Anthropology
10 courses · Rio Hondo College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Summer 2026 · Fall 2026 · Winter 2027 · Spring 2027
ANTH 101 Introduction to Physical Anthropology
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 Lecture
- Advisory
- It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and be able to read college-level texts.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- ANTH 110
In this course, people are investigated from the perspective of evolutionary theory. Students will learn about the process of natural selection and related issues including patterns of inheritance. Also included will be an examination of the closest living relatives to humans, primates, with an emphasis on behavior and ape societies. An extensive survey of human ancestors will trace the origins of various life forms and recount how ape-like creatures evolved into modern humans. Students will also discover how natural selection can be used as a tool to understand patterns of human variation. This course is designed for anthropology majors, those with an interest in anthropology, or anyone with a desire to further their understanding of humans from an evolutionary perspective.
ANTH 101H Introduction to Physical Anthropology Honors
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 Lecture
- Prerequisite
- ENGL C1000
- Advisory
- It is advised that students be able to read college-level texts.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- ANTH 110
In this course, people are investigated from the perspective of evolutionary theory. Students will learn about the process of natural selection and related issues including patterns of inheritance. Also included will be an examination of the closest living relatives to humans, primates, with an emphasis on behavior and ape societies. An extensive survey of human ancestors will trace the origins of various life forms and recount how ape-like creatures evolved into modern humans. Students will also discover how natural selection can be used as a tool to understand patterns of human variation. This course is designed for anthropology majors, those with an interest in anthropology, or anyone with a desire to further their understanding of humans from an evolutionary perspective.
ANTH 101L Physical Anthropology Lab
- Units
- 1
- Hours
- 54 Lab
- Advisory
- It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and be able to read college-level texts.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- ANTH 115L
This laboratory course, designed to complement the lecture course, is for students interested in expanding their knowledge of physical anthropology. Students are introduced to the methods, techniques, and procedures used in physical anthropology research, gaining practical experience by participating in lab activities and experiments using the scientific method. Lab exercises include an assessment of the forces that affect evolutionary change, the observation of primate behavior, the assessment of human variation, and the identification and classification of the skeletal features of humans, non-human primates, and human ancestors. Mendelian, molecular, and population genetics are also explored.
ANTH 102 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 Lecture
- Advisory
- It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and be able to read college-level texts.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- ANTH 120
The emphasis of this general education course is the investigation of human culture. By learning about the diversity of cultural practices around the world, students will be able to evaluate their identities within their own societies. In addition to discovering the theories and methods important to cultural anthropology, the course includes an extensive examination of cross-cultural diversity. Students learn about how people in different cultures obtain their food, exchange goods, organize themselves in groups, engage in politics, raise children, and worship supernatural beings. Also addressed is the issue of how cultural anthropology can contribute to addressing important problems in the modern world. The course is designed for anthropology majors, those with an interest in anthropology, or anyone with a desire to further their understanding of human culture.
ANTH 102H Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Honors
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 Lecture
- Prerequisite
- ENGL C1000
- Advisory
- It is advised that students be able to read college-level texts.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- ANTH 120
The emphasis of this general education course is the investigation of human culture. By learning about the diversity of cultural practices around the world, students will be able to evaluate their identities within their own societies. In addition to discovering the theories and methods important to cultural anthropology, the course includes an extensive examination of cross-cultural diversity. Students learn about how people in different cultures obtain their food, exchange goods, organize themselves in groups, engage in politics, raise children, and worship supernatural beings. Also addressed is the issue of how cultural anthropology can contribute to addressing important problems in the modern world. The course is designed for anthropology majors, those with an interest in anthropology, or anyone with a desire to further their understanding of human culture. The course is intended for those who meet Honors Program requirements.
ANTH 103 Introduction to Archaeology
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 Lecture
- Advisory
- It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and be able to read college-level texts.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- ANTH 150
This course is a survey of human world history and prehistory as identified by the archaeological record. Emphasis is placed on major changes in human technological, economic, and social development over the course of two million years of the human material record, including topics such as the history of archaeology, research ethics, data types, theory and methodology, dating techniques, survey and site excavation methods, analysis and interpretations, and reasons to preserve the past. Case studies from the excavation of major archaeological sites around the world are examined and discussed as examples. This course is for students who are interested in ancient history or the field of archaeology, or who plan to major in anthropology.
ANTH 104 Introduction to Language and Culture
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 Lecture
- Advisory
- It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and read college-level texts.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- ANTH 130
This course is for students majoring in anthropology or anyone interested in learning about the diversity of communication forms and language systems around the world. The course investigates the development and evolution of language, the structure and sound systems of different languages, language loss and conservation, and the variations in different languages such as dialects and the social situations in which they are used. The different forms of verbal and non-verbal communication are studied across cultures with special attention paid to the use of technology like social media and the problems that arise in communication between people of different classes, genders, and ethnicities in our globalized world.
ANTH 110 Gender and Sexuality
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 Lecture
- Advisory
- It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and be able to read college-level texts.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course is an anthropological examination of sex, gender identity, roles, relations, and sexuality across cultures. Theories and methods of the anthropology of sex and gender along with the historical origins and development of this area of specialization in cultural anthropology are studied. Ethnographic or case studies of the fluidity of sex and gender in small-scale tribal societies around the world inform class material, as will industrialized examples of legal, political, and social issues.
ANTH 115 Medical Anthropology: Culture, Health, and Healing
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 Lecture
- Advisory
- It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and be able to read college-level texts.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course explores the perceptions of disease, health, and healing in different cultures around the world. Sociocultural, biological, and ecological perspectives are used to understand the origins of illness and disease and medical practices across cultures. Topics include diagnosis and therapies, the role of healers like witch doctors and shamans, stress and mental health, unequal access to medical care, and medical anthropology applied to global health problems.
ANTH 125 Religion, Magic, Witchcraft, and the Supernatural
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 Lecture
- Advisory
- It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and be able to read college-level texts.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course is for students interested in learning about the diverse religious beliefs and practices that exist around the world. As an introduction to the anthropological study of religion, the course includes an overview of the various forms of religious belief systems; the variety of gods and other supernatural forces; the use of myths, rituals, and ceremonies in religious practice; and the types of shamans, priests, and other religious specialists found in religious systems. The religious use of drugs is explored, along with traditional healing practices and folk medicine remedies used in many Western cultures. A survey of witchcraft, sorcery, the occult, demons, exorcism rites, sacrificial practices, and magic is included. Additionally, concepts relating to death and the afterlife (e.g., souls, ghosts, reincarnation, and zombies) are explored.