Calcutta University Anthropology Syllabus

Will you please provide me the syllabus of Anthropology of RET exam of University of Calcutta?

[Shaleen]

The University of Calcutta is a public state university located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It was established on 24 January 1857. the University is approved by the University Grants Commission and the National Assessment and Accreditation Council.

University of Calcutta RET Exam Anthropology syllabus

Biological Anthropology

I. Neo-Darwinism, Neutral theory of molecular evolution.

II. Primate evolution and hominid evolution

III. The primate radiations to the hominids; the early hominids: Australopithecus,
intermediate hominids, Pleistocene hominid evolution.

IV. Systematics, taxonomy and classification; species concept, Mayr’s definition of species,
Isolating mechanism between interspecific crosses, speciation.

V. Phylogeny and evolution of man. Recent theories of human
origin

VI. Physical environment – the potential stressors, the nutritional stress, infections, diseases,
modernization and human biological responses.

VII. Extension of Mendelian analysis, twin method of study, family method of study

VIII. DNA and RNA, protein structure, heamoglobin - structure and function,

IX. Linkage and chromosome mapping, sex linkage
X. Mutations: chromosomal, genomic, and genic, gene enzymes

XI. Polymorphism in serological, molecular and immunological markers: genetic variation in
human population with special reference to ABO, Rh, abnormal haemoglobin, PGM.

XII. Basic principles of human growth: definition and concept, growth, maturation and
development, Prenatal growth and development. Methods of growth study: cross
sectional, longitudinal, mixed longitudinal, linked longitudinal - merits and demerits; The
curve of growth - types of growth data - boy's and girl's height curve. Overview of
postnatal growth - Scammon's growth curve, construction of growth norms - distance,
velocity and centiles.

XIII. Dietary habits, energy need of the body, nutritive and calorific value of food, roles of
vitamin and minerals in human nutrition; vitamins and minerals

XIV. The utility of anthropology in studying ethnicity and health, Ethnic factors in health and
disease, ethnic differences in the prevalence of common diseases of complex aetiology:
coronary heart disease (CHD), non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and
hypertension (HT), reproductive health and ethnic differences in the risk factor of the
above disease.

Social Cultural Anthropology

I. Kinship, Marriage, Family, Tribe, Community, Demography and Population, Social
Stratification, Village, Social Movement, Technology, Material Culture, Cultural
Syncretism

II. Anthropology of Religion, b) Linguistic Anthropology, c) Anthropology of Development, d)
Anthropology of Power and Politics e) Economic Anthropology, f) Ecological
Anthropology, g) Psychological Anthropology, h) Symbolic Anthropology, i) Medical
Anthropology j) Cognitive Anthropology, k) Legal Anthropology and l) Visual Anthropology

III. Enlightenment Evolutionism, Diffusionism, Historical-particularism, Cultural relativism,
Functionalism, Structural-functionalism. Culture and personality, Neo-evolutionism,
Materialism, Cultural Ecology, Interpretative Approach, Manchester School, Symbolism,
Structuralism, Reflexivity.

IV. Positivism and Logical positivism, Rationalism and Empiricism, Realism and Nominalism,
Idealism, Dialectics, Pragmatism, Hermeneutics, Phenomenology and brief introduction
to other philosophical thoughts (e.g. Neo-Platonism, Skepticism, Dualism, Utilitarianism,
Essentialism and Constructivism, Reductionism, anti-foundationalism, etc.).

V. Conflict theory, Liberal feminism, Analytical Feminism, Radical Feminism, Socialist
Feminism, Critical theory

VI. Post-Positivism, Post-structuralism, Postmodernism, Post-colonialism.

VII. Principal Aspects and Approaches: a) Anthropology of Religion, b) Linguistic
Anthropology, c) Anthropology of Development, d) Anthropology of Power e) Economic
Anthropology, f) Ecological Anthropology, g) Psychological Anthropology, h) Symbolic
Anthropology, i) Medical Anthropology j) Cognitive Anthropology, k) Legal Anthropology

Palaeoanthropology-Prehistoric Archaeology

I. Theoretical development of archaeological thought in global perspective and its position
in Anthropology; relation with other discipline like History palaeoanthropology etc.

II. Classification of the nomenclature- Archaeology, prehistory, palaeoanthropology,
archaeological Anthropology. Ideas on Ethno archaeology, Experimental archaeology,
environmental Archaeology, settlement archaeology, Archaeobotany, zoo Archaeology,
Salvage Archaeology, Action Archaeology, Primate ethology, Underwater Archaeology,
Geoarchaeology.

III. Methods and techniques in Archaeology, justification of Geo-Archaeology as a method.
Field Survey; study of Toposheet and geological maps

IV. Methods of Archaeological exploration; pre exploration activities, Intensive and extensive
exploration, general idea about survey methods, mapping of archaeological sites

V. Excavation: Pre excavation activities, actual method of digging and its application in
different types of sites, recording and analysis of excavated materials in terms of time
and space, interpretation and publication of report.

VI. Concept of chronology in Archaeology: Datable materials, basic principles, advantages
and disadvantages, application and recent developments of different dating methods in
Archaeology.

VII. Geoarchaeology: Basic principles of Stratigraphy, Historical geology, Ideas and
relevance about the litho logical, floral and faunal evidences of Stratigraphic section.

VIII. Palaeoenvironment: Study of glacial, Periglacial, tropical geomorphology and geological
evidences with special reference to Neogene and Quaternary environment.

Research Methodology

I. Types of Research, Methodology, Methods, Research Design, Data, Writing Research,
etc.

II. Methods, Design & Analysis : Scientific techniques for collecting and analyzing data
including research paradigms, measurement, design, etc, The understanding of empirical
techniques, Emphasis on theory and application of survey research, including sampling,
measurement, scaling, questionnaire construction, validity and reliability, data reduction
and analysis.

III. Basic statistical methods and concepts in Anthropology. Topics include: nonparametric
statistics, frequency distributions, probability theory, random variables and probability
distributions, sample statistics and sampling distributions, estimation, and inference;
Methods for descriptive statistics and the theoretical foundations of inference, Statistical
techniques and applications of inferential statistics.

Contact address

University Of Calcutta
International University
Senate House, 87/1, College Street, Kolkata, West Bengal 700073