ANTHRO STREAMS

In North America, Anthropology is customarily practiced in four different fields: Physical/Biological Anthropology; Archaeology; Sociocultural Anthropology; and Linguistic Anthropology. Applied anthropologists use knowledge from all four fields to approach and help to solve practical problems.

At Laurentian the focus is on applied anthropology, particularly in the areas of health, heritage/cultural resource management and modernisation/development.

ARCHAEOLOGY and HERITAGE/CULTURAL
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Archaeology is the recovery, analysis, and interpretation of physical evidence from past societies and their cultures. The goal of archaeologists is to explain past human behaviour, adaptations and cultural change through time. Heritage and Cultural Resource Management (CRM) archaeologists apply their technical and scientific expertise in salvaging archaeological sites, and interpreting prehistoric and historic material cultural remains for goverment institutions, First Nations people, ethnic groups, private companies, and the public.

At Laurentian, students have the opportunity to stream on scientific applications in archaeology and/or heritage/cultural resource management archaeology. Research resources include access to laboratory facilities with equipment for x-ray fluorescence/diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analyses. A number of faunal, lithic, and palaeolithic reference collections are also available for research and analysis. Students obtain hands-on learning experience in such courses as Essentials of Archaeology (ANTR 2026), The Archaeology of Ontario in a North American Framework (ANTR 2027), Laboratory and Analytical Procedures in Archaeology (ANTR 3066), and Scientific Applications in Archaeology (ANTR 4026). World Prehistory and Archaeology (ANTR 2095) is available through distance education. For those students interested in heritage management, there is also a course in Living Museology and Educational Tourism (ANTR 2075), as well as opportunities for research in the Great Lakes World Heritage Project. A formal archaeological field methods course (ANTR 3095) held during the summer also complements the experience needed to pursue further applied studies in heritage/cultural resource management.

SOCIOCULTURAL/LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY and MODERNISATION/DEVELOPMENT

Sociocultural anthropologists describe, compare and interpret human cultural variations and adaptations, while linguistic anthropology specifically examines the distribution, evolution, structure, function and meaning of human languages in a cultural and social perspective. Applied sociocultural anthropologists use ethnological insights and ethnographic methods to evaluate and help solving contemporary social problems.

Sociocultural anthropology at Laurentian combines traditional classroom learning with opportunities for applied fieldwork and research. Students are exposed to various aspects of culture in such courses as World Ethnology: Peoples of the World (ANTR 2046), Anthropological Linguistics (ANTR 2906), and Ethnology of North American Native Peoples (ANTR 2036). A course on Sociocultural Anthropology (ANTR 2005) is also available through distance education. Fourth-year students may choose a cooperative community research project as part of the course in Applied Anthropology (ANTR 4086). When funding permits, a unique initiative for social planning and development allows exceptional upper-level students to participate in ongoing field research in James Bay. Other pertinent courses are Medical Anthropology: Medicine, Culture and Society (ANTR 3086) and Ethnomedicine: Cross-Cultural Healing (ANTR 3087).

HEALTH STUDIES and MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

Students interested in health studies can stream in this area by selecting such courses as Human Biological Variation, Adaptations and Health (ANTR 2016), Public Health and Epidemiology (ANTR 3047), Medical Anthropology: Medicine, Culture, and Society (ANTR 3086), Ethnomedicine: Cross-Cultural Healing (ANTR 3087), Food and Disease Prevention (ANTR 4006) and Origins of Sickness and Medicine (ANTR 4007). In some years the Applied Anthropology (ANTR 4086) and/or the Advanced Topics courses (ANTR 4056 and ANTR 4076) may have a focus on health studies.

PHYSICAL/BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

Physical/biological anthropologists use a biocultural perspective to examine the evolutionary development of the human species, with an emphasis on describing and explaining biological variation and adaptations.

The study of physical/biological anthropology at Laurentian is enhanced by a curated human skeletal reference collection. Anthropology also has a growing collection of fossil hominid casts.

Students in physical/biological anthropology complete the introductory courses in Physical/Biological Anthropology (ANTR 2016 and 2017), and upper-level courses in Human Skeletal Biology (ANTR 3036 ) and Palaeoanthropology: Human Origins (ANTR 3037) and Advanced Topics in Biological/Physical Anthropology (ANTR 4076). Other pertinent courses are Human Ecology and Palaeoecology (ANTR 3046), Public Health and Epidemiology (ANTR 3047) and Food and Disease Prevention (ANTR 4006). An Honours Thesis (ANTR 4095)in this area provides the necessary research skills at this level, and is essential proceed to graduate studies in physical/biological and forensic anthropology.