ANTH 4530 - Forensic Anthropology and Human Rights

The discipline of Forensic Anthropology is centered around issues of legal and ethical concern at its very core, and the role of the forensic anthropologist involves assisting in a wide variety of contexts associated with human rights issues.

This course will focus on the field of forensic anthropology and the methods and protocols used by forensic anthropologists as they work on mass burial assemblages, establishing individual identity, as well as such factors as cause, manner of death, and the reconstruction of site formation processes involving human remains. The following section of the course adopts a global perspective to consider a range of cases involving the work of forensic anthropologists and forensic archaeologists in their efforts and involvement in the restoration of justice to individuals and communities that have been victimized through genocidal regimes, war crimes, human rights abuses, as well as natural and anthropogenic mass disaster scenarios. This course satisfies WMU Essential Studies Level III: Connections - Global Perspectives.

Credits: 3 hours

Restrictions: Junior standing