Department of Sociology & Anthropology

Academic Features

The Anthropology BA degree. Beginning in the Fall of 2009, IUN and IUSB have joined together to offer a BA degree in Anthropology. Although it’s a joint degree in name and in faculty, there is no requirement that students on either campus have to take classes at the other campus. We anticipate that students will do that, because the two sets of faculty have different specialties. We do Native American and biological anthropology here, including forensics. Their specialties include global cultural anthropology, archaeology, and medical anthropology. The IUN BA Anthropology program has enrolled about 40 majors, and the IUSB program has enrolled even more.

The IUN BA requirements can be found at: http://www.iun.edu/~anthronw/2009AnthroBAform.doc

Students entering the College of Arts & Sciences beginning with the Fall 2010 semester must follow these requirements instead: http://www.iun.edu/~anthronw/2010AnthroBAform.doc

Students can also receive a Minor in Anthropology with any bachelor's degree at IUN by completing fifteen credit hours in anthropology, including at least one intro course, one 200 level core course, and one upper level course (see IUN Bulletin for details).

It is very easy for non-students to attend an IUN course; you can register as a transient student without admission application or fee, paying per credit hour (much lower for Indiana residents) - or only $25 per credit hour if you only want to audit a course - Indiana resident or not. There are additional fees as applicable, such as a technology fee and/or student fees. Call 219-980-6500 for more information.

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Program Special Features

The IUN Anthropology Resource Center in Marram Hall is a display, storage, and work room that contains hundreds of real and replica fossils, artifacts, and anatomical specimens used in various courses. Several courses feature field trips to zoos or archaeological sites or museums. The IUN Anthropology Program and the IUN Student Anthropology Club sponsor many activities including guest speakers, field trips, and tours; recent lectures have included forensic anthropology, archaeology of the earliest Americans, ethnography of Belize, and hands-on instructions in flintknapping, fire starting, and cordage making. The club sponsors campus-wide events such as the Darwin Day celebration, and supports these and other activities through its semiannual one dollar used book sale. $3000 in academic achievement awards, summer field school stipends, and scholarships is given out every year from the book sale funds; see main page for links to details. Upcoming activities can be found at Events and Special Lectures and at the IUN Anthropology Club Web page .

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Faculty Features

Dr Bob Mucci, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator. PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago. Former Research Associate in the Department of Oral Biology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Research interests: bone biomechanics and remodeling; human evolution. Recipient of an Indiana University RUGS research grant to study the function, remodeling, and evolution of bones. Teaching interests: human origins, human evolution, primatology, history of anthropology, archaeology, bioanthropology, language and culture, cultural anthropology, food and culture. Winner of six recent IUN teaching awards and two service awards. Click for Full Vita. Click here for:A104/A304 course materials A105/A303 course materials. e-mail

Dr Michelle Stokely, Assistant Professor. PhD, University of Oklahoma; JD, MA, University of Tulsa. Research interests: Native Americans in the 19th & 20th Centuries, life history studies, visual anthropology, representations of Native American women, Native American artistic expression. Teaching interests: Native American culture &prehistory, cultural anthropology cultural anthro II, Ethnographic field methods

Prof Kathleen Forgey, Adjunct Faculty. MA, ABD, University of Illinois at Chicago. Research interests: bioarchaeology, prehistory of South America radiographic studies of Peruvian mummies. Teaching interests: human origins, cultural anthropology forensic anthropology. Also teaches at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Patsy Clark, Field Instructor. Patsy is a Native American who teaches about her ancestral culture, including native foods and herbal medicines.

Dr Clarke Johnson (1937-2002) PhD, University of Chicago; DDS, MS, Northwestern University. The late Dr Johnson was an important part of the development of the Anthropology program at IUN; we have planted a grove of cedar trees in his honor on campus and the club has named scholarships and awards for him. His teaching interests were: Medical Anthropology, cultural anthropology, archaeology, prehistoric technology, Native American culture &prehistory. Also taught Dental Anthropology and Biology of the Human Dentition at the Department of Oral Biology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Click here for Full Vita. Winner of four recent IUN teaching awards.

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Career Options

Students with a background in anthropology have good employability; as with all A & S degrees, their education assures employers they have developed critical thinking and communication skills. In addition some businesses consider anthropology as a good preparation for "corporate culture" and for international business. Increasing opportunities exist for students trained in ethnographic methods for research and marketing jobs; these people are referred to as "Practicing Anthropologists" and have an organization in Chicago. There is a shortage of archaeological field workers; we have had a dozen students employed as such in the past few summers, and there are off-season jobs in warmer climates; check this site for listings. There are also jobs in social services, American Indian relations, archaeology, museum work, and government park services; half a dozen IUN anthro grads found work at the Field Museum in Chicago, and at least two went to work for zoos. In the fall of 2004 there were four companies looking specifically for anthropology graduates who sent representatives to an IUN Career Day. At least six recent IUN anthro graduates are now in graduate schools.

A104/A304 INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY Why do people in different societies act in ways that seem to make no sense to us? Why do some societies worship strange beings, have multiple marriage partners, and go to shamans when they are sick? A104 teaches the fundamentals of the comparative study of human cultures, and the social and ecological situations that influence human behavior. Students will get hands-on experience in observation and interview techniques in the course project; assessment is by weekly quizzes, and a mid-term and final exam.. A & S Group III B social science credit; required for Sociology BA majors. Can be taken as A104 or A304 -- A304 is the intensive writing version of A104; A304 requires W131 as a prerequisite; A304 students write essays on specific readings, and receive A & S Intensive Writing credit. Some Master's programs give graduate credit for A304. Offered every semester at numerous times, and often at off-campus Portage site; offered in both summer sessions. No prerequisite. A105 and A104 are not a sequence; they can be taken in either order. Instructors: Bob Mucci, Kathy Forgey, Christine Malcom, Michelle Stokely Dustin Cantrell Click here for sample of Dr Mucci's A104/A304 course syllabus

A105/A303 HUMAN ORIGINS AND PREHISTORY (A105 replaces A103; both A105 and A303 are now A & S Group IIIA natural science credits.) Are you curious about the fossil and archaeological evidence for human cultural and biological evolution? We can learn a lot about ourselves from studying animals such as chimpanzees that are very similar to ourselves, so we will begin with a survey of the living primates. Then Human Origins traces human evolution from the earliest human- like bipeds to the first tool-makers, the first artists, and the beginnings of Agriculture and Civilization, asking and trying to answer questions about when and how our ancestors began to walk upright, to speak language, and to depend on culture for survival. Students learn the fundamentals of evolutionary theory from the 18th Century naturalists, through Darwin, to the latest theories on the origins of modern humans. The discovery of Australopithecus, early Homo, Neanderthals, and ancient modern humans (and their biology and culture) will be explored. Students will visit Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo to make observations of primates, and will write a zoo observation report; assessment is by weekly quizzes, and a mid-term and final exam. No prerequisite. Can be taken as A105 or A303 -- A303 is the intensive writing version of A105; A303 requires W131 as a prerequisite; A303 students will submit written reports on separate readings and will receive Intensive Writing credit. Some Master's programs give graduate credit for A303. Credit given for only one of the three numbers: A103, A105, A303. A105 and A104 are not a sequence; they can be taken in either order. A105 is required for Sociology BA majors. Offered every semester at both morning and evening times, and occasionally at off-campus Portage site; also offered in summer. Instructors: Bob Mucci, Christine Malcom, Kathy Forgey Click here for Dr Mucci's A105 course materials. Click for Prof Malcom's course materials

A106 PEOPLE OF THE EARTH: ETHNIC CULTURES AND THE WORLD COMMUNITY This introductory level course examines traditional societies throughout the world, their means of livelihood, their interactions with the local natural environment, and their relationships to the larger global community. Regional approaches are taken to the cultural ecology of Arab desert dwellers, native Australian Aborigines, Indians of the Amazon rain forest, East African cattle herders, Pacific Islanders, and many other peoples, including prehistoric state societies. Origins of ethnic conflict, effects of colonialism, and processes of modernization in ecological context are also considered. Different semesters may focus on different regions; recent semesters have focused on the people of the Middle East. No prerequisite, but Anthro A104 or Sociology 161 or a human geography course is recommended. A & S Group IIIB elective.

E221 NATIVE USES OF HERBS Also offered as WOST W221 (1 credit hour course) Spend three pleasant days outdoors and indoors at a site dedicated to the preservation of native plants and ancient customs. This field course is led by Patsy Clark, a Native American herbalist of Shawnee descent, who will teach students to identify and process indigenous plants and understand their traditional uses; emphasis is also placed on the role of this traditional women's knowledge in the culture of local tribes. Includes information and demonstrations of traditional uses of sacred plants for smudging, sweating, etc. as well as for traditional salves, tinctures, etc. Course is for historical information only, and does not imply medicinal effectiveness of plants. Meets at Bittersweet Cultural Center (Patsy's home and herb farm) near Rochester, Indiana, about 75 miles to the southeast of the IUN campus; driving directions will be mailed to students. Instructor of record: Bob Mucci; field instructor: Patsy Clark

L200/L300 LANGUAGE AND CULTURE / CULTURE AND LANGUAGE (Also offered as Sociology S431 Sociolinguistics) An introduction to the anthropological study of language in its cultural context. Topics covered include: the origin and evolution of language; the biological bases of language; language in other animals; the origins of writing and its effects on spoken language; sociolinguistics and gender; correlates of language; the relationship between language and mind; paralanguage, proxemics, kinesics; descriptive and structural linguistics; discourse analysis and deconstructionism; prescriptive and descriptive grammars; glottochronology and language change; and the evolution of linguistic study. The course is based not on a textbook but on Steven Pinker's NY Times best seller The Language Instinct, and other selected readings. Seminar/discussion format. Instructor: Bob Mucci, sample Syllabus

A200/E400 FOOD & CULTURE What is ethnicity but the remembrance of good things to eat as a child? You are what you eat; or maybe you are how you eat. The course is a basic introduction to the anthropological study of food and eating, culture, and society; this is a holistic viewpoint that includes human culture (symbolic) and human biology (nutritional), and includes all humans, past and present. Course will cover topics such as the ethnicity of food choices, traditional foods, food taboos, behavior at the table. Also the origin of domestic foods in different parts of the world, diet and human evolution, etc etc. There are also optional one credit hour auxiliary courses consisting of field trips to restaurants. Instructor: Bob Mucci, Sample syllabus.

E200 SOCIAL & CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY  ("CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY II") This intermediate level cultural anthropology course is the logical sequel to A104; this course expands and refines the ideas presented in A104 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology. Class lectures, readings and discussions explore the basic methods of anthropological data collection and illustrate how anthropologists encounter other communities. Students will develop a better understanding of the tools and ideas that shape this discipline. In class we will do a bit of refresher, plus some on the basics of data collection methodology, (easier to critique what anthros do if one actually knows what they do) then we read & compare some ethnographies and discuss ethics, modern problems, theory, more about globalization, neo-colonialism etc. It will be fun and interesting, building on the 104 material and getting students prepared for more advanced concepts later in their
academic experiences. Instructor: Mik Stokely.

A200/S254 QUALITATIVE AND ETHNOGRAPHIC FIELD METHODS Covers the most salient aspects of field research, including taking field notes and coding, engaging in participant-observation, taking on a variety of research roles, creating topical guides and conducting in-depth interviews, and writing a publishable-quality research paper. Students must find a suitable setting in which to conduct their semester-long research project. Instructor: Mik Stokely.

A360 DEVELOPMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL THOUGHT (Also offered as Sociology S441) Students will study field work (ethnography), the interpreting and comparing human cultures (ethnology), historical development of cultural anthropology, methods of inquiry, and theoretical perspectives. Course structure will include reading the works of famous cultural anthropologists such as Margaret Mead and Marvin Harris, and watching many videos; from these we will learn about many native peoples from all over the world, about the anthropologists who have studied them, and how their personal and theoretical viewpoints may have influenced our perception of the peoples they studied. Seminar/discussion format. Open book quizzes and exams, but no term paper for A200. Students at the 300/400 Level will write a major paper; a biography of a famous anthropologist is a possible topic. A weekly one hour video & discussion session is required and two are scheduled, but other times can be arranged with the instructor. Prerequisite is Anthro A104; nine credit hours in Anthropology is highly recommended. A & S Group IIIB social science credit. Instructor: Bob Mucci, Syllabus

A200/E445 MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY (Also offered as Sociology S362) Course Objectives: to understand the relationship between health, culture, and disease; to examine other biomedical traditions in the understanding and treatment of disease; and to explore biocultural approaches to contemporary health problems. SPECIAL TOPICS: Non-Western medicine, homeopathic systems of curing, shamanism and witchcraft, culture-bound syndromes, ethnopharmacology, ethnopsychiatry, the relationship between stress and the immune system, biocultural epidemiology, origins of epidemic diseases, and the critical anthropology of health during sociocultural change. The co-evolution of human culture, human biology, and disease will also be reviewed. This course is intended for students in anthropology, psychology, human biology, sociology, and health care professions; it seeks to interrelate behavioral science, health science, and the humanities. More detailed information and course content can be found at the course Web Site. Sample course syllabus is at E445 Syllabus. A & S Group IIIB social science credit. E445 carries graduate credit for some Master's degrees. Instructor: Christine Malcom

A200/E400 TOPIC: ANTHROPOLOGY OF GENDER This course addresses the role of gender in human societies using a distinctly anthropological biocultural approach. Being a wo(man) is different from being a human fe(male). Men and women are not just biological organisms but social constructs embedded in complex cultural and personal histories that differ from society to society. We will utilize ethnographic, biographic, oral history, and empirical research to explore the different worlds in which people must learn culturally specific roles of survival. Comparative cross-cultural methodologies will be employed to examine particular human traits across a range of diverse societies in the world today, in the recent past, and in the Stone Age. We'll discuss concepts such as the sexual division of labor; biocultural life history markers (birth, adulthood, menopause, old age); primates as role models for parenting and partnering; cross-cultural birthing and child rearing practices; infanticide; and sex, economics and marriage. A & S Group IIIB social science credit.

E120/E320 (SURVEY OF) INDIANS OF NORTH AMERICA (Also offered as Sociology S362) An introduction to the cultures and lifeways of Native North Americans from Eskimos to Mayans from the time of the first European contact until the 20th century. Topics include art, social organization, beliefs, technology, relationships to environment and the effects of European contact. Method will include two required texts, supplemental text materials (provided), videos and class discussions. Grades based on quizzes, a map project, mid-term and final exams. A term paper is required for E320 but not for E120. Credit not given for both E320 and E120. Counts as A & S Group IIIC Humanities or Group IV-2 Culture Studies; can count as a Sociology course for Sociology majors. Prerequisite: one course in anthro or sociology; Anthro A104 is recommended. Instructor: Michelle Stokely Sample syllabus at E120/E320 Syllabus

E108/E300 CULTURE AREAS AND ETHNIC GROUPS Variable title, 1-3 cr. Title used for cross-listed courses; counts as A & S Group IIIC Humanities or (if three credit hours) Group IV-2 Culture Studies credit.

COURSES THAT EMPHASIZE ARCHAEOLOGY AND PREHISTORY:

P200/E400 INTRODUCTION TO PREHISTORIC ARCHAEOLOGY (Also offered as Sociology S362) A survey of human culture and prehistory from the earliest humans to the rise of Classic civilizations. Students study the ways in which archaeologists uncover and reconstruct how past people lived, and how cultures change over time. Course covers how archaeologists discover and interpret the evidence for past behavior such as stone tool-making, building Ice Age shelters, early farming, and the development of the first human settlements. Students will also be able to handle and study ancient tools (both real and reproductions). No prerequisite. Group IIIB social sciences credit; P200 can instead be counted towards a major in sociology. Click for sample syllabus. Instructors: Kathy Forgey, Bob Mucci, Christine Malcom

P260/P360 INDIANS BEFORE COLUMBUS / PREHISTORY OF THE AMERICAS (Also offered as Sociology S362) Learn about the Indians who lived in America for the 10,000 years before its "discovery" by Europeans. We will study Mississippians and other mound builders who once lived in the Midwest, ancient PaleoIndian big game hunters, townspeople of the Southwest such as the Anasazi, classical civilizations of Mexico including the Maya and the Aztecs (and their fate after the arrival of the Spanish), and even a short excursion to the Incas of the Andes. Prerequisite: any one course in anthropology or a similar social science. Counts as an A & S Group IIIC humanities credit, or can be used to fulfill the A & S Group IV-2 Culture Studies requirement; can count as a Sociology course for Sociology majors. P360 carries graduate credit for some Master's Degrees. Instructor: Michelle Stokely, Bob Mucci Sample syllabus at P260/P360 Syllabus

P210/E400 LIFE IN THE STONE AGE Students sample several prehistoric cultures from the point of view of the natives and their daily lives; course may include ancient Egypt, American Indians, Upper Paleolithic, and, briefly, Neanderthals. This broad look at Stone Age life ways and technology will include lectures, demonstrations and hands-on experience in: the manufacture of stone tools and clothing; a look at how food was acquired and prepared; how artwork was done and what it may have meant; construction and planning of shelters; and firemaking. Course also surveys the stages of early human culture and increasing social complexity from approximately 100,000 years ago to the beginnings of civilization. It will also consider social and family organization, and how culture allowed the geological and ecological expansion of human populations. No prerequisite, but any one course in anthropology is recommended. The course will include a 2-day Practicum in which students will learn to make stone tools by the pressure flaking method from flintknapper Tim Dillard. A & S Group IIIB social science credit. Click for Sample Syllabus Instructor: Clarke Johnson

COURSES THAT EMPHASIZE PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND BIOLOGY (these are Group IIIA natural science credits):

B200/B400 BIOANTHROPOLOGY / BIOANTHROPOLOGY & FORENSICS An intensive but broad course in human evolutionary biology. Topics include the basics of: forensic anthropology (including aging and sexing the skeleton), human anatomy and dentition, growth and development (including the process of twinning), genetics, evolution (in both theory and fossil analysis), biomechanics (including bipedalism and chewing), and human variation (especially that variation we sometimes call "race"). Related non-human topics include mammal/reptile differences, primate comparative functional anatomy, and the adaptive radiation of mammals. Course has a required "hands on the specimens" lab section. B400 allows students to also study more forensics in an independent project. A & S Group IIIA natural science credit. Sample syllabus Instructor: Bob Mucci,

B201 BIOANTHROPOLOGY AND FORENSICS LAB (one credit hour course) Corequisite: B200 or B400. Laboratory exercises in anatomy, genetics, primates, fossils, and identification, aging, and sexing of the human skeleton. Group IIIA credit, but does not count as IIIA lab.

B206 PRIMATE ZOO OBSERVATION A one credit hour zoo field trip course in which students will observe primate behavior and anatomy both formally and informally, and write reports. Instructor: Bob Mucci Click for Sample syllabus

B264/B464 HUMAN FOSSILS / HUMAN PALEONTOLOGY This course carries the biological material of A105 Human Origins to a higher level; it's the natural sequel to A105: the discovery and interpretation of fossils of early hominids, and the stories of their discoverers. A senior-level library research paper is assigned in B464. Prerequisites: students taking B264 should have taken A105 (A103) or college biology; B464 students need either B200 or else A105 and Junior standing. Group IIIA natural science credit; B464 carries graduate credit for some Master's degrees. Instructor: Bob Mucci syllabus

B250/B400 TOPIC: FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY A specialist in the field teaches a hands-on complete survey of forensic anthropology, from skeletal identification to evidence gathering to legal testimony. Also appropriate for students interested in bioarchaeology. A & S Group IIIA natural science credit. syllabus

OTHER COURSES:

A210 ACTIVITIES (Variable credit, one half to two credit hours) Various activities such as discussions and field trips.

A495 INDEPENDENT READINGS (1 to 4 credit hours) This course is for students who have taken several anthropology courses and want to study a topic in greater detail than our courses cover; rarely, it may be used to substitute for a course that is not regularly offered. Students must meet and work with a faculty member regularly throughout the semester. Course requires an authorization, which itself requires a brief proposal; see Dr Mucci to arrange a consultation.

Anthropology E108, A200, B250, E300, B400, E400, , are "Topics" course numbers. Students can repeat topics courses as long as the topics are different, with the limit that no single number (like A200 or E300) can be taken for more then six credit hours. B250 and B400 are A & S Group IIIA natural science credits; A200 and E400 are A & S Group IIIB social science credits; E300 is an A & S Group IIIC humanities credit that can be used as a Group IV-2 Culture Studies credit.  More info at 219-980-6789 or -6607.