Department of Anthropology
The Graduate ProgramMA in Applied Anthropology
PhD in Anthropology
Courses
The following list reflects the 2007/2008 faculty.
Chair Robert P. Weller
Director, Graduate Studies Merry White
Director, Graduate Admissions Thomas Barfield
Faculty
Thomas J. Barfield Director of Graduate Admissions, Department of Anthropology; Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, University of Pennsylvania; MA, PhD, Harvard University
Anthony Barrand University Professor; Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, University of Keele (England); PhD, Cornell University
Mary Beaudry Professor of Anthropology and Archaeology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, College of William and Mary; MA, PhD, Brown University
Shahla Haeri Associate Professor of Anthropology; Director of Women’s Studies, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Boston State College; MA, Northeastern University; PhD, University of California, Los Angeles
Robert Hefner Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, MA, PhD, University of Michigan
Harald K. Heggenhougen Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences; Professor, School of Public Health. MA, PhD, New School University
Frank J. Korom Associate Professor of Religion and Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, University of Colorado; MA, PhD, University of Pennsylvania
Richard Lawler Assistant Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. MA, Southern Illinois University; PhD, Yale University
Robert A. LeVine Visiting Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. AB, MA, University of Chicago; PhD, Harvard University
Charles Lindholm University Professor; Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, MA, PhD, Columbia University
Robert E. Murowchick Director, International Center for East Asian Archaeology & Cultural History; Research Associate Professor of Archaeology and Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Yale University; MA, PhD, Harvard University
Augustus Richard Norton Professor of International Relations and Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, MA, University of Miami; PhD, University of Chicago
James Pritchett Associate Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences; Director, African Studies Center. BA, Ohio State University; AM, PhD, Harvard University
Parker Shipton Associate Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. AB, Cornell University; MLitt, University of Oxford (England); PhD, University of Cambridge (England)
Nancy Smith-Hefner Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Anthropology; Associate Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, MA, PhD, University of Michigan
Robert P. Weller Chair, Department of Anthropology; Professor of Anthropology, Research Associate in the Institute on Culture, Religion, & World Affairs, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Yale University; PhD, Johns Hopkins University
Jenny B. White Associate Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, City University of New York; MA, Hacettepe University (Turkey); PhD, University of Texas, Austin
Merry I. White Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Anthropology; Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. AB, AM, PhD, Harvard University
Emeriti
Fredrik Barth Professor Emeritus of Anthropology. MA, University of Chicago; PhD, University of Cambridge (England)
Harold C. Fleming Professor Emeritus of Anthropology. BA, MA, Yale University; PhD, University of Pittsburgh
Allan Hoben Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. AB, Columbia University; PhD, University of California, Berkeley
Daniel F. McCall Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Boston University; PhD, Columbia University
Harold Miller Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, MA, Yale University; PhD, University of Pittsburgh
Sutti Ortiz Associate Professor Emerita of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, MA, University of California, Berkeley; PhD, London School of Economics (England)
The Graduate Program
The Department of Anthropology offers graduate studies leading to the PhD in Anthropology. While the department does not admit students for a general MA degree, it does offer an MA in Applied Anthropology. For graduate degrees in archaeology, see Department of Archaeology; for graduate degrees in linguistics, see Applied Linguistics Program.
Further information is available from the Department of Anthropology, 232 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215; 617-353-2195, or visit the Department of Anthropology website at www.bu.edu/anthrop.
MA in Applied Anthropology
The applied anthropology degree program is designed for non-anthropologists who are already engaged in, or plan to enter, such fields as medicine, business, public health, education, journalism, law, environmental management, social services to refugee or immigrant populations, rural development, or public policy evaluation. It is designed to provide the student with a basic anthropological training and an appreciation of the significance of a cross-cultural perspective in professional practice. The master’s degree is neither required nor encouraged as a stepping stone to the PhD. Those persons intending to become professional anthropologists should apply directly to the PhD program.
Prerequisites Applicants must have obtained a degree in some discipline other than anthropology and have an expressed intention to continue working in, or enter, that field. Prospective students should also explain in their written statements how they expect anthropology to enhance their capability or improve their effectiveness in their chosen career. This is important because students who enter the program with well-defined goals derive the most benefit from the resources the department and the University have to offer. Under exceptional circumstances, applications for this program may be considered after the regular application deadline date.
Course Requirements Students enrolled in the program must successfully complete a minimum of eight semester courses (32 credits), two of which may be taken outside of the Department of Anthropology. During the first semester the program coordinator assists students in choosing appropriate courses, which normally include the department’s proseminars (AN 703, and a choice of either AN 704 or AN 705). By the second semester students must select a major advisor from among the faculty. Students are required to achieve an overall grade point average of 3.0 (B) in their coursework. During their last semester students may enroll in a directed study course (GRS AN 902) under the guidance of their major advisor, and begin developing a topic for the required research paper. While it is possible for a full-time student to fulfill all the program’s requirements in two semesters, many students often need an extra semester of residency to fully complete their studies.
Language Requirement Each MAAA candidate is to show proficiency in a foreign language approved by the student’s advisor or the Graduate Committee of the Department. Certification is based on completing at least four semesters’ coursework in the language at the undergraduate level or passing a two-hour written comprehensive examination. Students wishing to take the written examination in a language for which the department has no examiner among the regular faculty must obtain approval for the examiner from the Graduate Committee.
Research Paper Each student must write a special research paper under the direction of the major advisor and two other faculty members. One of the latter may be from another department. The project should demonstrate the candidate’s ability to integrate anthropology with his or her own discipline or profession. It should be well-conceived but modest in scope and can be based on either library or field research.
Financial Aid No financial aid is available through the University for students enrolled in the applied anthropology program. International students are urged to apply for support to their governments or international agencies.
PhD in Anthropology
The PhD program in anthropology is designed to provide a relatively broad background in the field with a primary emphasis either on sociocultural anthropology or biological anthropology. Major foci of research and instruction in sociocultural anthropology include religion, law and politics, ethnicity, gender, history and anthropology, problems of social change and economic development, culture and the environment, cognition and culture, and medical anthropology. Major foci in biological anthropology include human biology, behavior and evolution, and the study of living and fossil primates. The faculty has greatest strengths in the study of cultures and societies in the Islamic world, East and Southeast Asia, and Africa.
Prerequisites and Admissions Tests Applicants should have obtained the BA or MA degree in anthropology or show evidence of equivalent preparation in some other social science subject. The department also requires an official record of the results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test. The application process itself is administered by the Graduate School, which sets the University requirements, fees, and deadlines.
Course Requirements In the first stage of the program candidates are expected to prepare themselves in general anthropological research methods and theories, as well as develop competence in their specific area (or areas) of specialization. This is accomplished by means of coursework, reading, and directed research during the period of residence. The University requires that students entering with a bachelor’s degree must successfully complete at least 16 graduate semester courses for the PhD degree. (Those students who enter the program with a qualifying master’s degree must successfully complete at least 8 graduate semester courses for the PhD degree.) All PhD students must take three semesters of the departmental proseminar (AN 703, 704, and 705) and a course in research methods. In addition to these core requirements, students specializing in sociocultural anthropology must take at least two anthropology courses in social or cultural theory, and one anthropology course focusing on the ethnography of a specific geographical region outside of their own ethnographic area of specialization. Students specializing in biological anthropology must take at least three of the 500-level courses offered by the department in that area. To ensure a well-rounded education in general anthropology, all students must take one course in the anthropology of language and an additional course focusing either on archaeology or the history of their research area. Students may be excused from this requirement by petition to the Graduate Committee if they can demonstrate adequate previous training in any of these areas. The remaining coursework should be chosen in consultation with the student’s academic advisor to create a coherent program of study that may include courses from other departments.
Students who successfully complete the required 16 semester courses (or 8 semester courses and a special research paper) may be eligible to receive the MA degree in anthropology. For other University requirements, time limits, and general procedures, candidates should consult the General Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the “Admission; Policies and Procedures” section.
Language Requirement Before taking the comprehensive examination, all students must achieve mastery in the major scholarly language of their field region. If that language is English, any other major foreign language can meet the requirement. Students are expected to master the local language of their field site; this may be the same as the scholarly language in some cases. Mastery is normally indicated by the successful completion of three years of college language study or its equivalent. More may be required depending on the specific language.
During the first term of enrollment, students should give the Director of Graduate Studies a plan for meeting this requirement. Students must apply to the Director of Graduate Studies for the final approval of this requirement.
PhD Qualifying Examination and Thesis Prospectus Each student must pass both a written and an oral PhD Qualifying Examination given by members of the advisory committee. The examination covers (1) general anthropological method and theory, (2) a subdisciplinary topic, and (3) at least one geographical area outside the United States for sociocultural anthropologists, or research specialization for biological anthropologists. The purpose of the examination is to determine whether a student will be recommended to continue working toward the PhD degree. Following successful completion of these qualifying examinations, the student is expected to prepare a proposal defining the research problem for the PhD dissertation. This should be submitted no later than one semester after passing the Qualifying Examination. The proposal will include a statement of the theory, research methods or techniques to be employed, and the significance of the research. Written under the guidance of the advisory committee, the prospectus will be presented orally to the PhD advisory committee. All members of the faculty and the graduate student body are encouraged to attend these presentations. Normally, dissertation research begins immediately after the examination of the proposal and continues for at least one calendar year.
Residence Requirement See information on academic regulations under Admission; Policies and Procedures on this site.
Dissertation Departmental approval of the dissertation proposal is obtained through successful presentation as outlined above. Two members of the faculty will supervise the candidate as she/he prepares the dissertation. The goal is a dissertation that makes an original contribution to knowledge and is clearly written.
Final Oral Examination Upon completion of the dissertation, each candidate shall present a final oral examination before a committee of five members, at least four of whom are normally drawn from the department. The examination is based primarily on the dissertation and related problems in the field of specialization.
Courses
CAS AN 505 Asian Development: The Case of Women
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AN 515 Authenticity and Identity
Explores the idea of the authentic self in Western culture in readings from authors such as Montesquieu, Hegel, Rousseau, Diderot, Molière, and Nietzsche. Historical and cross-cultural perspective is provided through examples from medieval Europe, Pakistan, America, Bali, and China. Lindholm. 4 cr, 2nd sem.CAS AN 519 Kinship
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AN 520 Nilotic Peoples: African Culture in Depth
Prereq: senior standing or consent of instructor. Explores classic and contemporary studies of Nilotic and Bantu-speaking cultures of the middle and upper Nile (Nuer, Dinka, Shilluk, Luo, and others) and through them, a British-African tradition of ethnography and theory central to anthropology. Shipton. 4 cr, 2nd sem.CAS AN 521 Sociolinguistics
Introduction to language in its social context. Methodological and theoretical approaches to sociolinguistics. Linguistic variation in relation to situation, gender, socioeconomic class, linguistic context, and ethnicity. Integrating micro- and macro-analysis from the conversational level to societal language planning. O’Connor. 4 cr, 2nd sem.CAS AN 525 Ritual and Political Identity
Provides a conceptual foundation for interpreting and understanding ritual and its role in shaping political and social identity and worldview. Focus on cases drawn from the contemporary Muslim world. A.R. Norton. 4 cr, 2nd sem.CAS AN 534 Advanced Topics in Human Behavioral Evolution
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AN 538 Human Ecology of Modern Africa
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AN 547 Topics in Muslim Societies and Islamic Civilizations
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AN 548 Topics in Muslim Societies and Islamic Civilizations
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AN 550 Human Skeleton
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AN 551 Anthropological Genetics
Prereq: AN 102 and consent of instructor. Surveys the theory and methods of evolutionary genetics as supplied to human populations. Emphasis on the relevant aspects of transmission genetics, population genetics, and phylogenetics. Considers intersection of human genetics with social issues such as racism, bioethics, and eugenics. Lawler. 4 cr, 1st sem.CAS AN 552 Primate Evolution and Anatomy
Prereq: AN 331 or AN 332 or BI 473 or consent of instructor. The evolutionary history of the primate radiation—particularly that of monkeys, apes, and humans—is examined through investigation of the musculoskeletal anatomy of living and fossil primates. Comparative and biomechanical approaches are used to reconstruct the behavior of extinct species. Staff. 4 cr, 1st sem.CAS AN 554 Human Reproductive Ecology
Prereq: CAS AN 102 and CAS AN 333 (CAS BI 215 strongly recommended); or CAS BI 303 and either CAS BI 111 or CAS BI 215. Considers ecological perspective on human reproduction. Provides a basic understanding of human reproductive biology and discusses current issues about reproduction from the biocultural perspective. Topics: biocultural aspects of sexual behavior, sexually transmitted diseases, and cultural knowledge and practices surrounding reproduction. Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.CAS AN 558 Behavioral Biology of Human Sex Differences
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AN 568 Symbol, Myth, and Rite
Historical overview of ritual behavior, the role of symbolism in the study of culture, and the narrative quality of worldview and belief. Emphasis on verbal performance and public display events in specific cultural contexts. Weller. 4 cr, 1st sem.CAS AN 570 Lovers and Leaders: The Anthropology of Romance and Charisma
A comparison of theories of charismatic leadership and romantic love from sociology and psychology. Case studies from literature are discussed for illustration and comparison. Lindholm. 4 cr, 1st sem.CAS AN 583 Seminar in Complex Societies
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AN 585 Advanced Readings in African Ethnography
Explores ecological adaptation, kinship, social organization, religious thought and practice, and creative expression. Special focus on the history of theory, method and narrative style in the construction of African ethnographies. Pritchett. 4 cr, 2nd sem.CAS AN 590 Seminar: Theory, Method, and Techniques in Fieldwork
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AN 593 Seminar: Topics in Cultural Anthropology
Prereq: concentration in department or consent of instructor. Selected issues and debates in current anthropology. LeVine. 4 cr, 2nd sem.CAS AN 594 Seminar: Topics in Cultural Anthropology
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AN 595 Field Methods in Human Biology
Prereq: CAS AN 102 or BI 107 and BI 108; AN 332 or AN 333; and MA 115; or consent of instructor. Hands-on instruction in non-clinical techniques of comprehensive health assessment, including body composition, diet, energetics, health status, psychological stress, and reproductive status. Students design and execute their own research project. Staff. 4 cr, 1st sem.CAS AN 596 Anthropology and History
Examines the use of ethnographic material and models of alternative social or economic organization to interpret historical materials, as well as the use of history to provide dynamic models of change in anthropological analysis. Barfield. 4 cr, 2nd sem.CAS AN 597 Special Issues in Biological Anthropology
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AN 598 Special Issues in Biological Anthropology
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AN 699 Teaching College Anthropology I
The goals, contents, and methods of instruction in anthropology. General teaching-learning issues. Required of all teaching fellows. Staff. 2 cr, both sem.GRS AN 703 Proseminar: Ethnography and the History of Social Theory in Anthropology
Intensive introduction focusing on classic works of ethnography, social theory, and the history of the discipline from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century. Required of first-year graduate students and open to students in related disciplines with the consent of the instructor. Shipton. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS AN 704 Proseminar: Contemporary Anthropological Theory
Examination of major theoretical trends and debates in anthropological theory from the 1960s to present. Required of first-year graduate students and open to students in related disciplines with the consent of the instructor. Hefner. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS AN 705 Graduate Proseminar in Anthropology: The Biological and Historical Past
Open to graduate students or students with consent of instructor. Examination of major contributions and debates in biological anthropology focusing on humanity’s place in the natural world. Topics include evolutionary theory, fossil and living primates, human evolution, historical demography, human life histories, and the relationship between biology and culture. Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS AN 706 Comparative Family Systems in Asia
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AN 707 Turkey and Middle East Perspective
Social and cultural diversity of the modern Middle East with particular attention to Turkey. Focus on the interplay of tradition and socioeconomic changes that have occurred during the 20th century and their implications for the future. J. White. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS AN 708 Food, Culture, and Society
Study of foodways, culinary social history, and diet and food ecology with special attention to Asian societies and Boston’s food culture. Examines the use of food and cuisine as a focus for identity, national development, and social change. M. White. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS AN 710 Studies in North American Ethnography
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AN 711 Civil Society and the State
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AN 712 Studies in African Ethnography
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AN 717 Power and Society in the Middle East
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AN 718 Southeast Asia: Tradition and Development
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AN 719 Anthropology of Muslim Cultures and Politics
Muslim societies are today being buffeted by a struggle over the forms and meanings of Muslim culture and politics. This course examines this struggle, and its implications for religious authority, gender ideals, and new notions of citizenship, civil society, and democracy. Staff. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS AN 720 Women in the Muslim World
A cross-cultural approach to the diversity and complexity of women’s lives in the Muslim world, including the United States. Looks at issues such as gender equality, civil society and democracy, sex segregation and sexual politics, kinship and marriage, and veiling. Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS AN 721 Cognition and Culture
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AN 726 Oral Tradition as Verbal Art
Explorations of religious and secular poetry worldwide with emphasis on the ethnography of communication. A focus on performance in oral tradition and its consequences for literary form, as well as the impact of mass media and literacy on orality. Korom. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS AN 731 Human Origins
Introduction to human paleontology and methods for reconstructing the ancestry, structure, diet, and behavior of fossil primates and humans. Survey of primate and hominid fossils, primate comparative anatomy, radioactive dating, molecular and structural phylogenies, climactic analyses, and comparative behavioral ecology. Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS AN 732 Primate Behavioral Adaptation
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AN 733 Human Population Biology
Prereq: CAS AN 102; or CAS BI 107 and one of BI 119, BI 211, BI 303; or consent of instructor. Human population biology and ecological adaptations: human demography, life history patterns, population genetics, and physiological adaptability. Topics: population dynamics of human societies, mortality and fertility schedules, evolution and genetics of human life history traits, physiological adaptability, and ecological correlates. Staff. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS AN 735 The Ape Within: Chimpanzees and the Evolution of Human Behavior
Prereq: CAS AN 102 and BI 119 or BI 107 or consent of instructor. Introduction to primate social behavior, focusing on the apes. Examines how chimpanzee behavior can be used to understand human behavior. What is unique about humans, and how did we evolve? Topics include diet, social relationships, sexual behavior, aggression, culture, cognition. Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS AN 736 Primate Evolutionary Ecology
Covers the various theoretical approaches to understanding the evolutionary ecology of wild primates. Topics covered include functional anatomy, genetic approaches to mating systems, demography, behavioral ecology, community ecology, and conservation. Lawler. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS AN 744 Modern Japanese Society: Family, School, and Workplace
Approaches contemporary Japanese society through a focus on family, school, and workplace. The readings and lectures treat these institutions historically and in terms of the contexts they provide for the individual. M. White. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS AN 745 Moving Experiences: Cultures of Tourism and Travel
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AN 747 Afghanistan
This course provides an ethnographic and historical examination of Afghanistan’s traditional social organization, ecology and economy, political organization, and relationship among ethnic groups as a basis for examining the consequences of domestic political turmoil and foreign interventions over the last thirty years. The current situation in Afghanistan and the country’s prospects for the future will also be addressed. Barfield. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS AN 750 Asians in America
A cultural history of Asian immigrants in the United States from the 1850s to the present, focusing on family structure, gender, generational differences, religion, and education. The implications of the Asian experience for understanding mainstream American culture. Smith-Hefner. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS AN 751 Language, Culture, and Society
Introduction to basic concepts, problems, and methods used by anthropologists in the investigation of relationships among language, culture, and society. Topics include language and conceptual systems, language and role, language and social context, and language and thought. Smith-Hefner. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS AN 755 Religious Fundamentalism in Anthropological Perspective
Anthropological study of the global phenomenon of religious fundamentalism. A product of the modern world, fundamentalism is perceived as counter-cultural and antinationalist. Cases drawn from North America and Islamic Middle East, with special attention to women’s interpretation of religion. Arkin. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS AN 760 The Nomadic Alternative
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AN 761 Ethnography and Anthropological Theory I
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AN 771 Political Anthropology of the Modern World
Examines the concepts of political anthropology and applies them to the analysis of the origins and development of the modern political world. Special attention to nations and nationalism, the state and modern development, comparative political culture, and urban and agrarian political change. A.R. Norton. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS AN 772 Psychological Anthropology
Introduces students to some key theoretical perspectives and controversies in the cross-cultural study of psychology. The reading is of classic texts and cross-cultural studies of emotion, sexuality, concepts of the person, national character, consciousness, authority, and religion. LeVine. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS AN 775 Culture, Society, and Religion in South Asia
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AN 779 China: Tradition and Transition
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AN 782 Wealth, Poverty, and Culture
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AN 784 Anthropological Study of Religion
An introduction to the anthropological study of myth, ritual, and religious experience across cultures. Special attention to the problem of religious symbolism and meaning, religious conversion and revitalization, contrasts between traditional and world religions, and the relation of religious knowledge to science, magic, and ideology. Korom. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS AN 797 Anthropological Film and Photography
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AN 829 Seminar: Selected Topics in Japanese Society
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AN 840 Folk Songs as Social History
Anglo-American folk songs and singing styles considered as expressions of personal, social, and cultural history. Topics include finding and using regional and thematic song collections; performance of traditional music; preparation and presentation of song materials in selected projects. Barrand. 4 cr, 1st sem.
Directed Study
GRS AN 901, 902 Directed Study in Anthropology
Variable cr, 1st & 2nd sem.
Published by Trustees of Boston University
One Silber Way
Boston, MA 02215
9 January 2009
Boston University
Questions
Credits