Anthropology

Office: Sturm Hall, Room 146 
Mail Code: 2000 E. Asbury Ave. Denver, CO 80208
Phone: 303-871-2406
Email: anthropology@du.edu
Web Site: http://www.du.edu/ahss/schools/anthropology/

Anthropology is the study of the origin, history and nature of people and cultures. It examines the relationships among biology, culture and the natural and social environments in which people live. Anthropology teaches about humanity in all its complexity from its earliest beginnings to the present, and from historical, comparative, cross-cultural and holistic perspectives. The field addresses contemporary issues and problems, such global public health, urban development and gentrification, human rights, social injustice and inequality, and the stewardship of environmental and cultural resources.

The faculty members of the Department of Anthropology are experts in analyzing human differences in the context of the material (political and economic) conditions of life. They are concerned with the interaction of gender, race, ethnicity, class and other variables in human affairs, and with the consequences of these relationships for social change and development. Drawing on the resources of the Museum of Anthropology, they are concerned with how tangible and intangible culture expresses and sustains relationships among people, ideas, things, and natural and non-human worlds.

The department has an Archaeology Lab, Ethnography Lab, Paleo Diet Lab, and the Museum of Anthropology housing collections of archaeological and ethnographic materials. The department also has computer-catalogued collections, working relationships with Denver-area museums and archaeological field opportunities. Students interested in careers in archaeology, cultural anthropology or museum anthropology can find courses designed to meet their needs.

The department provides the Thomas A. Bogard Scholarship for a senior majoring in anthropology.

Program Learning Outcomes

Anthropology Major 

  • Have a deep understanding of accumulated anthropological knowledge—especially the nature and sources of human cultural and biological diversity across space and through time, and the variety of anthropological theories that, historically, have been used to explain that diversity—and the ability to critically assess the veracity of anthropological knowledge claims.
  • Demonstrate competence in the production and dissemination of anthropological knowledge, showing skills in the basics of library research, research design formulation, data collection and analysis (i.e., the ability to turn data into evidence), research ethics, and information literacy.
  • Know how to apply anthropological theories and methods to collaborate effectively with relevant stakeholders and collaborators, especially Indigenous communities and other groups that have been the traditional focus of anthropological research, working in diverse groups and professional settings to promote successful outcomes, using interpersonal skills to interact appropriately and ethically in teamwork and community engagement.
  • Demonstrate an ability to communicate knowledge effectively to diverse audiences through different types of writing, and through other modalities such as numeracy, oral, visual, video, or others, with awareness of the ethics and politics of representation.
  • Develop an ability to critically address ethical and moral issues of human diversity, power, equality, and justice from an anthropological perspective, with awareness of their accountability to a historically informed politics of positionality founded in a critical understanding of the history of anthropology.
  • Show how anthropological knowledge makes a critical difference in understanding broader scholarly and public debates about the great issues of our time, including human rights, social and environmental justice, sustainable development, democratic governance, heritage preservation and commemoration, intercultural and international conflict, and others.