ANTH 314 - Human Variation

Description:
Survey of genetic, physiological, and morphological diversity of modern human populations, with a focus on how humans’ biological variation interacts with culture to enable adaptation to various ecological settings. NS-Applications Natural Science. Course will be offered every year (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer).

Prerequisites:
Prerequisite: sophomore standing or above.

Credits: (5)

General Education Category: NS-Applications Natural Science. K7 - Physical & Natural World

General Education Pathways: P1 Civic & Community Engagement, P2 Health & Well-being, P4 Social Justice

Learner Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Demonstrate how genetic research has shaped modern medical science.
Recognize how biological anthropology developed as a discipline, and how humans are studied as part of the natural world.
Identify various human body shapes and physiological adaptations and match them to diverse environments.
Critique the interrelationships among morphological, physiological, and genetic variation in human populations and traditional race concepts.
Calculate a population’s observed and expected allele frequencies.
Find and evaluate information on human genetic conditions (e.g., cancer).
Analyze the contributions of genes, life choices, and culture on health outcomes (e.g., cancer risk, obesity).
Critique the biological bases for race and gender as they are applied to human classifications.
Apply biological concepts learned in this class regarding human variation to understandings of race and gender.
Problematize the social dynamics of group inclusion and exclusion based on biology, race, gender, and ethnicity.
Challenge the effects of race and gender as cultural constructs historically and in the present.

Learner Outcomes Approval Date:
12/6/18

Anticipated Course Offering Terms and Locations: