Undergraduate Studies Catalog (1997-1999)
(716) 395-2682
Chairperson: Marjorie H. Stewart; Professors: Margaret B. Blackman, Jack R. Rollwagen, Stewart; Associate Professor: Charles R. Edwards; Visiting Adjunct Professor: Lorraine Saunders.
What is Anthropology?
Anthropology is the systematic study of humans. Its primary concerns are to:
- understand the origins of human behavior and culture over
60 million years of primate evolution and four million years of
human evolution;
- explain the diversity of adaptive strategies, ways of life
and value systems developed by humans as they confront the world's
diverse natural, social and artificial environments; and
- put this understanding to practical use in analyzing and
solving modern societal problems.
Career Options:
The anthropology major and minor are excellent preparation for
postgraduate training and/or careers in applied anthropology,
museum work, conservation with public and contractual archaeology,
National Park Service and National Forest Service, education,
forensic science, law, health/medicine, international business,
marketing, human services, tourism and other fields that require
an understanding of human diversity and human adaptability.
Programs and Courses:
The program in anthropology at Brockport is geared toward a core
of motivated majors and minors. It stresses interaction between
students and faculty; hands-on laboratory, field and career experience;
training in research methodology; and mastery of analytical and
communication skills. The anthropology major offers two options,
one with 37 credit hours and the other with 40 credit hours.
The department also offers an 18-credit Personalized Applied Minor
in Anthropology (PAMA) and a general minor. Courses cover four
areas:
- Physical (biological) anthropology: reconstructing human and
primate evolution, and understanding contemporary human adaptation;
- Archaeology: studying culture through material remains with
the aim of ordering and describing the events of the past and
explaining the meaning of those events;
- Cultural anthropology: understanding cultural diversity and
contemporary sociocultural processes; and
- Applied anthropology: putting these perspectives to work in
identifying, analyzing and solving contemporary human societal
problems in such fields as medicine, international development,
preservation of cultural and environmental resources, and human
services.
Major in Anthropology
The Department of Anthropology offers a major that gives students
an opportunity to choose between two options depending on their
curricula and career needs. Details of the two options are described
below.
Major requirements:
Option I. Liberal Arts Anthropology Option (37 credits):
A traditional "stand-alone" major for students who are interested in anthropology but who will probably not enter anthropology as a career, per se. Such students might include those with another major outside of anthropology or students in pre-professional programs such as pre-law, pre-medical, elementary and secondary education certification. Option I provides students with a broad perspective on anthropology by including within it courses in each of the three sub-disciplines (Socio/Cultural Anthropology, Physical/Biological Anthropology and Archaeology).
Major Requirements (37 credits) | |
| A. Introductory courses | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| B. Intermediate Core courses | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| 1 | |
| C. Three Sub discipline Upper-Division courses (9 credits) | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| D. One course in anthropological methods such as: (3 credits) | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| E. Additional courses: | |
| 9 | |
Option II. Anthropology as a Profession / Pre-Graduate School Option (40 credits):
An expanded major for students who will probably (1) enter the
work force directly as practitioner/applied anthropologists, Cultural
Resources Management (CRM) staff, CRM archaeologists, museum staff,
Peace Corps volunteers, etc. and/or (2) attend graduate programs
in anthropology. This option is founded on the assumption that
potential employers and graduate schools seek superior students
with a work ethic, research and communication skills, and practical
experience that they can translate immediately and directly into
the job or graduate school. This major differs from Option I
in requiring that students complete additional collateral courses
and a senior thesis project or practicum. In addition, this option
requires that students have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 in anthropology
courses in order to register for the Senior Thesis.
Major Requirements (40 credits) | |
| A. Introductory courses | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| B. Intermediate Core courses | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| 1 | |
| C. Three Sub discipline Upper-Division courses (9 credits) | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| D. One course in anthropological methods such as: (3 credits) | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| E. Senior Thesis: | |
| 3 | |
| F. Required Collateral course | |
| 3 | |
| 9 | |
Strongly recommended for all options:
Courses in foreign language (four semesters), statistics, computer
applications, advanced writing, semester abroad program, internship
or co-op (ANT 461 or BCE 322). For students in Option II courses
ancillary to anthropology may be suggested by advisor if these
are relevant to career or graduate school goals. For example,
anthropology majors intending to pursue careers and/or graduate
work in areas such as museum work, physical anthropology, paleontology,
archaeology, conservancy/conservation, medicine, and law will
be advised to take additional courses in disciplinary areas relevant
to their career goals.
Majors may increase chances for a successful career by:
- combining anthropology with a professional or pre-professional
program such as teacher certification, pre-law, pre-medical;
- minoring in a field that complements anthropology (art,
communications, psychology, etc.);
- developing skills in areas outside of, but relevant to,
anthropology, such as computer science, foreign languages, technical
writing or advanced composition;
- completing an internship, field project or service in an
area relevant to anthropology; and/or
- experiencing another culture through a credit-bearing semester abroad.
Minor Programs in Anthropology
The Personalized Applied Minor in Anthropology (PAMA) is a contractual
program that allows students to relate anthropology to their major
or career interests outside of anthropology. PAMA students are
assigned a faculty sponsor in anthropology with interests and
training relevant to the concerns of the student's major field.
The student and faculty member then develop a contractual minor
of 18 credits which must include an integrative ANT 499 Independent
Study course taken in the senior year.
The department also offers a general minor for students who have not chosen a career concentration or major, or who simply want a broad exposure to anthropology. The general minor consists of 18 credits in anthropology distributed as follows:
- ANT 100;
- One of the following: ANT 110 or 120; and
- Four electives selected in consultation with the departmental
advisor. (Up to two courses relevant to anthropology, but offered
by other departments [for example, geology, chemistry and physics,
biology, and history], may be included in the minor with approval
of the anthropology departmental advisor.)
