Learning Goals and Objectives

Department Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Anthropology is to offer students a comprehensive introduction to the development and diversity of humanity. We achieve this mission by guiding our students’ learning in three sub-disciplines of anthropology: archaeology, cultural anthropology, and physical anthropology. A corollary of this mission is to prepare students for advanced study in anthropology, to provide a foundation for students’ employment in professional occupations in which anthropological insights are useful, and to support students as they seek to engage with issues that are important in their communities and in the world.

Goal I: Students will acquire broad knowledge of anthropology.

Students will be able to:

Objective A: Discuss, evaluate, and apply core concepts in archaeology (e.g. artifacts, biofacts, architecture, landscape, culture history, evolution, ecology).
Objective B: Discuss, evaluate, and apply core concepts in cultural anthropology (e.g. culture, cultural relativism, social organization, kinship, functionalism, structuralism, colonialism, postmodernism, globalization).
Objective C: Discuss, evaluate, and apply core concepts in physical anthropology (e.g. evolution, paleontology, morphology, genetic inheritance, human adaptation and variation, migration, behavioral ecology, conservation biology).

Goal II: Students will be able to use anthropological methods of research to address problems in archeology, cultural anthropology, and physical anthropology.

Students will:

Objective D: Demonstrate knowledge of research methods in archaeology
Objective E: Demonstrate knowledge of research methods in cultural anthropology.
Objective F: Demonstrate knowledge of research methods in physical anthropology.

Goal III: Students will be to apply anthropological concepts, knowledge, and research methods to the discussion and resolution of real-world problems.

Students will be able to:

Objective G: Apply concepts, knowledge, and research methods of archaeology to the discussion of current issues and to the resolution of real-world problems (e.g. archaeology in contemporary Afghanistan; learning about the past at Lehman College through excavation).
Objective H: Apply concepts, knowledge, and research methods of cultural anthropology to the discussion of current issues and to the resolution of real-world problems (e.g. politics of identity; kinship patterns among US immigrants; debates about same-sex marriage; globalization).
Objective I: Apply concepts, knowledge, and research methods of physical anthropology to the discussion of current issues and to the resolution of real-world problems (e.g. forensic anthropology and September 11th; debates about belonging and identity, seen from the human genetic record; [human] evolution vs. anti-evolutionist concepts [Intelligent Design, Creationism]).

Goal IV: Goal IV: Students will be able to communicate effectively about topics in anthropology.

Students will be able to:

Objective J: Communicate effectively about topics in archaeology in written and oral form.
Objective K: Communicate effectively about topics in cultural anthropology in written and oral form.
Objective L: Communicate effectively about topics in physical anthropology in written and oral form.
Interpret appropriate nutritional guidelines related to physical activity and alterations in body composition, and apply the principles to various groups within the population

Interdisciplinary Anthropology/Biology/Chemistry Program

The Department aims to ensure that students in the Anthropology/Biology/Chemistry major are provided: a core knowledge base of all three disciplines; an understanding of the research methods and theoretical frameworks employed in these disciplines; and the skills necessary to prepare and communicate the results of research and analyses. The student will be provided an understanding and appreciation of how these disciplines interface and interact.

Goal I: Students will acquire broad knowledge of anthropology, biology and chemistry

Students will be able to:

Objective A: Discuss the basic core concepts of anthropology.
Objective B: Discuss the basic core concepts of biology.
Objective C: Discuss the basic core concepts of inorganic and organic chemistry.

Goal II: Student will understand the research methods and theoretical frameworks used anthropology, biology and chemistry

Students will be able to:

Identify and discuss the major concepts related to information processing, attention, mental practice, and practice constraints
Objective D: Demonstrate knowledge of research methods in anthropology,
Objective E: Demonstrate knowledge of research methods in biology.
Objective F: Demonstrate knowledge of research methods in chemistry.

Goal III:Students will develop effective communication skills

To accomplish this goal, students will be able to:

Objective G: Effectively communicate anthropological topics orally and in written form.
Objective H: Effectively communicate biological topics orally and in written form.
Objective I: Effectively communicate chemistry topics orally and in written form.

Goal IV:Students will understand the similarities and differences in methodologies and critical theoretical frameworks of anthropology, biology and chemistry

Students will be able to:

Objective J: Compare and contrast the methodologies and critical theoretical frameworks anthropology, biology and chemistry.
Objective K: Effectively communicate their understanding of how anthropology, biology and chemistry relate and inform each other.