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Department of Anthropology
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Minors

Choosing a minor in Anthropology

As the primary academic discipline for the study of human diversity, anthropology empowers students to pursue smart, creative, and empathetic solutions to complex human problems. The USC Dornsife Department of Anthropology offers a number of minor options designed to a complement a wide variety of other majors and career interests.

Culture is the acquired knowledge that is used by people to interpret their own experience. Studying culture with the tools of Anthropology means examining the symbols, ideals, beliefs and practices in which human behavior is anchored.

To discuss majoring or minoring in Anthropology, contact Undergraduate Advisor Kim Vinson, vinson@usc.edu.

Cultural Anthropology Minor

The Cultural Anthropology Minor allows students to develop insight into the field of Anthropology without a full major. The minor offers training in anthropological theory and provides opportunities to develop knowledge of a specific area of anthropological study, or to study and apply anthropological insights in an interdisciplinary context.

Anthropology Major (B.A.)

Requirements

Departmental minors are required to take four courses (16 units) in Anthropology.

    • ANTH 201g Introduction to Sociocultural Anthropology (4 units)

    or

    • ANTH 263g Exploring Culture through Film (4 units)
    • ANTH 440 History of Anthropological Theory (4 units)

  • Two additional ANTH courses are required, of which at least one should be upper division (300-499).

Minor in Folklore & Popular Culture

Folklore is an integral part of being human. The discipline of folklore studies the unofficial, the spoken, and the traditional forms of expressed culture, such as legends (including urban ones), myths, folk music, jokes, festivals, and more. It is often contrasted with the printed word, yet the recent growth of the internet and digital communications has brought the realms of popular culture increasingly closer to folklore as well. Thus the field of folklore and popular culture encompasses more than two hundred different genres such as folktales, myths, legends, proverbs, jokes, games, folk medicine, and ethnomusicology. The interpretation of these materials draws on theories in various fields such as Anthropology, Communications, English, Cultural Studies, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Religion.

The Minor in Folklore and Popular Culture aims to lay the basis for students’ understandings of the theories and techniques of understanding folklore and popular culture and to offer students the opportunity to conduct their own original research on folklore and popular culture. 

For more information about the field of folklore see the American Folklore Society.

For more information about the Minor in Folklore and Popular Culture, contact Prof. Tok Thompson tokthomp@usc.edu.

Folklore and Popular Culture Minors are required to take five courses (20 units) of required coursework:

    • ANTH 333gm Forms of Folklore Units: 4

  • Choose one:

    • AMST 285gm African American Popular Culture Units: 4
    • ANTH 101g Body, Mind and Healing: Introduction to Medical Anthropology Units: 4
    • ANTH 140g Mesoamerican Cosmovision and Culture Units: 4
    • ANTH 240gm Representing 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina Units: 4
    • ANTH 263g Exploring Culture through Film Units: 4
    • ANTH 273g Shamans, Spirits and Ancestors: Non-Western Religious Traditions Units: 4
    • CLAS 280gp Classical Mythology in Art and Literature Units: 4
    • COMM 206 Communication and Culture Units: 4
    • HIST 271g Telling Native American Stories Units: 4
    • MUSC 102gw World Music Units: 4

  • Choose three:

    • AMST 330m Black Music and the Political Imagination Units: 4
    • AMST 395m African American Humor and Culture Units: 4
    • ANTH 301g The Global Performance of Healing Units: 4
    • ANTH 332g Anthropology and Narrative Medicine Units: 4
    • ANTH 360 Symbolic Anthropology Units: 4
    • ANTH 370 Sex, Love, and Marriage: An Introduction to Kinship Units: 4
    • ANTH 372 Interpretation of Myth and Narrative Units: 4
    • ANTH 373 Magic, Witchcraft and Healing Units: 4
    • ANTH 409 Indigenous Languages in the Contemporary World Units: 4
    • ANTH 445 African American Anthropology Units: 4
    • ANTH 490x Directed Research Units: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
    • CLAS 325 Ancient Epic Units: 4
    • CLAS 380 Approaches to Myth Units: 4
    • COLT 311 Epic Units: 4
    • COLT 312 Heroes, Myths and Legends in Literature and the Arts Units: 4
    • COLT 365 Literature and Popular Culture Units: 4
    • COMM 384 Interpreting Popular Culture Units: 4
    • COMM 440 Music as Communication Units: 4
    • DANC 302g Hip Hop Don’t Stop: Black Social Dance Culture and Media Units: 4
    • GERM 346 German Folklore and Popular Culture Units: 4
    • JS 378 Jewish Magic in the Ancient World Units: 4
    • MDA 330 The Armenian Heritage: History, Arts, and Culture Units: 4
    • MUSC 444 American Roots Music: History and Culture Units: 4
    • POSC 441m Cultural Diversity and the Law Units: 4
    • SPAN 385 The Culture of Food in Hispanic Los Angeles Units: 4

Medical Anthropology Minor

The Medical Anthropology Minor provides students with the tools to analyze and understand health, wellness, and the body as understood in a cultural frame; and to gain a deeper understanding of medicine itself as a social and historical practice.

Medical Anthropology Majors are required to take six courses (24 units) of required coursework:

  • Two lower-division Anthropology courses, selected from the following:

    • ANTH 101g Body, Mind and Healing: Introduction to Medical Anthropology Units: 4
    • ANTH 105g Culture, Medicine and Politics Units: 4
    • ANTH 125g Social Issues in Human Sexuality and Reproduction Units: 4
    • ANTH 201g Introduction to Sociocultural Anthropology Units: 4
    • HBIO 200Lg The Human Animal Units: 4
    • ANTH 273g Shamans, Spirits and Ancestors Units: 4

  • 16 units of upper-division Anthropology coursework, selected from the following:

    • ANTH 300 Evolution, Ecology, and Culture Units: 4
    • ANTH 301g The Global Performance of Healing Units: 4
    • ANTH 305 Childhood, Birth and Reproduction Units: 4
    • ANTH 308 Origins and Evolution of Human Behavior Units: 4
    • ANTH 325 Global Studies Research Methods Units: 4

    or

    • ANTH 410 Ethnographic Research Methods Units: 4
    • ANTH 332g Anthropology and Narrative Medicine Units: 4
    • ANTH 338g Food in Culture and Society Units: 4
    • ANTH 357g Cultures of Genocide, Cultures of Care Units: 4
    • ANTH 360 Symbolic Anthropology Units: 4
    • ANTH 370 Sex, Love, and Marriage: An Introduction to Kinship Units: 4
    • ANTH 373 Magic, Witchcraft and Healing Units: 4
    • ANTH 380 Sex and Gender in Anthropological Perspective Units: 4
    • ANTH 385m Men and Masculinity Units: 4
    • ANTH 393 Directed Internship Units: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
    • ANTH 405 Evolutionary Medicine Units: 4
      ANTH 440 History of Anthropological Theory Units: 4
    • ANTH 445 African American Anthropology Units: 4
    • OT 375 The Narrative Structure of Social Action: Narrative, Healing and Occupation Units: 4
    • SWMS 336 Health, Gender and Ethnicity Units: 4

    NOTE: Other courses may be substituted with Departmental approval.

Food and Society Minor

The interdisciplinary minor in Food and Society at USC explores food as a complex social phenomenon, shaped by human knowledges, practices, and ecologies. Grounded in Anthropology, the minor in Food and Society examines the diversity that characterizes human relationships to food, and uses the tools of social analysis to gain critical insight into the complex social forces that shape food systems.

Food and Society Minors are required to take five courses (20 units) of required coursework:

  • ANTH 338g Food in Culture and Society Units: 4

  • One elective from the following list of lower-division courses:

    • ANTH 101g Body, Mind and Healing: Introduction to Medical Anthropology Units: 4
    • ANTH 201g Introduction to Sociocultural Anthropology Units: 4
    • ANTH 205g Introduction to Global Studies and Cross-cultural Research Units: 4
    • ANTH 263g Exploring Culture through Film Units: 4
    • BISC 102Lgx Humans and Their Environment Units: 4
    • BISC 115Lxg The Biology of Food Units: 4
    • HP 230 Nutrition and Health Units: 4
    • JS 258gp Food, Faith and Conflict Units: 4
    • REL 136g Sense and Sensuality in Indian Religions and Culture Units: 4

  • Three electives from the following list of upper-division courses:

    • AMST 343 Food, Health and Culture in Los Angeles Units: 4
    • ANTH 301g The Global Performance of Healing Units: 4
    • ANTH 302 Humans and Ancient Environments Units: 4
      ANTH 333gm Forms of Folklore Units: 4
      ANTH 338g Food in Culture and Society Units: 4
    • ANTH 360 Symbolic Anthropology Units: 4
    • ANTH 393 Directed Internship Units: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
    • ANTH 460 Economic Anthropology Units: 4
    • HBIO 300 Evolution, Ecology, and Culture Units: 4
    • JOUR 458 Media, Food and Culture Units: 4
    • PPD 416 Food Policy and Planning Units: 2
    • REL 303g Exploring Ancient Ways of Living: Experimental Archaeology Units: 4
    • REL 475 Religion, Material Culture and the Senses Units: 4
    • SPAN 316x Spanish for the Professions Units: 4
    • SPAN 385 The Culture of Food in Hispanic Los Angeles Units: 4
    • SWMS 389 Gender, Sexuality and Food Cultures in the U.S. Units: 4

    NOTE: Students may also identify elective courses that align with key categories and petition for their approval toward the minor. Contact your academic or program adviser for information.

  • As an alternative to the pre-approved electives listed above, students select  electives that fit within one or more of the following categories can be counted toward the Food and Society Minor. Contact your academic or program adviser guidance in identifying appropriate courses

    Culture and history

    Courses that offer a cultural, historical, or humanistic perspective on specific communities, foodways or practices. Exemplary course:

    • CORE 301 Modes of Inquiry Units: 4

    (Section: We are What we Eat: Food & Class in Los Angeles. The course explores class issues embedded in LA’s international food scene.)

    Nature and human life

    Courses that examine the relationship between humans and nature; it pertains to food or nutrition, including topics in biology, ecology, sustainability, environmental studies, agriculture and civil engineering, etc. Exemplary courses:

    • BISC 115Lxg The Biology of Food Units: 4
    • CE 451 Water Resources and Coastal Engineering Units: 4

    Politics and policy

    Courses that provide insight into the relationship between food politics and policy including issues in economic development, trade and food security, food deserts, poverty and public health, etc. Exemplary courses:

    • ECON 344 Economic Development of Sub-Saharan Africa Units: 4
    • PPD 416 Food Policy and Planning Units: 2

    Art, craft and practice

    Courses that provide a perspective on food as art, craft or creative practice, including documenting or representing food in social experience. Exemplary courses:

    • COMM 400 Seminar in Communication Units: 4
    • REL 303Lg Exploring Ancient Ways of Living: Experimental Archaeology Units: 4

     

How do I declare an Anthropology major or minor?

To declare an Anthropology major or minor, make an appointment to meet with the Anthropology Undergraduate Academic Advisor, Kim Vinson vinson@usc.edu.