Introduction to Anthropology

This one-semester elective course is intended as a practical guide to introduce you to the field of anthropology. You will explore the evolution of anthropology as a distinct discipline, learn about anthropological terms, concepts and theories, and discuss the evolution of humans and human society and culture. Students will also learn about social institutions, such as marriage, economy, religion, and polity. The target audience for this course is high school students.

This course is structured into lessons and Course Activities as follows:
*The first lesson introduces students to the field of anthropology and its development as a distinct discipline. You’ll learn some key ideas and methods in anthropology in the second lesson. The third lesson describes different branches of anthropology.
*In the fourth lesson, you’ll learn about human origin and evolution.
*The next five lessons discuss important anthropological topics, such as culture, language and communication, art and aesthetics, subsistence and economy, and social groups.
*In lesson 9, you will learn about kinship and descent, and in lesson 13, you’ll explore the concepts of race, caste, and ethnicity.
*Lessons 10, 12, and 14 delve into various social institutions—marriage and family, religion and belief systems, and political institutions respectively.