Anthropology, Global Religions, and Cultures
Information
Jordan Karsten, Chair
Department Office: Swart 317
Department Telephone: (920) 424-4406
ANTHRO
RELSTDS
Faculty
Baltutis
Behm
Brown
Corley
Kaplan
Karsten
May de Montigny
Ridgely
Spehar
Degrees
- Undergraduate: A major in Anthropology can lead to the degrees: Bachelor of Arts; Bachelor of Science.
- Graduate: None
Summary of Fields of Study
- Goal(s)
- See the department for a listing of their goal(s).
- The Major(s)
- The Department offers one major: Anthropology.
- The Minor(s)
- The Department offers two minors: Anthropology and Global Religions.
Admission/Graduation Requirements
To be eligible for graduation, students must meet all requirements for the degree being sought in addition to earning a minimum grade point average of 2.00 in all courses required for the Anthropology major or minor. Refer to the following for complete major/minor course requirements.
Required Core Courses
See Majors section.
The Major(s), with Emphasis and/or Options
Anthropology Major
Recommended for students who are double majors; who intend to teach secondary level Anthropology or college Anthropology; work in travel, international business or any other area with cross cultural features, such as social work or nursing.
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- Required Credits: 37 minimum
- Required Courses:
- Anthropology: Anthropology 202, 204, 206, 208, 301, 400.
- Methods Requirement: One class from the following list: 302, 350, 363, 377, 394.
- Electives: Sufficient courses from the Department’s offerings in Anthropology to meet the Minimum Requirement.
Comment: Statistics, foreign language, writing and/or science courses are recommended.
The Minor(s)
1. Anthropology Minor
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- Required Credits: 22 minimum
- Required Courses:
- Anthropology: Anthropology 202, 204, 206, 208.
- One course from the following: Anthropology 301, 342, 344, 348, 350, 356, 358, 362, 378, 380, 394, 494.
- Electives: Sufficient courses from the Department’s offerings in Anthropology to meet the Minimum Requirement.
2. Global Religions Minor
Recommended for students who wish to select courses related to their major and/or for personal interest and development.
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- Required Credits: 21 minimum
- Required Core Courses
- Religious Studies 102 World Religions 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 108 Introduction to Religious Studies 3 crs.
- Required Courses: In addition to the Core Courses:
- Three credits of any 300 or 400 level Religious Studies courses
- Three credits from the Traditions Category
- Nine credits of elective courses. Maximum of three credits from outside Religious Studies in any category.
- Distribution Categories:
- Traditions Category
- Religious Studies 210 Christianity 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 211 Catholicism in America 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 215 Judaism 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 221 The Hindu Tradition 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 222 Buddhism 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 240 Islam 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 285 African-American Religions 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 335 Chinese Religion 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 337 Japanese Religion 3 crs
- Texts Category
- Religious Studies 203 Hebrew Bible 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 204 New Testament 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 304 Hebrew Bible: Wisdom & Poetry 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 309 Religion and Culture of New Testament 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 312 Jesus and the Gospels 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 313 Letters to Paul 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 314 Women and the New Testament 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 315 Gendering Jewish Children’s Literature 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 320 Judaism in Comic Books 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 340 Hindu Myth and Ritual 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 354 Buddhist Myth and Ritual 3 crs.
- Required Core Courses
- Required Credits: 21 minimum
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- Religion as Lived and Practiced Category
- Religious Studies 104 Religions of America 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 106 The Bible and Current Events 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 344 Zen Practice 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 345 Zen Art & Literature 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 360 Judaism Since Gender 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 361 Islamic Resurgence 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 363 Mystical & Meditative Experience 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 364 Sects and Cults in America 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 365 Religion and Children in America 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 370 Radical Religion in America 3 crs.
- Globalized Religion Category
- Religious Studies 265 Women and Religion 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 334 The Holocaust and American Memory 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 338 Comparative Religious Ritual 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 362 Religion and the Environment 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 371 Global Fundamentalisms in Contemporary Perspective 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 372 Religious Radicalism and Globalization 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 380 Terrorism and Religious Violence 3 crs.
- Religious Studies 381 Terrorism and Religious Violence: Applications and Issues 3 crs.
- Or the following courses from other departments:
- Art 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 317, 320, 325
- English 210, 219, 220, 319, 326, 336
- Environmental Studies 282, 362
- Geography 316
- History 304, 305, 306, 308, 310, 313, 333, 340, 343, 348, 349, 373, 383
- Philosophy 207, 215, 225, 301, 305
- Religion as Lived and Practiced Category
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The Certificate(s)
1. Indigenous Studies Certificate
- Required Credits: 9 minimum from at least two different departments
- Electives: 6 credits must be at or above the 300 level
- 6 credits from the following list:
- Anthropology 101 Indigenous Wisconsin
- Anthropology 312
- Anthropology 314
- Anthropology 354
- Anthropology 355
- English 220
- English 370
- History 363
- Students may complete a maximum of 3 credits from the following list focused on global Indigenous Studies:
- Anthropology 360
- DFLL 122 Quest 1
- ANT 394 Field Experience
- ANT 446 Independent Study
- ENG 446 Independent Study
- History 399 Internship in History
- History 446 Independent Study
- INTRDSCP 399 L&S Career Internship
- 6 credits from the following list:
Course Offerings
Anthropology
| Anthropology 101 | 3 (crs.) |
| Indigenous Wisconsin (XS)(ES) | |
| An interdisciplinary introduction to the history, culture, and sovereignty of American Indians through the disciplines of Anthropology, Business, Geography, History, Political Science, and Sociology. | |
| Anthropology 102 | 3 (crs.) |
| Introduction to Anthropology (XS) | |
| Basic concepts from the various areas of study within anthropology (cultural, linguistic, biological, and Archaeological) brought together to examine and explain, in an integrated fashion, aspects of the human condition. | |
| Anthropology 103 | 3 (crs.) |
| An Introduction to Hmong/American Studies (XS) (ES) | |
| There are 299,000 Hmong living in the United States, with most living in California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The Hmong are from Laos, a previously colonized country of the French. During the Vietnam War, the United States engaged in a covert operation in Laos called the Secret War, where U.S. CIA operatives recruited Hmong and other ethnic Lao minorities to fight as proxy soldiers for the U.S. against Communist regimes in Southeast Asia. However, the U.S.’s failed military intervention and withdrawal from SE Asia left many Hmong who allied with the U.S. to face reprisal from the new Pathet Lao Communist party that came into power. It is estimated that 150,000 Hmong left Laos. This course is a brief, interdisciplinary, and expansive survey of Hmong Studies from Hmong migration out of China, migration to Southeast Asia, French colonialism of Indochina, American intervention in Laos during the Vietnam War, exodus from Laos and refugee resettlement, and life in the U.S. This course examines the humanistic questions of displacement, trauma, economic inequality, gender and sexuality, race and racialization, as well as diasporic and imagined communities beyond nation-state borders. | |
| Anthropology 105 | 3 (crs.) |
| Biological Anthropology Survey | |
| A study of evolutionary theory, the place of humans in the primate order, the fossil evidence for human evolution and interpretation of that evidence, the biological and genetic basis of human variation, and possible other topics of human biology. | |
| Anthropology 110 | 3 (crs.) |
| Food, Culture and Identity (XS)(ES) | |
| Food is the very core of life and one of the most culturally prescribed areas of human experience. This course will study the role of food in human history, and the biocultural construction of what is classified as food. We will examine the meaning of food across cultures with particular attention to how cultural and ethnic (e.g. Asian American, Native American) identities are associated with particular types of food. Rituals, religions and family celebrations, and secular holidays all include the deliberate preparation, serving and sharing of food (or abstinence from food). We will explore food consumption and health, the gendered dimension of food, and the social hierarchies and power relations associated with the commodification of food. Class projects are designed to connect the student to various community and ethnic groups through the study of farmer’s markets, food banks, stores and restaurants. We will think about food in new and provocative ways and in the process practically apply theoretical concepts. | |
| Anthropology 122 | 3 (crs.) |
| Living and Learning in a Global Community (XS)(GC) | |
| This course, and Anthropology in general, draws on cross-cultural examples to learn from a broad view of the world while reflecting critically on the ways we live within it. The course engages the particular approaches and methods of Cultural Anthropology to investigate the global processes that affect the lives and experiences of people around the world. In particular, the course draws on ethnographic and ethnohistorical case studies to examine nations, cultures, and societies beyond the U.S. A central goal of Anthropology is to develop one’s cultural relativism, suspend one’s ethnocentrism, and thereby better understand and appreciate the ideas, beliefs, perspectives, practices, and experiences of diverse peoples. This course, in particular, focuses on the impact of global forces and entities on local cultural groups. The course also emphasizes the creative and complex ways individuals have responded to globalization that preserve, change, and hybridize their cultures to ensure their own survival. | |
| Anthropology 123 | 3 (crs.) |
| Cultural Diversity in the U.S. (ES)(XC) | |
| An analytical and descriptive survey of selected cultures representative of major American ethnic groups. | |
| Anthropology 123Q1 | 3 (crs.) |
| Cultural Diversity in the U.S. (ES)(XC) | |
| An analytical and descriptive survey of selected cultures representative of major American ethnic groups. | |
| Anthropology 150 | 3 (crs.) |
| Archaeology of the Ancient World (XS) | |
| We will explore some of the most significant archaeological sites around the globe and the people who built them, for example, the ancient people who built the enormous pyramids of Egypt and Mexico, hunted woolly mammoths during the Ice Age, created sprawling cities in Mesopotamia and Africa, and erected the large stones at Stonehenge. By looking back at people of the past students will acquire knowledge of and appreciation for the diverse beliefs, ideas, traditions, and social, political, and economic systems around the world and throughout time. Additionally, students will be able to recognize the construction of identity as shaped by cultural heritage and patterns of power or privilege in the past and present |
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| Anthropology 202 | 4 (crs.) |
| Introduction to Biological Anthropology (XL) | |
| Physical anthropology is the study of the human biology and behavior in the framework of evolution. This course provides an introduction to the scientific approaches and methods used by physical anthropologists, including evolutionary theory and the mechanisms of heredity, the ecology and behavior of nonhuman primates and what they can teach us about human origins, the fossil evidence for human evolution, and modern human variation and adaptation. Students should leave this class with a broader understanding of humanity’s place in nature and a grasp of our unique evolutionary history. Special fees may apply. | |
| Anthropology 203 | 3 (crs.) |
| Human Skeleton | |
| Individual bones and teeth, possibly including ancient as well as modern specimens; sex and age differences; continuous and discontinuous morphological variation of geographically and ethnically diverse populations; stature reconstruction; forensic aspects of individual identification; lab training in observations, measurement, and analysis. | |
| Anthropology 204 | 3 (crs.) |
| Cultural Anthropology (XS)(GC) | |
| Focusing on the concept of ‘culture’, the course discusses the aims, methods, and achievements of anthropological research and presents a general model for comprehending human society. | |
| Anthropology 204Q2 | 3 (crs.) |
| Cultural Anthropology (XS)(GC) | |
| Focusing on the concept of ‘culture’, the course discusses the aims, methods, and achievements of anthropological research and presents a general model for comprehending human society. | |
| Anthropology 206 | 3 (crs.) |
| Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology (XC) | |
| A study of language as it relates to human culture and the transmission of culture. Genetic and typological variation in language; theories of linguistic universals and relativity. Consideration of social stratification, multidialectal and multilingual societies, selection of national languages. | |
| Anthropology 208 | 3 (crs.) |
| Introduction to Archaeology (XS) | |
| An introduction to the study of humanity’s past, and how archaeologists retrieve, process, analyze and interpret surviving prehistoric materials. | |
| Anthropology 210 | 3 (crs.) |
| Food and Nutrition in a Global Society (XS) | |
| This course will study the relationships between agricultural practices, food distribution and consumption, nutrition, and socio-cultural dietary practices within a global perspective. Emphasis is on the complex issues related to the changing diet and health of populations within an era of globalization and international food markets. Utilizing case studies special attention will be given to how societies are redefining their foodscapes and identifying strategies for addressing issues of food sustainability. | |
| Anthropology 220Q3 | 3 (crs.) |
| Culture and Health (XS) | |
| This course is focused on anthropological approaches used to explore the dynamic relationship between culture and health. Throughout the semester, students will also assess how certain cultural practices, economic systems, and forms of political organization either prevent or contribute to the creation of a more sustainable world. In this class, students will learn some of the methods anthropologists use to monitor the interaction between cultural variables and human physiological wellbeing, including auxological techniques as well as how medical anthropologists apply ethnographic methods and anthropological theory to address many pressing issues in global health. | |
| Anthropology 224Q2 | 3 (crs.) |
| What is Human Nature? (XS) | |
| This course examines what anthropology can tell us about “human nature.” Anthropology is the study of humanity, from our evolutionary roots millions of years ago to the diversity of human cultures and beliefs today. Understanding how the interaction between culture and biology shapes human beings (the biocultural perspective) is the core of what anthropologists do. This class will apply this biocultural perspective to “big questions” about human behavior: Are we compassionate and cooperative, warlike and violent, or both? What kinds of social systems/groups “should” humans live in – monogamous or polyamorous, nuclear or extended families, or something else? Who should be responsible for raising children – mothers, fathers, nuclear families, or the whole community? Are gender roles fluid or fixed? Are we driven to destroy the environment an exclude and subjugate those we perceive as different from ourselves – or are more equitable relationships between human communities, and between humans and nature, possible? In this class, we will explore what the anthropological evidence tells us about those questions, and practical and ethical implications for our individual lives and broader society. | |
| Anthropology 225Q3 | 3 (crs.) |
| Celebrating Culture through the Arts (XC)(ES) | |
| This course will focus on community engagement with people of diverse ethnic groups utilizing anthropological approaches to visual art, music, and dance. In the course, students will examine how people of various cultural and ethnic backgrounds communicate through visual art, music, and dance about issues such as gender, family, identity, tradition, historical consciousness, ideology, experience, and more. At the same time, students will learn about anthropological approaches to art and performance, how art illuminates diverse cultures, and how knowledge of culture facilitates deeper understanding of the arts. In addition, the class will explore art and performance as experiential modes of learning that go beyond verbal and written means. As part of this process, students will learn about how anthropologists work with people, especially through ethnographic methods. These purposes converge in the students’ engagement in diverse peoples and arts in the local community. Prerequisites: Quest I and Quest II. (Quest III when offered). Special fees may apply. | |
| Anthropology 272 | 3 (crs.) |
| Nature of Languages | |
| A survey of the following major fields of linguistic study: Historical, comparative, structural, transformational linguistics; psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, semantics, dialectology. Emphasis on methods and problems to give students basic concepts. | |
| Anthropology 291 | 1 – 3 (crs.) |
| Selected Topics in Anthropology | |
| Selected topics in anthropology. | |
| Anthropology 299 | 1 – 3 (crs.) |
| Intermediate Independent Study | |
| Supervised undergraduate reading and research. See Independent Study under Course and Academic Advisement Policies information for general course description, general prerequisites, and proper contract form requirements. | |
| Anthropology 300 | 1 – 6 (crs.) |
| Topics in Anthropology: | |
| A variable topics course covering a theme of current interest in anthropology. Each time the course is offered, the topic and number of credit hours will be announced in the Schedule of Classes. May be repeated with different content. | |
| Anthropology 301 | 3 (crs.) |
| Reading Theory | |
| This is a mid-level theory course designed to prepare students to read and analyze theory in Anthropology. The topics and instructors are variable, however the goal is to understand theory, both in broad concept and in particular cases. Prerequisites: Prerequisite: Two of the following courses: Anthropology 202, 204, 206, or 208; or consent of instructor. | |
| Anthropology 302 | 3 (crs.) |
| Quantitative Methods in Anthropology | |
| Anthropological research across the four subfields requires the collection and analysis of quantitative data. Typically, such datasets are relatively meaningless without statistical analysis. Statistics in Anthropology can be broken down into two categories: procedures that describe datasets and methods for testing hypotheses. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to both of these categories and provides examples throughout the semester o data from all four subfields. In this course, students will develop a background in statistics necessary to critically evaluate Anthropological literature. Students will develop their research skills in data collection and testing hypotheses so that they may design their own original research projects. Prerequisites: Two of the following courses: Anthropology 202, 204, 206, or 208; or consent of instructor. | |
| Anthropology 304 | 3 (crs.) |
| Writing for Social Sciences | |
| This course focuses on developing skills in writing, especially for research in the social sciences. In the course, students proceed through writing based assignments that target specific skills including: identifying thesis statements, arguments, and evidence; developing research questions and thesis statements; completing a literature review and identifying project’s contributions and significance; building strong arguments; evaluating, summarizing, and synthesizing information from different sources; supporting arguments with evidence; citation; distinguishing voice, and strengthening argument through organization and language. In this way, the course targets developing transferable writing skills that students may use in any research project. Each student will be able to tailor this course to their specific interests by choosing, in consultation with the instructor, paper topics and readings through which they will explore and develop their research and writing skills. | |
| Anthropology 308 | 3 (crs.) |
| Race and Human Variation | |
| This course explores what studies of human biological variation can tell us about the reality of race. We first deconstruct the concept of race, examining the history of race in the United States and how biology has been used to justify racial categories and oppression. Then we examine what studies of modern human genetics and biology tell us about the biological validity of racial categories. We trace the evolutionary history of modern humans, from their origins in Africa to their spread to every corner of the globe. Topics include genetic variation, skin color, height, and adaptation to altitude and disease. We then discuss the implication of this variation for the concept of race and how racial categories impact our lives in the United States (covering issues such as genetic ancestry testing, IQ, racially-based medicine, and persistent social inequalities). Prerequisites: None | |
| Anthropology 309 | 3 (crs.) |
| Museum Anthropology and Cultural Representation | |
| How do museums, monuments, interpretive sites, and more, represent people, culture, and history? This course primarily takes a perspective from Cultural Anthropology to explore the history of museum collection, exhibition, and practice, recent developments, issues, and ethics. Students will develop critical thinking skills by investigating how museum practices reproduce or challenge power and social hierarchy through portrayals of people, culture, and identity. The course will delve into innovative methods employed to decolonize representation, increase accountability to communities, equalize power relationships, and cultivate more collaborative and inclusive practices. | |
| Anthropology 310 | 3 (crs.) |
| Anthropology Film | |
| A survey of anthropological films, focusing on the ways that filmmaking and ethnographic authority have developed together through time. No formal prerequisites, however, students should be aware of the basic anthropological concepts presented in the department’s lower-division courses. | |
| Anthropology 312 | 3 (crs.) |
| Native North America (ES) | |
| The course is primarily a description of North American Indian culture past and present. In connection with this diverse Indian lifeways are covered in reading, lecture and audio/visual presentations. This course deals inevitably with how these lifeways and cultures similar to and different from western lifeways and culture. It deals with Indian-white relations, genocide, culturecide, ethnocentrism, bias, pluralism, assimilation, cultural pluralism and so on. | |
| Anthropology 314 | 3 (crs.) |
| Native American Women (ES) | |
| This class explores the diverse experiences, perspectives, histories, cultures, and contemporary issues of Native North American women as well as the ethics of research and representation. Relevant topics include family and gender roles, health, alcoholism, education, language, cultural preservation and change. Examples will be drawn from ethnography, ethnohistory, and autobiography. Cross-listed: Anthropology 314/Women’s and Gender Studies 314. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. | |
| Anthropology 318 | 3 (crs.) |
| Peoples and Cultures of Southern Asia | |
| A description and analysis of societies and cultures in southern Asia with special emphasis on the Indian subcontinent and insular and mainland Southeast Asia. | |
| Anthropology 322 | 3 (crs.) |
| Peoples and Cultures of Africa | |
| A description and analysis of societies and cultures of sub-Saharan Africa. | |
| Anthropology 324 | 3 (crs.) |
| Latino Culture and Society | |
| An examination of Latino social and cultural adaptations to and influence on contemporary American society and culture. Economic, political, historical, social, educational, and other factors are considered. Identity, discrimination, and other issues are addressed. | |
| Anthropology 325 | 3 (crs.) |
| Displacement and Refugees (GS) | |
| People move for a variety of reasons: in search of territory to forage, fields to till, spouses to marry, enemies to fight, material and symbolic valuables to acquire, or looking for a refuge due to a fear of harm to their well-being in their habitual places of residences. In this global scholar course offered by the anthropology program, our orientation is toward a particular form of human movement and its consequences: forced displacement and refugees/asylum seekers. We begin by inquiring into the main conceptual and typological issues regarding human mobility and coercion. We then examine the global history of displacements by offering an inventory of forced migration in the recent past. We will also analyze issues of gender, sociocultural integration, coping mechanisms, transnational identities, and socioeconomic processes as they relate to displacement and refugees in different parts of the world. | |
| Anthropology 326 | 3 (crs.) |
| Peoples and Cultures of Oceania | |
| An ethnographic survey of the native peoples of the Pacific Ocean discussing the settlement of the Pacific Islands, traditional life and the continuing impact of western contact. | |
| Anthropology 327 | 3 (crs.) |
| Museum Studies | |
| This course introduces students to the standard practices and methods of the museum and art gallery profession: planning, promotion, and publicity; development of educational materials and programs; exhibition design and installation; proper handling and treatment of works of art and historical artifacts. Prerequisites: Art 209 or Art 210 or junior standing or consent of instructor. | |
| Anthropology 328 | 3 (crs.) |
| Peasant and Contemporary Cultures of Latin America | |
| A description and analysis of selected urban and rural cultures of Latin America. | |
| Anthropology 330 | 3 (crs.) |
| Culture Change in Modern Africa | |
| An analysis of the processes of change in contemporary sub-Saharan Africa. Prerequisite: None. | |
| Anthropology 332 | 3 (crs.) |
| Magic and Religion | |
| The analysis and description of religious beliefs and practices in non-literate and literate societies. | |
| Anthropology 336 | 3 (crs.) |
| Social Organization | |
| A comparative study of the social, political, and economic institutions of selected preliterate and complex societies from both the Old and New World. There is an emphasis upon distinction between human and non-human ecology and social organization. | |
| Anthropology 338 | 3 (crs.) |
| The Anthropology of Law and Politics | |
| Anthropological approach to the processes of political competition and of dispute settlement. It builds on the study of traditional societies and considers problems of change, development and growth. | |
| Anthropology 339 | 3 (crs.) |
| Hindu Myth and Ritual (GS) | |
| Working within the diversity of the Hindu tradition and beyond the stereotypical mysticism that Westerners often attribute to this tradition is a vibrant current of mythic narratives and ritual performances. In this class we will look at the various ways that Hindu myths and rituals serve as integral components of the daily lives of Hindu people and will take up such issues as how Hindus properly worship images, how Hindu deities can take on human form, and why the goddess Durga slays the buffalo demon. | |
| Anthropology 340 | 3 (crs.) |
| Culture and Personality | |
| A review of cultural personality literature with special attention given to personality development within contemporary American subculture units. | |
| Anthropology 342 | 3 (crs.) |
| Expressive Culture | |
| This course will delve into the anthropological study of a broad range of expressive practices including visual art, material culture, body decoration, display events such as pageants and folk festivals, music, dance, and verbal art such as storytelling. The course will explore how through expressive practices we communicate about identity, historical consciousness, ethnicity, gender, and much more. The course will investigate how socio-cultural factors influence our definitions, practices, and meanings or art and performance. Conversely, we will explore how culture and social relations emerge out of the artistic production and performance. | |
| Anthropology 343 | 3 (crs.) |
| Masculinity Across Cultures | |
| By taking a cross-cultural approach with examples from all over the world, the course aims to interrogate notions of masculinity that have become naturalized in wider American society. Some of the topics of the course may include issues of men and violence, emotion, invulnerability, independence, kinship, the body, trans-sexuality, masculinity and national identity, and rites of passage. The course will examine the relationships between particular masculinities and femininities and gendered hierarchies, power, and inequality in culture and society. Implicit in all these discussions will be the relationships between men and women, definitions of masculinity and femininity, gender, gender roles and expectations, and how factors of race, class, and gender shape definitions and expressions of masculinity. Cross-listed: Anthropology 343/Women’s and Gender Studies 343. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. | |
| Anthropology 344 | 3 (crs.) |
| Kinship, Gender and Sexuality | |
| Examination of comparative gender roles and the behavior, status, and economic position of the sexes in cultural groups other than contemporary U.S. society. Cross-listed: Anthropology 344/ Women’s and Gender Studies 344. Students may receive credit for only one of the cross-listed courses. | |
| Anthropology 348 | 3 (crs.) |
| Economy, Nature, and Culture | |
| A comparative survey and analysis of differing modes of acquisition, allocation and distribution of scarce resources in primarily pre-industrial societies of differing levels of socio-cultural integration and in differing time frames. | |
| Anthropology 349 | 3 (crs.) |
| Archaeology of Gender | |
| This course is a survey of the archaeology of gender; that is how cultural norms, ideals, rules, and expectations about gender shaped personal identity, experience, and relationships in the past. People in the past and present configure gender roles and relations in a multitude of ways, which has led to great diversity in cultures around the world and throughout time. Students will be introduced to the development of the archaeology of gender including the theories and methods applied to studies of gender in the past. In this course we will also address thematic topics including gender performance, masculinity, femininity, and non-binary identities, gendered labor, status and power, as well as sexuality and reproduction. | |
| Anthropology 350 | 3 (crs.) |
| Ethnographic Methods | |
| This course centers on ethnographic research methods that are fundamental to Cultural Anthropology. Drawing on a collaborative approach with a community partner, the course stresses empowering research participants, addressing the ethical issues of research, interrogating the positionality of the researcher, and building equitable relationships with research participants. The students will be engaged in research practices such as participant-observation, informal interviews, focus groups, and life histories. The course explores Social Justice issues, especially the intersectionality of various factors, race, class, gender, sexual orientation, age, and more, in the everyday lives of individuals. Prerequisite: Anthro 204 or Social Justice 101 or consent of instructor. | |
| Anthropology 351 | 3 (crs.) |
| Archaeology of Death | |
| This course is a survey of mortuary archaeology, that is how cultural norms, social relations, belief systems, and ideas about life and death shaped mortuary practices in the past. In this course, we will look at death and the body in terms of ideas about mortality, afterlives, and social identity. We will also address the fact that the dead do not bury themselves, and practices surrounding death do not reflect solely the individual but can tell us about broader social, political, and economic, and religious systems. | |
| Anthropology 352 | 3 (crs.) |
| Old World Archaeology | |
| A survey of human cultural and biological development in Africa, Asia, and Europe as evidenced in archaeological records from the earliest beginnings to the achievement of civilizations. Prerequisites: Introduction to Archaeology (Anthropology 250) or consent of instructor. | |
| Anthropology 354 | 3 (crs.) |
| Archaeology of North America | |
| A survey of prehistory in the New World from the earliest migrations to Colombian times, with special emphasis on North America. Prerequisites: Introduction to Archaeology or consent of instructor. | |
| Anthropology 355 | 3 (crs.) |
| Wisconsin Archaeology | |
| This course is a survey of the archaeological records of Wisconsin, starting with the earliest documented inhabitants just before the end of the Pleistocene and proceeding chronologically to recent times. While the overwhelming majority of the course will focus on the archaeological record of prehistoric and historic Native Americans, Euroamerican and African-American archaeology is also included. Prerequisites: Introduction to Archaeology (Anthropology 250) or consent of instructor. | |
| Anthropology 356 | 3 (crs.) |
| Preindustrial Technology | |
| Analysis of material culture of primitive people, historical development and distribution; techniques and methods of manufacture; use and function within society. Prerequisites: Introduction to Archaeology or consent of instructor. | |
| Anthropology 358 | 3 (crs.) |
| Archaeological Theory | |
| A survey of the methodology used in developing archaeological data through excavation and analysis, and an examination of the theory upon which these methods are based. Prerequisites: Introduction to Archaeology (Anthropology 250) or consent of instructor. | |
| Anthropology 359 | 3 (crs.) |
| Fantastic Archaeology | |
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Fantastic Archaeology describes those claims and interpretations about the archaeological record that are outside the orthodox mainstream of the scholarly and professional world of archaeology. This can range from the new, and as yet untested and unaccepted theories that may eventually be the orthodox interpretations in the future to the outrageous that can be easily refuted with a careful and rigorous evaluation of the data. The entire range of competing, non-orthodox interpretations of the archaeological record are considered in this course. Prerequisites: Introduction to Archaeology (Anthropology 250) or consent of instructor. |
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| Anthropology 360 | 3 (crs.) |
| Mesoamerican Culture | |
| Comparative study of cultural development in ancient Mexico and Central America from pre-Columbian to modern times. Prerequisite: None. | |
| Anthropology 362 | 1 – 8 (crs.) |
| Field Work in Archaeology | |
| Students will be allowed to repeat this course for credit (although only 8 units (crs.) can be counted toward the 34 unit (cr.) minimum required for the Anthropology Major or the 24 unit (cr.) minimum required for the Minor). Prerequisite: Anthropology 250 or consent of instructor. | |
| Anthropology 363 | 3 (crs.) |
| Archaeological Analysis | |
| Fundamentals of archaeological analysis. Actual analysis of archaeological materials excavated by the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Summer Field School and problems of description, classification, association and interpretation. Prerequisites: Introduction to Archaeology (Anthropology 250) or Theory and Method of Archaeology (Anthropology 358) or consent of instructor. (2+2) | |
| Anthropology 364 | 3 (crs.) |
| Cross-Cultural Approaches to Mental Illness | |
| An investigation of the relationship between culture and mental health, the comparative method for the study of mental health, and survey some of the culture specific syndromes and non-Western native therapies. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor. | |
| Anthropology 366 | 3 (crs.) |
| The Evolution of Human Language | |
| This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary study of the nature and emergence of human language, “the most human thing about being human”. We will examine the cognitive, neurological and genetic underpinnings of language, and evidence for its biological innateness in human beings. We will investigate the key characteristics of human language and their possible basis in the abilities of other animals, focusing particularly on language studies with the great apes. We also will examine the fossil and archaeological record of human evolution for anatomical and cultural clues as to when and why language might have evolved. Finally, we will discuss how the first language(s) might have morphed into the over six thousand languages spoken by human beings today. | |
| Anthropology 368 | 3 (crs.) |
| Human Dimensions of Wildlife Conservation | |
| This course focuses on the most central issue in the conservation of wildlife: people. This course will integrate perspectives from conservation biology and environmental anthropology, focusing particularly on the interaction between humans and the environment and how this influences the effectiveness and appropriateness of measures taken to preserve biodiversity. The course includes a discussion of perspectives on the value of biodiversity; a careful exploration of human-generated threats to biodiversity, including habitat destruction, overhunting, the wildlife trade, invasive species, and global warming; and an extensive overview and critique of conservation solutions, such as the creation of protected areas, community-based conservation, ecotourism, economic incentives programs, debt-for-nature swaps, and more. The effects of globalization on international conservation will be an integral part of this discussion. Cross-listed: Anthropology368/Environmental Studies 368. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. | |
| Anthropology 372 | 3 (crs.) |
| Primate Behavior and Ecology | |
| This course is designed to introduce students to our closest living relatives, the nonhuman primates (monkeys, apes, and prosimians). The course will focus on primate diversity and characteristics, ecology, social behavior, communication, cognition, and conservation. We will also discuss the relevance of primate studies to understanding human evolution. This course will involve at least one field trip to the Milwaukee zoo. Cross-listed: Anthropology 372/Environmental Studies 372. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. | |
| Anthropology 374 | 3 (crs.) |
| Human Osteology | |
| This course focuses on the human skeleton and the data it provides forensic anthropologists, paleoanthropologists, and archaeologists. Skeletal and dental anatomy is covered in detail, with special attention given to anthropologically important aspects of specific bones and teeth. Students will also learn how to recover bone from forensic and archaeological contexts, recognize bone fragments, estimate age-at-death, sex and biological affinity from skeletal elements, diagnose bone pathologies, collect metric data, and identify trauma. The information covered in this course is the foundation for future studies in bioarchaeology, paleoanthropology, and forensic anthropology. Prerequisite: Anthropology 202 or consent of instructor. | |
| Anthropology 376 | 3 (crs.) |
| Culture Change | |
| A review of anthropological theory regarding culture change both micro and macro. The evolution of culture, acculturation, diffusion and invention, relation to ethnographic data. Prerequisite: None. | |
| Anthropology 377 | 3 (crs.) |
| Forensic Anthropology | |
| In this course students will be introduced to the methods and analytical techniques of forensic anthropology. The topics covered will include the stages of soft tissue decomposition, estimation of the post-mortem interval, forensic entomology, using skeletal elements to estimate demographic information, forensic odontology, skeletal trauma, and determining the cause of death. Additionally, Students will analyze simulated forensic cases using real human skeletons and learn to construct case reports for law enforcement agencies. Prerequisites: Anthropology 202 or Anthropology 374, or consent of instructor. | |
| Anthropology 378 | 3 (crs.) |
| Human Evolution | |
| Analysis of the bio-cultural developmental history of human populations in an ecological context. Human genetics and human paleontology and the biological nature and development of Homo sapiens will be explored in lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: Anthropology 202. (2+2) | |
| Anthropology 380 | 3 (crs.) |
| Globalization | |
| “Globalization” has become an all-encompassing term for describing a series of processes which are reshaping the society, economy, politics, culture and environment of the planet. This course will introduce some of the main, often competing perspectives on globalization. Through intensive readings and discussion, we will try to understand the ways in which the local and the global are increasingly intertwined, and to assess both the risks and the promises of the global society that lies ahead. Cross-listed: Environmental Studies 380/Anthropology 380. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. | |
| Anthropology 381 | 3 (crs.) |
| Anthropology of Tourism | |
| Tourism is among the world’s largest industries, generating trillions of dollars in annual revenues and employing millions, in addition to impacting identity and meaning for individuals and groups alike. The anthropological examination of tourism seeks to understand the relationships between the industry and other cultural productions. This course explores the cultural practices and impacts of tourism in relation to both host and guest communities and travel itself as a part of culture. The class examines various forms of tourism through various lenses, giving attention to gender, ethnicity, nationalism, class, as well as relationships of power, cultural representation, and environmental and economic impact. | |
| Anthropology 382 | 3 (crs.) |
| Food: A Bio-cultural, Socioeconomic Examination | |
| The fundamental question guides an exploration of the relation between food and people: biologically, economically, socially, and culturally. The course critically examines the “unnatural” current state of food and its impact on humans and the environment. The course also provides practical knowledge of food, food production, and nutrition with which students can make informed decisions about their food. | |
| Anthropology 384 | 3 (crs.) |
| Urban Anthropology | |
| The development and structure of urban societies. The course will focus mainly upon recent anthropological research concerning the problems of complex societies. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. | |
| Anthropology 386 | 3 (crs.) |
| Ethnography of Communication | |
| This course emphasizes the dual functionality of the ethnography of communication, approaching EOC as both a theory for explaining human communication and a method for generating and collecting situated cultural discourses. Students will read, discuss, and critique ethnographic accounts that theorize the uses and meanings of various communicative phenomena (terms for address, leave-taking practices, and “ways of speaking”). Students will also put into practice techniques for apprehending and analyzing communication phenomena (participant observation, interviewing, and collection of public documents). Prerequisite: COMM 104 and COMM 213 or COMM 214 or corequisite COMM 368 or ANTHRO 204 or instructor consent. | |
| Anthropology 392 | 1 – 4 (crs.) |
| Museum Techniques | |
| A survey of knowledge essential to the successful operation of an anthropological museum. Lectures and labs focus on acquisitions, record keeping, collection preservation, exhibition, public relations, and current policy issues. (3+2) | |
| Anthropology 394 | 1 – 6 (crs.) |
| Field Experience | |
| This is a field research course. Students are given the opportunity to travel to a field site(s), collect data, and consider theoretical conclusions. This course is field based and requires travel. It may be taken or repeated for up to six credits. Prerequisites: consent of instructor. | |
| Anthropology 400 | 3 (crs.) |
| Anthropology Senior Seminar | |
| This course serves as the culminating capstone experience for Anthropology Majors by integrating students’ training throughout their career in the program. Students will identify, evaluate, apply, and synthesize theory, research methods, and ethics. In consultation with the instructor, students will conduct an original project that involves research design, literature review and citation, data collection, analysis and theoretical application, conclusions, and contributions. Ideally, the project should build on previous data collection work begun in one of the program’s research methods courses. However, with agreement from the instructor, students may launch a new research project to collect data, analyze an existing data set, or critically analyze a body of Anthropological literature. Research projects will relate to one of the subfields of Anthropology (Archeology, Biological, Cultural, or Linguistic Anthropology, Ethnohistory, or other subfield). Students will also reflect on skills and concepts learned over their career as a major and develop an understanding of related academic and non-academic careers post-graduation. Prerequisites: ANT 202 Introduction to Biological Anthropology, 204 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, 206 Language in Culture, 208 Introduction to Anthropology, ANT 301 Reading Theory; One of the following research methods courses: ANT 350 Ethnographic Methods, ANT 362 Field Work in Archeology, ANT 363 Archeological Analysis, ANT 377 Forensic Anthropology, or ANT 394 Field Experience; or consent of instructor. | |
| Anthropology 446 | 1 – 3 (crs.) |
| Independent Study | |
| See Independent Study under Course and Academic Advisement Policies information for general course description, general prerequisites, and proper contract form requirements. | |
| Anthropology 456 | 1 – 3 (crs.) |
| Related Readings | |
| See Related Readings under Course and Academic Advisement Policies information for general course description, general prerequisites, and proper contract form requirements. | |
| Anthropology 474 | 3 – 6 (crs.) |
| Honors Thesis | |
| The Honors Thesis is one of two options offered to Honors students to meet the senior capstone requirement of The Honors College. Students who choose the thesis engage in research as an independent study over two semesters (fall/spring or spring/fall) with the support of a faculty advisor. They decide on a topic in their major or minor, address recent scholarship, develop a prospectus, and produce a substantial work (e.g., a written thesis, scientific experiment or research project, or creative arts exhibit or production). At the end of the term in which the capstone is completed, students give presentations at the Honors Thesis Symposia. Credits are applied to the respective department or unit. Prerequisites: In good standing with The Honors College, prior enrollment in HNRS 175Q and HNRS 275Q, and senior status. | |
| Anthropology 494 | 3 (crs.) |
| History of Anthropological Thought | |
| A survey of the history and development of theories and methods in Social and Cultural Anthropology. The intellectual contexts out of which Anthropology developed and the permanence of early theorists and methods in contemporary anthropological research. Prerequisites: Physical Anthropology 202, Cultural Anthropology 232, Intro Archaeology 250, Language and Culture 274; and junior standing or consent of instructor. | |
GLOBAL RELIGIONS
| Global Religions 101 | 3 (crs.) |
| Introduction to the Study of Religion (XC)(ES) | |
| This course introduces students to various methods employed in the academic study of religion and will provide opportunity for students to apply these methods to diverse expressions of the religious life. | |
| Global Religions 102 | 3 (crs.) |
| World Religions (XC)(GC) | |
| A historical survey of the basic experiential, mythical, doctrinal, ethical, ritual, and social dimensions in the world’s major traditions: tribal religion, Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese and Japanese religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Students may not receive credit for both Religious Studies 102 and Religious Studies 110. | |
| Global Religions 102Q1 | 3 (crs.) |
| World Religions (XC)(GC) | |
| A historical survey of the basic experiential, mythical, doctrinal, ethical, ritual, and social dimensions in the world’s major traditions: tribal religion, Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese and Japanese religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Students may not receive credit for both Religious Studies 102 and Religious Studies 110. | |
| Global Religions 102Q2 | 3 (crs.) |
| World Religions (XC)(GC) | |
| A historical survey of the basic experiential, mythical, doctrinal, ethical, ritual, and social dimensions in the world’s major traditions: tribal religion, Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese and Japanese religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Students may not receive credit for both Religious Studies 102 and Religious Studies 110. | |
| Global Religions 104 | 3 (crs.) |
| Religions of America (XS)(ES) | |
| This course will introduce students to the power and pervasiveness of religious expression in America. Religious expression involves the entire person, acting through all his/her senses. Consequently, the study of American religion must look for data beyond traditional religious texts and doctrines. Readings will introduce students to: 1) the formative religious meaning of the New World and the enduring classification of land and people that such visions engendered; 2) a variety of sacred texts in American life; 3) a variety of sacred rituals in American life; 4) social and personal pilgrimage; 5) the construction of sacred environments; and 6) sacred sounds. | |
| Global Religions 105 | 3 (crs.) |
| Honors: Religions of America (XS)(ES) | |
| Covers the same subject matter as Religious Studies 104. Prerequisites: Enrolled in good standing with the Honors Program; prior or concurrent enrollment in Honors 175. | |
| Global Religions 106 | 3 (crs.) |
| The Bible and Current Events (XC) | |
| This course introduces the Bible and biblical interpretation by focusing on the role of the Bible in shaping culture and public discourse on key issues in public and foreign policy, general interest, and popular culture, such as church/state relations, abortion, domestic violence, ‘family values’, welfare reform, same-sex marriage, and recent conflicts in the Middle East. | |
| Global Religions 106Q2 | 3 (crs.) |
| Bible and Current Events (XC) | |
| This course introduces the Bible and biblical interpretation by focusing on the role of the Bible in shaping culture and public discourse on key issues in public and foreign policy, general interest, and popular culture, such as church/state relations, abortion, domestic violence, ‘family values’, welfare reform, same-sex marriage, and recent conflicts in the Middle East. | |
| Global Religions 108 | 3 (crs.) |
| Introduction to Religious Studies | |
| What is religion? Who does religion, and how does it happen? How do we study religion across history and in the modern world, and how have other scholars of religion studied this phenomenon? This course introduces students to the field of Religious Studies as it has been practiced historically and as it is practiced today, with a particular focus on the study of religion in the modern world. By critically reading excerpts from classic theorists of religion alongside recent case studies, students in the course will learn about a wide variety of methodologies in the study of religion. By engaging students in some of the major issues in the field today, this course will prepare them for upper-division courses in the major. Students are strongly encouraged to take this course early in their major (during the first two years) before taking upper division courses. | |
| Global Religions 109 | 3 (crs.) |
| Reading the Bible Across Cultures (XC)(ES) | |
| A course on ways to bridge the cultural differences by understanding different American Cultures, and the ways they read the Bible, African American Interpretation, Asian Interpretation, Latino Interpretation, LGBQT Interpretation, Feminist Interpretation and Jewish Interpretation. Texts from both the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the New Testament will be covered. | |
| Global Religions 110 | 3 (crs.) |
| Honors: World Religions (XC)(GC) | |
| Similar in content to Religious Studies 102, with an emphasis on class participation and the addition of a term paper. Prerequisites: Enrolled in good standing with The Honors College with prior or concurrent enrollment in HNRS 175. Students may not receive credit for both Religious Studies 102 and Religious Studies 110. | |
| Global Religions 115Q1 | 3 (crs.) |
| Religion and the Making of Community (XC)(ES) | |
| Through fiction, autobiographies, scholarly essays, and interviews this class will explore how religion serves both to create community and isolate individuals both on campus and in the wider community. We will discuss how religious communities from German Lutherans, Hmong, and Muslims to Ho-Chunks, Evangelical Christians, and secular individuals transform and retain their traditions as meet each other in the classroom and the public square. Rather than trying to be exhaustive, an impossible task for any course, we will attend closely to how migration affects three arenas of religious expression-student groups, public life, and the home. Throughout the semester we hone our skills at civic engagement, skills we will use throughout our years at UWO, particularly in quest 3. | |
| Global Religions 120Q1 | 3 (crs.) |
| Religion, Children’s Books, Difference (XC)(ES) | |
| How can children’s and young adult literature help us to think about religious difference? We all come from varied religious, racial, ethnic, and gender backgrounds. How are these identities told in children’s books? How do we introduce young people to difficult ideas like inequality, discrimination, and violence? How do our own memories of children’s and young adult literature affect what kind of people we become? What challenges and successes have women writers of children’s literature had in America? The heroes and the heroines of our texts all face, and sometimes bridge, intercultural differences. How will our own encounter with these stories affect how we imagine diversity in America? | |
| Global Religions 123Q1 | 3 (crs.) |
| Religion and the Other (XC)(GC) | |
| This course will use novels and films to observe the ways that we in the West have thought and written about other people and places. Focusing on the religions of Asia and the Middle East, we will not only question the stereotypes we will have inherited, but we will also consider, for example, how Americans can be fascinated with Hindu yoga and Buddhist meditation while harboring an intense fear of Islam. | |
| Global Religions 164 | 3 (crs.) |
| Religion and Nature (XC) | |
| Examines competing environmental ethics, and the ensuing social conflicts, which result from diverse views about what constitutes proper moral relationships with and obligations toward the natural world. Credit cannot be received for both Religious Studies 164 and Environmental Studies 164. | |
| Global Religions 202 | 3 (crs.) |
| Honors: The Old Testament | |
| A literary and historical introduction to the Old Testament and its religious and cultural background, with emphasis on the period up to the Exile in Babylon. Prerequisite: University Honors student. Students cannot earn credit in both an honors course and a non-honors course of the same title. | |
| Global Religions 203 | 3 (crs.) |
| Hebrew Bible (XC)(ES) | |
| This course introduces students to the ancient text of the Hebrew Bible and to how it has been interpreted by ethnic minorities in America. We will thus encounter this collection of books, which is also known by Christians as the “Old Testament,” as a living text, one that has ongoing interpretations and uses. Please note that all readings for this course are in English. We will discuss both the Hebrew Bible’s emergence in the ancient Near East and a wide variety of contemporary responses to it, including some from African Americans, Asian Americans, Latin Americans, Jewish Americans, and Native Americans. | |
| Global Religions 204 | 3 (crs.) |
| New Testament (XC) | |
| A literary and historical introduction to the New Testament in its religious, social and cultural context with emphasis on the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Pauline Epistles. | |
| Global Religions 210 | 3 (crs.) |
| Christianity (XC) | |
| The principal forms and traditions of Christianity from the first century to the present with emphasis on essentials of Christian thought. | |
| Global Religions 211 | 3 (crs.) |
| Catholicism in America (ES)(XC) | |
| This class explores lived Catholicism through memoirs, music, film, ethnography, as well as, papal documents. Together we will explore Roman Catholic and Independent Catholic congregations, and how Catholicism is expressed in many ethnic communities in the U.S. | |
| Global Religions 215 | 3 (crs.) |
| Judaism (ES)(XC) | |
| This course is both a survey of Jewish history and an introduction to Jewish life as it is practiced in the modern world. It takes its lead from twentieth-century Jewish studies scholar Mordecai Kaplan, who characterized Judaism as an evolving “religious civilization.” We will study “Judaism,” in all of its pluralities, from a variety of perspectives, including historical, philosophical, aesthetic, anthropological, and literary approaches. | |
| Global Religions 221 | 3 (crs.) |
| The Hindu Tradition (XC)(GC) | |
| Historical and religious study of Hinduism in its unity and diversity as world view, world faith, and world influence. The course aims at a systematic understanding of Hindu origins, values, and practices as revealed in texts in translation, artistic expression, and modern transformative movements in and beyond India. | |
| Global Religions 222 | 3 (crs.) |
| Buddhism (XC)(GC) | |
| An introduction to how Buddhists throughout the Buddhist tradition in India, Southeast Asia, Tibet and Central Asia, China, Korea, Japan, and the West understand the world, experience their religion, and apply it to society and culture. | |
| Global Religions 240 | 3 (crs.) |
| Islam (XC) | |
| The religion of Mohammed and his followers from the Arabian beginnings through the rise and development of Islam as a great international faith and cultural system. Includes Islamic responses to modernization and the West | |
| Global Religions 263Q2 | 3 (crs.) |
| Women, Sustainability, Religion: From Green Nuns to Hindu Tree Huggers(XS)(ES) | |
| We all live in bodies, and we all live on the planet Earth. This class explores how women from diverse religious traditions have approached the question of how to live sustainably on this planet, as well as how religious approaches to sustainability affect women’s lives. We will assess this through units on four themes: 1) Wonder and Nature, 2) Food, 3) People and Bodies, and 4) Myth and Ritual. Cross-listed: Religious Studies 263/Women’s and Gender Studies 263, students may receive credit for only one-cross listed course. | |
| Global Religions 265 | 3 (crs.) |
| Women and Religion (XC)(GC) | |
| This course introduces you to women’s religious experiences in a wide variety of world traditions. We will gain an appreciation for diverse religious traditions and learn how these movements manifest “on the ground.” By learning “religious literacy,” we will have the grounding to examine how gender is performed in specific contexts, and how texts and practices intertwine with both inequity and empowerment. Our work this term will bring together local and global examples in order to prepare you for thoughtful global citizenship throughout and beyond your UW Oshkosh career. Cross-listed: Religious Studies 265/Women’s and Gender Studies 265. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. | |
| Global Religions 285 | 3 (crs.) |
| Afro-American Religious Experience (ES)(XC) | |
| An examination of ideas, forms, and expressions of religious experience in the life of the Afro-Americans against the background of their own ethno-cultural heritage (Africa) and in relation to the larger and more diverse American religious heritage. Includes analyses of the thought of preeminent Afro-American religious leaders. Christian and non-Christian, the role of the Black church as a fomenting and transformative force for cultural change, and the possible future of ‘Black Religion’ in the new millennium. | |
| Global Religions 291 | 1 – 3 (crs.) |
| Special Topics in Religious Studies | |
| A survey of selected readings from the primary and secondary literature on a particular aspect of religion, such as religious belief systems, religious practices, religious institutions, religious experience, history of religion and musical, and artistic or literary expression in religion. | |
| Global Religions 299 | 1 – 3 (crs.) |
| Intermediate Independent Study | |
| Supervised undergraduate reading and research. See Independent Study under Course and Academic Advisement Policies information for general course description, general prerequisites, and proper contract form requirements. | |
| Global Religions 304 | 3 (crs.) |
| Hebrew Bible: Wisdom & Poetry | |
| Selections from the Psalms, Job, Proverbs, and the Festival Scrolls: Ruth, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, Esther. Prerequisite: Religious Studies 203. | |
| Global Religions 309 | 3 (crs.) |
| Religion and Culture of New Testament | |
| An examination of Jewish and Hellenistic sources related to the New Testament, including the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Apocrypha, as well as sources for ancient Mystery Religions and Gnosticism. Prerequisite: Religious Studies 204 or 210. | |
| Global Religions 312 | 3 (crs.) |
| Jesus and the Gospels | |
| A course on the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and the quest for the historical Jesus. Course includes class held “Jesus Seminar” and attention to non-canonical gospels like the “Gnostic Gospels.” Prerequisite: none. | |
| Global Religions 313 | 3 (crs.) |
| Letters of Paul | |
| A course primarily on the authentic letters of Paul with special focus on the Letter to the Romans and the First letter to the Corinthians. Particular attention will be given to Paul’s interest in gender roles, social customs and the background of cross-cultural Anthropology. Several non-biblical books will also be covered, including the Acts of Paul and Thecla as well as the transmission of the Pauline legacy. | |
| Global Religions 314 | 3 (crs.) |
| Women and the New Testament | |
| An introduction to the roles of women required in both the New Testament and other non-canonical texts. Class will be taught from a feminist perspective. Prerequisite: none | |
| Global Religions 317 | 3 (crs.) |
| Gendering Jewish Children Literature | |
| Religion. Race. Class. Gender. All of these variables of identity intersect in the memorable and complex representations of Jewish life found in children’s and young adult literature. In this class, we will consider Jewish children’s literature-both books by Jews and books about Judaism from a gender perspective. How does Jewish children’s literature contribute to the construction and representation of gender roles of families in America? We will study all of these questions (and more). Cross-listed: Religious Studies 317/Women’s and Gender Studies 317. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. | |
| Global Religions 318 | 3 (crs.) |
| Religion and Sexuality | |
| In this class, we will explore how religious practice and sexuality intersect, with a particular focus on the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer-identified (LGBTQ) individuals in the modern world. By placing LGBTQ issues at the center of study, we will gain a greater understanding of how religious adherents think about the very notion of sexuality itself. We will also become more sophisticated in our ability to engage with civic questions about religion, families, and rights. Cross-listed: Religious Studies318/Women’s and Gender Studies 318/Social Justice 318. Students may receive credit for only one of the cross-listed courses. | |
| Global Religions 320 | 3 (crs.) |
| Judaism and Comic Books | |
| Is “The thing” Jewish? What does Magneto have to do with Judaism? What do Jews have to do with the comic books in America? Quite a lot, as it turns out. In this course, we will examine three related phenomena: 1) Jewish involvement in the creation of mainstream comic books (DC, Marvel, etc.) in the mid-twentieth century, 2) Graphic novels by Jewish authors (i.e., Art Spiegelman), 3) Themes relating to Judaism and Jewish history in comic books and graphic novels, (i.e., the relevance of the Holocaust for understanding X-men). We will use the cultural exhibit of the comic book as an entrance into the complex issues of identity, religion, and politics that comprise the diverse world of modern Judaism. Not only the worlds within the pages of the comic books themselves, but also American reactions to the culture of comic books constitute an integral part of the history of Judaism, particularly in America. | |
| Global Religions 334 | 3 (crs.) |
| Holocaust and American Memory | |
| This course will examine representation of the Holocaust in American Culture from Post-war survivor memory to the creation of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Some attention will be paid to Holocaust memory in Europe and Israel. | |
| Global Religions 335 | 3 (crs.) |
| Chinese Religion | |
| An introduction to Chinese religions and culture as the medium for the development of religion, including archaic shamanism, ancestor cult, language, change, the Tao, Confucianism and Taoism, Buddhism, syncretism. Prerequisite: Religious Studies 222 or consent of instructor. | |
| Global Religions 337 | 3 (crs.) |
| Japanese Religion | |
| A general survey of Japanese religion and its relationship to culture, including archaic tribal religions, importation of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism, medieval Buddhism and New-Confucianism, role of religions during Japanese modernization, militarism, post-war era, and post-modern Japan. Prerequisite: Religious Studies 222 or consent of instructor. | |
| Global Religions 338 | 3 (crs.) |
| Comparative Religious Ritual | |
| This course will focus on the rituals performed within religious communities around the world. Rather than looking at religion as a set of beliefs, doctrines, or morals that must have an agreed-upon meaning, this course will observe both ritual actions and variety of meanings (or sometimes the lack of any meaning) that scholars and practitioners attach to these actions. Readings for this course will include essays on ritual theory, ethnographies of performed rituals, and novels that creatively construct social meanings for fictional rituals. | |
| Global Religions 339 | 3 (crs.) |
| Hindu Myth and Ritual (GS) | |
| Working within the diversity of the Hindu tradition and beyond the stereotypical mysticism that Westerners often attribute to this tradition is a vibrant current of mythic narratives and ritual performances. In this class we will look at the various ways that Hindu myths and rituals serve as integral components of the daily lives of Hindu people and will take up such issues as how Hindus properly worship images, how Hindu deities can take on human form, and why the goddess Durga slays the buffalo demon. | |
| Global Religions 344 | 3 (crs.) |
| Zen Buddhist Practice | |
| Examines individual and communal religious practice toward the experience of realization (Japanese: satori) in the Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and American Zen Buddhist traditions. | |
| Global Religions 345 | 3 (crs.) |
| Zen Buddhist Art and Literature | |
| Examines how the Zen schools of Buddhism have used secular literary and artistic forms to teach and to understand the experience of Zen realization (Japanese: satori) and some of the influences these have had on Japanese culture. | |
| Global Religions 354 | 3 (crs.) |
| Buddhist Myth and Ritual (GS) | |
| This course will use essays, films, and short novels to examine popular forms of Buddhist narrative and performance from across Asia, as well as, from contemporary America. In addition to looking at traditional forms of monastic Buddhism, we will also look at devotional practices towards relics and icons, political uses of Buddhist processions, and the importance of Buddhist monks and nuns in the performance of funerals. | |
| Global Religions 358 | 3 (crs.) |
| Popular Religion in Asia | |
| This course will look at “popular” religious practices performed throughout classical and contemporary Asia–India, Nepal, China, and Japan. Important to these contemporary practices are the new media that people use in the performance and communication of them. Thus, this course will focus on the roles that television, comic books and the Internet have had on traditional Asian religions. | |
| Global Religions 360 | 3 (crs.) |
| Judaism Since Gender | |
| How have Jewish women, men, and individuals of other sexes lived with Judaism “since gender?” In this course, we will examine the intersection of Judaism and gender among various Jewish communities from the ancient world to the present, with a particular focus on contemporary America. We will consider how the “afterlives” of biblical figures continue to influence modern gender roles; the different and complex ways that bodies have figured in Jewish culture; how Jews are gendered in popular culture portrayals; and some of the changes, renewals, and continuities in Jewish practice and theology that have occurred since the rise of feminist movements. Cross-listed: Religious Studies 360/Women’s and Gender Studies 360. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. | |
| Global Religions 361 | 3 (crs.) |
| Islamic Resurgence | |
| Islamic Resurgence focuses on the two most important currents in religious discourse/political action in the Islamic world in the 20th and 21st centuries: that which has taken place between Islamic “modernist” and “Islamists” (a.k.a., “fundamentalists”, neo-Kharajites”, “Tawhidiests”, “jihadists” and several dozen other terms, most of which you will hear during the course of this seminar). Course readings are designed to add depth and historical breadth to the knowledge you bring to the course from previous course work in Religious studies 240, Islam. Prerequisites: Religious Studies 240, Islam. | |
| Global Religions 362 | 3 (crs.) |
| Religion and Earth Ethics | |
| Examines human attitudes and behaviors toward the natural world, focusing on the historical evolution of religious environmental ethics in diverse cultures and traditions. Analyzes how religion serves as a resource for many contemporary environmental movements and yields varying public policy prescriptions. Provides an opportunity for a critical appraisal of competing religious environmental ethics. | |
| Global Religions 363 | 3 (crs.) |
| Meditative and Mystical Experience | |
| This course is an examination of shamanic spirit possession in indigenous religions, meditative practices in Eastern religions, and mysticism in Middle Eastern traditions, and the major traditional and recent methods of study. | |
| Global Religions 364 | 3 (crs.) |
| Cults and Sects in America | |
| This course is an introduction to new religious movements in the United States- those groups frequently referred to as “sects,” “cults,” and “fringe religions.” We will be paying special attention to how these groups are portrayed in the various forms of media. We will read some secondary materials as well as various primary sources written by the founders and/or followers of a variety of nineteenth and twentieth century new religious movements including: Scientology, Latter-day Saints, Wicca, Nation of Islam, Jonestown, and the Branch Davidians. | |
| Global Religions 365 | 3 (crs.) |
| Religion and Children in America | |
| This course seeks to examine what happens to the contours of American religious history if we add age as an interpretive category. With little scholarship on children themselves, much of what we study will come from the viewpoint of adults through psychological models for children’s religious development and memoirs. As we critically examine these existing works, class discussions will help us to explore how this shift might affect our understanding of American religious history. | |
| Global Religions 370 | 3 (crs.) |
| Radical Religion in America | |
| Radical Religion in America offers both countercultural critique of mainstream American religiosity, and in an examination of the ways in mainstream society views the American religious “fringe.” The course is divided into four components. First, an examination of Cultic Milieu Theory; second, an examination of selected `neighborhoods’ in the American cultic milieu. This brief tour will include, among others, the radical right, the diverse community of Christian and Jewish dissident communities, including the anti-abortion rescue movement, and the world of new religious movements; third is the part of the class which might be called ‘ties that binds’ the cultic milieu together. These are ideas which are exchanged within the cultic milieu, and which then travel from the cultic milieu to the mainstream culture. How these ideas are considered, adopted, or rejected by the mainstream society, and then eventually find their way back into the cultic milieu is the focus of this part of the course. The fourth part of the course focuses on the community of ‘watchdogs’; public and private organizations whose self appointed task it has been to keep a watch on the denizens of the cultic milieu and to warn society of the threats which it may post to the moral health , public safety, or the very survival, of the American project. | |
| Global Religions 371 | 3 (crs.) |
| Global Fundamentalisms in Contemporary Perspective | |
| Global Fundamentalisms in Contemporary Perspective begins with the wave of “fundamentalist” resurgences that came to public knowledge in 1979. The course follows the fortunes of the various “fundamentalist” communities in the US, the Middle East and in South Asia from the 1970s to the present day. The course seeks to build on the work of the Fundamentalism Project of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences that was centered at the University of Chicago from 1989-1994. The mission of the Fundamentalism Project was two-fold. First, to determine whether “family resemblances “exist between the forms of activism arising within very different religious traditions so as to justify the application of a blanket term such as “fundamentalism”. Second, if such family resemblances could be found, the Project was designed to describe this global model and to consider both its underlying causes and the public policy implications of the fundamentalist phenomenon. | |
| Global Religions 372 | 3 (crs.) |
| Religious Radicalism and Globalization | |
| Religious Radicalism and Globalization will examine theoretical and methodological approaches through which to begin to understand the new world which is unfolding from the perspective of those who most oppose the emerging global order. The seminar will begin with cultic milieu theory, which focuses on the underground-oppositional forces through whose eyes the seminar will try to see the new world. Then to globalization theory; in terms of both political economy and of mainstream religion. Finally, the small body of theory which presently exists, focusing on the globalization of oppositional milieus, will be examined. The course will then move on to case studies grouped into four major categories: 1) Religious Revitalization/’Remagicalization’ Movements; 2) New religious Movements; 3) Global youth subcultures; and 4) Globalization and Violence. Prerequisites: None | |
| Global Religions 380 | 3 (crs.) |
| Terrorism and Religious Violence | |
| Terrorism and Religious Violence is designed to provide students with a thorough theoretical grounding in the study of religiously motivated terrorism. The course is composed of modules, each with its own set of readings and audio-visual materials. These include: Terrorism Defined and Differentiated; History of Religious Terrorism; Terrorist Texts; Terrorist Biography and Memoirs; The Tactical Evolution of Terrorism; and Strategic Outlooks and Counterterrorism. | |
| Global Religions 381 | 3 (crs.) |
| Terrorism and Religious Violence: Applications and Issues | |
| Terrorism and Religious Violence: Applications and Issues builds on the foundation of Religious Studies 380 Terrorism and Religious Violence by focusing on specific contemporary issues arising from the ongoing War on Terrorism in the United States and the challenges to state structures posed by terrorism globally. The reading list will be composed of recent texts in the field as written by scholars, practitioners and military leaders. A prominent feature of the course will be media-films, internet materials and key websites-as well as guest speakers who will share their experiences and expertise with students. There are no prerequisites for this course; although Religious Studies 380 is strongly recommended. | |
| Global Religions 395 | 1 – 3 (crs.) |
| Special Topics | |
| A course on a topic not normally covered in the curriculum. Each time it is offered, the topic will be announced in the time schedule. May be repeated with different content. | |
| Global Religions 399 | 1 – 6 (crs.) |
| Study Tour | |
| A combination of background reading, travel, and field lectures. Students will keep a journal and write a comprehensive paper. May be repeated with different content. For details, inquire at the Department Office. | |
| Global Religions 446 | 1 – 3 (crs.) |
| Independent Study | |
| See Independent Study under Course and Academic Advisement Policies information for general course description, general prerequisites, and proper contract form requirements. | |
| Global Religions 449 | 0 (crs.) |
| Humanities Certificate Reflection | |
| This capstone course is supervised by an advisor from Global Religions for students completing a Humanities Certificate. The outcome will be a paper or e-presentation reflecting on the interconnectedness of learning in various humanities disciplines and articulating personal perspectives on advanced humanities coursework. Prerequisites: Completion of at least three eligible courses from four of the five Humanities disciplines. | |
| Global Religions 456 | 1 – 3 (crs.) |
| Related Readings | |
| See Related Readings under Course and Academic Advisement Policies information for general course description, general prerequisites, and proper contract form requirements. | |
| Global Religions 474 | 1 – 6 (crs.) |
| Honors Thesis | |
| The Honors Thesis is one of two options offered to Honors students to meet the senior capstone requirement of The Honors College. Students who choose the thesis engage in research as an independent study over two semesters (fall/spring or spring/fall) with the support of a faculty advisor. They decide on a topic in their major or minor, address recent scholarship, develop a prospectus, and produce a substantial work (e.g., a written thesis, scientific experiment or research project, or creative arts exhibit or production). At the end of the term in which the capstone is completed, students give presentations at the Honors Thesis Symposia. Credits are applied to the respective department or unit. Prerequisites: In good standing with The Honors College, prior enrollment in HNRS 175Q and HNRS 275Q, and senior status. | |
| Global Religions 475 | 3 (crs.) |
| Religious Studies Capstone Course | |
| The Religious Studies Capstone Course is designed to allow students to apply the knowledge they have gained in their course of study by creating a religious field survey of the religious communities’ resident in the Fox Valley. This will require intensive field work, including interviews and the creations of survey instruments, as well as the gathering and analysis of artifacts such as creedal statements, publications, tracts, recordings and video materials, and the like. This data will become the basis of an outgoing database which will be utilized, and built upon, by future Capstone seminars. The various media gathered in the course of the study will be housed at the university. Prerequisites: Religious Studies 102, 108, and 18 additional credits of Religious Studies courses. | |
| Global Religions 498 | 3 (crs.) |
| Honors: Seminar Religious Studies | |
| Presentation and discussion, by faculty and advanced University Scholars, of an area of current interest in religion related to recent developments or debates in such areas of science, medicine, law, politics or others. Individual and collaborative case studies and term projects. Prerequisite: 60 units (crs.), including at least 6 units (crs.) of Honors completed. (May be repeated for credit with different content.) | |
| Global Religions 499 | 3 (crs.) |
| Seminar in Religion | |
| Presentation and discussion, by faculty and advanced students, of recent publications and other developments in various areas of the study of religion. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: 60 college units (crs.), including 15 units (crs.) in Religious Studies. | |