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L.E. Bradley, Chairperson
301 East Hall
(605) 677-5402
Larry.Bradley@usd.edu

Anthropology Program

L. E. Bradley, Program Director
301 East Hall
(605) 677-5402
Larry.Bradley@usd.edu
anthropology@usd.edu
www.usd.edu/anthropology

FACULTY:

Professors:

L. E. Bradley, Archaeology of North America, Upper Paleolithic Europe, Computer Applications
Dona Davis, Medical Anthropology, Gender Studies, North Atlantic Maritime Cultures

Assistant Professor:

Brian Molyneaux, Art and Archaeology, Cultural Resources Management, Archaeological Method and Theory  
Matthew Sayre, Andean Archaeology, Paleoethnobotany, Ecology, Ritual

MAJOR:

Anthropology, B.A., B.S.

MINOR:  

Anthropology
Archaeology

The field of Anthropology deals with human culture and biology, present and past. Cultural Anthropology courses stress an understanding of the traditions which have influenced Western Culture and of the traditions of non-Western cultures in order to develop an understanding of the dynamic and modal nature of the diverse cultures found in the world. Archaeology stresses cultures of the past, known through their preserved material remains. Archaeology courses are oriented toward providing an understanding of culture change over millions of years of human existence. Physical Anthropology explores human biology and how culture and environment interact to influence the form of modern populations. Anthropology courses are structured to provide students with an awareness of the global nature of today’s society and how human society and biology reflects influences from our recent historical and distant prehistoric past. USD offers a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree in Anthropology. For undergraduates, we attempt to provide a general education in the four subfields: archaeology, physical anthropology, anthropological linguistics, and cultural anthropology. The Anthropology program is administratively housed in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology.

SCHOLARSHIPS

• Susan Tuve Award (available to Anthropology majors)

Sociology Program

Jack Niemonen, Program Director
301 East Hall
(605) 677-5402
Jack.Niemonen@usd.edu
sociology@usd.edu
www.usd.edu/sociology

FACULTY:

Professor:

Jack Niemonen, Race Relations, Social Problems, Teaching Sociology

Assistant Professor:

Wenqian (Lucy) Dai, Courtship & Marriage, Research Methods, Social Demography

 MAJOR:

Sociology, B.A., B.S. 

MINOR: 

Sociology

Whether at the micro- or macro-levels, sociologists study the processes whereby social institutions are created, maintained, and transformed. Of special interest is how these institutions reproduce, or challenge, race-, class-, and sex-based inequalities. Sociology is important for understanding controversial issues, such as crime and delinquency, wealth and poverty, family breakup, deindustrialization and disinvestment, unemployment, immigration, racism, sexism, aging, and environmental degradation. As a vocation, sociology encourages students to develop the sociological imagination—in other words, to grasp the significance of the fact that human lives are shaped by historically conditioned forces. The ability to connect the private troubles in personal or immediate milieus to public issues, such as systemic contradictions and structural transformations, requires analytical and critical thinking skills, as well as a high level of methodological sophistication. The intent of the sociological imagination is to transcend the tendency toward voluntaristic nominalism—in other words, the view that societies are little more than the sum of individual actors and their actions. The sociological imagination represents a challenge to those who believe that most problems begin and end at the personal level and become a matter of public concern only when they are seen as a burden. The Sociology Program provides students with the theoretical and methodological tools to guide exploration into these complexities. Undergraduate majors study the theory and methods of sociological research and survey the substantive areas of the discipline. The sociology major is excellent preparation for careers in social work, advocacy, law, public administration, criminal justice, environmental studies, public health, urban planning, and education. The Sociology Program is administratively located in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology.

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