Anthropology (ANTH)

Anthropology is the study of people – from ancient to modern times and around the world. The exploration of what it means to be a human being ranges from the study of culture and social relations, to human biology and evolution, to languages, and to vestiges of human habitation. Students at UH West O‘ahu are able to sample the breadth of the discipline and also gain in-depth understanding of a variety of lifestyles in a cross-cultural, comparative perspective. Special emphasis is given to cultures of the Pacific Islands, including Hawai‘i.  Firsthand experiences investigating cultural diversity are strongly encouraged.

Anthropology provides global information and holistic thinking skills critical to success in the 21st century. The discipline also embraces peoples and ideas of all kinds.  It prepares students for graduate education in Anthropology and a wide variety of other related fields. It also offers an excellent educational background for careers in contract archaeology, forensics, museum curation, social work, cross-cultural counseling, corporate analysis, government and global analysis, Social Studies and English as a Second Language teaching, translation, and law.

Concentration requirements:

For students concentrating in Anthropology, 42 credits are required, including the following courses:

1. SSCI 486 enior Project or SSCI 490 Social Sciences Practicum

2. SSCI 300 hilosophy of the Social Sciences

3. SSCI 310 pplied Statistics I

4. SSCI 317 ieldwork and Qualitative Methods

5. HUM 310 riting Skills or a passing score on the Writing Assessment Exam

6. ANTH 405 istory and Theory of Anthropology

7. One course from each of the following clusters:

    a. Cultural Anthropology Cluster:
        ANTH 313    Culture Through Film
        ANTH 340    North American Indians
        ANTH 350    Pacific Islands Cultures
        ANTH 351    Culture, Thought, and Behavior
        ANTH 358    Myth, Symbol, and Ritual
        ANTH 420    Politics of Culture
        ANTH 423    Social and Cultural Change
        ANTH 447    Polynesian Cultures
        ANTH 448    Micronesian Cultures
        ANTH 487    Philippine Culture
    b. Archaeology Cluster:
        ANTH 321    World Archaeology
        ANTH 380    Field Archaeology
        ANTH 437    Pacific Archaeology
        ANTH 483    Archaeology of Hawai‘i
    c. Physical Anthropology Cluster:
        ANTH 310    Human Origins
        ANTH 415    Human Ecological Adaptation
        ANTH 459    Forensic Investigations

Students planning to go on to graduate studies or a career in Anthropology should take two additional courses from the above clusters. Courses selected should reflect the student’s future educational and/or career goals.  In addition, ANTH 356 Culture and Communication is often required for admission to graduate school in Anthropology and is highly recommended.

8. Additional courses in the discipline will be recommended for inclusion in the student’s educational plan based on specific competency goals established by the student. Course work may be used only once to fulfill cluster, concentration and elective requirements.

    ANTH 310    Human Origins
    ANTH 313    Culture Through Film
    ANTH 321    World Archaeology
    ANTH 340    North American Indians
    ANTH 342    Indigenous Peoples and Modernity
    ANTH 350    Pacific Islands Cultures
    ANTH 351    Culture, Thought, and Behavior
    ANTH 356    Culture and Communication
    ANTH 358    Myth, Symbol, and Ritual
    ANTH 362    Gender, Culture, and Society
    ANTH 380    Field Archaeology (v)
    ANTH 383    Museum Studies
    ANTH 415    Human Ecological Adaptation
    ANTH 420    Politics of Culture
    ANTH 422    Magic, Witchcraft, and the Supernatural
    ANTH 423    Social and Cultural Change
    ANTH 437    Pacific Archaeology
    ANTH 447    Polynesian Cultures
    ANTH 448    Micronesian Cultures
    ANTH 459    Forensic Investigations
    ANTH 474    Culture and Mental Illness
    ANTH 483    Archaeology of Hawai‘i
    ANTH 487    Philippine Culture
    ANTH 495    Research Seminar
    ANTH 496    Selected Topics in Anthropology (v)
    ANTH 499    Directed Reading and Research (v)

9.    Complementary Area: Nine credits in one additional Social Science concentration area.

Graduates with a concentration in Anthropology from UH West O‘ahu should be able to:

• Explain the interrelationships among human biology, language, and culture.
• Demonstrate knowledge of human prehistory, and continuities and changes over time.
• Employ a cross-cultural, comparative perspective to understand human thought and behavior.
• Describe the development of anthropological theories within their historical and cultural contexts and how they have impacted human populations.
• Apply qualitative, cross-cultural methods during firsthand fieldwork experience.