Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Social Inquiry and Analysis

Students completing an associate degree at Portland Community College will be able to apply methods of inquiry and analysis to examine social contexts and the diversity of human thought and experience.

General education philosophy statement

This course is a survey course that provides a broad and general introduction to the sub-field of archaeology. Archaeology focuses on the study of human cultures in the past. In addition to studying the cultures of past societies, archaeological methods can also be used to study historic or even contemporary cultures. The course covers the archeology of societies in Europe, Egypt, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas and examines systems of power in ancient societies and how factors such as colonialism, military conquest, patriarchy or racism impacted these societies. The course also considers the ethical issues of doing archaeological research related to CRM (cultural resource management) and examines social inequalities in ancient state societies from an anthropological perspective.

By taking this course, students will develop critical and analytical skills to analyze artifacts and the fossil record. They will also gain experience in intellectual problem solving by speculating about the rise and fall of past civilizations or by exploring different archaeological concepts, theories and methods. Another important aspect of the course is the study of the history of the domestication of plants and animals. Students will also examine systems of power or ethical issues related to the origin and development of social inequalities in ancient societies, and develop more cultural awareness and appreciation for the diversity of human thought and experience in the past as well as the present.