M.Sc. in ANTHROPOLOGY Semester IV
Compulsory Papers
AHS-541 Human
Body Composition and Kinanthropology
Total: 60
Semester Exam.: 45
Internal Assessment:
15
Objectives: The objective of this paper is to acquaint the students
with patterns of human body composition in relation to evolutionary biology,
biocultural factors, sports, intrinsic and extrinsic factors such as genes,
hormones, the physical and social environment, and mathematics.
SECTION-I
Definition and scope of body
composition; Methods of studying body composition: Surface
anthropometry including Matiegka’s methods; Densitometry, Hydrometry and
Roentgenogrammetry; Body composition of the foetus; Body composition changes
during infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
SECTION-II
Modern techniques of studying
body composition: Gamma Ray spectrophotometry, Computer Axial Tomography (CAT)
scanning, Photon absorptiometry, Bioelectrical impedance, The urinary
creatinine excretion method; Fat patterning in human body; Obesity: Assessment
and Management.
SECTION-III
Kinanthropology: meaning and
scope; Importance of sports in human society; Role of heredity and environment
in body dimensions and proportions; Relationship of different types of sports
efficiency and different body proportions.
SECTION-IV
Ecological, ethnic and genetic
variation of body shape and size in relation to sports efficiency and physical
performance; Somatotype and physiological profile of sportsmen and women.
AHS-542 Energy
Flow and Human Ecological Responsiveness
Total: 60
Semester Exam.: 45
Internal Assessment:
15
Objectives: Ecological
Anthropology concentrates on basic scientific and academic research on the
relationship between human population and ecosystems with an emphasis on the
influence of culture. The paper also facilitates understanding of the
mechanisms of human adaptation to environmental stress.
SECTION-1
Biomes
and Human Populations: Introduction, characteristics and organization of
Biomes, major Biomes of the world.
Ecological
Energetics: Introduction, Energy flow, Measuring Energy use in Human
Populations, Energy flow in human populations, Energy Expenditure, Variations
in Energy Expenditure.
SECTION-II
Nutrient
Cycling in Ecosystems, Human populations and nutrient cycles, Human populations
and the hydrologic cycles, Salt Requirements & Adaptation, Humans and
Protein Requirements
.
SECTION-1II
Malnutrition:
Adaptation to malnutrition, Infectious Disease as a biotic stress, Vector-Borne
Diseases, Diseases passed through Direct Contact. Diseases passed through sanitation route,
Disease passed through intimate contact, Interactions of Infectious Disease,
malnutrition and other stresses.
SECTION-IV
Human Ecology and the Ecology of Humans; Optimization;
Models in Human Ecology.
AHS-543 Human
Epidemiology and Public Health
Total: 60
Semester Exam. : 45
Internal Assessment:
15
Objectives:
Epidemiology and Public Health have
both biological and socio-cultural dimensions and are of much value to
anthropology. This course on these
subjects helps in defining various basic concepts, methods and tools used by epidemiologists
and public health specialists to study the health and dynamics of populations.
SECTION-I
Definition,
scope and methods of epidemiology; Descriptive epidemiology, Analytic
epidemiology; Experimental epidemiology, Measures of health and disease
frequency determinants in populations; Epidemiological study design.
SECTION-II
Concepts, principles, philosophy, purpose, organization,
functions and tools used in public health
care and practice. Basic concepts and theoretical foundations to the
principles of management with an emphasis on public health and health care
settings.
SECTION-III
Planning and evaluation for community health programs,
including proposal development and evaluation; considerations for
community/consumer involvement in planning.
SECTION-IV
Theories of health education and health promotion for
public health professionals; approaches for individual, group, and
community-level behavior change. Preceptor-guided field experience in public
health practice through an association or public health-oriented community
program.
AHS-544 Contemporary
& Indian Anthropology
Total: 60
Semester Exam.: 45
Internal Assessment:
15
Objectives: This course is aimed at providing a holistic
understanding of anthropological theories and its relevance in constructing
empirical realities. Anthropology is a field science. Empirical data that is
generated in the field with the help of designed tools has to be interpreted
with the help of theoretical models. This course equips students to master art
of interpretation and analysis.
Pedagogic Exercise: The
course will have four class room seminars after the completion of each section
of the syllabus. Students will be required to write eight assignments two from
each section of the course.
SECTION-I
Psychological approaches – Ralph
Linton, Kardiner, Cora du Bois.
SECTION-II
Contemporary
Social Theories – Gender theories, Clifford Geertz.
SECTION-III
Contributions of
Indian Anthropologists: S.C. Roy, N.K. Bose, D.N. Majumdar.
SECTION-IV
Contribution of S.C.
Dube, Verrier Elwin.
AHS-545 Data
Analysis and Report Writing
Total: 80
Data analysis, report writing defense through
viva voce.
PROGRAMME OPTIONS
(Students may choose any of the options A or B)
OPTION A-
Biological Anthropology
(Students may
choose any three of the followings papers)
AHS-5446A Dimensions
and Implications of Human Evolution
Total: 40
Semester Exam.: 30
Internal Assessment:
10
Objectives: The course is designed
with a view to enhance the understanding and appreciation of the advanced
concepts of Human Evolution-the fundamentals of which the students have already
studied in the first year. Further, the
course also provides information on diagnostic features, description,
distribution through time and space as well as the phylogenetic status of early
hominids leading to the present day man besides sufficiently equipping the
students with information on Palaeopathological as well as paleodemogarphical
processes involved in interpreting the osteological as well as cultural
remains-the analysis of such data interpreting it in terms of various
demographic variables as well as disease in prehistoric populations.
SECTION-I
Emergence
of Modern Man—Osteological evidences from Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and
Americas, their development, life-ways, dwellings, aesthetic expressions, tool
inventory, migration routes and subsistence patterns, etc.
SECTION-II
Antiquity of man and various view points of Hominid
evolution (Asia versus Africa).
SECTION-III
Demography of
early human population—Palaeopathology-traumatism, malformation and
non-specific osteological variables (i.e. osteoarthritis, spondylitis, rickets,
symmetrical osteoporosis and tumors), dental pathology.
SECTION-IV
Palaeodemography – skeletal analysis and determination of demographic
variable in Prehistoric populations (i.e., migration, fertility, morbidity and
mortality) and post-neolithic population growth.
AHS-547A Forensic
Biology
Total: 40
Semester Exam.: 30
Internal Assessment:
10
Objectives: This course is an introduction to the basic principles
of Applied Physical Anthropology. The main focus of the course is on forensic
anthropology which is an applied field within the larger discipline of
biological anthropology. One of the objectives the
course is to impart to the students
basic knowledge about the analysis, interpretation and use of crime
scene evidence of fingerprints, blood and some body fluids, hair and dentitions
for individualization to solve problems of medico-legal significance.
Additionally, the course also introduces the basic concepts of human
engineering and the application of the techniques of physical anthropology in
industry, medicine, nutrition, and sports
SECTION-I
Dermatoglyphics: Application of Dermatoglyphics in crime
investigation, including personal identification from finger prints. Latent prints: methods of development and
identification; elementary method of classification in Fingerprint Bureau.
SECTION-II
Hair: Morphology of hair, distinction between human and animal hair.
Differentiation
of scalp, body and pubic hair. Age, sex
and population differences, in brief.
SECTION-III
Forensic serology: Nature of human blood; identification of blood
stain and determination of its species and blood group; identification of
seminal stains. Application of blood groups in personal identification and
disputed paternity.
SECTION-IV
Human engineering (Human Factors): Seats, work space and gear (such as
anti-gravity suits, oxygen masks, readymade garments for mass use). Anthropology and medicine, including growth,
nutrition, and sports.
Practical
Total: 20
Semester Exam. : 16
Internal Assessment:
04
Personal identification from
skeletal material.
AHS-548A Enzyme,
Serum proteins and other Genetic Variation
Total: 40
Semester Exam.: 30
Internal Assessment:
10
Objectives: This course aims to impart knowledge regarding various
human genetic markers. Most of the markers that are focused are the various
serum proteins. The course aims to help the student appreciate the genetic
basis, the global distribution and the correlated conditions of health and
disease. Many of these markers have forensic uses and these are focused also.
This course equips the student with the skills to handle various genetic
markers in the human blood and other systems as tools in population genetic research
and forensic work. A corollary skill development will enable the student to
pursue work in areas of allied medical research
SECTION-I
Plasma Proteins: Haptoglobins, Transferrins, Group specific component
and Inheritance and geographical distribution of Hp and Tf variants.
SECTION-II
Immunoglobulins. The Gm and Inv groups.
SECTION-III
Histocompatibility antigen (HLA): History, subtype, inheritance and
linkages, HLA and diseases.
SECTION-IV
Miscellaneous variations: Inheritance and distribution of taste
deficiency for Phenylthiourea, Colour vision abnormalities and Finger and Palm
prints.
AHS-549A Gene Flow
and Quantitative Genetics
Total: 40
Semester Exam.: 30
Internal Assessment:
10
Description:
This course surveys population genetics theory as applied to micro-evolutionary
change in human populations. We will look at the effects of mutation,
selection, mating patterns, recombination, and genetic drift on changes in the
genetic composition of human populations. Initial emphasis is on
mathematical analyses of these relationships at the micro-level. We will then use this knowledge to examine
applications of population genetics theory to human population history and
evolution.
Objectives: The
objectives of this course are to (1) To provide a solid foundation for
understanding the genetic basis of evolution (2) To provide sufficient
historical, intellectual, and mathematical background so that you can evaluate
contemporary research in anthropological genetics (3) To provide with tools,
concepts, and ways of thinking about quantitative problems in biological anthropology
and evolutionary biology.
SECTION I
Genetic Migration and Drift: Types of
migrations and their genetic effects, models to study genetic effect of
migration: one-way model, island model, Estimation of migration rates; how does
migration limit genetic divergence?
Gene
flow, effects of gene flow, genetic clines, racial admixture, calculation of
admixture
SECTION-II
Founder
effect, Isolate breaking (The Wahlund Principal), Random genetic drift,
Effective population size, fluctuations in population size.
SECTION III
Quantitative Genetics: Multifactorial
inheritance, Types of quantitative traits: continuous, meristic and threshold
traits; Phenotypic variation and components of phenotypic variation – Genotypic
and environmental. Estimation of quantitative genetic parameters: genetic kinship,
identical by descent, resemblance between relatives, calculating the number of
polygenes, quantitative trait loci (QTL).
SECTION-IV
Twin study method-concordance rates and analysis of variance approach.
Assumptions underlying the classing twin method.
Concept of heritability, broad-sense and narrow-sense heritability;
Estimates of heritability from twin and family studies; Artificial selection
and realized heritability; Norm of Reaction and Phenotypic plasticity.
Practical
Total: 20
Semester Exam. : 16
Internal Assessment:
04
Collection of bloods and
serum samples, storage of samples of red–cell
Suspensions; Agglutination,
agglutinin titre, A1 A2 B0 and Rh Blood group typing; -ABH-Secretion
Haemotological
techniques: Demonstration of Electrophoresis.
PTC
tasting ability, Colour-vision abnormalities analysis, Exercises on gene and
genotype frequencies in random mating populations, numerical exercises on
estimation of heritability from given data.
Identification
of some common genetic diseases/syndromes and variable expression of genes from
photographs/karyotypes/slides; and mode of inheritance from pedigree data.
OPTION B-
Socio-cultural anthropology
(Students may
choose any three of the followings papers)
AHS-546B Tribal
Anthropology and Peasant Movements
Total: 40
Semester Exam.: 30
Internal Assessment:
10
Objectives: Tribes are an important segment of the Indian society
but they have remained relatively isolated form the mainstream. This course is
intended to acquaint the students of anthropology with the basic attributes of
the different people who constitute the Indian population. The scheduled tribes
present a wide spectrum of economic and cultural development. The objective of
this paper is to familiarize the students to help them develop a comprehensive
knowledge of the tribal communities in India, their problems, the
approaches to their development, the changing scene and the future to equip the
students to tackle the issue.
SECTION-I
The constitutional
safeguards for the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes: Protective,
Developmental, Political, and others.
SECTION-II
Tribal problems and
welfare measures relating to: Forests, shifting cultivation, Land alienation,
Health and sanitation/nutrition, Indebtedness, Bonded labour, Education.
Development programmes during different Five-year Plans. Anthropological
approach to tribal development.
SECTION-III
Tribal movements for-
autonomy, revivalistic/nativistic.
SECTION-IV
Peasant movement in India
– some case studies – Bardoli, Telengana, Tebhaga, Malabar).
Practical
Total: 20
Semester Exam.: 16
Internal Assessment:
04
OBJECTIVES: This course is designed to develop and appreciate the material culture of simpler
societies. This skill is necessary for employment in many organizations like
museums, etc.
- Identification and description of various
implements used by tribals in hunting, fishing, agriculture, fire-making,
habitation and ornaments, means of transport.
- Mapping of various settlements of tribal
peoples in India.
- Developmental schemes and strategies
(Plan/Sub Plan): Large-Scale Agricultural Multipurpose Societies (LAMPS),
Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP), Community Development
Project (CDP), Integrated Rural Development Project (IRDP), Component Plan
for SC, Tribal Youth Self-Employment Scheme (TRYSEM), Reservation for
Women in Panchayati Raj, Role of Voluntary Organizations in Development.
AHS-547B Cultural
Disease and Illness
Total: 40
Semester Exam.: 30
Internal Assessment:
10
Objectives: This paper relates to familiarization of the
students with the socio-cultural dimension of health, illness and health care. India
is a classic example of co-existence of several systems of medicine-medical
pluralism. Through this paper, an attempt has been made to familiarize the
students with globally existing different types of medical systems, both
indigenous and modern, the socio-cultural contexts of the medical systems and
to equip the students in understanding the compatibility of different systems
of medicine and evolving projects blending the traditional complimentary nature
and biomedicine foci.
SECTION-I
Medical Systems:
Medical Systems as Socio-cultural Adaptive Strategies; Disease Theory and
Health Care Systems.
SECTION-II
Traditional and Modern
Systems of Medicine; Strength and Weaknesses of Traditional Systems of
Medicine.
SECTION-III
Ethno-medicine-Terminological
problems; disease etiology causality concepts; Shaman, Witchcraft and other
curers. Ethno-psychiatry-Cultural definition of Normal and Abnormal.
SECTION-IV
Cultural specific
disorders; Cultural Modes of handling mental illness. Tribal Health in India:
Concept of disease and cure. Socio cultural issues: Health, Nutrition and
Demography, Interaction of Traditional and Modern Medical practices with case
studies, Tribal medicine and their Modern Use.
Practical
Total: 20
Semester Exam.: 16
Internal Assessment:
04
·
Planning and evaluation for community health
programmes, including proposal development and evaluation.
·
Preceptor-guided field experience in public
health practice through an association or public health-oriented community
programme.
AHS-548B Anthropology
in Action
Total: 40
Semester Exam.: 30
Internal Assessment:
10
Objectives: This course is aimed at orienting the students
towards an application of the knowledge of anthropology in various
socio-cultural fields. It makes provisions for developing skill to practically
administer/execute projects beneficial to the society, making use of available
technological and human resources. Emphasis is laid on action-oriented programs
to equip the students with the practical work and knowledge. This may help
them, on one hand to earn their livelihood through their own expertise and
skill and, on the other, contribute meaningfully to the welfare and development
of the society.
SECTION-I
Application of
anthropological knowledge in programmes sponsored administered by governmental
and non-governmental agencies.
SECTION-II
Community development;
tribal development; other poverty alleviation programmes.
SECTION-III
Anthropological
approaches in community, health, natural health promotion and disease control
programmes such as population control, nutrition, mother and child health,
health education.
SECTION-IV
Anthropology in relation
to Leprosy, TB, AIDS, etc. Anthropology in education and communication.
Practical
Total: 20
Semester Exam.: 16
Internal Assessment:
04
To evaluate the current situation
of disease like T.B., AIDS and Leprosy and their impact on society using recent
concepts.
AHS-549B Current
Anthropology and Policy
Total: 40
Semester Exam.: 30
Internal Assessment:
10
Objectives: The course is designed to give students insights in
changing perspectives of the subject in the recent past. From classic to
contemporary is a journey that defines the context and future course for any
discipline. The discipline of social and cultural anthropology is continuously
evolving itself. There are fresh issues that confront humanity along with
technological revolutions. Conflict regarded as quintessential to any society
acquires different dimensions with changing lifestyles. Assertion of identity
has remained critical to man’s instinctive survival. It assumes varied
expressions in rapidly transforming social situations.
SECTION-I
Policy Issues:
Nations Boundaries and Mobility
Anthropology of Diaspora Populations
SECTION-II
Anthropology of Traditional Art and Craft
Public Policy and Anthropology
SECTION-III
Some Current
Research Concerns:
HIV/AIDS in anthropological researches
Gender in anthropological researches
SECTION-IV
Human rights issues in the domain of Anthropology
New Social movements (Feminist and Environment movement)
Ethnicity and Identity concerns, Religion and Politics, pluralism and Multi-Culturalism.
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