THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE
FACULTY SENATE
Senate Document Number 6808S
Date of Senate Approval 04/24/08
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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:
APC Document 60: Change description of ANTH / SOC 225;
Change description of SOC 335;
Change description of ANTH 336;
Delete SOC 336;
Change description of ANTH / SOC 455;
Change description of ANTH / SOC 465
Effective Date: Fall 2008
1a. Delete: On page 234, the description for ANTH 225:
225 Social and Cultural Inquiry (SOC 225) (3)
Explores a variety of frameworks for understanding human societies and social experience. Students learn classical and contemporary approaches to analyzing and interpreting the worlds around them, integrating both theoretical and methodological concerns. The emphasis is on developing questions and hypotheses, using methodologies, gathering data, interpreting information, crafting explanations, and building theory. Prerequisite: ANTH 100 or SOC 100. Fall and Spring.
Add: On page 234, in place of deleted entry:
225 Social and Cultural Inquiry (SOC 225) (3)
Explores a variety of theoretical frameworks for understanding human societies and social experience. Students learn classical and contemporary approaches to analyzing and interpreting the worlds around them, as well as how to combine theoretical perspectives with various methodological approaches common to Sociology and Anthropology. Prerequisite: ANTH 100 or SOC 100. Fall and Spring.
1b. Delete: On page 237, the description for SOC 225:
225 Social and Cultural Inquiry (ANTH 225) (3)
Explores a variety of frameworks for understanding human societies and social experience. Students learn classical and contemporary approaches to analyzing and interpreting the worlds around them, integrating both theoretical and methodological concerns. The emphasis is on developing questions and hypotheses, using methodologies, gathering data, interpreting information, crafting explanations, and building theory. Prerequisite: ANTH 100 or SOC 100. Fall and Spring.
Add: On page 237, in place of deleted entry:
225 Social and Cultural Inquiry (ANTH 225) (3)
Explores a variety of theoretical frameworks for understanding human societies and social experience. Students learn classical and contemporary approaches to analyzing and interpreting the worlds around them, as well as how to combine theoretical perspectives with various methodological approaches common to Sociology and Anthropology. Prerequisite: ANTH 100 or SOC 100. Fall and Spring.
Impact: There is no impact. ANTH/SOC 225 remains an important course in the curriculum.
Rationale:
Starting Fall 2008, the department will offer three methods courses, and students can choose between quantitative and qualitative methods as well as ethnographic methods. Thus, there is no need to overload ANTH/SOC 225 with methods. Instead, the modified 225 will introduce students to methods and prepare them adequately for the decision as to which methods course to choose. This new description represents a shift away from including the substantial methodological knowledge that is in the current ANTH/SOC 225.
2. Delete: On page 238, the entry for SOC 335:
335 Survey and Social Research Methods (3)
Examines social worlds with an emphasis on hypothesis-driven research. Course offers hands-on lessons in developing and conducting survey research, qualitative interviewing and content analysis. The course will focus on developing the skills necessary to read and interpret statistical studies, as well as to designing and implementing research. All students conduct a research project. Prerequisite: SOC 225. Fall and Spring.
Add: On page 238, in place of deleted entry:
335 Survey and Social Research Methods (3)
Examines social worlds with an emphasis on hypothesis-driven research. Course offers hands-on lessons in developing and conducting survey research, qualitative interviewing and content analysis. The course develops skills necessary to read and interpret statistical studies, and design and implement research. All students conduct a research project that serves as the proposal for their senior thesis. Prerequisite: ANTH 225 or SOC 225. Spring.
Impact:
Students must now conduct a research project in the course to prepare them for their senior thesis. Previously, SOC 335 was offered both Fall and Spring. Offering it Spring only will separate it more clearly from ANTH 336, Ethnographic Methods, which is offered Fall only. Separating our methods courses more clearly into Sociology (335 and 337, both Spring) and Anthropology (336, Fall), will require students to think earlier (than under the current curriculum) about their final project to be completed in 455.
Rationale:
Requiring a research project in the 300-level methods courses gives students a head start in ANTH/SOC 455, the senior thesis course. Even though students will finish their project in ANTH/SOC 455, each methods course will focus more widely and extensively on a particular methodological approach.
3. Delete: On page 234, the course description for ANTH 336:
336 Ethnographic Methods (SOC 336)(3)
Understands social experiences through grounded-theory research. Course offers hands-on lessons in gathering, analyzing and interpreting ethnographic data. Topics include participant-observation, interviewing, mapping, content analysis, taking and interpreting field notes, and writing. All students conduct a field project. Prerequisite: ANTH 225. Fall.
Add: On page 234, in place of deleted entry:
336 Ethnographic Methods (3)
Understanding social experiences through grounded-theory research. Course offers hands-on lessons in gathering, analyzing and interpreting ethnographic data. Topics include participant-observation, interviewing, mapping, content analysis, taking and interpreting field notes, and writing. Students will write an ethnography that serves as the proposal for their senior thesis. Prerequisite: ANTH 225 or SOC 225. Fall.
Impact:
The three methods courses offered by the department will no longer be cross-listed. Students interested in pursuing sociological methods will choose between SOC 335 and SOC 337, whereas students with an interest in anthropological methods will take ANTH 336.
Rationale:
The listing was confusing. We now have three clearly defined methods courses. Cross-listing ANTH 336 as SOC 336 sends the wrong signal, giving the impression that this course includes the learning of sociological methods. Removing the cross-listing eliminates the confusion.
4. Delete: On page 238, the entry for SOC 336:
336 Ethnographic Methods (ANTH 336) (3)
Understands social experiences through grounded-theory research. Course offers hands-on lessons in gathering, analyzing and interpreting ethnographic data. Topics include participant-observation, interviewing, mapping, content analysis, taking and interpreting field notes, and writing. All students conduct a field project. Prerequisite: ANTH 225. Fall.
Impact: None. The course will still be offered, but only with an ANTH prefix.
Rationale: The cross-listing is being removed, so SOC 336 can be removed from the catalog.
5a. Delete: On page 235, the course description for ANTH 455:
455 Senior Thesis Seminar (SOC 455) (3)
First of two courses in the senior capstone experience. Choosing from a variety of sociological and anthropological approaches, students plan and begin to carry out theoretically grounded and methodologically sophisticated individual research projects. Student course work culminates with a research statement that includes a well-articulated research question and a set of research strategies appropriate to their topic that will allow them to complete their thesis during the Senior Symposium. These research statements are presented in both written and oral form. Prerequisite: SOC 310; SOC 335 or ANTH 336. Fall and Spring.
Add: On page 235, in place of deleted entry:
455 Senior Thesis Seminar (SOC 455) (3)
Students will continue the ethnographies or other social research projects for the senior thesis begun in their methods course. Students will discover analytical concepts emerging from their own data, culminating in a final report that is presented orally and in writing. Prerequisite: ANTH 336 or SOC 335 or 337. Fall and Spring.
5b. Delete: On page 240, the description for SOC 455:
455 Senior Thesis Seminar (ANTH 455) (3)
First of two courses in the senior capstone experience. Choosing from a variety of sociological and anthropological approaches, students plan and begin to carry out theoretically grounded and methodologically sophisticated individual research projects. Student course work culminates with a research statement that includes a well-articulated research question and a set of research strategies appropriate to their topic that will allow them to complete their thesis during the Senior Symposium. These research statements are presented in both written and oral form. Prerequisite: SOC 310; SOC 335 or ANTH 336. Fall and Spring.
Add: On page 240, in place of deleted entry:
455 Senior Thesis Seminar (ANTH 455) (3)
Students will continue the ethnographies or other social research projects for the senior thesis begun in their methods course. Students will discover analytical concepts emerging from their own data, culminating in a final report that is presented orally and in writing. Prerequisite: ANTH 336 or SOC 335 or 337. Fall and Spring.
Impact:
Students will finalize the work begun in one of the 300-level methods courses to complete competency in ANTH/SOC 455.
Rationale:
ANTH/SOC 455 will now be the only course serving as the senior demonstration of competency. Previously, both 455 and 465 were required. This contributed to students’ difficulty in designing their senior projects in a timely manner. Sociology and Anthropology senior projects are now also more clearly separated from one another, which clearly helps faculty teaching ANTH/SOC 465.
6a. Delete: On page 235, the course description for ANTH 465:
465 Senior Symposium (SOC 465) (3)
Final course in the senior capstone experience. This course involves two components. First, students will continue data collection and analysis, completing the Senior Thesis, and making a public presentation of their findings. The second component involves an examination of contemporary topics in the fields, focusing on theoretical and methodological concerns and an examination of the disciplines in the contemporary world. Selected topics will be varied and current. Prerequisite: ANTH 455. Fall and Spring.
Add: On page 235, in place of deleted entry:
465 Senior Symposium (SOC 465) (3)
This course examines contemporary topics in the fields of Anthropology and Sociology, focusing on theoretical and methodological concerns and examination of the disciplines in the contemporary world. Intersectionalities of, and distinctions between Anthropology and Sociology, qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and theoretical perspectives will also be explored. Prerequisite: ANTH 455 or SOC 455. Fall and Spring.
6b. Delete: On page 240, the description for SOC 465:
465 Senior Symposium (ANTH 465) (3)
Final course in the senior capstone experience. This course involves two components. First, students will continue data collection and analysis, completing the Senior Thesis, and making a public presentation of their findings. The second component involves an examination of contemporary topics in the fields, focusing on theoretical and methodological concerns and an examination of the disciplines in the contemporary world. Selected topics will be varied and current. Prerequisite: SOC 455. Fall and Spring.
Add: On page 240, in place of deleted entry:
465 Senior Symposium (ANTH 465) (3)
This course examines contemporary topics in the fields of Anthropology and Sociology, focusing on theoretical and methodological concerns and examination of the disciplines in the contemporary world. Intersectionalities of, and distinctions between Anthropology and Sociology, qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and theoretical perspectives will also be explored. Prerequisite: ANTH 455 or SOC 455. Fall and Spring.
Impact: ANTH/SOC 465 is no longer part of the two-course sequence in which students have to demonstrate senior competency.
Rationale: ANTH/SOC 465 is now a course that allows students to put their senior competency project in perspective. Therefore, instead of finishing their project in 465, students can now reflect upon their work together with other students.