Undergraduate Program
Anthropology is the study of human diversity over time and space. Undergraduates majoring in Anthropology at San Francisco State are exposed to a multi-field approach that examines current cultures (and especially the use of anthropology for contemporary social change), as well as the remains of past societies, the evolution of humankind, and the socio-politics of human interactions and institutions. The aim is to understand what it means to be human. In equal measures, the Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology serves both students who wish to gain from their formal education a highly respected undergraduate degree in one of social sciences’ most established fields as well as students who wish to carry forward their study of Anthropology (or of another related discipline such as medicine, law, political sciences, or government) to the level of the Masters and Doctorate.
Students who pursue a BA in the San Francisco State Anthropology Program acquire knowledge about the foundation of the discipline though required core classes. They then apply that knowledge to particular areas, regions and periods of human experience. In this way, the BA in Anthropology provides a thorough grounding in the basic concepts of the discipline. While there is no requirement for students to concentrate in one of the department’s specialized subfields, most chose to follow a particular sequences of classes in a specific area of interest.
Faculty advising is a fundamental part of each student’s orchestration of their undergraduate career. We encourage students to meet with an advisor early in their college career in order to discuss the direction of their degree and the potential for participation in programs such as Study Abroad. In their third year, all Anthropology majors meet with an advisor and discuss the best final course sequence for their interests and strengths.
Program overview
To complete the Undergraduate program in Anthropology at San Francisco State, a student must complete 41 units of classes which are divided into three types
Theory and Foundation Core Units
All students must take the following 18 units of Theory and Foundation classes.
ANTH 100 Introduction to Biological Anthropology (3 units)
Human beings in relation to the animal kingdom, geological time, and human evolution; fossil humans; human heredity; anthropometry; criteria of race; racial theories and problems.
ANTH 110 Introduction to Archaeology (3 Units)
Old and New World prehistory: discovery and invention, domestication of plants and animals, science, technology, and other aspects of culture.
ANTH 120 Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology (3 Units)
Principles and concepts of sociocultural anthropology. People and environment. Social relations: kinship, religion, social control, racism. Social change and applied anthropology.
ANTH 300 Foundations of Anthropology: History (3 Units)
Theoretical foundations of anthropology: major trends in anthropological thought and practice up to the present.
ANTH 301 Foundations of Archaeology (3 Units)
Introduces and develops archaeological theory in its archaeological-anthropological paradigms with emphasis on the role of material culture. (Formerly ANTH 340)
ANTH 302 Foundations of Human Variation (3 Units)
Examines the nature and extent of heritable differences among human populations in an evolutionary perspective. The role of genetics and environment in the formation of these differences is considered, as well as the social and biological concept of race. (Formerly ANTH 332)
Area Specialisms
Area 1: Social Inequality: Kin, Gender, Race and Class
All students must take a minimum of 6 units of the following Social Inequality classes.
ANTH 310 Family, Kin and Community (3 Units)
Comparative study of the family structures, kinship systems, gender, and age relations, and forms of community organization across the globe, spanning both non-industrial and post-industrial peoples and cultures.
ANTH 320 Racism: Cross-Cultural Analysis (3 Units)
Cultural history of racism as related to colonialism and imperialism. Racism as on-going intellectual, political movement. Anti-racism and educational-anthropological methods to defeat racism. (Also offered as CST 320. May not be repeated under alternate prefix.)
ANTH 325 Class: Cross-Cultural Analysis (3 Units)
Exploration of the cultural production of class and status in a comparative perspective. Reading of theoretical texts as well as ethnographies, exploration of class markers, and the production of distinction in students' own lives.
ANTH 569 Cross-Cultural Aspect of Sex and Gender (3 Units)
Sex, sexuality, and gender; the control of sexuality, cultural components of gender role and gender identity, and symbolic aspects of sex and gender. (Also offered as HMSX 567. May not be repeated under alternate prefix.)
Area 2: Cultural Diversity: Peoples and Places
All students must take a minimum of 3 units of the following Cultural Diversity classes.
ANTH 315 Regional Ethnography (3 Units)
Ethnic and cultural backgrounds of peoples of a region with emphasis on the arts, customs, religion, and social structure.
ANTH 316 Contemporary Culture of Greece (3 Units)
The culture of contemporary Greece within the framework of the social sciences, particularly anthropology and folklore. (Also offered as MGS 316. May not be repeated under alternate prefix.)
ANTH 319 Cultures of Middle East and North Africa (3 Units)
An introduction to the variety of cultures and communities in the Middle East and North Africa. Differences in history, religion, social organization, language, politics, and power are highlighted in lectures, ethnographies, and film.
ANTH 350 The North American Indian (3 Units)
Prehistory, physical anthropology and ethnology of the Indians of North America. Characterization of aboriginal culture areas with reference to ecology, contrubutions and culture contact.
ANTH 352 Peoples and Cultures of California (3 Units)
The peoples and cultures of California. Ethnicity, race, gender, and class defining the nature of life and cultural expression. (Also offered as AMST 352. May not be repeated under alternate prefix.)
ANTH 356 Archaeology of California (3 Units)
Prehistoric heritage of California's Native American cultures studied in the comparative light of ethnohistoric and ethnographic data. Archaeological focus on culture-history, economy, settlement pattern, ecology, political organization, and processual adaptation.
ANTH 420 Indigenous Media and Social Change (3 Units)
A critique of consumer culture and theories of ideology is developed as students produce their own contrapuntal “culture jams” in digital video. The course develops a familiarity with Final Cut Pro software, using as digital fodder for student productions television commercials from the 1960s and 1970s, sound effects, and YouTube borrowings.
ANTH 470 Archaeology of Mexico (3 Units)
Pre-Cortesian cultures and civilizations in Meso-America; origins of agriculture, cities, politics, and economic institutions; the Olmecs, Teotihuacanos, Toltecs, Maya, and Aztecs.
ANTH 471 The Ancient Maya (3 Units)
Civilization of the Maya Indians of Mexico and Guatemala. Recent findings in Maya archaeology and on interpretations of Maya history, politics, art, economy, and writing.
ANTH 475 Ancient South America (3 Units)
The rise of civilization in western South America; prehistory and achievements of the Indians of Peru and the Inca empire; relations with Indians of Bolivia, Colombia, and the Chibcha civilization.
ANTH 480 Ancient Civilization of the Near East (3 Units)
Prehistoy and development of culture in the Near East; the Neolithic and urban revolution; empires and conquests.
ANTH 481 Asian Prehistory (3 Units)
An anthropological/archaeological examination of the development of human culture in eastern Asia. Achaeological data and interpretation of the Asian Paleolithic, Neolithic, and the foundation of Asian cultures as civilizations.
Area 3: Applying Anthropology: Methods and Practicum
All students must take a minimum of 3 units of the following Applying Anthropology classes.
ANTH 530 Human Osteology Practicum (4 Units)
Human skeleton, bone dynamics, and anthropometric and morphological analysis of modern and fossil skeletal materials. Research on osteological and fossil materials. Paired with ANTH 730. Students who have taken ANTH 730 may not take ANTH 530 for credit. Classwork, 2 units; laboratory, 2 units. (Formerly ANTH 330)
ANTH 531 Fossil Human Practicum (4 Units)
The fossil evidence for human evolution. Comparative primate anatomy and function; skeletal morphology of hominid fossils. Ecological and geological settings. Trends and processes in human evolution. Paired with ANTH 731. Students who have taken ANTH 731 may not take ANTH 531 for credit. Classwork, 2 units; laboratory, 2 units. (Formerly ANTH 331)
ANTH 557 Ethnography of the Inner City (4 Units)
Students select and conduct weekly ethnographic fieldwork sessions with inner city groups or organizations. The class develops theoretical models in which this research can be interpreted. Projects frequently explore conditions of strife and poverty, as well as the strategies of escape.
ANTH 592 Archaeological Field Methods (4 Units)
Archaeological theory and methods; field reconnaissance, research design, excavation and laboratory methods; archaeological chronology, typology, cartography, photography, and other skills. Classwork, 2 units; laboratory, 2 units. (Formerly ANTH 491)
ANTH 593 Archaeological Excavation & Data Analysis (6 Units)
Archaeological research: field experience (15 days) in sampling strategy, excavation, cartography, photography, and site survey; laboratory analysis of material. Classwork, 2 units; laboratory, 1 unit; field work, 3 units. May be repeated twice. (Formerly ANTH 492)
ANTH 594 Field Methods in Archaeological Technology (6 Units)
The literature, method, and theory related to geophysical remote sensing technologies. (Formerly ANTH 493)
ANTH 795 Visual Anthropology I (6 Units)
This class is the first of two semesters in which anthropological field research and training in filmmaking are dedicated to the development of a film collaboration with an activist community group.
ANTH 596 Visual Anthropology II (6 Units)
This class combines advanced training in field research methods with the development of digital video skills. Community collaborators, for whom the films are ultimately produced, contribute significantly to film-editing decisions. Graduates and undergraduates who have completed Anth 795 may take this course with instructor permission
ANTH 651 Ethnographic Field Methods (6 Units)
Anthropological data-gathering methods, participant observation, scheduled and open-ended interview, life history, survey, questionnaire, projective techniques, electronic aids. May be repeated once. Classwork, 2 units; field work, 4 units.
ANTH 652 Anthropological Statistics (4 Units)
Methods and techniques for analysis of data: collecting and describing data; statistical inference and hypothesis testing; parametric and non-parametric techniques; SPSS traning for data analysis. Classwork, 2 units; laboratory, 2 units.
Electives in Anthropology
All students must take at least 11 units of Elective classes to be chosen from upper division units selected on advisement from areas above in Archaeology, Physical Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology, Social Anthropology, or Applied Anthropology
Notes
1. The regulations for the BA in Anthropology and the class descriptions included on this website are for information only. All students are urged to consult the current San Francisco State University Bulletin (http://www.sfsu.edu/~bulletin/current/bull-tc.htm) for the most up-to-date and authoritative information.
2. For students who entered the program before the Fall of 2007, please consult the old system regulations (click here for undergrad info prior to F07).
3. For up-to-date availability of classes please click on this link (http://www.sfsu.edu/online/clssch.htm) and visit the Class Schedule pages.
Admissions
For information and application materials for the undergraduate program at SFSU please contact:
Administration Bldg. 154
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132-4002
elephone: (415)338-7238
E-mail: ugadmit@sfsu.edu
For additional information concerning the Anthropology program please contact:
Department of Anthropology
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132-4155
Telephone: (415) 338-2046
Fax: (415) 338-0530
E-mail: anthro@sfsu.edu
