Taught by: Keri Sansevere
Introduction to Anthropology provides a general overview of a fascinating branch of Social Sciences dedicated to understanding the diversity of human experience across the world. Over the years, the field has integrated both STEM and humanistic approaches to not just the study of humanity, but to solving real-world problems, making Anthropology among the most unique and relevant disciplines offered in academia today.
The way this course is organized mirrors the traditional “four-field” structure of the discipline. Students will be introduced to what Anthropology is, followed by an overview of the four main specialties of the discipline: Biological/Physical Anthropology, Linguistic Anthropology, Archaeology, and Cultural Anthropology. Each specialty is a “facet”—a facet of what it means to be human. Together, they form a “whole”— a whole story about humanity—that uncovers our biological origins and development, the complexities of human language, what ancient societies were like, and how people all over the planet understand the world around them.
The learning format is asynchronous, affording the flexibility to complete course work from anywhere around the world. Each week will address a different topic specially-formatted for an enriching and self-guided online learning experience. Each module contains an expert-curated mini digital library of resources that convey the scope and depth of each topic. Learning materials include the instructor’s original audiovisuals, key textbook readings, professional readings, relevant news, ethnographic films, inspiring Ted Talks, provoking documentaries, and interviews with real anthropologists. Students will also be given space for individual reflection and peer interaction.
About the Instructor
Keri Sansevere hold a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Temple University. Her research operates at the intellectual borderland between cultural anthropology and archaeology. Her dissertation examined colonoware, a kind of pottery traditionally found on archaeological sites in the American Southeast and Caribbean associated with enslaved laborers. Through ethnographic interviewing, oral history, and participant-observation, her research discovered that the pottery is present in the American Northeast, but knowledge of it resides in places that are difficult to access: the memories of archaeologists, inaccessible storage facilities, and obscure literature. Though the field of anthropology traditionally uses analytics like class, gender, and race to reveal hidden structures of power among so-called “ethnographic others,” her research discovered there is much to learn when the same analytics are applied to the industry of North American archaeology
In addition to her teaching history and anthropological expertise, she bring to the table real world-industry experience.She has worked a variety of roles in museums and in the industry of cultural resource management. Dr. Keri Sansevere gets excited about sharing my enthusiasm for the field and my work as a public archaeologist for George Washington’s boyhood home, directing several archaeology summer camps, and delivering talks geared toward the general public have been gratifying highlights of my career.