ANSO 105 Introduction
to Cultural Anthropology
Survey of world cultures 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 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 fieldsAugust 21, 2006elopment 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.) OR
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 crosscultural 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 evershifting contexts of
culture change and globalization. AOS
(SS); CR (Asia)
ANSO 234 Peoples
and Cultures of Latin America
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 inalternate years.) AOS
(SS)
ANSO 245 Qualitative
Research Methods
An introduction to qualitative, ethnographic research methods.
While the course emphasizes participant-observation and interviewing,
students will gain experience with an array of qualitative
data collection techniques. Prerequisite:
ANSO 105 or ANSO 107.
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. (Also listed as PSYC
250.) AOS (SS) Prerequisite:
ANSO 105, ANSO 107, or PSYC 101.
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
Diaspora and Transnational
Communities
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. A
O S (SS); CR (Comparative)
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, and 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.
(Also
listed as RELG 266)
AOS (SS or RELG); CR
(US)
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 93 ACADEMIC CATALOG 2004-2005 CATALOGUE.hls
6/1/2004 1:47 PM Page 94 on the culture change process in
various areas. (Also listed as AFST
290)
AOS (SS); CR (Africa)
Prerequisite: ANSO 105
or permission.
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 contex t of doing applied work. Examples from a variety
of areas of applied research will be considered. Prerequisite:
ANSO 245 or permission.
ANSO 320
Advanced Seminar: Special
Topics in Anthropology and Sociology
A seminar for students who wish to explore significant issues
in sociology or anthropology at a more advanced level. Topics
may vary from year to year. Prerequisite:
One course in anthropology and sociology, 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 PSYC 340.)
AOS (SS); CR (Comparative)
Prerequisite: ANSO 105
or PSYC 101. Both are highly recommended.
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.