Printable Version of the Anthropology Major Handbook
______________________________
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
The University of Texas at
Arlington
Academic Year 2009-2010
http://www.uta.edu/anthropology
July 2009
The faculty of the Program in Anthropology are pleased that you have selected anthropology as your major, and we hereby welcome you to our academic community. This short handbook is designed to answer anticipated questions about the discipline of anthropology and to provide necessary information on the structure and requirements of the Anthropology major at UTA. In addition, it provides some information on resources available to you in both the Program and University. Useful web links are included for further resources. Although this document will serve as a handy guide to Program policies, you are encouraged in addition to dip into the Anthropology Program website (http://www.uta.edu/anthropology/) on a regular basis; it is periodically revised and updated to reflect changes in Program and University regulations and new sources of information about further academic work and careers in anthropology.
Students are also strongly encouraged to read carefully the front matter in the UTA Undergraduate Catalog, which covers University policies and regulations. The material presented in this Handbook is intended to clarify and complement the information in the official catalog.
Finally--and most importantly--you are urged to develop a good working relationship with your faculty advisor in the Anthropology Program. This means meeting with him or her more than the requisite once per semester. The faculty are interested in your academic progress in all your courses, and would like to be kept apprised of your overall development as a student.
Suggestions
for additions and revisions to this handbook are always welcome. Please address
them to Dr. Shelley Smith, Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology
and Director of the Anthropology Program (slsmith@uta.edu).
ANTHROPOLOGY: THE DISCIPLINE AND THE PROFESSION
What is anthropology?
Anthropology is the study of human behavior and what it means to be human. As an academic discipline, it spans the biological sciences, social sciences and the humanities. Anthropologists are curious about what it means to be human, and about the underlying cultural currents across the globe and in human history. The exploration of human behavior and cultures includes the study of culture and social life; human biology, primatology and evolution; the origins and development of complex society; language and linguistic variation; music and dance; cultural symbolism and spiritual practices; art and architecture; education; and medical anthropology.
Within this broad range of possibilities one may study such fascinating questions as how peoples’ behavior changes over time, why and how people from various parts of the globe are different or similar, how the human species has evolved over millions of years, and how individuals comprehend and operate successfully within and/or between distinctly different cultural settings.
Contained within the field of Anthropology are four fields of study -- cultural anthropology, physical anthropology, archaeology, and anthropological linguistics. Each field teaches critical skills such as applying theories, employing research methodologies, formulating and testing hypotheses, and developing and analyzing extensive sets of data. The Anthropology Program at UTA currently offers courses in the first three of these fields.
Cultural anthropologists may specialize in a particular geographic region or a specific population within that region. Others may study cultural practices within a particular societal and/or governmental territory. Physical anthropologists observe and study biological behavior in an attempt to understand ongoing human evolution and physical adaptation to particular environments. Archaeologists discover, analyze, and interpret artifacts, organic remains, architecture, and written records of past cultures. Archaeological excavation projects often consist of multidisciplinary teams of specialists in such fields as paleobotany, archaeozoology and geomorphology. Although such persons are often brought in from other academic disciplines, they are just as likely to be anthropologists with specialized training in scientific and technical fields.
What can I do with a B.A. in anthropology?
Anthropology is a venerable academic discipline within the liberal arts. The Anthropology faculty feel strongly that the liberal arts provide the best, most challenging and intellectually stimulating education a student can obtain at the undergraduate level. As is the case with the other liberal arts disciplines at the baccalaureate level, your goal is education, not professional training for a specific career. Numerous employment opportunities exist for those who hold an undergraduate degree in anthropology, and if you exercise some resourcefulness, rewarding jobs which at first might seem unrelated to the discipline can be identified. The experience and exposure to the world acquired as a student of anthropology are applicable in many work settings. It is to your benefit to explore a career situation with an eye toward recognizing the possibilities for exerting your anthropological skills and to help others recognize that match of talent and skills. It is not enough to present yourself as an anthropologist; you must also be able to relate your skills and experiences to their particular field and to answer clearly the question, How will you enhance our work environment?–-i.e., What do you have to offer? You will want to learn how to adapt your language and how you present yourself so that you can be seen and heard by potential employers (the UTA Office of Counseling and Career Development can provide you with a number of resources toward this end).
As national, cultural and social boundaries blur and technology catapults us into not only a global market, but also a global family, and as our own culture becomes more complex and layered, the skills that we as anthropologists have to offer are increasingly and rightly being recognized as of value to industry, government, and community organizations of various kinds. The most recognized and useful abilities of anthropologists are our ability to work as members of a team, our disciplined use of a vast array of anthropological tools and skills, and our ability to synthesize and report our findings in the form of a lucid analysis in an accessible manner. Interpersonal networking is another traditional anthropological tool that can help one develop an invaluable source for brainstorming and accessing the varied employment arenas in which an anthropology degree can be a valuable asset.
Employment possibilities for anthropologists in the public sector are expanding rather more quickly than are possibilities in academia. Corporations involved in domestic as well as international trade have become increasingly aware of the implicit value of anthropological training, not merely in cultural awareness and sensitivity, but also in research, analysis, and presentation of valuable resource information.
Employment opportunities are available in the private, public and non-profit sectors in many areas, among them:
A Few Resources
Web Sites. Comprehensive listings of employment opportunities can be accessed through the Anthropology Program web page at http://www.uta.edu/anthropology/careers.html . Most useful is the Career Guide of the American Anthropological Association. Whether or not you anticipate being on the market for a career in anthropology in the near future, you are encouraged to browse this site occasionally, since it is a good index to jobs and careers in the discipline.
Book. You will find it very useful to read Careers in Anthropology (2nd ed., 2000) by John T. Omohundro (Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company). The author is a professor of anthropology and undergraduate advisor at SUNY Potsdam. The book is designed to answer both general questions and concerns about professional opportunities. It has useful information on both careers and graduate study. It begins with a chapter entitled "'You're studying Whaat?' How to explain Anthropology to Others."
You would do
well to purchase this useful and very pertinent book, which contains workbook
exercises. The program owns one copy, which is available for checkout from
LaDorna McGee.
Graduate Programs in Anthropology
For many
careers, specialized credentials in the form of graduate degrees are of great
benefit. UTA Anthropology majors have proceeded upon graduation to pursue
master's and doctoral degrees in Anthropology as well as other disciplines at
UTA and other institutions. Should you be interested in graduate study in
anthropology, you are encouraged to discuss your academic and professional
aspirations with the faculty. They will be happy to assist you in identifying
the best and most appropriate graduate programs nationwide based on your
specific interests.
Areas of Specialization
A program of
study in anthropology has as its objective the grounding of students in three
main subfields of anthropology: cultural anthropology, archaeology, and physical
anthropology. Our program prepares students both for graduate work in
anthropology and for many careers in which anthropological perspectives and
training are useful.
Joseph Bastien (PhD, Cornell University), Professor.
Dr. Bastien is a sociocultural anthropologist who has done fieldwork in the Bolivian Andes and Amazon for more than 25 years. He has written eight books on such topics as ritual and land use (Mountain of the Condor), the use of herbs in healing (Healers of the Andes: Kallawaya Herbalists and Their Medicinal Plants), the integration of biomedicine and ethno-medicine (The Drum and the Stethoscope), and the cultural epidemiology of Chagas’ disease (The Kiss of Death: Chagas’ Disease in the Americas). He has published a number of contributions in American Anthropologist. Dr. Bastien is the recipient of both short-term and long-term Outstanding Research Awards from UTA. These awards were primarily given for his collaborative work on the use of medicinal plants for curing AIDS. He is currently writing a book on the Chipaya Andeans, one of the most ancient surviving groups in the Americas. He teaches courses on mythology, religion, anthropology of medicine, and culture and personality.
M. Kathryn Brown (PhD, Southern Methodist University), Assistant Professor.
Dr. Brown specializes in ancient Mesoamerican archaeology. She has conducted research for over a decade in the Maya Lowlands, working at several sites in Belize River Valley. Her research interests include the origin and function of public architecture and associated ritual behavior, as well as ancient Maya warfare patterns. Her secondary regional focus is Texas archaeology. She has conducted excavations on several prehistoric and historic sites in central and north Texas.
Karl M. Petruso (PhD, Indiana University), Professor.
Dr. Petruso is an archaeologist specializing in the economic prehistory of the eastern Mediterranean. He has excavated in Greece, Egypt, and Portugal over the past thirty years, and since 1991 has been American co-director of the joint American-Albanian excavation at the Konispol Cave in southern Albania, which was the first archaeological project to involve American scholars in that country. He is author of Keos, Vol. VIII: The Balance Weights. An Analysis of Weight Measurement in Prehistoric Crete and the Cycladic Islands, (Mainz: Phillip von Zabern Press, 1992) and has published widely on his research in the American Journal of Archaeology, Antiquity, Archaeology, and Kadmos. He has held fellowships from the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and the University of London, and was twice designated a Fulbright Senior Research Fellow (to Cyprus and Syria). He has been a member of the College of Lecturers for the Archaeological Institute of America since 1982, and in 1998 was named John L. Caskey Memorial Lecturer in Aegean Archaeology of the AIA. He teaches courses on principles of archaeology, classical archaeology, Egyptology, Old World prehistory, and theory and method of archaeology. Dr. Petruso is the Dean of the Honors College.
Ritu G. Khanduri (PhD, University of Texas), Assistant Professor.
Dr. Khanduri is a cultural anthropologist and her research interests lie at the intersection of visual culture, globalization, and citizenship in colonial and postcolonial India. Her research and teaching also extend to biography, gender, history, memory, subaltern politics, and South Asia. Dr. Khanduri’s long term research of visual media is at present shaped by her interest in visuality in relation to the representation of politics, citizenship, developmental and proselytizing discourses in India.
Shelley L. Smith (PhD, University of Michigan), Professor.
Dr. Smith is a biological anthropologist with interests in both hominid paleontology and in modern human variation. She has published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology (on human / hominid hand bones), the Journal of Forensic Sciences (on human hand and foot bone identification), and the Yearbook of Physical Anthropology (on the modern human origins debate; co-authored with F.B. Harrold). She has written two invited chapters, one on eugenics and one on race, for a volume in progress which will honor the University of Michigan paleoanthropologist C.L. Brace. Her current research, conducted in conjunction with colleagues at the Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas, concerns the growth of soft tissues of the facial region; the ultimate goal of this research is to understand more completely the coordinated three-dimensional growth and development of the bone and soft tissue of the craniofacial region. Dr. Smith teaches the introductory and methods courses in biological anthropology, courses in human and primate evolution, and a course on the concept of race and modern human biological adaptation. Dr. Smith is Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and Program Director of Anthropology.
Christian Zlolniski (PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara), Associate Professor.
Dr. Zlolniski,
a sociocultural anthropologist, did his undergraduate studies at the Universidad
Autónoma in Madrid, Spain. Before joining UTA, he was a visiting professor at
the University of California in Santa Barbara and, for the past few years, a
professor at El Colegio de la Frontera Norte in Tijuana, Mexico. He has
conducted ethnographic research on Mexican and Latino immigrants in Northern
California. His research interests include Latinos in the U.S., globalization,
transnational migration, economic anthropology, and Mexico. Dr. Zlolniski has
published several articles based on his field research in both English and
Spanish journals and books, including “Unskilled immigrant labor in high-tech
companies” (W. Cornelius et al., eds., in press); “Etnografía de trabajadores
informales en un barrio de inmigrantes mexicanos en el Silicon Valley”
(Revista Mexicana de Sociología); and “The informal economy in an advanced
industrialized society” (Yale Law Journal). Dr. Zlolniski is also
affiliated with the Center for Mexican American Studies.
Adjunct Faculty:
Dana Austin (PhD, University of Florida) Adjunct Assistant Professor.
Dr. Austin is the forensic anthropologist and a senior trace analyst for the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office. Since 1986 she has consulted on cases involving skeletal recovery and analysis with numerous medical examiners and law enforcement agencies throughout Florida and Texas. She has published on her research involving video superimposition for human identification in the Journal of Forensic Sciences. Her current research examines a modern population to obtain the full range of variation in certain growth indicators (long bone epyiphyses) with a view to increasing the accuracy of estimation of the age range of unidentified individuals. Dr. Austin teaches human osteology , forensic anthropology, and advanced methods in forensic anthropology.
ADMISSION TO THE ANTHROPOLOGY MAJOR
Admission to
major status in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology is effective upon
completion of 30 hours from the UTA Core Curriculum with a grade point average
(GPA) of 2.00 or higher. Transfer students with 30 hours from the core
curriculum and 12 hours in residence with a GPA of 2.00 or higher may apply for
major status. Students who seek to major in anthropology should have taken three
hours of ANTH courses with a grade of C or better before enrolling in the
major.
REQUIREMENTS for the Bachelor of Arts DEGREE in Anthropology
(Effective for students enrolling in fall 2009)
Six hours of composition.
Three hours of English or modern and classical languages literature or other approved substitute.
Three hours above the freshman level of literature, or social and cultural studies designated as taught in the College of Liberal Arts, or fine arts or philosophy, or technical writing.
1441, 1442, and six hours at the 2000 level or above.
2311, 2312.
1311, 1312.
Six hours (level of college algebra or higher).
Eight hours in a single lab science (biology, chemistry, geology or physics).
LING 2301.
Three hours from architecture, art, dance, music or theatre arts.
Three hours from designated courses which have been approved by the Undergraduate Assembly. For a list of approved courses, students should contact their academic advisor.
Sufficient to give the total number of hours required for the degree.
38 hours, including ANTH 2307, ANTH 2322, ANTH 2339, ANTH 3300, SOCI 3352 and a minimum of one 3000/4000 level course in each of archaeology, biological, and cultural anthropology as approved by the advisor. It is recommended that (1) students with a primary interest in cultural anthropology take courses in at least two topical areas and covering at least two geographic regions, (2) students with a primary interest in archaeology take at least one Old World and one New World course, with a minimum of one upper division course in either, and an archaeological field school, and (3) students with a primary interest in biological anthropology take 12 hours of upper division biological anthropology.
18 hours, of which six must be 3000/4000 level.
120 hours, at least 36 of which must be 3000/4000 level.
The Anthropology minor (6 courses/18 hours total) can be fulfilled by successfully completing two of the following three courses:
Plus any other four ANTH courses, at least two of which must be at the advanced level (3000 or above). Questions about the Anthropology minor may be directed to the undergraduate advisor, LaDorna McGee.
Students majoring in sociology or anthropology are required to demonstrate computer use and oral communication competencies. Computer use proficiency can be demonstrated through successful completion of (a) CSE 1301 or INSY 2303; (b) ANTH 3341 or SOCI 3355; (c) other courses approved by the Undergraduate Assembly; or (d) the University computer use competency examination. Oral communication proficiency can be demonstrated through the successful completion of (a) COMS 1301, 2305, or 3302; (b) ANTH 3341 or SOCI 3355, or other designated, approved courses in Anthropology and Sociology; or (c) other courses approved by the Undergraduate Assembly. Students should discuss these options with their undergraduate advisor, who may also provide a list of other courses approved by the University to meet these requirements.
A sample degree plan may be found on the following page.
ACADEMIC ADVISING
All students benefit from academic advising on a regular basis. Upon entering the Program, each student is assigned to a full-time faculty member who will serve as his/her academic advisor and degree plan counselor. Before registering for each term (including summer and intersessions), the student must make an appointment during the academic advisor's designated hours to be advised and electronically cleared for registration. (Call the department office to schedule appointments.) Although advisors are available on a rotating basis during the summer, students are urged to transact their advising business with their designated advisors during the fall and spring semesters if at all possible.
Please note that students may change academic advisors at any time. They are especially encouraged to do so as their intellectual and career interests evolve.
Students are urged to contact their academic advisors early in their first semester at UTA in order to plan a general academic program. At this time a tentative degree plan will be established; this document will be updated at each subsequent registration session. If you have transferred to UTA, qualified admissions officers will do a formal evaluation of your transcript; your academic advisor in Anthropology will then review this evaluation and determine the extent to which relevant transfer courses will count toward your program of study.
A formal degree plan for Anthropology majors is to be filed in the departmental office no later than one semester after the student's acceptance into the Program. A minimum of 50 academic hours must be completed before a formal degree plan can be generated. All transfer hours are entered on the student's degree plan, but no more than 72 hours can be accepted from a two-year institution. Additional hours may be transferred from a four-year college or university. Note that at least 32 hours must be completed in residence at UTA in order to qualify for a bachelor’s degree.
The formal degree plan is your contract with the University. Your academic advisor, the department chair, the Dean of Liberal Arts, and the Registrar must approve any change to your degree plan. When all requirements have been met, the bachelor’s degree is awarded.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ANTHROPOLOGY MAJORS AT UTA
Honors College
The Anthropology Program participates in the Honors College. Qualified Anthropology majors can earn an Honors degree in Anthropology. Honors freshman candidates must either be ranked in the top 10% of their high school graduating class, or have a combined SAT score of 1200 (Critical Reading and Math), or a minimum composite ACT score of 27. Currently enrolled or transfer students must have at least 3.35 cumulative GPA.
Admission is competitive. Admission to the Honors College is not based solely on grades or standardized test scores. The Admissions Committee considers student statements of purpose and résumés in the selection of Honors candidates. For further information, contact the Honors College at 817-272-7211, or honors@uta.edu.
McNair Scholars Program
The UTA McNair Scholars Program (named for Dr. Ronald E. McNair, who perished in the Challenger space shuttle tragedy in 1986) prepares undergraduates for future graduate study culminating in the PhD. The program offers participants educational seminars, a summer research project with a faculty mentor (and $3,000 stipend), GRE preparation, travel funding to conferences and prospective graduate schools, and guidance with the graduate school application process.
UTA's program is one of approximately 200 federal McNair programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education at public and private colleges and universities across the nation. The primary goal of the McNair program is to increase the number of students from first-generation/low-income or underrepresented backgrounds who become university professors.
Students must meet the following criteria to qualify as McNair scholars:
Each fall (beginning October 1) the McNair program recruits new participants. Eligible students may download applications from the McNair website (www.uta.edu/soar) or pick them up in the program office (122 Hammond Hall). Semi-finalists will be interviewed in mid-January and successful applicants will join the program in February. For more information, contact the McNair Scholars Program at mcnair@uta.edu or at 817-272-3715.
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
The UTA campus hosts more than 200 student honorary, professional, service and social organizations, a listing of which may be found on the web at http://www.uta.edu/uta/studentorgs.html#special. Among the organizations that are particularly recommended to Anthropology students are the following:
Anthropology Club. This organization sponsors lectures by visiting scholars, film screenings, and other academic activities and social events. All students interested in anthropology are invited to attend its monthly meetings during the academic year. The faculty advisor for the Anthropology Club can be contacted for further information.
Lambda Alpha Honor Society. This is a dynamic national collegiate organization that nurtures and rewards the efforts of high-achieving students. The Alpha Chapter of Texas, chartered at the University of Texas at Arlington, is administered by a team of students under the guidance of a faculty advisor. The focus is academic and professional rather than social, and its members are dedicated to professional development in the field of anthropology. This organization offers a wide variety of experiences and assistance to undergraduates as well as graduate students. Prof. Khanduri is the faculty advisor for Lambda Alpha.
Sigma Xi. Sigma Xi is the international honor society for scientific research. Membership is by invitation. Students who are contemplating graduate study and/or a career in research and are interested in Sigma Xi membership should contact Dr. Martha Mann, UTA Sigma Xi President, at mann@uta.edu or Dr. Carter Tiernan at tiernan@uta.edu for further information.
Alpha Chi. Alpha Chi is a national honors society whose purpose is to promote academic excellence and exemplary character among college and university students and to honor those who achieve such distinction. Information on membership can be found on the Student Organizations page of the UTA web site.
Liberal Arts Constituency Council. Anthropology students are encouraged to make their voices heard in the Liberal Arts Constituency Council (LACC), which is responsible for programs, publications, and policies within the College.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology: Dr. Shelley Smith (slsmith@uta.edu)
Director of the Anthropology Program: Dr. Shelley Smith (slsmith@uta.edu)
Undergraduate Advisor: LaDorna McGee (ladorna@uta.edu)
Graduate Advisor Dr. Joci Ryan (jcryan@mail.smu.edu), for information on the UTA master's degree program in Anthropology
Department Office:
University Hall 430
601 S. Nedderman Drive
Box 19599, University of Texas at Arlington
Arlington, TX 76019
Telephone 817-272-2661
FAX: 817-272-3759
E-mail: anthropology@uta.edu
Anthropology Program Web Page: http://www.uta.edu/anthropology/
Electronic Distribution List: All Anthropology majors and minors are encouraged to join the electronic distribution list maintained by the Program. Please make sure that Paula Harrell, Secretary in the department office, always has your current electronic mail address so that you can be kept apprised of relevant events and activities.