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Academic Year 2003/2004


Primates and Human Behavior
ANTH 344 FA

This course provides an introduction to primate behavior. Like us, most nonhuman primates live in groups that provide a complex social environment. We explore how social structure and social relationships are affected by competition for resources: how dominance relationships develop, how conflicts are resolved, and how friendships and close bonds are formed. Primates are particularly skilled at manipulating their social environment. In humans, language and certain mental skills particularly enhance such social expertise. For example, the mental ability to see the world from another individual's perspective gives us some insight into how other individuals may behave in different contexts. How well are these and other traits developed in nonhuman primates, such as monkeys and apes, and what can this tell us, if anything, about our own evolutionary origins?

MAJOR READINGS

Goodall, IN THE SHADOW OF MAN Ciochon & Nisbett, THE PRIMATE ANTHOLOGY deWaal, GOODNATURED; THE ORIGINS OF RIGHT AND WRONG IN HUMANS AND OTHER ANIMALS Ridley, THE ORIGINS OF VIRTUE plus some selected readings

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Participation in discussion; three papers; group presentations; no final.

COURSE FORMAT: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS ANTH    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE

SECTION 01

Instructor(s): Scott, Jennifer    
Times: .M.W... 02:40PM-04:00PM;     Location: SCIE109
Reserved Seats:    (Total Limit: 19)
SR. major: 2   Jr. major: 1
SR. non-major: 6   Jr. non-major: 6   SO: 4   FR: 0

Special Attributes:
Curricular Renewal:    Reading Non-Verbal Texts, Writing
Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-19-2004


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