ANTH 102
3 credits
Culture and Society
Prerequisite(s): None
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This course introduces basic concepts, ideas, and methods in social and cultural anthropology, including explanations of social, economic, political, and ceremonial activities of selected Indigenous, global, and Western peoples, and the impacts of colonialism and globalization. This is the foundation course for anthropology.
ANTH 111
3 credits
First Nations of British Columbia -- Traditional Cultures
Prerequisite(s): None
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
An introduction to the anthropological literature on the indigenous cultures of the coast and interior of British Columbia. Topics include the archaeological record, languages, resource use, social structure, ceremonies, culture changes following the arrival of Europeans and the expansion of the Canadian state, and the relationship between colonialism and de-colonization.
ANTH 130
3 credits
Religions and Cultures
Prerequisite(s): None.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Introduces the world’s religions from an anthropological perspective. Topics drawn from a range of ethnographic contexts examine the characteristics and formation of indigenous, world, and new religions; illustrate key concepts; and introduce relevant theories and theorists.
ANTH 202
3 credits
Ethnographic Toolkit
Prerequisite(s): 15 university-level credits.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Provides an overview of ethnographic research, ethics, methods, and sensibilities. Drawing on case studies and in-class exercises, students will explore how ethnography informs contemporary anthropological theory and develop skills for deepening their understanding of the observable world.
ANTH 206
3 credits
The Politics of Art in Latin America
Prerequisite(s): None
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
In this course, we examine Latin American artistic culture from the perspectives of the social sciences. Focuses may include art, architecture, literature, film, music, dance, folk art, and popular culture. The intent will be to relate these to the social context in which they are located. In particular, we will be interested in the ways in which artistic expression helps to legitimize or to challenge particular social orders.
Note: This course is offered as LAS 206, ANTH 206, MACS 206, and SOC 206. Students may take only one of these for credit.
ANTH 210
3 credits
Gender and Sexuality across Cultures
Prerequisite(s): ANTH 102 or SOC 101
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
The most fundamental distinction in all societies is that of gender. There are many similarities and differences in the way that this relationship is organized across cultures. In this course, we explore the nature of social relationships between/among genders, their reliance on particular ideas about femininity and masculinity, their importance to sexuality, the body, and group identity, and the cultural frameworks, stereotypes, inequalities, and misunderstandings that often accompany them. Taking an ethnographic and feminist approach, and emphasizing the everyday, we examine the connections between gender, family, kinship, economy, politics, religion, ethnicity, race, and class. Students will be encouraged to make linkages between theory, literature, and personal experience.
ANTH 211
3 credits
Aboriginal Peoples in BC: Contemporary Issues
Prerequisite(s): None, ANTH 111 strongly recommended
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This course will focus on issues of importance to aboriginal communities in BC related to land claims, self-government, and various aspects of community development including education, family, health and wellness, and resource management, as well as urbanization. Relevant historical events, circumstances, and/or current initiatives will be explored using key concepts and methods of analysis used by social scientists. Significant aspects of aboriginal/non-aboriginal interactions, relationships, and experiences will be examined.
ANTH 220
3 credits
Anthropology of Globalization and Development
Prerequisite(s): None. One of GDS 100, ANTH 102, or LAS 100 are recommended.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
An examination of the effects of globalization and development on local cultures, especially peasant and Indigenous societies, across the global South, with an emphasis on Latin America, and their reactions of resistance, accommodation, and transformation.
Note: This course is offered as ANTH 220 and GDS 220. Students may take only one of these for credit.
ANTH 235
3 credits
Intercultural Relations
Prerequisite(s): ANTH 102 or ANTH 130.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Students explore the foundations of intercultural relations, using best practices and case studies in intercultural competence, via an anthropological lens. Provides structured opportunities for expanding cultural awareness, personal reflection, and intercultural dialogue.
ANTH 240
3 credits
Introduction to Archaeology
Prerequisite(s): None, ANTH 101 recommended.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This course is an introduction to basic archaeological theories, concepts, and methods, with examples drawn from the archaeological record of early societies throughout the world. Special emphasis will be placed on understanding the archaeological and heritage record of Canada and British Columbia.
ANTH 260
3 credits
Food for Thought: Food, Culture and Society
Prerequisite(s): ANTH 102 or SOC 101
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
While food is a material necessity of everyday life, it also bears a wide number of social and cultural meanings and is thus ‘food for thought’. Taking an ethnographic and cross-cultural perspective, this introductory course in the anthropology and sociology of food examines food production and consumption, the social and symbolic uses of food, the relationships between food and cultural identity, and the politics of food.
Note: This course is offered as ANTH 260 and SOC 260. Students may take only one of these for credit.
ANTH 268
3 credits
Culture and Environment
Prerequisite(s): None, but either SOC 101 or ANTH 102 is strongly recommended
Corequisite(s): None
Pre- or corequisite(s): None
Our world is facing an environmental crisis as a result of increasing population growth, water, soil, air, and noise pollution, and overuse of rural resources. Using anthropological models and methods of analysis, this course will explore the fundamental relationship between people and their environment. We will compare and contrast different cultural perspectives within our own industrial society, as well as among hunters and gatherers and tribal agriculturalists in other societies.
ANTH 270
3 credits
Dynamics of Racism in Canada
Prerequisite(s): One of SOC 101, ANTH 102, MACS 130, or LAS 200
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This course is a critical introduction to the area of race and ethnic relations within the Canadian context. In particular racism, inequality, and the social construction of racial and ethnic categories and identities will be examined. The student will develop an awareness of competing conceptual definitions and theoretical interpretations of racism, examine controversies about the extent and meaning of racism in Canada, and investigate how the process of racialization occurs within institutions such as education, the media, and the criminal justice system. Course material will draw upon a variety of historical and contemporary sources, cases, and examples, particularly those relevant to the Fraser Valley.
Note: This course is offered as SOC 270, ANTH 270, and MACS 270. Students may take only one of these for credit.
ANTH 275
3 credits
Fantastic and Speculative Worlds
Prerequisite(s): 18 university-level credits.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Explores the connections between anthropology and the worlds of science fiction and fantasy. Considers how core anthropological topics such as otherness, community, variation, social and political organization, and the question of what it means to be human play out in speculative fiction texts.
Note: Students with credit for ANTH 299I cannot take this course for further credit.
ANTH 299
3 credits
Special Topics in Anthropology I
Prerequisite(s): (ANTH 101) or (ANTH 102) or (15 university-level credits).
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This course involves an examination of a selected topic in anthropology that is not addressed in current course offerings. Topics covered will vary from semester to semester.
Note: The special topic is denoted with a letter designation (e.g. ANTH 299C). Students may take ANTH 299 as many times as they wish, but will not receive credit for the same letter designation more than once.
ANTH 301
4 credits
Theoretical Currents in Contemporary Anthropology
Prerequisite(s): (45 university-level credits) to include (ANTH 102) and (at least 3 additional credits of anthropology)
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
A consideration of selected themes and ideas in current anthropological thought with respect to their historical origins and theoretical and applied importance..
ANTH 303
4 credits
Ethnography of a Selected Area
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include ANTH 102 and at least three additional credits of anthropology.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This course is a study of the ethnographic and theoretical problems in one area. Different cultures or regions may be selected each term.
ANTH 310
4 credits
Special Topics: Regional Studies in Latin America
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include at least 6 credits of anthropology, sociology and/or LAS. (One or more of SOC 250, ANTH 220, or LAS 102, 110, 200 or 206 recommended.)
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Using sociological and anthropological approaches, this course is designed to provide insights into the society and culture of a specific nation or region within Latin America.
Note: This course is offered as ANTH 310, LAS 310, and SOC 310. Students may take only one of these for credit.
ANTH 325
4 credits
Culture and Theory of the City
Prerequisite(s): ANTH 102 or SOC 101, and ANTH 225/SOC 225, in addition to 45 university-level credits; or permission of instructor.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
In this seminar course, we examine the application of ethnographic theory and techniques to the city, with a special emphasis on the theoretical approaches anthropologists, sociologists, and others have taken to cities and urban life. Our explorations in reading and discussion will draw attention to cities as sites of power and magnetism as well as of social differentiation and disempowerment. A special focus of the course will be on the urban ethnography of Canadian communities in order to permit a consideration of urban theory amid local and regional contexts, and particularly concerning the influences of colonialism, migration, ethnicity, and globalization on Canadian urban milieux.
Note: This course is offered as ANTH 325 and SOC 325. Students may take only one of these for credit.
ANTH 330
4 credits
Humanitarianism and Complex Emergencies
Prerequisite(s): Nine credits of ANTH and/or GDS, or 45 university-level credits.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
An exploration of the nature and impacts of humanitarian emergencies and humanitarian aid in the global South. Students learn to apply an anthropological perspective and use ethnographic texts to interrogate complex causes of humanitarian emergencies, encounters between humanitarian aid actors and recipients of aid, the humanitarian response, and development challenges faced by “post-conflict” countries.
Note: This course is offered as GDS 330 and ANTH 330. Students may take only one of these for credit.
Note: Students with credit for GDS 299C or ANTH 299H cannot take this course for further credit.
ANTH 360
4 credits
Eating and Thinking: Food, Identity, and Power in Global Societies
Prerequisite(s): ANTH 102 or SOC 101 required; ANTH/SOC 230 recommended; in addition to 45 university-level credits.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
In the modern world, it is increasingly the case that people neither eat what they grow nor grow what they eat. This seminar course examines the global ethnographic, social, political-economic, and theoretical implications of this conundrum. We explore a number of issues in the contemporary anthropology and sociology of food, including the gender, status and identity meanings of food; the relationships between food, power, and development; the local and global impacts of food production and consumption; and the growing importance of food-based movements for social change.
Note: This course is offered as ANTH 360 and SOC 360. Students may take only one of these for credit.
ANTH 363
4 credits
Processes of Development and Underdevelopment: Latin America
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include at least 6 credits of Sociology, Anthropology, LAS, or GDS. (SOC 250, ANTH 220, LAS 200 and GDS 100 are recommended.)
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This course is an examination of theories and strategies of socioeconomic development and underdevelopment as applied to the Global South from 1945 until the present. Special attention will be paid to Latin America as the source of several development theories and the best example of the application of related development strategies.
Note: This course is offered as SOC 363, ANTH 363, LAS 363 and GDS 363. Students may take only one of these for credit.
ANTH 367
4 credits
Culture and Theory of Diaspora
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This seminar course investigates the phenomenon of diaspora in modern, postcolonial, and global contexts. Examining an interdisciplinary literature from the social sciences and humanities, students will become familiar with the social features of diaspora and the cultural expression of the diasporic condition through a consideration of theoretical, literary, and ethnographic texts. Particular attention will be given to the local nuances of diaspora in Canada and Europe.
Note: This course is offered as ANTH 367 and ENGL 367. Students may take only one of these for credit.
ANTH 368
4 credits
Power, Inequality, and the Environment
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits including one of ANTH 102, GEOG 140, or SOC 101.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Investigates and questions how framings of environmental issues reflect broader power structures, cultural categories, and social anxieties. Focuses on how we—as scholars, citizens, and activists—can work to alter current environmental conditions in ways that foster social and ecological justice for all living beings.
Note: In some iterations of this course, a mini-conference will be held outside of class time at the end of the semester.
Note: This course is offered as SOC 368 and ANTH 368. Students may take only one of these for credit.
ANTH 375
4 credits
Indian Mediascapes
Prerequisite(s): One of ANTH 102, SOC 101 or MACS 110; plus 45 university-level credits including a further six credits of ANTH, SOC, MACS, or INCS. Recommended: ANTH 303 (Peoples and Cultures Of India) and FILM 220.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
In this course, students will critique how Indian society and socio-cultural issues are represented in South Asian media through their comparison with the ethnographic record. Taking an anthropology of media approach, the complexities of belonging to a diversity of regional South Asian communities are examined in both ethnographic and media interpretations. In particular, the course will consider religious, ethnic, caste, class, and gender communities, the influence of postcoloniality, and processes of modernity and diaspora.
Note: This course is offered as ANTH 375 and MACS 375. Students may take only one of these for credit.
ANTH 387
4 credits
Aboriginal Peoples of Canada
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include ANTH 102 and at least 3 additional credits of Anthropology and/or Sociology
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This course looks at selected studies of cultural patterns and contemporary issues of Aboriginal peoples in Canada (including First Nations, Inuit, and Metis).
Note: This course is offered as ANTH 387 and SOC 387. Students may take only one of these for credit.
ANTH 388
4 credits
Global Indigeneity
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Explores the social and cultural experiences of Indigenous peoples outside of Canada within the context of settler colonialism. Students will then consider the parallels and differences between case studies discussed and the experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada.
Note: This course is offered as ANTH 388 and SOC 388. Students may take only one of these for credit.
Note: Students with credit for LAS 388 cannot take this course for further credit.
ANTH 399
3 credits
Special Topics in Anthropology II
Prerequisite(s): One of the following: 9 credits of ANTH, 45 credits including 3 credits of 100-level ANTH, or instructor’s permission.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Examines a selected topic in anthropology that is not addressed in current course offerings. Topics covered will vary with semester and instructor.
Note: The special topic will be indicated by a letter designation (e.g. ANTH 399C). Students may receive credit for ANTH 399 more than once as long as the letter designation differs.
ANTH 401
4 credits
Visual Anthropology
Prerequisite(s): 60 credits, to include ANTH 102 and at least 6 additional credits of sociology and/or anthropology
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This course critically examines the production and uses of ethnographic images and representations of cultures in selected anthropology films and photographs, and comparison
textual representations.
ANTH 470
4 credits
Race and Racism: Selected Topics
Prerequisite(s): 60 credits, to include at least 9 credits of Sociology and/or Anthropology.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Questions of race and ethnicity arise frequently in the context of popular discussions of social problems, national identity, and even national unity. They are equally important in academic discussions about modern societies around the world. This course explores selected topics related to race, racism, and ethnicity from sociological and anthropological perspectives. Topics covered may include ethnic conflict, immigration and immigration policy, multiculturalism, racism, the development of immigrant identities and communities, charter groups/dominant cultures, indigenous and migrant subordination, the meaning of exile, etc. Students should consult the department to determine the content for a particular semester.
Note: This course is offered as SOC 470 and ANTH 470. Students may take only one of these for credit.
ANTH 472
4 credits
Latin America: Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration
Prerequisite(s): 60 credits, to include at least 9 credits of Sociology, Anthropology and/or LAS. (LAS 110 and/or HIST 261 recommended)
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
Concepts of race and ethnicity have been crucial elements in the formation of Latin American society, culture, and identity. Migration has further shaped identity and society among Latin Americans inside and outside Latin America. This course explores various aspects of Latin American concepts of race, ethnicity, and immigration from several perspectives. It also examines patterns of migration from Latin America to Canada and the effects of Canadian concepts of identity, race, ethnicity, and multiculturalism on the integration of Latin Americans into Canadian society. Topics covered may include: the push/pull factors causing immigration, immigration policy, the development of immigrant identities, the meaning of exile, and the formation of immigrant communities and their relationship to the dominant culture of Canadian society.
Note: This course is offered as ANTH 472, LAS 472 and SOC 472. Students may take only one of these for credit.
ANTH 490
4 credits
Directed Readings in Anthropology
Prerequisite(s): 60 credits, to include at least 9 credits of anthropology, plus permission from supervising faculty member and department head.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This is a directed reading course in a selected field of study in anthropology under the direction of a single faculty member. A major paper will be required.
ANTH 492
2 credits
Directed Studies in Social, Cultural, and Media Studies
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include 6 credits of area of specialization (ANTH, SOC, LAS, MACS). Permission to enter requires written consent of both the faculty member supervising the student and the department head.
Corequisite(s): None.
Pre- or corequisite(s): None.
This course is designed for upper-level students who wish to examine in greater depth a particular problem/issue in Anthropology, Sociology, Latin American Studies, or Media and Communication Studies.
Note: This course is offered as SOC 492, ANTH 492, LAS 492, and MACS 492. Students may take only one of these for credit.
