary U.S. families. AOS (SS); CR (US)

ANSO 224 Neighborhood Organizing Practicum

An introduction to the philosophy and practice of neighborhood organizing. Working in groups of three, under neighborhood association supervision, students undertake intensive block-level organizing in Kalamazoo's low-income residential neighborhoods. AOS (SS); CR (US) Prerequisite: Permission

ANSO 230 Sociology of Religion

An introduction to theories and research in the sociology of religion, with particular emphasis on religious patterns in the United States. Attention will be given to the social sources of the growth and decline of various religious groups and traditions; relationships between religion, ethnicity, and politics; civil religion and cultural conflict; spiritualism; and religious cults. AOS (SS); CR (US) Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or permission.

ANSO 233 Peoples and Cultures of India

An examination of socio-cultural issues in India today, focusing on the ways that various groups of people in India negotiate their identities and roles in the ever-shifting contexts of culture change and globalization. AOS (SS); CR (Asia)

ANSO 234 Latin America in the Context of Globalization

Study of the settlement and early cultures of Latin America, with emphasis on the rise of major culture centers Aztec and Inca; impact of European civilization; and surviving indigenous peoples as well as current peasant and urban peoples. Accent on Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. AOS (SS); CR (Latin America) Prerequisite: Completion of or enrollment in SPAN 201, or permission.

ANSO 235 Prisons and Public Policy

An examination of prisons to illustrate the nature and problems of bureaucratic institutions and the different approaches to institutional reform. (Offered in alternate years.) AOS (SS)

ANSO 240 Language, Culture and Society

This course examines the relationship among language, culture and society with a special emphasis on the social and cultural factors that affect our use of and attitudes towards language. By examining how language is used in different socio-cultural contexts from an anthropological perspective, we will explore not only how language use varies according to social contexts and social groups, but also the roles that different varieties of language play in the expression of social identity and the production and reproduction of stereotypes and power relationships. AOS (SS); CR (Comparative)

ANSO 245 Qualitative Research Methods

Designed for sophomores leaving for and juniors returning from study abroad, this course focuses on the issue of transnationalism and the role of religion within transnational communities. By participating in service-learning projects with religious communities in the Kalamazoo area, students will learn how to conduct both ethnographic research and research in the history of religions, and will leave the course with an understanding of the ways that the processes of dynamics of faith communities in the U.S. AOS (SS or RELG); CR (US)

ANSO 250 Social Psychology

Survey of contemporary topics in social psychology, including attitudes, conformity, group dynamics, media effects, aggression, and social cognition; includes an experimental or field-based research project. AOS (SS) Prerequisite: PSYC 101 or ANSO 105.

Also listed as PSYC 250

ANSO 255 The Media and Popular Culture

This course will examine some of the central social theories and studies related to the nature, production, and influence of American popular culture. Of particular concern will be the changing structure of the mass media as this shapes, or is shaped by, dominant forms of popular culture and the relationship between media culture and consumer society. AOS (SS); CR (US)

ANSO 257 Immigrants and Exiles

From its classical reference to displaced communities as a result of wars of conquests or natural disasters to current movements of population across borders as a result of global capitalism, the concept of diaspora has accumulated an archive of academic and imaginative literature. This course, a comparative introduction to the study of diaspora, focuses on the development of diverse diasporic communities and their role on the current global stage. Our specific focus will be on how members of these communities stake their claims both to their home countries and to the countries in which they reside. AOS (SS); CR (Comparative)

ANSO 258 Political Ecology of Globalization

In terms of human made ecological destruction, the world has changed more within the last 200 years of industrial production, than within the preceding 120,000 years of homo sapiens existence. Industrial and military activities tore apart whole landscapes across the planet. Thus, the current era should not be defined by its celebrated productive capacities, but rather by its staggering capacity for environmental destruction. From Bhopal and Chernobyl, to Iraq and Vietnam, the scars left on environments and people are unspeakable. The most affected ones are the less powerful countries, ethnic others, minorities and the poor who rarely benefit from these industrial or military activities. This course will attempt to provide political ecology as a theoretical framework to understand the underlying logic of processes of environmental destruction. Instead of looking at environmental changes as place-bound, this course will explore the role played by global market forces in these transformations. To illustrate these processes we will be using case studies from the U.S., Latin America, India, Russia, Africa and the Middle East.

ANSO 260 Women in Cross-Cultural Perspective

Analysis of the role of women in "traditional" and "modern" societies, with emphasis on the impact of the degree of women's autonomy and influence on different family models, kinship systems, and economic patterns. AOS (SS); CR (Comparative) Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or permission

ANSO 266 Culture, Nationality, & Religion

Designed for sophomores leaving for and juniors returning from study abroad, this course focuses on the issue of transnationalism and the role of religion within transnational communities. By participating in service-learning projects with religious communities in the Kalamazoo area, students will learn how to conduct both ethnographic research and research in the history of religions, and will leave the course with an understanding of the ways that the processes of transnationalism and immigration play out in issues of religion and the dynamics of faith communities in the U.S. AOS (SS or RELG); CR (US)

Also listed as RELG 266

ANSO 270 Communities and Schools

Drawing on anthropological theories, this course will explore the role of schooling and other educational practices in the production of knowledge and the reproduction of hierarchies both in the United States and abroad. Through their participation in the serice-learning component of the course, students will be able to examine firsthand how reproduction occurs in the local educational system. AOS (SS)

ANSO 290 Peoples and Cultures of Africa

Ethnological survey of major ethnic groups south of the Sahara, with emphasis on the culture change process in various areas. AOS (SS); CR (Africa) Prerequisite: ANSO 105 or permission.

Also listed as AFST 290

ANSO 310 Social Research for Social Change

Drawing primarily from applied sociology and applied anthropology, the course examines the types of approaches taken in applied research as well as ethical issues that commonly arise in the context of doing applied work. Examples from a variety of areas of applied research will be considered. Prerequisite: ANSO 245 or permission.

ANSO 340 Cultural Psychology

Theories of how culture shapes thought, feeling, and the development of personality. Critical survey of topics in cross-cultural psychology including culture and personality, child rearing, psychopathology, cognition, modernization, and underdevelopment. (Also listed as ANSO 340.) AOS (SS); CR (Comparative) Prerequisite: PSYC 101 or ANSO 105. Both are highly recommended.

Also listed as PSYC 340

ANSO 345 Theories of Society and Culture

Study of the emergence and development of social theory in the 19th and 20th centuries; writings of Marx, Durkheim, Weber, and other theorists of major significance in the shaping of modern sociology and anthropology. Prerequisite: ANSO 105 or ANSO 107, or permission.

ANSO 490 Senior Seminar: Current Dialogues in Anthropology and Sociology

Study of contemporary debates in sociology and anthropology, with particular attention to ways of knowing about and representing the social world. Prerequisite: Senior major or permission.