Undergraduate courses

Summer 2025
Instructor: Dr. Amy Levine
Delivery: Online

Course description

This course aims to answer the question what makes us human? It is an introductory survey of the sub-fields of anthropology: archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural and social anthropology and linguistic anthropology. Two broad principles underlie our understanding of human complexity: First, all individuals and groups possess certain commonalities - in particular, genetic and other biological traits, sociality, language and a powerful symbolising capability; and second, human culture is incredibly diverse and ever-changing. We will explore the sub-fields of anthropology through a range of themes including, but not limited to: evolution; early humans; development of agriculture; emergence of cities and states; culture, supernaturalism, ethnicity and race; and families, kinship and gender.  

Course outcomes/objectives

By the end of the course students should be able to:  

• explain the sub-fields and specializations of anthropology with examples;  
• critically discuss a range of key themes and methods relevant to the study of anthropology;  
• identify and evaluate factors that influence our interpretation and understanding of anthropology; 
• differentiate between pseudoscience and legitimate scientific practices; and 
• exhibit research and public writing skills required in anthropology, other disciplines, and employment situations. 

• Culture 
• Primate diversity and conservation 
• Human evolution, adaptation, and diversity 
• Gender, kinship, and sexuality 
• Sustainability and climate change 
• Colonialism and social inequality 
• Health, people, and the environment 

Summer 2025
Instructor: Dr. CindyAnn Rose-Redwood
Delivery: Online

Course description

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the discipline of anthropology’s role in framing notions of race and how this concept is often intertwined with ideologies of culture and power. We will explore how the discipline has shifted from ideologies around scientific racism to understandings that race is a socially constructed notion produced by people to frame hierarchies of power over other people. We will also examine the scholarly works of anthropologists who are currently encountering, critically examining, and challenging notions of race with respect to their own positionality and ethnographic fieldwork. Through a series of readings, films, and lectures, this course will provide a better understand of how the concepts of race, culture, and power impact the everyday lives of people who are often placed under the “gaze” of anthropologists. The course ends by considering directions for future research on race, culture, and power in anthropology. Students will examine anti-racist praxis in relation to moving anthropology forward as a discipline.  

Course outcomes/objectives

• critically examine anthropological scholarship and scholars writing about discourses on race, culture, and power 
• develop critical thinking skills on various themes around race and culture, and how hierarchies of power impact the lives of peoples around the world 
• explain how the discipline of anthropology contributed to framing discourses on race. 
• analyze and critique the positionality of anthropologists in terms of fieldwork 
• reflect on the impact of race as a social construct in relation to acts of racism 

Topics may include

• history of anthropological thought
• Indigenous peoples, cultures, and power
• Black feminist anthropology
• Asians and racialization
• policing
• music as storytelling
• migration
• health inequities
• anti-racism

Summer 2025
Instructor: Mr. Mark McIntyre
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course provides students with an overview of social and cultural anthropology – its origins, its distinctive methods and concepts, and its place in the contemporary world. In this course, you will learn how to think about contemporary events from an anthropological perspective and how to better understand yourself in relation to others. You will also learn to appreciate the diversity of topics that contemporary socio-cultural anthropology explores and the extent to which it can help you better understand a world where peoples and societies are increasingly interconnected. By the end of the course students should: 

• learn to think about contemporary events from an anthropological perspective. 
• apply anthropological theories and concepts to real-world problems.
• have a greater degree of familiarity with the field of socio-cultural anthropology, its key concepts, theoretical orientations and methods.
• understand the historical developments that have shaped the subfield of socio-cultural anthropology.
• learn to challenge their cultural biases and ethnocentric assumptions.
• demonstrate greater awareness of the cultural and social bases of human prejudice and discrimination.
• gain a better understanding of Indigenous peoples, histories and cultures, and the impact of colonization on individuals, families and communities. 
• understand the ethical standards that anthropologists uphold. 

Course outcomes/objectives

As this is an introductory course, it will offer the opportunity to exercise a wide variety of skills that are crucial in students’ academic and professional careers. These include critical reading and writing, analytical thinking, intercultural communication, and engagements with ethical dilemmas. In addition, the course will provide students with a supportive environment to develop effective communication skills. 

Summer 2025
Instructor: Dr. Melissa Gauthier
Delivery: Off campus

Applications now closed.

More about this field school here.

Summer 2025
Instructor: Dr. Erin McGuire
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

Raiders and Traders, Pirates and Farmers – The Vikings colour our view of the Middle Ages in a multitude of ways. The course takes a detailed look at the archaeological evidence for the people we call Vikings in the period defined rather broadly from c.800-1300 AD. A key focus of the course will be on materials and objects of the Viking Age, which we will explore through artifact studies and expertiential archaeology. An important aspect of this course is challenging the misrepresentation of the Vikings by nationalist groups.  

Note: For summer 2025, we will have an on-going textile project, practicing spinning and then weaving on a functional replica of a Viking warp-weighted loom. 

Course outcomes/objectives

The aims of this course are:  

• To examine the Viking Age using interdisciplinary source material with a focus on the archaeological record;  
• To outline theoretical and interpretative approaches to the Norse migrations; 
• To explore material culture through experiential learning;   
• To challenge the misrepresentation of the Viking Age by nationalist groups; and  
• To develop communication skills for diverse circumstances and audiences.  

By the end of the course students should be able to:  

• Explain the causes and consequences of the Norse expansion;  
• Describe the nature the Norse expansion and settlement in various regions;  
• Critically assess the evidence used in the investigation and interpretation the Viking Age (e.g. archaeological, historical and literary sources);  
• Develop effective research design, including defining problems, generating research questions and formulating appropriate methodologies to collect and analyze data, and communicate results; and 
• Write effectively for diverse audiences and in different genres (proposal writing, technical reports, social media, and writing for public).   

NOTE: This course will be taught as a hybrid of face to face and online in the Summer 2025 semester. There will be hands-on components, especially in the first weeks of the course. A team-based project is an essential element of this course, so please contact me if you are anticipating any extended absences.

Summer 2025
Instructor: Dr. Gwyn Dahlquist Axe
Delivery: Online

Course description

Analytical methods in bioarchaeology have progressed rapidly over the last several decades as technology has developed, allowing advanced scientific methods of analysis to become more accurate and accessible. Some of these techniques include extraction, sequencing, and analysis of ancient DNA, stable isotope analysis, radiography methods such as x-ray and computer tomography (CT), zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry (ZooMS), and ancient protein analysis.

This course is designed for students who are interested in advancing their knowledge of analytical methods for the purpose of studying human remains and a variety of archaeological materials. This course will be especially helpful for those who plan to continue their study of anthropology at the graduate or post-graduate level and specialise in archaeological science. This course will follow a thematic structure with weekly topics following themes related to theory and method in archaeological science. Themes addressed will include ancient human mobility, diet, subsistence, and health and disease. Throughout the course students will develop and hone skills in critically assessing analytical methods and their applications in bioarchaeology and beyond, as well as knowledge of research design with particular attention to ethical considerations.

Synchronous attendance will be expected regularly, with additional class time devoted to asynchronous activities. All materials used in class will be freely accessible.

Course outcomes/objectives

By the end of the course students will be able to:

• Demonstrate a strong theoretical understanding of the variety of methods presented throughout the course
  • from a baseline understanding of the underpinning science behind each method
  • and how they can be applied and answer archaeological questions
• Understand the ethics surrounding various method of analysis with particular attention to
  • Destruction of materials
  • Cultural respect
• Consider and understand the limitations of methods and critically evaluate the context of their use from an anthropological perspective
• Critically evaluate published research using the methods described in this course

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Amy Levine
Delivery: Hybrid - face-to-face & online

Course description

This course is an introductory survey of the sub-fields of anthropology: archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, and linguistic anthropology.

Two broad principles underlie our understanding of human complexity:

1. All individuals and groups possess certain commonalities - in particular, genetic and other biological traits, sociality, language and a powerful symbolising capability.
2. Human culture is incredibly diverse and ever-changing.

We will explore the sub-fields of anthropology through a range of themes, identify the roles anthropology plays today and explore how anthropologists contribute to tackling global issues like sustainability and social inequality. 

Course outcomes/objectives

By the end of the course students should be able to:  

• explain the sub-fields and specializations of anthropology with examples  
• critically discuss a range of key themes and methods relevant to the study of anthropology 
• identify and evaluate factors that influence our interpretation and understanding of anthropology 
• differentiate between pseudoscience and pseudoarchaeology and legitimate scientific and archaeological practices 
• exhibit research and public writing skills required in anthropology, other disciplines and employment situations  

Topics may include

• culture 
• primate diversity and conservation 
• human evolution, adaptation and diversity 
• environmental archaeology 
• public archaeology 
• sustainability and climate change 
• colonialism and social inequality 
• health, people and the environment 

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Lindsay Der
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

Who were the earliest ancestors of humans and how did they live millions of years ago? When did people first arrive in North America and how did they get here? Why do some societies become states while other remain egalitarian? This course traces the trajectory of the ancient human past, beginning in the Paleolithic period, with anatomically modern humans and hunter-gatherers, and ending in the emergence of complex state and non-state societies. We will cover major transformative events in the story of human culture and society, such as the origins of agriculture and the development of urban life. Archaeological case studies will span the Old World and New World, including the Middle East, Mesopotamia, Western Europe, Mesoamerica, and the Northwest Coast. 

Course outcomes/objectives

This course is not just about ancient sites and archaeological discoveries, but to gain an understanding of how the study of the human past has the potential to inform our present and future. To that end, by the completion of this course you will be able to: 

• Develop and foster an appreciation and respect for other cultures and societies. 
• Identify and explain what archaeology is and fundamental archaeological concepts. 
• Evaluate hypotheses for major events and developments in human history and connect these developments to social change. 
• Communicate ideas effectively and clearly in writing and orally. 
• Reflect on the relevance of the past in the present. 

Spring 2025
Instructor: Mark McIntyre
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course provides students with an overview of social and cultural anthropology – its origins, its distinctive methods and concepts and its place in the contemporary world.

In this course, you will learn how to think about contemporary events from an anthropological perspective and how to better understand yourself in relation to others. You will also learn to appreciate the diversity of topics that contemporary socio-cultural anthropology explores and the extent to which it can help you better understand a world where peoples and societies are increasingly interconnected.

By the end of the course students should: 

• learn to think about contemporary events from an anthropological perspective
• apply anthropological theories and concepts to real-world problems
• have a greater degree of familiarity with the field of socio-cultural anthropology, its key concepts, theoretical orientations and methods 
• understand the historical developments that have shaped the subfield of sociocultural anthropology 
• learn to challenge their cultural biases and ethnocentric assumptions 
• demonstrate greater awareness of the cultural and social bases of human prejudice and discrimination 
• gain a better understanding of Indigenous peoples, histories and cultures, and the impact of colonization on individuals, families and communities 
• understand the ethical standards that anthropologists uphold

Course outcomes/objectives

Because this is an introductory course, it will offer the opportunity to exercise a wide variety of skills that are crucial in students’ academic and professional careers.

These include critical reading, analytical thinking, intercultural communication and the ability to undertake effective secondary research using online and traditional research sources. In addition, the course will provide students with a supportive environment to develop effective communication skills.  

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Rachel Brown
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course is an investigation into the intersections of religion, culture and food. We will address food prohibitions, rituals involving food and food symbols that are present (or absent) in the various traditions.

We will pay particular attention to how religious groups use food to construct relationships (real or imagined) between individuals, the community and nonhuman beings (animals, deities, ancestors) and to construct and maintain cultural norms and values. 

Course outcomes/objectives

• identify the major theoretical issues in the anthropology of food and religion 
• develop a basic knowledge of a variety of religious, spiritual and cultural traditions 
• critically engage with discourses around race, gender, migration, class, colonialism and the impact of intersectional identity on religious practice
• develop skills in experiential learning and writing through course assignments 
• develop an appreciation for the diversity of religiosity in various cultures and contexts 

Topics may include

• food prohibitions and regulations 
• food and identity 
• Indigenous foodways and relationality 
• food, religion and (post)colonialism 
• religious food activism 
• religion, food and climate 

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Daromir Rudnyckyj
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

We use money so frequently that life without it seems almost unimaginable. Many of the daily relationships we have with other people (bus drivers, baristas, cashiers and even friends and family) and certainly almost any work we do involves paying or receiving money. Yet, we almost never stop to think about what money is or how it works.

But how does it work?

How is it possible that one can walk into the Bibliocafé and exchange some shiny, stamped metal objects, brightly coloured pieces of paper (or nowadays small, ornately designed polymer sheets) for a cup of coffee, or better yet, food? What gives this metal, paper and plastic such power?  

This is an introductory lecture course that presumes no prior knowledge in anthropology. It explores the history and culture of money. It seeks to show how the monetary system we use today and take to be universal is in fact the specific outcome of a series of random events that began in ancient times.

We will critically reflect on the use of money in contemporary Canada by contrasting it with examples of money and money-like systems that have existed in other times and cultures.

We will further seek to understand how money is changing today and what the implications of these changes are for economic development, addressing poverty and inequality, and political power. In so doing, we will critically evaluate money in the many forms it has taken historically, from gold, grain, beads and shells to paper, plastic, computer code and bitcoin.  

Course outcomes/objectives

• understand how anthropological approaches are useful in uncovering the assumptions embedded in everyday economic activities and the use of money
• develop skills to critically analyze how the role money plays in society, culture and politics 
• develop the ability to understand ideas and behaviours in specific cultural and social contexts 
• learn to recognize that social creations, such as money, are not natural outcomes of some pre-given order but are instead deeply shaped by history and culture 
• develop critical thinking and reading skills

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Lindsay Der
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

Coming soon.

Course outcomes/objectives

Coming soon.

Topics may include

Coming soon.

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Alison Murray
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course is an introduction to the subfields of biological anthropology, stressing the past and present evolution and diversity of humans and nonhuman primates. 

Course topics include evolutionary theory, population genetics, primatology, paleoanthropology and contemporary human diversity and adaptation.

Lab exercises will cover human osteology, fossil identification, comparative primate skeletal anatomy, human genetic principles and physiological differences in human populations.

The major objective of this course is to introduce students to theoretical and methodological techniques within biological anthropology and to the significance of evolutionary perspectives on humans and our primate relatives.  

Course outcomes/objectives

Students will learn how to think critically about the application of an evolutionary perspective to understanding and explaining human and primate biology, behaviour and variation.

Lab sessions will develop essential skills in the collection and analysis of morphological and quantitative data. 

Note

Mandatory lab sessions are part of this course and must be enrolled in separately. 

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Helen Kurki
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

Human anatomy and biology are the result of millions of years of evolution, but it has not been a goal-directed process of change towards a “perfect” species. Evolution is a process of “jerry-rigging” an organism to fit their environment, rather than designing perfect structures and organisms from scratch. Our evolutionary history as an ape, a primate, a mammal, a vertebrate, and an animal, means we share aspects of our biology and anatomy with all other members of these groups, extant and extinct, and we can trace our shared evolutionary relationships through these features. But all species are also unique in their own ways. This course explores how evolution has shaped the human species and diversity within our species. We will examine the evidence for our shared evolutionary history with other animals, the ways in which we are different, and what this may mean for human health and our future. 

Course outcomes/objectives

This course aims to aid students in learning to… 

• Understand how evolution has shaped human anatomy and biology  
• Recognize the evidence for our shared ancestry with other primates, mammals, vertebrates, animals 
• Consider the ways in which our evolutionary history may influence our health in a modern context, and how environment plays a role in our development 
• Think critically about evolutionary explanations applied to human biology, diversity, and health 

Topics may include

• Principles of evolution 
• Evolutionary history of humans 
• Human evolutionary anatomy  
• Human variation 
• Energetics and metabolism 
• Evolution and health 

Spring 2025
Instructor: Mark McIntyre
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course introduces students to the various methods of enquiry and interpretation used in anthropological research.

With examples from across the subfields of anthropology, this course provides an overview of research design, ethical considerations and different quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. This includes participant observation, interviewing, ethnographic mapping and participatory visual methods. We will also address key debates about the production and status of anthropological knowledge and the relationship between theory and methodology. 

 This course is designed to help students improve their ability to:  

• critically evaluate anthropological research 
• select and apply appropriate methods of data collection and analysis for addressing specific research questions 
• assess the advantages and disadvantages of qualitative and quantitative methods in certain contexts  
• critically assess how historical and contemporary factors can shape the power relations between researcher and participants 
• understand the ethical and political implications of anthropological research  

Course outcomes/objectives

Students will gain valuable experience in anthropological research, critical analysis, academic writing and use of referencing.

This will involve synthesizing and evaluating information from scholarly sources and clearly communicating through academic writing and peer-to-peer discussions.

Through practical research exercises, students will develop foundational skills for the collection, recording and analysis of anthropological data. 

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Cassandre Campeau-Bouthillier
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

In this course, students will develop an understanding of the critical relationship between global social and economic processes, the earth, and the health of humans.

The readings and lectures emphasize how local experiences of health are linked with global economic and political processes through the changing environment.

The first half of the course covers models of health, concepts of globalization and historical changes in disease and health. We focus in particular on the pandemics of cholera, malaria and HIV from a global historical perspective.

The second half of the course explores case studies on gender, food security, war and violence, the politics of primary health care, environmental degradation and health among colonized peoples.

Through careful presentation of lectures, video and publicly accessible case materials, students will develop skills to analyze health challenges facing many peoples of the world today. 

Course outcomes/objectives

• understand the intersections between the well-being of individuals and the cultural, historical and environmental conditions within which a person lives 
• develop the ability to observe global health patterns and to analyze global trends 
• develop an in-depth understanding of health issues among particular populations 
• apply knowledge of trends to real case materials through in-class exercises  
• develop skills in the critical analysis of representations about the health of others 

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Stella Spak
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course is an introduction to anthropologically-informed approaches to research engaged with finding solutions to practical problems of contemporary significance. We will survey applications of anthropological research to various fields such as public policy, environment, education, law, medicine, and heritage resource management. Through these case studies we will discusses the burgeoning professional practice of anthropology outside academic institutions.

Course outcomes/objectives

Students will gain an understanding of the practice of anthropology outside of university settings, including related ethical concerns, historical and contemporary approaches, and practical experience carrying out applied research methods.

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Amy Levine
Delivery: Online

Course description

From amulets to antibiotics, medical anthropology examines ideas of what it means to be sick, to be a healer and to be healed from a cross-cultural perspective.

Medical anthropology looks at traditions of diagnosis and healing across the globe, exploring sickness and health as shaped by wider cultural values, political conditions, ideas about knowledge, the role of medical technologies and notions of rights and responsibilities.   

This course encourages students to examine concepts of disease, suffering, health, identity and well-being in their immediate experience and beyond. In the process, students will gain a working knowledge of ecological, feminist, critical, science and technology studies and applied approaches used by medical anthropologists.

The universality of biomedicine will not be taken for granted. Rather, we will examine the plurality of skills and expertise generated by the various political, economic, social and ethical demands under which biomedicine has developed in different places and at different times. The course will also begin to critically assess some recent efforts to decolonize medical anthropology. 

Course content will include studies from at least three continents, which includes recently published research on Indigenous Canadians, Kashmiris and others. 

Course outcomes/objectives

• define some key concepts in the field of medical anthropology 
• understand some key assumptions and values embedded in biomedicine 
• critically assess the ethics and effectiveness of global health research, policy and program initiatives aimed at reducing health inequities 
• apply concepts derived from medical anthropology to the analysis of everyday problems 

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Helen Kurki
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course introduces students to quantitative data analysis in anthropology. It is designed for students with little or no previous experience in this area but who wish to achieve basic statistical literacy, enabling them to perform common statistical analyses and understand statistical results reported in the literature.

The course format includes lectures and computer-based labs, with a focus on the theory, application and interpretation of statistical analyses and information. The relationship between research questions and statistical design will also be examined. Data analysis applications will be based in R and RStudio. 

Course outcomes/objectives

This course aims to aid students in learning to: 

• explain statistical concepts such as types of quantitative data, probability, normal distributions, hypothesis testing and confidence intervals 
• evaluate the appropriate use and interpretation of statistical analyses  
• interpret statistical results, both numerical coefficients and graphical representations 
• apply common statistical analyses and create graphical representations using R programming language and the RStudio GUI 
• explain how virtual (computer-based) approaches are being applied to quantitative data analysis in biological anthropology and archaeology 

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Tommy Happynook
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course explores the ways that Indigenous Peoples, communities, organizations and nations contend with contemporary issues brought about by Canada’s historic and continuing legacy of colonization.

The course provides an opportunity to develop fundamental understandings of contemporary Indigenous social, political, legal and cultural issues at the core of Indigenous experiences in Canada.

Weekly topics will discuss the links between the historic and contemporary impacts of colonization, as well as how Indigenous Peoples, communities, organizations and nations are overcoming the impacts of colonization through acts of revitalization and reclamation. 

Course outcomes/objectives

Upon completing this course, you will have a fundamental understanding of: 

• the impacts of colonization in Canada and its relationship to contemporary Indigenous issues 
• the experiences of Indigenous Peoples, communities, organizations and nations in a Canadian context 
• the many ways Indigenous Peoples, communities, organizations and nations are overcoming the impacts of colonization
• how to begin to interact respectfully with Indigenous Peoples, communities, organizations and nations.
• where you belong in conversations related to contemporary Indigenous issues 

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Alison Murray
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

In this course, the primary objective is to examine the anatomy and functioning of the human musculoskeletal system as a foundation for further studies in areas such as bioarchaeology, forensic anthropology, paleopathology and paleoanthropology, among others.

Students will learn to identify the elements of the human skeleton and major skeletal landmarks, skeletal muscle anatomy, skeletal growth and development, and basic skeletal biology and histology.

The ethical considerations of studying human remains will be a consistent theme. The lecture component will focus predominantly on the biological, developmental and functional components of the musculoskeletal system. Weekly lab sessions will enable students to engage in hands-on activities aimed at identification of the skeletal structures and an appreciation for human skeletal variation. 

Course outcomes/objectives

Students will have the opportunity to develop skills relating to the handling and identification of human skeletal remains. Written exams and bell-ringer format tests will be the primary assessment methods. 

Note

Mandatory lab sessions are part of this course and must be enrolled in separately. 

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Erin McGuire
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

Introduction to the theory and practice of medieval archaeology, illustrated case studies and experimental archaeology. Explores a range of themes including status, gender, technology, religion, and daily life. 

When we think of the Middle Ages we tend to think of lords and peasants. It’s an image of the striking social inequalities that has come to us through the literature and history associated with the period. The reality of the Middle Ages was far more complicated. In this course, we will explore a range of themes relating to status, gender, technology, and daily life. The course offers an introduction to the theory and practice of medieval archaeology, illustrated by a series of case studies. A special feature of the course is that we will learn by doing – using experimental archaeology as a means to explore medieval cultures. 

By the end of the course students should be able to: 

• Identify and discuss key theoretical developments within Medieval Archaeology; 
• Assess the contribution archaeology makes to interpreting the Middle Ages (including assessing excavation reports, material culture, settlement studies, funerary remains, and textual sources); 
• Critically evaluate case studies as tools for analyzing theoretical perspectives to archaeological data; 
• Design an experimental archaeology project and evaluate its effectiveness for studying medieval technologies; and 
• Demonstrate effective group communication and project development skills within limited time constraints. 

Course outcomes/objectives

Skills include: undertaking effective primary and secondary research; critically assessing research; designing, implementing, and reflecting on experimental research; communicating orally, in written format, and electronically; and working collaboratively. 

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Andrea Mariko-Grant
Delivery: Online

Course description

In this course we focus on the role of Canadian museums today as places of cultural resurgence for Indigenous Peoples and reconciliation for all Canadians.

The course addresses a large question: how are museum and heritage professionals changing their mandates and practices to reflect present day ethical, moral, and legal obligations to Indigenous communities whose belongings were removed and are now in museums?

To answer this question, we will use a case study approach that combines reading, audio and visual resources and experiential learning. During the semester our class will be in conversation (in person and over Zoom) with a minimum of 5 Indigenous heritage professionals working in or through museums in BC and Canada.

These engagement sessions are designed as open conversations with heritage professionals about their work as curators, conservators, directors of repatriation and public programming.  

The case study approach is supported by our learning about provincial, national and international reports and policies affecting museums and their communities. Importantly, we will be exploring Indigenous–led work of heritage professionals through individual First Nations, Metis and Inuit organizations and policy making by provincial and national museums. Our work with these publications will have a focus on repatriation and the creation of exhibitions. 

Assessment of student learning will be based on:

• a series of short written reflections following the Indigenous heritage professional sessions
• one exam focused on understanding present museum-associated issues including policies
• a curatorial research/exhibition project (chosen from a selection of topics) resulting in a virtual exhibition

In some years, a class-based research project may be scheduled in collaboration with a First Nation or Indigenous organization. Students can expect one optional field trip based on course content to a local museum or exhibition during the semester. 

Course outcomes/objectives

• learn about critical historical events and movements as part of museums practice in Canada  
• develop critical skills for looking at the historical construction of cultural representations through museums as well as present day decolonial approaches to museology and work by heritage professionals  
• learn from case study implementation of policies and reports including:
  • Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls To Action
  • Canadian Museums Association’s New Partnership Agreement and Moved To Action Report
  • the Royal BC Museum’s Repatriation Handbook
  • the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) 
  • BC’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) 
• have opportunities to converse with and learn from practicing Indigenous heritage professionals 
• gain practical skills in archival and curatorial research as well as further develop critical writing skills

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Timothy Knowlton
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

The Mayan-speaking peoples of Mexico and Central America are among the most recognized Indigenous peoples of the Americas. This course explores links between the languages, cultures and social systems of Mayan-speaking peoples over the last two millennia, from precolonial times to the present. Students examine issues of worldview, identity, religion and power in Maya societies through engagement with a variety of primary and secondary written sources. These sources include works on the decipherment of pre-Hispanic Maya texts, primary Colonial Period narratives by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous authors, as well as contemporary ethnographic works having a focus on language and identity. No prior familiarity with Maya languages or cultures is assumed.

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• summarize the major features of Maya hieroglyphic, alphabetic, and oral communication and their sociocultural uses over time.
• evaluate and interpret primary ethnohistorical sources (in translation) concerning Maya peoples by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous authors.
• discuss the impact of colonialism on important elements of Maya cultures and societies, especially Mayan languages and their contemporary prospects for continued vitality.

Course outcomes/objectives

In this course, students will cultivate skills involved in the critical analysis and interpretation of primary ethnohistorical sources and secondary academic works. Students will undertake effective secondary research and will gain experience mediating discussions of their own and others’ works based on respectful dialogue.

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Christopher Ames
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course surveys the origins and contemporary practice of archaeology in the public context, exploring the role that archaeology plays in the management of cultural heritage at the provincial, national and international levels.

Topics and case studies will include Canadian and international heritage legislation and policy, professional ethics and the social relevance of cultural heritage, while also examining the intersection of archaeology and land use planning, development and Indigenous rights.

In the process, students will learn how and why archaeological overview assessments, impact assessments, mitigation studies and site damage assessments are undertaken. 

Course outcomes/objectives

Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:  

• identify the institutions, mandates and regulations that govern Cultural Resource Management (CRM) practice, with a focus on Canada and particularly British Columbia  
• understand the basic protocols and components of CRM practice   
• critically evaluate professional CRM documents and publications  
• understand the relationships between research, planning and management, stewardship, ethics, Indigenous peoples and public interest in the context of CRM
• critically discuss professional ethics in the context of CRM 

Students who successfully complete this course will develop the following skills:  

• a foundation in global heritage legislation and policy, with a focus on Canada  
• a strong understanding of the regulations, guidelines, and practice of CRM in BC
• ability to identify ethical issues in CRM and know where to find resources to resolve them 
• recognition of the current and future challenges for CRM, both locally and globally 

Spring 2025
Instructor: William Campbell
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

Mormonism, the most dominant form of which is represented by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), is salient in today’s North American collective cultural consciousness. Numerous high-budget dramatized TV series, documentaries, books, news reports, podcasts, and a Broadway musical have been released concerning Mormonism since 2010. This, despite the fact that members of the LDS Church constitute less than 2% of the American population, less than 1% in Canada and globally, and even less than each of these when disaffection is taken into account. Mormonism has a cultural impact disproportionate to its statistical relevancy in contemporary society.

As if in response to this, an anthropology attentive to the LDS Church has emerged. What does an anthropology of the LDS Church tell us about religion today? What does it reveal about contemporary secularism? What do the voices of disaffected Latter-day Saints tell us about institutional practices? How does Mormonism take on different forms in its global contexts? How can anthropologists engage with the ethnographic study of an institution resistant to social cultural research? And what does the diversity of Mormon experience tell us about humanity today? These are some of the questions this course addresses.

As a sort of survey course, we will be paying attention to the emergent anthropology focused on the LDS Church, as well as important studies from other disciplines such as history and sociology. In addition to this focus on scholarly content, we will engage in an ongoing practice akin to “observant participation” throughout the semester. This will utilize pedagogical materials from the LDS Church to get a glimpse into the ways Latter-day Saints live and learn their faith.

Course outcomes/objectives

In this course, students will learn:

• To identify what the emerging anthropology of the LDS Church has contributed to our broader understandings of religion, secularism, liberalism, transhumanism, colonialism, and sexuality.
• To describe how LDS practice has diversified in globalized environments and what those diversifications reveal about colonial religions, resistance to religious assimilation, and institutional control
• To correlate demographic and generational changes with emerging patterns of LDS practice
• Ethnographic methods attentive to the study of institutions with rigorously controlled conceptual boundaries

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Melanie Chang
Delivery: Online (you may listen to the archived lectures at any time)

Course description

This undergraduate course, suitable for both majors and non-majors, will outline Neandertal biology, behaviour and current debates over the place of the Neandertals in human evolution.

The main goal of the course is an up-to-date understanding about who the Neandertals were, and how they lived, through the examination of paleontological, archaeological, and molecular data.

What did they look like? What did they eat? What sort of tools did they make? Were they our ancestors or not? What’s this I hear about a cave bear cult? As we evaluate the available evidence (and its limitations), we will also investigate the history of scientific and popular thought about Neandertals, and how it has reflected changes in broader societal attitudes over time.

The course will include in-class, hands-on laboratory activities and open discussions. The reading list will range from selected journal articles to excerpts from popular literature like Clan of the Cave Bear.

Course outcomes/objectives

Students who have learned successfully in this course will:

• be familiar with the available osteological, archaeological and genetic data regarding Neandertal biology and behaviour
• understand the phylogenetic significance of the Neandertals and their relationship to more ancient hominins as well as modern humans
• be able to critically evaluate paleoanthropological data and theories

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Erin McGuire
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

The dead are all around us. Yet they are not silent. They built the house I am sitting in now; they founded the university at which we study. The dead are constantly invoked and recycled in daily life, this much is true. And yet, what can the actual treatment of the dead tell us about the living? Some societies do not bury their dead: can an absence of evidence tell us anything about a society’s beliefs? The first burials in the history of humanity are often said to herald the “origins of symbolism, ritual and religion” (Parker Pearson, 1999, p.147). But is burial any more than a practical means of getting rid of a body? This course explores themes and issues in the study of mortuary practices. Topics and case studies will include ethical issues, gender and identity, social organisation and structure, spirituality etc… The time range that we cover spans from the Neolithic to the 21st century, and numerous cultures from all parts of the globe will be our subject matter. 

Course outcomes/objectives

The aims of this course are: 

• To investigate funerary practices through the use of cross-cultural case studies; 
• To outline theoretical and interpretative approaches to mortuary archaeology; and 
• To explore issues of ethics and respect in relation to the study of funerary remains. 

By the end of the course students should be able to: 

• Identify and discuss various types of funerary rituals and their archaeological expression; 
• Assess the contribution archaeology makes to interpreting the ways that societies respond to death; 
• Recognise, describe, apply, and analyze a range of different interpretative stances used in the archaeological study of funerary remains; 
• Apply anthropological terminology and methods to the written expression of an argument analysing archaeological approaches to the study of funerary remains; 
• Discuss the ethical considerations that apply to the archaeological study of funerary remains; 
• Critically evaluate a case study as a tool for analysing theoretical perspectives; and 
• Effectively utilise technological resources for presenting archaeological materials, including research, article reviews, mapping, and cemetery survey. 

Spring 2025
Instructor: William Campbell
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course aims to strengthen understanding of contemporary anthropological thought and practice by drawing attention to the historical processes, events, and individuals that have shaped anthropological knowledge. We will track key developments in the history of anthropological theory from the late 18th century to the 1970s. Among the key themes and concepts that we will consider are progressive developmentalism, evolution, society, culture, capitalism, and class. Readings, lectures, and discussion will focus on changing definitions of anthropology’s subjects, objects, and methods across several prominent schools of thought, including but not limited to British social anthropology, French structuralism, and American symbolic anthropology. How have these and other trends in anthropological theory conceived of the notions of culture, society, and the subject? How have they helped us think about meaning, practice, and power? The objective of this class is to provide students with an overview of the history of anthropological theory and the ability to identify the problems and innovations in the development of anthropological thought.  

Course outcomes/objectives

• Working knowledge of key vocabulary, ideas, assumptions and individuals in the history of anthropology through to the 1970s  
• Comprehension of how knowledge production is shaped by social, political, and economic contexts  
• Understanding the relationship between contemporary anthropology and earlier approaches  
• Describing and analyzing anthropological theories, concepts and their implications  
• Initiating and engaging in productive discussions of topical material  
• The ability to analyze texts through both expository writing and oral presentation  

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Daromir Rudnyckyj
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This hands-on theory and practice course teaches: (a) anthropological research methods, (b) cutting-edge theory in economic anthropology and the anthropology of money and (c) how to use theoretical analysis to better understand empirical research. Through lab participation, students become part of the Counter Currency research team. 

Based on cutting-edge theory in economic anthropology and in interdisciplinary social scientific research on money that calls for knowledge production by destabilizing materialist/idealist binaries, the Counter Currency Lab combines methods from the anthropology, history, sociology and other academic fields. The aim is to understand money and inequality through the development of a currency research platform.  

Students work collaboratively with each other and professors to inventory and analyze archival materials in the anthropology of money and develop individualized research projects based on course materials. 

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Tommy Happynook
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course will explore Indigenous ontology, epistemology and pedagogy through an experiential process of learning.

Students will:

• be introduced to the history and impacts of colonization on Indigenous peoples in Canada
• learn about the continuation and revitalization of Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing
• come to understand how Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing are influencing and enhancing current academia
• work on developing critical thinking skills and build on written and oral communication skills 

Course outcomes/objectives

By the end of this course students will: 

• understand the importance of Indigenous worldviews and identity 
• understand the importance of Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing 
• understand the impacts of colonization on Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing 
• understand how Indigenous ways of knowing are being revitalized 
• advocate for the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge and worldviews in academia

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Iain McKechnie
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course introduces students to important current issues in the archaeology of Northwestern North America, particularly the coastal and island areas.

This part of the world has a very rich and exciting archaeological record spanning  almost 14,000 years. Topics may include:

• the post-glacial occupation of the coast
• household archaeology
• social complexity
• lithic analysis
• ground stone technology
• faunal analysis
• spatial analysis
• change and continuity in the archaeological record
• ethical considerations in BC archaeology and Indigenous archaeologies

The focus will be on thematic questions of how archaeologists gain knowledge (or think they do!) rather than exactly “what happened when and where” in a strict cultural history sense.

These thematic topics will involve readings and exercises focused on topics of methodological and theoretical interest. Cultural history and integration of method and theory will be explored through individual research essays. 

An introductory course in archaeological method and theory is required, normally ANTH 240, while ANTH 340 (Archaeology of BC) is desirable. The format of the class, which meets in a 3-hour time block, will include lectures, structured class discussions, guest lectures and student presentations.

We will work with some original archaeological material, transforming it from things in bags to useful data. We will also do some structured exercises in artifact replication in this class. Some optional field trips will be scheduled on weekends later in the term. There will be no exams in this course. 

Course outcomes/objectives

Students will improve their critical reading and thinking skills through advanced readings from the professional literature, presentations, structured discussions and exercises and debate.  There will be explicit instruction and feedback on giving short, effective presentations. 

Students will work with original archaeological materials and experience the process of sorting, classifying and measuring specimens and analysing the resultant data. Some applied qualitative and quantitative research skills we be attained. 

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Lindsay Der
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

What do Coachella music festival attendees, the Nefertiti Bust and the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks have in common?

All three invoke heritage to convey messages and further agendas, whether it be through hipster headdresses, ancient artifacts or as a representation of major geological and evolutionary processes in Earth’s history.

In this course, we will explore the different kinds of heritage, including natural, cultural and mixed, as well as tangible and intangible forms, interrogating its promotion, erasure and manipulation from anthropological and archaeological perspectives. The course will also examine existing frameworks for the protection of heritage. 

Course outcomes/objectives

Though this course is in a survey format, students will have an opportunity to evaluate, debate and critically engage with how archaeologists read the past. To that end, by the completion of this course you will be able to: 

• question and challenge narratives and assumptions surrounding ethical dilemmas in heritage, such as ownership and access
• develop and foster an appreciation and respect for other cultures 
• analyze, connect and interpret material from primary sources, placing texts and media in conversation 
• develop and articulate your own opinion through a persuasive, coherent and well-reasoned argument
• identify and explain why heritage and is relevant to contemporary social issues today. 
• design and create a professional research poster and elucidate your ideas clearly to an audience with no prior knowledge of the topic

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Iain McKechnie
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This fourth-year seminar course examines the historical, contemporary, and emerging theoretical perspectives in biological anthropology and archaeology that fall under the cross-cutting research theme of evolution and ecology. We will explore trace the path of concepts from the Victorian era to the critique of the “Adaptationist Program”, to the consideration of niche construction, and the role of historically contingent processes in biological plasticity, health, and environmental transformations.

This course will be a small seminar format and involve graduate students. Participants will be asked to participate in each class by engaging in discussions of readings and integrative concepts. Our assigned readings will be diverse and primarily conceptual, aiming to grapple with how intellectual history influences current practices. Together, we will work as a team to query the relevance of evolution and ecology in Anthropology.

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. CindyAnn Rose-Redwood
Delivery: Online - Wednesdays (synchronous) 9:30 a.m. - 12:20 p.m. 

Course description

Anthropology has a long and contradictory history regarding discussions of race and racism. The discipline is well-known for contributing to the notion of “scientific racism” and eugenics, yet it is also the same field that has made contributions to promoting anti-racism in recent years.

In this course, students will engage in critical analysis and discussions of the discourses on race and racism within the field of anthropology.

We will begin by taking a historical lens to examine how early anthropologists approached the study of race. Next, we will examine the work of anthropologists who have challenged racist viewpoints in the discipline.

A key part of the course also involves students learning about contemporary anthropological research and fieldwork involving notions of race and racism by scholars from diverse backgrounds.

Most importantly, the aim of the course is for students to learn how they themselves can actively engage in anti-racist thought and practice when it comes to advancing anthropological research and fieldwork practices.  

Course outcomes/objectives

• critically engage with anthropological scholarship and scholars writing about race, racism and the experiences of people characterized as racialized “others” 
• explain how race and racism have been discussed within the discipline of anthropology 
• analyze anthropological scholarship discussing race and racism and its impact on peoples around the world 
• develop concrete actions and anti-racist practices that can break down and challenge structural and institutional racism within the discipline of anthropology 
• reflect on one’s own role and responsibility to support anti-racist activism within anthropology 

Topics may include

• race, racism and anti-racism 
• politics of whiteness 
• eugenics 
• intersectional feminism 
• Indigenous anthropologies 
• immigration 

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Andrea Walsh
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course explores creativity as a way of producing knowledge in the discipline of anthropology and beyond. To do this we will spend time reading and looking at historical and contemporary graphic novels, visual stories/narratives and comics that build our understanding of multi-modal and graphic anthropology.

While we learn through these published works, students will participate in workshop/field trip classes focused on developing applied skills in visual communication and arts-based research methods. Specifically, we will take up drawing as an ethnographic research method. 

Students will learn how to develop their own style of drawing as a research method and way to communicate research results. Weekly exercises/visual labs will help students develop their skillsets to use in their coursework. Any level of drawing experience is welcome (this includes no drawing experience!).

A principal focus of the course is students’ creation of creative research-based graphic stories. (Students’ topics to be chosen in consultation with Dr. Walsh can be anchored in anthropology or elsewhere, i.e. art studies, biology, computer science, music, healthcare, gender studies, etc.).

Each student’s research project will produce a 6–8-page graphic story. Students are free to explore digital programs for this project or create using media of their choice. The class will have 2-3 guest lectures by graphic anthropologists and comic artists who will share their practices and experiences with students. 

Assessment for this course will focus on class participation, writing/journal reflections on published materials, and their creative research-based graphic story portfolio. 

Course outcomes/objectives

• acquire visual and creative research skills that may be applied in social science-based research and other professional contexts 
• understand the role creativity can play in problem solving and innovation 
• develop skillsets for listening, observing, and productively creating a project/product that visually communicates information to diverse audiences 
• understand the relationship between creativity, personal expression/experience and ethics in research

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. April Nowell
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

The honours seminar is a capstone class that provides students with a collaborative intellectual community. 

The honours seminar functions very much like a graduate seminar, providing mentorship in scholarly professional development, along with rich peer learning focused on bridging sub-field knowledge and integrative anthropological thinking to contribute to understanding current issues, ideas and debates.

Key milestones for the honours seminar will be working through fundamental elements of the research, writing and presentation of the honours essay. 

Course outcomes/objectives

• critical and integrative thinking, evaluating arguments, synthesizing information, comprehending the context of academic debate and argument
• development and application of research skills including defining a research problem, creating a manageable research question, developing a research plan, identifying relevant sources, composing a literature review, generating relevant data and analysing data 
• verbal and written communication skills including summarizing information, synthesizing data, structuring an argument, offering constructive peer review, and revising work in progress 
• presentation skills including summarizing and communicating research results in conference-style presentations.

Course format

This class will be a 3-hour weekly seminar in the spring term. Students will be expected to come prepared and to participate actively in the conversations.

To facilitate the successful scoping, logistics and approvals of the honours essay, we will also be holding several shorter sessions together at a mutually agreeable time during the fall term.

In addition to these scheduled group seminar times, students will identify an honours supervisor – an anthropology professor intimately knowledgeable with the honours thesis topic – and organize individual meetings with them at key points throughout the term. 

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Amy Levine
Delivery: Hybrid - face-to-face & online

Course description

This course aims to answer the question "What makes us human?" It is an introductory survey of the sub-fields of anthropology: archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural and social anthropology and linguistic anthropology.

Two broad principles underlie our understanding of human complexity:

• all individuals and groups possess certain commonalities - in particular, genetic and other biological traits, sociality, language and a powerful symbolising capability
• human culture is incredibly diverse and ever-changing

We will explore the sub-fields of anthropology through a range of themes including, but not limited to: evolution; early humans; development of agriculture; emergence of cities and states; culture, supernaturalism, ethnicity and race; and families, kinship and gender.

Course outcomes/objectives

By the end of the course students should be able to:

• explain the sub-fields and specializations of anthropology with examples;  
• critically discuss a range of key themes and methods relevant to the study of anthropology;  
• identify and evaluate factors that influence our interpretation and understanding of anthropology; 
• differentiate between pseudoscience and legitimate scientific practices; and 
• exhibit research and public writing skills required in anthropology, other disciplines, and employment situations.  

Topics may include

• culture 
• primate diversity and conservation 
• human evolution, adaptation, and diversity 
• gender, kinship and sexuality 
• sustainability and climate change 
• colonialism and social inequality 
• health, people and the environment 

Fall 2024
Instructor: William Campbell
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

The concepts religion and environment interact in interesting and often surprising ways. They each inform the other, even though neither concept is quite stable.

What we consider religion, what we consider the environment, as well as how we “ought” to interact with each are always being (re)negotiated. These (re)negotiations often reflect and/or are informed by broader, societal trajectories, such as politics, environmental movements and economics.  

In this course, students will:

• identify and articulate diverse forms which the relationship between religion and environment can take
• apply a critical stance toward research literature examining these relationships 
• identify how these forms of relationship create the conditions of possibility for different environmental practices 

Students should note that this course is not an overview of world religions’ perspectives on the environment.

While much of the course will indeed discuss the putative “major world religions”, it will not do so systematically, and much of the course content will discuss religious/spiritual practices that do not properly fit into a “major world religion” category, such as yoga, Indigenous spirituality, psychedelic mushroom consumption, farming disputes and more.

Nonetheless, these practices illustrate the myriad, overlapping, often contradicting ways that religion and environment interact. 

Course outcomes/objectives

Students will develop the following through participation in this course: 

• first year academic writing skills 
• analysis of concepts that may not have obvious, intuitive relationships with each other 
• critical reading of research-based scholarly texts 
• a perspective of the course content the world which accounts for human diversity 
• group work capabilities 

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. CindyAnn Rose-Redwood
Delivery: Online - Mondays (synchronous) and Thursdays (asynchronous) 9:30 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.

Course description

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the discipline of anthropology’s role in framing notions of race and how this concept is often intertwined with ideologies of culture and power.

We will explore how the discipline has shifted from ideologies around scientific racism to understandings that race is a socially constructed notion produced by people to frame hierarchies of power over other people.

We will also examine the scholarly works of anthropologists who are currently encountering, critically examining and challenging notions of race with respect to their own positionality and ethnographic fieldwork.

Through a series of readings, films and lectures, this course will provide a better understanding of how the concepts of race, culture and power impact the everyday lives of people who are often placed under the “gaze” of anthropologists.

The course ends by considering directions for future research on race, culture and power in anthropology. Students will examine anti-racist praxis in relation to moving anthropology forward as a discipline.

Course outcomes/objectives

• critically examine anthropological scholarship and scholars writing about discourses on race, culture and power
• develop critical thinking skills on various themes around race and culture, and how hierarchies of power impact the lives of peoples around the world
• explain how the discipline of anthropology contributed to framing discourses on race.
• analyze and critique the positionality of anthropologists in terms of fieldwork
• reflect on the impact of race as a social construct in relation to acts of racism

Topics may include

• history of anthropological thought
• Indigenous peoples, cultures, and power
• Black feminist anthropology
• Asians and racialization
• policing
• music as storytelling
• migration
• health inequities
• anti-racism

Fall 2024
Instructor: Leah Mernaugh Bergman
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

World travel has never been easier, faster, or more accessible than it is today. Social media images of idyllic destinations tell us that happiness may be just a plane ticket away. At the same time, we are confronted with the fact that travel is mediated by the power-laden realities of economics, passports, and global pandemics. This course explores many forms of travel, from tourism to migration to pilgrimage, through the lens of anthropology.  By exploring various theoretical writings, case studies, and ethnographic accounts, we will consider social and cultural meanings of travel, interrogate the “Eat Pray Love” narrative around finding yourself in a foreign country, and think about how power influences how people move across space. Students will emerge from this course with a deeper understanding of how travel shapes and is shaped by larger trends in our contemporary world. 

Course outcomes/objectives

• Explore contemporary issues related to travel and globalization 
• Understand what distinguishes an anthropological approach and examine key anthropological contributions to this topic 
• Critically analyze travel narratives and media representations, assessing how they construct and reinforce stereotypes and power dynamics 
• Develop and practice academic writing skills 

Topics may include

• Globalization, “Disneyfication,” and global tourism 
• Ex-pats, influencers, and digital nomads 
• Passports, borders, and power differentials  
• Pilgrimage and religious travel 
• Diasporas, heritage, and “roots tourism” 
• COVID-19 and global travel 

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Melissa Gauther
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course provides students with an overview of social and cultural anthropology – its origins, its distinctive methods and concepts, and its place in the contemporary world.

In this course, you will learn how to think about contemporary events from an anthropological perspective and how to better understand yourself in relation to others. You will also learn to appreciate the diversity of topics that contemporary socio-cultural anthropology explores and the extent to which it can help you better understand a world where peoples and societies are increasingly interconnected.

By the end of the course students should: 

• learn to think about contemporary events from an anthropological perspective
• apply anthropological theories and concepts to real-world problems
• have a greater degree of familiarity with the field of socio-cultural anthropology, its key concepts, theoretical orientations and methods 
• understand the historical developments that have shaped the subfield of sociocultural anthropology 
• learn to challenge their cultural biases and ethnocentric assumptions 
• demonstrate greater awareness of the cultural and social bases of human prejudice and discrimination 
• gain a better understanding of Indigenous peoples, histories and cultures, and the impact of colonization on individuals, families and communities 
• understand the ethical standards that anthropologists uphold

Course outcomes/objectives

Because this is an introductory course, it will offer the opportunity to exercise a wide variety of skills that are crucial in students’ academic and professional careers.

These include critical reading, analytical thinking, intercultural communication and the ability to undertake effective secondary research using online and traditional research sources. In addition, the course will provide students with a supportive environment to develop effective communication skills. 

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Lindsay Der
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course introduces the sub discipline of archaeology, highlighting a few of the many places, theories, methods, techniques, and people(s) who have illuminated our shared human history. We consider the kind of questions archaeologists ask, how the archaeological record is formed, how archeologists collect data, conduct analyses, and interpret their findings. The course is not a comprehensive review but aims to examine the processes through which human history is encountered, narrated, and mobilized in the present. The laboratory sessions provide hands-on experience with techniques discussed in lectures and/or the readings. Please ensure that you have registered for both the lecture and a lab section.

Course outcomes/objectives

• Become familiar with common terms and concepts in archaeology
• Identify types of archaeological evidence and interpretations
• Consider the utility of different archaeological methods and techniques
• Describe and categorize commonly recovered archaeological material

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Ammie Kalan
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course is an introduction to the subfields of biological anthropology, emphasizing the past and present evolution and diversity of human and nonhuman primates.

Course topics include evolutionary theory, population genetics, primatology, paleoanthropology and contemporary human diversity and adaptation.

Lab exercises will cover human osteology, fossil identification, comparative skeletal anatomy, human genetic principles and physiological differences in human populations.

The major objective of this course is to introduce students to the range of theoretical and methodological techniques within biological anthropology that help us to understand human biological variation and evolution.  

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Melissa Gauthier
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course introduces students to the various methods of enquiry and interpretation used in anthropological research. With examples from across the subfields of anthropology, this course provides an overview of research design, ethical considerations and different quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis.

This includes participant observation, interviewing, ethnographic mapping and participatory visual methods. We will also address key debates about the production and status of anthropological knowledge and the relationship between theory and methodology. 

This course is designed to help students improve their ability to:

• critically evaluate anthropological research
• select and apply appropriate methods of data collection and analysis for addressing specific research questions 
• assess the advantages and disadvantages of qualitative and quantitative methods in certain contexts  
• critically assess how historical and contemporary factors can shape the power relations between researcher and participants 
• understand the ethical and political implications of anthropological research

Course outcomes/objectives

Students will gain valuable experience in anthropological research, critical analysis, academic writing and use of referencing.

This will involve synthesizing and evaluating information from scholarly sources and clearly communicating through academic writing and peer-to-peer discussions.

Through practical research exercises, students will develop foundational skills for the collection, recording and analysis of anthropological data. 

Fall 2024
Instructor: Mark McIntyre
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course aims at sensitizing the students to the often-forgotten presence of sounds in everyday life. More than just a phenomenological account of sound, the course proposes to consider all sound-related dimensions (noise, music, voice, silence, etc.) as significant elements of research and analysis.

It further takes sound as something to seriously reflect upon from an anthropological perspective. Throughout this course, students will have the opportunity (1) to map out and reflect upon ethnographies of sound, theories of sound, sound art works and recent writings in sound studies—a thriving field in the humanities and social sciences—and (2) to experiment directly with sound production.

In being involved in the production of soundscapes and other related sound installations/projects, students will be encouraged to think about how sound can be considered a significant element of research and theory-making. 

Course outcomes/objectives

• think creatively about how sound can become an element of research and analysis in anthropology
• reflect critically on sound in your everyday life and in relation to your own research interests
• discuss recent and historical research, works and projects constructed on an analysis of sound from various perspectives and approaches: anthropology, sociology, visual and media arts, music, sound studies, communication, etc.  
• determine how sound can enhance the visual dimension of films, exhibitions and research
• produce simple to more complex sound clips and/or soundscapes in order to explore research interests and questions in anthropology and other disciplines

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Tatiana Degai
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This is a reading intense and practice-based course that offers insights into the meanings of and approaches to ethnographic research. We will focus on the main principles, ethics and methods contemporary ethnography employs.

This class is organized as a cooperative and collaborative discussion group and think tank with contributions expected from all. Over the course the students will develop a deeper understanding of the methodologies that might fit their future research.

Students are expected to be prepared to discuss the readings for each class meeting, contribute to small group (peer-review) and whole class discussions. 

Course outcomes/objectives

• become familiar with qualitative research methods and approaches
• practice conducting independent ethnographic research including conducting interviews and fieldnote analysis
• build and strengthen the skills of making public presentation 
• build and strengthen the skills of writing an ethnography 
• practice conducting peer evaluation 

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Lindsay Der
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course will introduce the basic tenets of research, highlighting how research projects are created and undertaken by archaeologists and biological anthropologists.

This course will immerse students in the research process from beginning to end, including research design, development of the research proposal, hypotheses and research objectives/questions data collection, basic data analysis, interpretation and knowledge mobilization.

Students will also engage in discussions of best practices and ethics in research, as well as of the biases inherent to all research that reflect our social, economic and academic environment.

While there will be some lectures, wherever possible classes will feature an experiential approach so that students gain hands-on, practical experience. Classes will largely take the format of a “research group” setting: we will spend the time talking about research, designing group research projects, working through problems, and collaborating.

This course will also include some components related to professionalization, such as grant writing, elevator pitches and the CV. 

Course outcomes/objectives

By the completion of this course, you will be able to: 

• understand the major components of research design 
• develop effective skills in the implementation of different aspects of the research process 
• prepare a research grant/fellowship/scholarship application
• disseminate research results 
• critically assess and evaluate research publications 
• engage in professionalization

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Tommy Happynook
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course will introduce students to the current realities of Indigenous peoples' health in Canada. We will explore the health experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada: past, present and future.

Students will learn about the history of colonization and its impacts on Indigenous people’s health. Students will also be introduced to traditional/contemporary ways that Indigenous peoples are reclaiming/revitalizing cultural healing and health practices. 

Course outcomes/objectives

Upon completing this course, you will have a fundamental understanding of: 

• the impacts of colonization on Indigenous peoples’ health in Canada 
• the relationship between people, land, health and how this is experienced by Indigenous peoples and communities 
• how holistic approaches and cultural practices enhance the health of Indigenous peoples and community 
• the diverse ways Indigenous peoples/communities are putting into practice processes of reclamation and revitalization of health

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Tommy Happynook
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course explores the ways that Indigenous Peoples, communities, organizations and nations contend with contemporary issues brought about by Canada’s historic and continuing legacy of colonization.

The course provides an opportunity to develop fundamental understandings of contemporary Indigenous social, political, legal and cultural issues at the core of Indigenous experiences in Canada.

Weekly topics will discuss the links between the historic and contemporary impacts of colonization, as well as how Indigenous Peoples, communities, organizations and nations are overcoming the impacts of colonization through acts of revitalization and reclamation. 

Course outcomes/objectives

Upon completing this course, you will have a fundamental understanding of: 

• the impacts of colonization in Canada and its relationship to contemporary Indigenous issues 
• the experiences of Indigenous Peoples, communities, organizations and nations in a Canadian context
• the many ways Indigenous Peoples, communities, organizations and nations are overcoming the impacts of colonization
• how to begin to interact respectfully with Indigenous Peoples, communities, organizations and nations
• where you belong in conversations related to contemporary Indigenous issues

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Iain McKechnie
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course surveys the vast and vibrant human history in British Columbia represented at Indigenous and historic-era archaeological sites. It highlights recent research on the coast, plateau and subarctic, considering the many ways Indigenous peoples thrived in diverse places and communities, from the last glaciation into the current moment.

We will specifically examine how archaeological research has been conducted in the province by investigating foodways, settlement practices, as well as environmental and sea level changes.

Course outcomes/objectives

• learn about archaeology in BC; how sites have been investigated, the information they contain and their significance to Indigenous communities 
• identify types of ancient human places and how archaeological observations can have implications for governance, policy, science and engineering today 
• learn about the role that archaeological data and theories have had in portraying Indigenous histories in legal settings and in reconciliation efforts
• consider how the locations and conditions of archaeological sites are revealed and affected by post-glacial environmental changes and geohazards

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Yin Lam
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

In this course, the Pleistocene archaeological record of Africa will be used as a framework for activities designed to practice and enhance academic skills.

The course material surveys over 3 million years of archaeology, from the earliest known traces of stone tool use until the beginning of the Holocene.

To provide a framework for the interpretation of the archaeological record, the course offers an introduction to the climate, ecology, fossil hominins and modern foraging populations of Africa while acknowledging the colonial nature of the practice of African archaeology, past and present.  

Course outcomes/objectives

Students engage in two assignments based on fundamental academic activities. 

The first is the preparation and delivery of a class presentation based on library research.

The second is an exercise in peer-review, conducted anonymously, in which students write a paper on the same topic, read and review the papers of classmates and revise their papers based on their classmates’ feedback. 

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. April Nowell
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

Drawing on lectures, slides, films, assigned readings, hands-on lab experiments and class discussions, this course explores cave art and portable art (including figurines) made from 40,000 – 10,000 years ago during the Upper Paleolithic. 

Specifically, we will look at techniques of manufacture, analysis, interpretation, dating and conservation.  We will consider questions such as who made this art, can we infer its meaning(s), what does it tell us about the cognitive capacities of our ancestors, can we use art to study the individual in the past and should we even use the term “art” to describe these images? 

The second half of the course will focus on regional developments within Paleolithic art (e.g., Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Siberia, South Africa and Australia). Students are expected to become cognizant of key issues in Paleolithic art and the history of research in this discipline and to be able to recognize images, artifacts and artistic styles from sites in different regions of the Old World. 

Course outcomes/objectives

• research
• critical reading
• academic writing (clear, focused, data supported writing)
• public speaking/academic presentation 

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Ammie Kalan
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course introduces the discipline of primate behaviour and its many contributions to evolutionary anthropology. Students will learn the natural history, behaviour and ecology of various primate groups as well as primate taxonomy and evolutionary patterns.

Various issues in primate conservation will be presented and discussed, especially in relation to wild populations living increasingly in human-modified environments. Multi-species comparative approaches will be used to illustrate concepts and theories throughout the course. 

Assessments include a midterm, quizzes and a project (to be conducted in pairs) which will help to develop your own research skills, promote creativity and encourage you to explore your own interests in primate behaviour and/or conservation.  

Course outcomes/objectives

• succinctly summarize the historical and colonial roots of primatology
• accurately explain major theories relevant to primate behavioural ecology 
• clearly describe a variety of behaviours and cultural traditions unique to primates 
• comprehensively list the ways in which humans are special from all other primates using the comparative method
• critically analyze topical issues in primate conservation considering the needs of both people and nonhuman primates

Topics may include

• primate cognition 
• foraging ecology 
• primate cultures 
• animal communication 
• wildlife conservation 

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Alison Murray
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course explores skeletal biology, variability in the modern human skeleton and the mechanisms through which skeletal diversity is shaped in our species.

The course assesses the ways in which this skeletal variation can tell us something about the origins of bipedality in our species, about behaviour and locomotion in the past, and about the importance of sport and physical activity in modern humans for bone health. 

Course outcomes/objectives

Students who have learned successfully in this course will be able to:  

• understand the complex relationships between genetic adaptation and plasticity during the lifespan (epigenetic, developmental, behavioural) in shaping the adult human skeleton  
• apply this understanding to the interpretation of variation in skeletal morphology in the past, in relation to diet and health, ageing, locomotion and behaviour among fossil and prehistoric humans  
• contribute to current discussions on the role of ageing, fracture risk, public health and physical activity

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Yin Lam
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

In this course on archaeological faunal analysis, the majority of class time will be spent in the lab, where each student will study modern reference material and analyze a faunal assemblage from a local archaeological site.

Lectures will cover basic zooarchaeological methods and topics. Assessment is based on practical identification exams, a paper and class presentation based on library research, and the report on the archaeological faunal assemblage. 

Course outcomes/objectives

• become proficient in the identification of the bones of several local species of mammal
• use Excel or similar software to document faunal assemblages, conduct basic analyses and produce graphs
• conduct library research and critically evaluate published presentations of zooarchaeological data
• revise library research papers into PowerPoint presentations and deliver in class 

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Lindsay Der
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

What can archaeology tell us about the vices of past peoples, cultures and societies? This course will be a survey of case studies from a wide-ranging selection of regions and time periods, organized thematically around different so-called wicked behaviours.

Rather than focus on the heroes of the past, this course will highlight the material remains of people behaving badly and engaging in deviant activities. Topics will include psychedelic drug use, cannibalism, prostitution and the smuggling of illicit contraband, among others. Along the way, we will question whether these individuals are truly the villains of the past or if it is our own misconceptions that make them appear so.

Course outcomes/objectives

Though this course is in a survey format, students will have an opportunity to evaluate, debate and critically engage with how archaeologists read the past. To that end, by the completion of this course you will be able to: 

• link archaeological evidence to human behaviours 
• contemplate how our own biases and positionality affect our interpretations 
• evaluate, critique and question narratives derived from the material record 
• develop and articulate your own opinion through a persuasive, coherent and well-reasoned argument
• analyze peer-reviewed sources

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Kaela Parker
Delivery: Online

Course description

Many cultures around the world have distinguished between ‘us’ and ‘them’ or ‘other’. The ways of separating these two spheres may incorporate ideas associated with perceived cultural or physical differences.

Ultimately, the concept of human diversity has had enormous repercussions from the level of individual identity through to the far extremes of racial segregation and genocide throughout human history. However, can this diversity be categorized? How can it be discussed and understood and what is its basis?

This course will engage in a critical examination of the concepts surrounding human diversity. It will then proceed with a consideration of the biological and genetic basis for human variation. Through this, types of diversity and their biological basis will be explored.

Interacting roles of heredity, culture and environmental diversity will be presented, and the modern implications of race concepts, of human diversity and health will be discussed. Finally, the changing nature of human diversity will be explored. 

Course outcomes/objectives

• understanding human diversity and the complexities surrounding our understanding 
• discussing the fundamental concepts surrounding genetics and evolution 
• honing critical thinking 
• writing, discussing and leading a group talk 

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. April Nowell
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course is designed as an in-depth investigation of the major methodological and theoretical issues confronting archaeologists today.

Emphasis is placed on the ways in which archaeologists reconstruct human behavior using the archaeological record and how different theoretical approaches relate to the types of data recovered and the interpretation of those data.

The first third of the course is designed to provide students with a solid background in the past 60 years of archaeological thought while the final two thirds of the course will focus on where the discipline is today.

It is expected that students will leave the course with a thorough understanding of the theoretical foundations of the discipline, an awareness of issues facing archaeology today and an ability to critically evaluate the primary literature in our field. 

Course outcomes/objectives

• research
• critical reading
• academic writing (clear, focused, data supported writing)
• academic debate
• public speaking

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Iain McKechnie
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course explores how coastal archaeological data is increasingly central to extending ecological observations of coastal environments within the interdisciplinary framework of marine historical ecology.

It considers anthropological theory, Indigenous perspectives and marine ecology through case-study readings spanning the worlds’ oceans and coastlines.

As this is a 4th-year seminar, students will be supported in developing analyses as part of group and individual research activities. Together, we will seek to expand the analytical potential of coastal archaeological sites and refine understanding of global environmental change using archaeological information and other archives. 

Course outcomes/objectives

Coastal archaeological sites are ubiquitous, but most people (and many marine scientists) don’t yet recognize how these vulnerable places can help to inform marine conservation, ocean governance, climate change and environmental histories.

We will read, discuss and explore how this knowledge is being applied globally. In addition to assignments and class activities, each participant will be draft a research proposal for a generic funding agency to partner with local communities to address a relevant coastal or marine conservation issue involving archaeological information. 

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Alison Murray
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This seminar course explores evolutionary theory as applied to anthropological questions relevant to humans and non-human primates.

The course examines how foundational concepts and thinkers in evolutionary theory have shaped scientific and popular perceptions about humans, and how evolutionary anthropologists are critically re-evaluating these models and their historical biases. 

Course outcomes/objectives

Students in this course will learn to: 

• think critically about the evolutionary explanations on which the field has been based  
• identify and integrate ideas and evidence presented in the human evolutionary literature 
• contribute to current discussions around the historical biases inherent in biological anthropology 

Topics may include

• the legacy of Darwin’s ideas 
• challenging tenets of "evolution by natural selection": Are humans really unique? Is adaptation only about the genes? Is race actually biological? Is sexual selection really at play in humans? 
• popular misconceptions around Neanderthals, gendered divisions of labour and the evolution of running, play, sport and dance

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Tatiana Degai
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

Arctic is home to unique ecosystems with fragile biological diversity as well as rich cultures celebrated by Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

The goal of this course is to offer an introduction into the broad array of the contemporary issues of the Circumpolar North with primary focus on Arctic Indigenous Peoples, Arctic knowledge systems, environmental stewardship and policies.

The core questions that will be addressed during this course are:

1. What is Arctic today?
2. What is the place of humans in Arctic’s past, present and future?

Course discussions, readings and assignments are aimed to enhance the understanding of interconnections between Arctic climate, environment and societies at the local and global scales.

Course outcomes/objectives

• understand the unique place of the Arctic at the global scale 
• navigate across the challenges and solutions in relation to life in the Arctic 
• practice creative presentation design 
• situate anthropological discourses in relation to the Peoples of the Arctic  
• practice written and oral communication 

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Cassandre Campeau-Bouthillier
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

Anthropology of the body is intended to disrupt, provoke, and enrich how we think about bodies and how we construct "the body."

While we tend of think of bodies as natural and "taken for granted," this course will examine how bodies are culturally, historically, politically and economically constructed.

We will examine how disciplines both within and outside of anthropology have contributed to how we currently think about and discuss bodies and embodiment.  

The course builds on current and historical constructions of embodiment in anthropology as well as disciplines outside of anthropological work to create a ground for understanding how bodies can be approached both theoretically and in the field.

In this course, students will learn to think critically about how bodies are conceptualised in anthropological theories and different ways in which bodies are understood in various cultural practices and contexts. We will examine how bodies are not only "talked about" but also presented in various cultural and historical practices. 

Students will:

• learn how to distinguish between different notions of bodies and embodiment across history and cultures, and how these contribute to current anthropological theory and practice
• examine how bodies are constructed in our own context (Victoria, BC)
• be reflexive about our own notions of embodiment and how these affect how we think and act around bodies

Course outcomes/objectives

Students will: 

• learn key terms and concepts related to bodies and embodiment in anthropology 
• develop knowledge to think critically about how bodies are conceptualised and examined in different cultural and historical contexts 
• learn how distinctions between bodies as natural and bodies as cultural aren’t always as clear-cut as they seem distinguish and think critically about how bodies are (re)presented visually in different contexts, and how these representations serve to produce particular knowledge(s) about bodies
• apply this knowledge and critical thinking by writing a research paper on a topic related to bodies and bodily practices.