Anthropology

What is Anthropology?

Anthropology is the study of people. In its most general definition, anthropology is the study of humanity in its broadest possible context in space, time, and topics. Anthropology has a holistic approach, which means looking at all aspects, or the whole. The aim of anthropology is to understand the whole of human existence- both past and present, both as a biological organism and as a cultural creature.

Learn more at This is Anthropology. The site includes information about the discipline, an interactive map of anthropology projects around the world, the skills and careers anthropologists have, and how to become an anthropologist. The site is a project of the American Anthropological Association.

Anthropology at LAVC

At LAVC, a wide variety of courses are offered in Anthropology for both general education credit and for satisfying lower division transfer requirements. All courses are UC and CSU transferable and an AA degree in Anthropology may be earned. For more information, see the College Catalog.

Courses offered:

Anthropology 101: Human Biological Evolution
Anthropology 102: Human Ways of Life: Cultural Anthropology
Anthropology 103: Archaeology: Reconstructing the Human Past
Anthropology 104: Human Language and Communication
Anthropology 111: Laboratory in Human Biological Evolution
Anthropology 116: Primate Lives: Behavior, Evolution, and Culture
Anthropology 121: Anthropology of Magic, Witchcraft and Religion