Anthropology
Dr. Kimberly Georgedes, chair
Prof. Philip Fitzgibbons, director
Mission
The study of history and anthropology fulfills the mission of Franciscan University by assisting our students in their discovery of truth. Furthermore, while we steadfastly honor the free agency of man, we also believe that Christ gives purpose and meaning to our subjects and our disciplines, and that both are best understood in the light of the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and the Franciscan tradition.
It is the mission of the Department of History and Anthropology to teach our students the disciplines that they have chosen to study. Anthropology studies humans as biological and cultural beings in a holistic and comparative perspective from our earliest beginning to the present. The Anthropology Program offers students a broad-based, cross-cultural understanding of the dynamic nature of humankind. Students will learn the methods and works of anthropologists and related researchers, particularly in each of the four principle sub-fields: cultural anthropology, physical anthropology, archaeology, and linguistics.
The study of history and anthropology is an essential part of a general liberal arts education because the temporal and cultural aspects are foundational to other disciplines. History provides the basis for those interested in teaching history at the secondary level; and both history and anthropology are preparatory for those considering entering graduate or professional programs. However, both disciplines’ emphasis on critical thinking also provides crucial training for any professional vocation that involves the evaluation and integration of factual material in light of contrasting viewpoints. And finally, such critical skills are complementary and integral to people of faith as they work toward a deeper understanding of God’s work in our contemporary world.
Aims
Anthropology studies humans as biological and cultural beings in a holistic and comparative perspective from our earliest beginnings to the present. The Anthropology Program offers students a broad-based, cross-cultural understanding of the dynamic nature of humankind and, in particular, human cultures that have been the focus of anthropological inquiry for more than 100 years.
Students will examine the methods and works of anthropologists and related researchers in a number of required and elective courses in each of the four principal subfields of anthropology: 1) cultural anthropology, 2) physical anthropology, 3) archaeology, and 4) linguistics. Anthropology majors will also receive valuable training by taking courses in the physical and social sciences, humanities, and communication arts.
Assessment Learning Goals
- Students will obtain a broad, cross-cultural scientific understanding of the dynamic nature of humankind across time and space.
- Students will possess knowledge about humans from a biological and cultural perspective in a holistic and comprehensive manner.
- Students will become familiar with the methods and works of a great variety of anthropologists and sub-field specialists.
- Students will be able to integrate skills 1 through 3 above with other courses to understand better the meaning of “human being” and his/her place in the universe.
- Students will be able to conduct research and present their findings in a scholarly, professional manner.
Anthropology Course Descriptions