Fall 2025 • Winter 2026 • Spring 2026

Fall 2025term list

  • SOAN 110: Introduction to Anthropology

    Anthropology is the study of all human beings in all their diversity, an exploration of what it means to be human throughout the globe. This course helps us to see ourselves, and others, from a new perspective. By examining specific analytic concepts—such as culture—and research methods—such as participant observation—we learn how anthropologists seek to understand, document, and explain the stunning variety of human cultures and ways of organizing society. This course encourages you to consider how looking behind cultural assumptions helps anthropologists solve real world dilemmas. 6 credits; IS, International Studies, SI, Social Inquiry, WR2 Writing Requirement 2, CX, Cultural/Literature; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026 · Cheryl Yin, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder

  • SOAN 111: Introduction to Sociology

    Sociology is an intellectual discipline, spanning the gap between the sciences and humanities while often (though not always) involving itself in public policy debates, social reform, and political activism. Sociologists study a startling variety of topics using qualitative and quantitative methods. Still, amidst all this diversity, sociology is centered on a set of core historical theorists (Marx/Weber/Durkheim) and research topics (race/class/gender inequality). We will explore these theoretical and empirical foundations by reading and discussing influential texts and select topics in the study of social inequality while relating them to our own experiences and understanding of the social world. 6 credits; SI, Social Inquiry; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Wes Markofski

  • SOAN 125: Southeast Asian Migration and Diasporic Communities

    2025 is the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. Many Southeast Asian (SEAn) refugees resettled in the U.S. in the aftermath. First, we begin in Southeast Asia (SEA) to understand the social, political, and historical circumstances that have led to SEA migration. Then we will examine how SEAn have adapted to life in the U.S. and how those communities—many are here in Minnesota—are thriving today. We’ll work on a project in collaboration with SEAn organizations to commemorate the 50th anniversary and also travel to SEAn communities in the Twin Cities, dates TBD. 

     6 credits; IDS, Intercultural Domestic Studies, SI, Social Inquiry; offered Fall 2025 · Cheryl Yin

  • SOAN 252: Growing Up in an Aging Society

    Both the U.S. and global populations are trending toward a world with far fewer young people than ever before. So, what does it mean to grow up in a rapidly aging society? This course explores age, aging, and its various intersections with demographic characteristics including gender, sexuality, race, and social class. We situate age and aging within the context of macro-structural, institutional, and micro-everyday realms. Some topics we will examine include: media depictions and stereotypes; interpersonal relationships and caregiving; the workplace and retirement; and both the perceptions and inevitable realities of an aging population.

     6 credits; IDS, Intercultural Domestic Studies, QRE, Quantitative Reasoning, SI, Social Inquiry, WR2 Writing Requirement 2; offered Fall 2025 · Annette Nierobisz

  • SOAN 287: Afrodescendant Identities in Cuba and Brazil: Afro-Descendant Identities and Society

    This course will examine Afro-descendant identities through local and site-based topics, including political and social history of race and blackness; urban spaces and neighborhoods; Afro-descendant communities in the economy and education system; community organizing and social movements; representation and commemoration; music, dance, and cultural expression. Topics will be based on expertise of host country lecturers and community specialists. 

     Prerequisites:

    Acceptance in the Carleton OCS Afro-descendant Identities in Cuba and Brazil Program.

     6 credits; IS, International Studies, SI, Social Inquiry; offered Fall 2025 · Daniel Williams

  • SOAN 320: The Anthropology of the End of the World

    We live on a planet marked by ruin, devastation, and destruction—conditions associated with the concept of the Anthropocene, a geological era that recognizes the inescapable consequences of human activity on the planet. This course examines these consequences through the lens of environmental anthropology to explore various socio-cultural strategies implemented by societies around the world. Themes explored include notions of unpredictability, precarity, resilience, and survivance as avenues for understanding the impacts of profound environmental change, as well as new opportunities for place-making, community, and sustainable futures.

    Recommended preparation: Introductory courses in SOAN or ENTS.

     6 credits; HI, Humanistic Inquiry, IS, International Studies; offered Fall 2025 · Constanza Ocampo-Raeder

  • SOAN 322: Buddhist Studies India Program: Contemporary Buddhist Culture

    This course introduces students to the complexity and plurality of Buddhist traditions that have flourished in diverse societies and cultures in the modern era. This course enables students to sympathetically understand and critically investigate various Buddhist traditions and their historically and culturally specific configurations of philosophical beliefs, cultural values, everyday practices, social institutions, and personal experiences. Focusing on Buddhist traditions of South and Southeast Asia, Japan, and Tibet, we explore topics including syncretism and popular religion, monasticism, gender, economic development, social movements, political violence, and religious revival. Students expand their research skills in anthropology through field assignments in Bodh Gaya. Prerequisites:

    Acceptance in the Carleton OCS Buddhist Studies in India program.

     IS, International Studies, No Exploration; offered Fall 2025 · Arthur McKeown

  • SOAN 326: Ecology and Anthropology Tanzania Program: Cultural Anthropology of East Africa

    The course introduces students to East Africa–its geography, people groups, and their cultures. The focus will be on the peoples of Tanzania and their linguistic groupings. We shall look at what scholars and the citizens themselves say about their origins, social, economic, ecological, and modern conditions. The course explores the history, social structure, politics, livelihood and ecology, gender issues, and the changes taking place among the Maasai, Arusha, Meru, Chagga, and Hadzabe cultural groups. Homestays, guest speakers, and excursions in northern Tanzania offer students and instructors enviable interactions with these groups and insights into their culture and socio-ecology. Students are required to have taken one Anthropology, Biology or Environmental Studies course or have instructor permission.

     Prerequisites:

    Acceptance in the Carleton OCS Ecology and Anthropology in Tanzania program.

     IS, International Studies, No Exploration; offered Fall 2025 · Anna Estes

  • SOAN 330: Sociological Thought and Theory

    Many thinkers have contributed to the development of sociology as an intellectual discipline and mode of social inquiry; however, few have had the influence of Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Max Weber. This course focuses on influential texts and ideas generated by these and other theorists from sociology’s “classical era,” how these texts and ideas are put to use by contemporary sociologists, and on more recent theoretical developments and critical perspectives that have influenced the field.

    Recommended Preparation: The department strongly recommends that Sociology/Anthropology 110 or 111 be taken prior to enrolling in courses numbered 200 or above.

     6 credits; SI, Social Inquiry, WR2 Writing Requirement 2; offered Fall 2025 · Wes Markofski

  • SOAN 396: Advanced Sociological and Anthropological Writing

    This course explores different genres of writing and different audiences for writing in the social sciences, focusing particular attention on scholarly articles published in professional journals in sociology and anthropology. To that end, students both analyze sociological and anthropological articles regarding commonalities and differences in academic writing in our two sister disciplines. Students work on their own academic writing process (with the help of peer-review and instructor feedback). The writing itself is broken down into component elements on which students practice and revise their work. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     6 credits; S/CR/NC; SI, Social Inquiry, WR2 Writing Requirement 2; offered Fall 2025 · Liz Raleigh

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams

Winter 2026term list

  • SOAN 110: Introduction to Anthropology

    Anthropology is the study of all human beings in all their diversity, an exploration of what it means to be human throughout the globe. This course helps us to see ourselves, and others, from a new perspective. By examining specific analytic concepts—such as culture—and research methods—such as participant observation—we learn how anthropologists seek to understand, document, and explain the stunning variety of human cultures and ways of organizing society. This course encourages you to consider how looking behind cultural assumptions helps anthropologists solve real world dilemmas. 6 credits; IS, International Studies, SI, Social Inquiry, WR2 Writing Requirement 2, CX, Cultural/Literature; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026 · Cheryl Yin, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder

  • SOAN 111: Introduction to Sociology

    Sociology is an intellectual discipline, spanning the gap between the sciences and humanities while often (though not always) involving itself in public policy debates, social reform, and political activism. Sociologists study a startling variety of topics using qualitative and quantitative methods. Still, amidst all this diversity, sociology is centered on a set of core historical theorists (Marx/Weber/Durkheim) and research topics (race/class/gender inequality). We will explore these theoretical and empirical foundations by reading and discussing influential texts and select topics in the study of social inequality while relating them to our own experiences and understanding of the social world. 6 credits; SI, Social Inquiry; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Wes Markofski

  • SOAN 114: Modern Families: An Introduction to the Sociology of the Family

    What makes a family? How has the conception of kinship and the ‘normal’ family changed over the generations? In this introductory class, we examine these questions, drawing on a variety of course materials ranging from classic works in sociology to contemporary blogs on family life. The class focuses on diversity in family life, paying particular attention to the intersection between the family, race and ethnicity, and social class. We’ll examine these issues at the micro and macro level, incorporating texts that focus on individuals’ stories as well as demographics of the family. 6 credits; IDS, Intercultural Domestic Studies, QRE, Quantitative Reasoning, SI, Social Inquiry; offered Winter 2026 · Liz Raleigh

  • SOAN 209: Language, Culture, and Power

    This course introduces linguistic anthropology, the study of language in social contexts. People use language to navigate the world and to make judgments about others. Has anyone ever correctly guessed your background after you used a specific word (pop vs. soda)? Have you ever been teased due to your accent? By surveying cross-cultural research from around the world, we ask: How do linguistic practices contribute to the construction of social identity and social difference? How might perceptions of language create and reinforce social divisions and inequality? Students will also consider ways they may advocate for linguistic social justice. 6 credits; IS, International Studies, SI, Social Inquiry; offered Winter 2026 · Cheryl Yin

  • SOAN 278: Urban Ethnography and the American Experience

    American sociology has a rich tradition of focusing the ethnographic eye on the American experience. We will take advantage of this tradition to encounter urban America through the ethnographic lens, expanding our social vision and investigating the nature of race, place, meaning, interaction, and inequality in the U.S. While doing so, we will also explore the unique benefits, challenges, and underlying assumptions of ethnographic research as a distinctive mode of acquiring and communicating social knowledge. As such, this course offers both an immersion in the American experience and an inquiry into the craft of ethnographic writing and research. The department strongly recommends that Sociology/Anthropology 110 or 111 be taken prior to enrolling in courses numbered 200 or above.

     6 credits; IDS, Intercultural Domestic Studies, SI, Social Inquiry; offered Winter 2026 · Wes Markofski

  • SOAN 283: Immigration, Citizenship, and Belonging in the U.S.

    Immigration has been a defining feature of the United States that is tied to legal and cultural forms of citizenship, and more broadly, to questions of belonging. This course explores these three concepts through multiple aspects of immigration, including the migration experience, immigration policy, community, education, culture, and others, for both immigrants and the children of immigrants. Special attention is given to how differences among immigrants—such as race, gender, class, national origin, and others—matter in all of these areas. These questions and issues are explored through academic readings, popular and public discourse, immigrant voices, and civic engagement in local communities.  

     6 credits; IDS, Intercultural Domestic Studies, SI, Social Inquiry, WR2 Writing Requirement 2; offered Winter 2026 · Daniel Williams

  • SOAN 331: Anthropological Thought and Theory

    Our ways of perceiving and acting in the world emerge simultaneously from learned and shared orientations of long duration, and from specific contexts and contingencies of the moment. This applies to the production of anthropological ideas and of anthropology as an academic discipline. This course examines anthropological theory by placing the observers and the observed in the same comparative historical framework, subject to the ethnographic process and to historical conditions in and out of academe. We seek to understand genealogies of ideas, building on and/or reacting to previous anthropological approaches. We highlight the diversity of voices who thought up these ideas, and have influenced anthropological thought through time. We attend to the intellectual and political context in which anthropologists conducted research, wrote, and published their works, as well as which voices did/did not reach academic audiences. The course thus traces the development of the core issues, central debates, internecine battles, and diversity of anthropological thought and of anthropologists that have animated anthropology since it first emerged as a distinct field of inquiry to present-day efforts at intellectual decolonization. Prerequisites:

    Student must have completed any of the following course(s): SOAN 110 or SOAN 111 AND one 200 or 300 level SOAN course with a grade of C- or better.

     6 credits; IS, International Studies, SI, Social Inquiry, WR2 Writing Requirement 2; offered Winter 2026 · Constanza Ocampo-Raeder

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams

Spring 2026term list

  • SOAN 111: Introduction to Sociology

    Sociology is an intellectual discipline, spanning the gap between the sciences and humanities while often (though not always) involving itself in public policy debates, social reform, and political activism. Sociologists study a startling variety of topics using qualitative and quantitative methods. Still, amidst all this diversity, sociology is centered on a set of core historical theorists (Marx/Weber/Durkheim) and research topics (race/class/gender inequality). We will explore these theoretical and empirical foundations by reading and discussing influential texts and select topics in the study of social inequality while relating them to our own experiences and understanding of the social world. 6 credits; SI, Social Inquiry; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Wes Markofski

  • SOAN 228: Public Sociology of Religion

    This course focuses on special topics in the public sociology of religion.  We will look at the intersection of race, religion, and politics in the U.S.; the intersection of science and religion in Indigenous-led environmental and land back movements; secular and Islamic feminism in Egypt and Indonesia; and democracy, secularism, and religious tolerance in Indonesia, Egypt, and globally.  As we do so, we will examine core theoretical perspectives and empirical developments in the contemporary study and sociology of religion.

    Recommended Preparation: Completion of SOAN 110 or SOAN 111 with a grade of C- or better.

     6 credits; IS, International Studies, SI, Social Inquiry; offered Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski

  • SOAN 233: Anthropology of Food

    Food is the way to a person’s heart but perhaps even more interesting, the window into a society’s soul. Simply speaking understating a society’s foodways is the best way to comprehend the complexity between people, culture and nature. This course explores how anthropologists use food to understand different aspects of human behavior, from food procurement and consumption practices to the politics of nutrition and diets. In doing so we hope to elucidate how food is more than mere sustenance and that often the act of eating is a manifestation of power, resistance, identity, and community. 6 credits; IS, International Studies, SI, Social Inquiry; offered Spring 2026 · Constanza Ocampo-Raeder

  • SOAN 240: Methods of Social Research

    When sociologists and anthropologists conduct their research, how do they know which method to choose? What assumptions guide their decision? What challenges might they encounter? What are their ethical obligations? In this course, we'll explore a diverse range of methods, from in-depth interviews to large-scale surveys and participant observation fieldwork. Students will also learn how to craft feasible research questions, select the right method, collect and analyze data, and communicate research methods effectively. This course is an essential foundation for SOAN majors, equipping students with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in their comps experience.

     Prerequisites:

    First-year students are ineligible to enroll. Student must have completed one 200- or 300-level SOAN course, along with, (i) either SOAN 110 or SOAN 111 with a grade of C- or better, AND (ii) STAT 120 or STAT 250 with a grade of C- or better, or received a score of 4 or better on the Statistics AP exam.

     6 credits; QRE, Quantitative Reasoning, SI, Social Inquiry, WR2 Writing Requirement 2; offered Spring 2026 · Annette Nierobisz

  • SOAN 256: Africa: Representation and Conflict

    Pairing classics in Africanist anthropology with contemporary re-studies, we explore changes in African societies and in the questions anthropologists have posed about them. We address issues of representation and self-presentation in written ethnographies as well as in African portrait photography. We then turn from the visual to the invisible realm of African witchcraft. Initiation rituals, war, and migration place selfhood and belonging back in this-world contexts. In-depth case studies include, among others: the Cameroon Grassfields, the Bemba of Zambia, and the Nuer of South Sudan.

    The department strongly recommends that Sociology/Anthropology 110 or 111 be taken prior to enrolling in courses numbered 200 or above.

     6 credits; IS, International Studies, SI, Social Inquiry, WR2 Writing Requirement 2, CX, Cultural/Literature; offered Spring 2026 · Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg

  • SOAN 312: How Rude: (Im)politeness and (Dis)respect in Language

    Expressions of politeness and impoliteness differ between societies. From smiling at strangers to addressing a woman as “ma’am,” what is polite in one setting can be strange or antagonistic in another. This course focuses on cross-linguistic expressions of (im)politeness and (dis)respect, but also touches upon non-verbal behavior and communication. Older cross-cultural literature has focused on the positive valuations of politeness, deference, and respect in language. By balancing past scholarship with recent works on linguistic impoliteness and disrespect, we’ll explore language’s role in social relations, from creating harmony to sowing conflict. Expected preparation: prior Sociology/Anthropology course or instructor permission is recommended.

     6 credits; IS, International Studies, SI, Social Inquiry; offered Spring 2026 · Cheryl Yin

  • SOAN 327: Greece at a Crossroads: History, Landscape, and Material Culture Program: The Culture of Modern Greece: The Ethnography of a Society in Transition

    This course focuses on the culture(s) of Modern Greece from the 1960s onward, drawing on authors from across the social sciences to identify key realms that make life in Greece distinct. Theories and methods of anthropology will be discussed with special attention to how ethnographies in Greece have changed over the past decades. Students will try on different lenses as they conduct ethnographic research and examine the world through theories of space, ritual, performance, gender, and symbol. This structure will allow students an understanding of contemporary Greek society and a developing awareness of their own cultural conditionings and ethnocentrisms. Prerequisites:

    Acceptance in the Carleton OCS Greece at a Crossroads program.

     6 credits; IS, International Studies, SI, Social Inquiry; offered Spring 2026 · Alex Knodell

  • SOAN 343: Advanced Ethnographic Workshop

    This advanced methods course is designed to have students think about the complexities of ethnographic fieldwork by showcasing a powerful and rigorous mode of inquiry that informs societal questions in unique ways. The main goals are to explore classic ethnographies with an eye towards methods and experience ethnographic research in its entirety: from exploratory observations, into the process of defining cultural hypotheses, to the coding of various kinds of qualitative and quantitative ethnographic evidence. Ethnographic methods explored include: participant observation, semi-structured interviewing techniques, cultural mapping, pile sorting activities, photo-essays, and network analysis. The department strongly recommends that Sociology/Anthropology 110 or 111 be taken prior to enrolling in courses numbered 200 or above.

     6 credits; IS, International Studies, SI, Social Inquiry; offered Spring 2026 · Cheryl Yin

  • SOAN 395: Ethnography of Reproduction

    Using ethnographies, this seminar explores the meanings of reproductive beliefs and practices in comparative perspective, particularly the relation between human and social reproduction. It focuses on (but is not limited to) ethnographic examples from the United States/Canada and from sub-Saharan Africa (societies with relatively low fertility and high utilization of technology and societies with mostly high fertility and low utilization of technology). Topics examined include pregnancy and birth as rites of passage and sites of racialization; abortion; biological vs. social motherhood; maternal morality; stratified reproduction in reproductive technologies and care work; love and sexual economies.

    Expected preparation: Sociology/Anthropology 110 or SOAN 111 or GWSS 110, and an additional SOAN course, or instructor permission.

     6 credits; IS, International Studies, SI, Social Inquiry, WR2 Writing Requirement 2; offered Spring 2026 · Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams

  • SOAN 400: Integrative Exercise

    Senior sociology/anthropology majors fulfill the integrative exercise by writing a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department. Students must enroll in six credits to write the thesis, spread as the student likes over Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. The process begins with the submission of a topic statement in the preceding spring term and concludes with a public presentation in spring of the senior year. Please consult the Sociology and Anthropology website for a full description. Prerequisites:

    Student is a Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) major AND has Senior Priority.

     S/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 · Wes Markofski, Liz Raleigh, Annette Nierobisz, Cheryl Yin, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Constanza Ocampo-Raeder, Daniel Williams