Exemplar Syllabi

Never before have we lived in a more connected, yet divided, world: us and them, with us or against us, black and white, real and fake, left and right, have and have nots, for and against.  Why, despite our connectedness, are we so diverse and different?  Using case studies exploring people and cultures of the world, together with explorations in our local community, we will discover if we have anything in common.  Learn how we are different and how we are the same, and in doing so, hopefully learn a bit about yourself and the other humans who share this planet.

This course uses real-world examples, experiences and case studies to explore contemporary ethical issues born of the diverse nature of human culture and the consequence of our intellectual pursuits and technological innovations.  In this collaborative and reflective class, we will use an anthropological mindset to develop the communication and critical-thinking skills needed to effectively examine the human condition.  This course may challenge your assumptions of ‘normal’. This course would be especially beneficial to any person intending to work or live in any culturally diverse or international environment, because this course encourages reflection upon one’s personal and professional responsibility, values, culture and ethics in relation to regional, national and global contexts. 

This course provides instruction on important skills for anthropological writing including research and the development and communications of ideas through writing. Emphasis will be placed on the subject matter of an upper-division anthropology course in which the student is currently enrolled.

This is a writing intensive (W) course and the requirements are as follows: To receive W credit for this course, you must pass the W component

This course will survey the history of anthropological theory by engaging in active learning. Attention will be given to both the historical foundations and contemporary concerns of anthropological theory; however equal time will be allocated for hypothetically applying these theories against your individual area of interest.  Thus, this class will be both a seminar and workshop: you will learn about anthropological theory AND critically synthesize that knowledge within your existing framework. There will be minimal formal ‘lecturing’ in this class and your active participation is required and expected.

This course applies the fundamental principles of cultural anthropology to the study of religion, by engaging in active learning. Cultural anthropology explores and/or attempts to explain the variation and commonalities (or ‘universals’) of human behavior using a holistic mindset.  Religion may be a human universal, but how it manifests can be quite different.  Why, as opposed to why not, does religion exist and persist?  Does religious behavior (e.g. myths, religious symbolism, religious rituals, religious specialists, magic, divination, and witchcraft) have a relationship with other elements of culture?  Each subject will be explored using examples from various cultures (including our own). There will be minimal formal ‘lecturing’ in this class and your active participation is required and expected. 

This course focuses on practicing and improving critical reading and writing skills through study and discussion of various genres of anthropological literature and guided writing assignments.  Where applicable we will read and analyze articles written by Texas A&M Anthropology faculty. There will be minimal formal ‘lecturing’ in this class and your active participation is required and expected.