ANTH 3354 – Anthropology of Hunting

Spring 2026

As the instructor for this course, I reserve the right to adjust this schedule in any way that serves the educational needs of the students enrolled in this course.

Instructor Information

Instructor Name

Adam Johnson, PhD

Office Location

University Hall 439

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Office Phone Number

817-272-2661

Email Address

Adam.johnson2@uta.edu

Faculty Profile

Dr. Adam P. Johnson Faculty Profile

Office Hours

Tuesday and Wednesday 1-3

Communication Guidelines

My preferred communication method is: Canvas Inbox

I will respond to emails and voice messages within 24 hours or the following business day.

Course Information

Section Information

ANTH 3354.001

Course Delivery Method

This course is designated ON-CAMPUS, which means we will have scheduled meetings on campus on the designated days: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11am-12:20pm in SH 330.

For a full definition of the course modalities, please visit the Course Modalities page.

Time and Place of Class Meetings

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11am-12:20pm in SH 330

Time Zone

This course operates on Central Time. All times listed for class meeting times, exams, and assignment deadlines are in Central Time.

Description of Course Content

This course explores the deep entanglements between humans and animals through the lens of hunting, tracing practices and ideologies from prehistoric subsistence to contemporary sport and conservation. Students will be introduced to core anthropological theories and methods, with a focus on how cultures conceptualize animals and the act of hunting. We will examine Western traditions of hunting and human-animal relations, then move into cross-cultural perspectives through close readings of two ethnographies.

Topics include:

Human evolutionary history and the role of hunting in shaping societies
Hunter-gatherer subsistence strategies and ecological knowledge
The cultural politics of meat, diet, and domestication
The ethics and economics of modern hunting practices
Conservation and extinction
Animism, relational ontologies, and non-Western views of animals

Throughout the course, students will critically reflect on how hunting connects and disconnects humans from nature, how cultural frameworks shape our treatment of animals, and how various societies attend to the more-than-human world. The course is especially relevant to students interested in environmental studies, sustainability, and the environmental anthropology.

Prerequisites

None

Student Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Analyze human-animal relationships through anthropological theory.
Evaluate the cultural, ecological, and ethical dimensions of hunting.
Compare Western and non-Western perspectives on hunting and animals.
Interpret the role of hunting in human evolutionary and economic history.
Reflect on their own cultural assumptions about animals and nature.

Textbooks and Other Course Materials

Required Textbooks and Materials
All materials will be available to students on Canvas at no cost.

These texts are available digitally at no cost through the UTA Library.

Descriptions of major assignments and examinations

In-Class Activities – 20% TOTAL

Throughout the semester, you will complete in-class activities associated with the material we are covering or specific anthropological methods. These activities will vary. These can happen in class without prior notice and will be used to sample attendance in lieu of collecting daily attendance.

Reading Reactions – 30% TOTAL

Each student will write three reaction statements throughout the semester. These must be two pages double-spaced, excluding headings and citations. You will complete one reading reaction per course unit (outlined in the course schedule). You can select which week each unit that you would like to write on.

The statements should focus on themes and points of interest to the student and MUST synthesize ideas in the readings and connect them to other material (e.g., lectures, other readings) we have covered in class.

They should NOT dwell in abstraction and personal experiences, and do NOT simply summarize.

Exams – 20% Total

You will complete two exams during the course of the semester.

Project: Multispecies Ethnography Project – 30% TOTAL

Part 1: Observation Protocol & Field Site Mapping
- Spatial sketch or digital map of the observation area (feeding sites, cat pathways, human activity zones).
- Observation variables: time, duration, cat ID features (if possible), behaviors, environmental context, and human presence.
- Submit: A completed observation protocol form + 1-page site description.
Part 2: Systematic Observation Log
- Submit: Completed observation logs for at least two observation sessions (each 30 minutes).
Part 3: Ethological Data Sheet & Behavior Coding
- Definition of behavioral categories (e.g., grooming, resting, feeding, aggression, affiliative contact).
- Submit: Ethological data sheet
Part 4: Interview Protocol & Ethics Check
- Submit: CITI certificate
Part 5: Participant Observation Notes
- Thick description of encounters with humans and cats.
- Attention to multisensory details (sounds, smells, movements).
- Reflexive commentary on positionality.
- Submit: 2–3 pages of single–spaced typed fieldnotes.
Part 6: Interview Summary Sheets
- Submit: One interview transcript
Part 7: Research Question
- Submit: Research question
Part 8: Final Report
- Submit: Final report

Expectations for Out-of-Class Study

Beyond the time required to attend each class meeting, students enrolled in this 3 credit-hour course should expect to spend at least an additional 5-7 hours per week of their own time in course-related activities, including reading required materials, completing assignments, preparing for exams, etc.

Technology Requirements

You will need access to a computer to complete assignments/projects outside of class. You should come to class with materials with which to take notes.

Visit the UTA Libraries Technology page for a list of items that can be checked out or used at the library.

Recording of Classroom and Online Lectures

Faculty maintain the academic right to determine whether students are permitted to record classroom and online lectures. Recordings of classroom lectures, if permitted by the instructor or pursuant to an ADA accommodation, may only be used for academic purposes related to the specific course. They may not be used for commercial purposes or shared with non-course participants except in connection with a legal proceeding.

As the instructor of this course, I elect to prohibit recording of classroom.

Other Requirements

Grading Information

Your grade will be determined based on the following breakdown:

Reading Reactions – 30% TOTAL
Project – 30% TOTAL
In-Class Activities – 20% TOTAL
Exams – 25% TOTAL

Graded Assignments & Values

Students are expected to keep track of their performance throughout the semester, which Canvas facilitates and seek guidance from available sources (including the instructor) if their performance drops below satisfactory levels; see “Student Support Services” below.

Final Grade Calculation

Range (pts or %)	Letter Grade
90-100	A
80-89.9	B
70-79.9	C
60-69.9	D
0-59.9	F

Make-Up Exams & Late Work Policy

Missed work can be submitted late. Late work will lose 10% of the earned grade per late day. This means, if the assignment is one day late, the most it can earn is a 90%. Two days late, 80%, etc.

Extra Credit Policy

I will not be offering extra credit in this course.

Grades & Feedback Timeline

My goal is to have submitted assignments graded within one week of their due date.

Grade Grievances

If you think you were graded incorrectly, please reach out to me through Canvas Inbox, and I will look back at your submission. Instructors sometimes make mistakes when entering grades.

Any formal appeal of a grade in this course must follow the procedures and deadlines for grade-related grievances as published in the current University Catalog Grades and Grading Policies.

University & Course Policies

UTA students are encouraged to review the institutional policies and informational sections below and reach out to the specific office with any questions. To view this institutional information, please visit the Institutional Information page (https://resources.uta.edu/provost/course-related-info/institutional-policies.php), which includes the following policies, among others:

Drop Policy
Disability Accommodations
Title IX Policy
Academic Integrity
Student Feedback Survey
Final Exam Schedule

Attendance

Attending class sessions is a critical predictor and indicator of student success. The University of Texas at Arlington does not recognize a single attendance policy but encourages faculty to establish class-specific policies on attendance. As the instructor of this section, I do not track attendance directly. Instead, periodic in-class activities are only available to those students in attendance.

Additionally, since in-class activities and one of the course projects are team-based, failure to attend and contribute to your team will result in missed credit for your team project.

The U.S. Department of Education requires that UT Arlington have a mechanism in place to verify Federal Student Aid recipients’ attendance in courses. UT Arlington instructors are expected to report the last date of attendance when submitting students’ final course grades; specifically, when a student earns a course grade of F, instructors must report the last date a student attended their class. For on-campus classes, last date of attendance can be based on attendance rosters or on academic engagements—a test, participation in a class project or presentation, or Canvas-based activity. Online or distance education courses require regular and substantive online interaction and participation. Students must participate in online course activities in Canvas to demonstrate attendance; logging into an online class is not sufficient by itself to demonstrate attendance. The last date of attendance is reported to the U.S. Department of Education for federal financial aid recipients.

Generative AI Use in This Course

The use of Generative AI (GenAI) in course assignments and assessments must align with the guidelines established by the instructor. Unauthorized use of GenAI could result in breaches of academic integrity. Instructors bear the responsibility of clearly delineating the permissible uses of GenAI in their courses, underscoring the importance of responsible and ethical application of these tools.

The UTA Office of Community Standards articulates the university’s stance on academic integrity and scholastic dishonesty. These standards extend to the use of GenAI. Unauthorized or unapproved use of GenAI in academic work falls within the scope of these policies and will be subject to the same disciplinary procedures.

As the instructor of this course, I have adopted the following policy on Student use of GenAI: Restricted Use of GenAI

Generative AI can be used for copy-editing assignments and brainstorming ideas (although you have your team members for that). Note that writing with generative AI can sound good, to experts, it is often nonsense. The writing is vague and, of course, does not know the materials covered in the readings and lectures. It is also notorious for hallucinating academic references or misquoting material.

Use of AI to generate ideas (as opposed to brainstorming or copy-editing) will result in a severe reduction in the (un)earned grade.

Academic & Wellness Resources

Academic Success Center

The Academic Success Center (ASC) includes a variety of resources and services to help you maximize your learning and succeed as a student at the University of Texas at Arlington. ASC services include supplemental instruction, peer-led team learning, tutoring, mentoring, and TRIO SSS. Academic Success Center services are provided at no additional cost to UTA students. For additional information visit: Academic Success Center (https://www.uta.edu/student-success/course-assistance). To request disability accommodations for tutoring, please complete this tutoring request form (https://www.uta.edu/student-success/course-assistance/tutoring/request).

The English Writing Center (411LIBR)

The Writing Center offers FREE tutoring in 15-, 30-, 45-, and 60-minute face-to-face and online sessions to all UTA students on any phase of their UTA coursework. Register and make appointments online at the Writing Center (https://uta.mywconline.com). Classroom visits, workshops, and specialized services for graduate students and faculty are also available. Please see Writing Center: OWL (http://www.uta.edu/owl) for detailed information on all our programs and services.

Academic Plaza

The Library’s 2^nd floor Academic Plaza (http://library.uta.edu/academic-plaza) offers students a central hub of support services, including IDEAS Center, University Advising Services, Transfer UTA and various college/school advising hours. Services are available during the library’s hours (https://library.uta.edu/hours) of operation.

UTA CARE Team

UT Arlington is committed to the safety, success, and well-being of our students. To support our community, UTA has created a CARE Team, which is a dedicated group of campus professionals responsible for helping students who could benefit from academic, emotional, or psychological support, as well as those presenting risk to the health or safety of the community. If you know of someone experiencing challenges, appearing distressed, needing resources, or causing a significant disruption to the UTA community, please submit a CARE Referral by visiting the Behavior Intervention Team (https://www.uta.edu/student-affairs/dos/behavior-it) page. You may also submit a referral for yourself if you would like additional support.

NOTE: If a person’s behavior poses an immediate threat to you or someone else, contact UTA Police at 817-272-3303 or dial 911. If you or someone you know needs to speak with a crisis counselor, please reach out to the MAVS TALK 24-hour Crisis Line (https://www.uta.edu/student-affairs/caps/crisis)at 817-272-8255 or the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (https://988lifeline.org/) at 988.

Student Services

Everything you need to make the most of your time as a student (and beyond) is all on campus. Below are a few resources to get you started.

Librarian to Contact

Each academic unit has access to Librarians by Academic Subject (https://libraries.uta.edu/research/librarians) that can assist students with research projects, tutorials on plagiarism, and citation references, as well as support with databases and course reserves.

Safety Information & Resources

Emergency Exit Procedures

Should we experience an emergency event that requires evacuation of the building, students should exit the room and move toward the nearest exit. When exiting the building during an emergency, do not take an elevator but use the stairwells instead. Faculty members and instructional staff will assist students in selecting the safest route for evacuation and will make arrangements to assist individuals with disabilities.

MavAlert System

The MavAlert system sends information to cell phones or email accounts of subscribed users in case of an emergency. Anyone can subscribe to MavAlerts at Emergency Communication System (https://www.uta.edu/uta/emergency.php).

Emergency Phone Numbers

In case of an on-campus emergency, call the UT Arlington Police Department at 817-272-3003 (non-campus phone), 2-3003 (campus phone). You may also dial 911. Non-emergency number 817-272-3381

Course Schedule

Course Weeks	Theme	Topics	Assignments	Materials	Notes
Thinking about Animals
1	Introducing the Course	Overview of anthropology, hunting, and multispecies ethnography.		Hartigan: Knowing Animals
2	On the Animal	Philosophical and anthropological approaches to “the animal.”		Ingold: Introduction to What is an Animal?Noske: Deconstructing the Animal Image: Toward an Anthropology of Animals
3	Categorizing Animals	Ethnographic examples of how cultures classify animals.		Bulmer: Why is the Cassowary not a Bird? A problem of Zoological Taxonomy Among the Karam of the New Guinea HighlandsDouglas: Animals in Lele Religious Symbolism
Hunting in Human Evolution
4	Humans and Animals in Early Hominin Evolution	Humans the hunted, intrabone resources	Observation LogReading Reaction 1	Pobiner: The Zooarchaeology and Paleoecology of Early Hominin ScavengingThompson et al.: Origins of the Human Predatory Pattern
5	Creating the Human Niche	Scavenging to hunting, humans and megafauna		Thompson et al.: The emergence and intensification of Early Hunter-Gatherer Niche ConstructionO’Driscoll et al.: The origins and early elaboration of projectile technology
6	Domestication and Transitions	From hunting to herding and farming.	Ethological Data Sheet	Zeder: Archaeological Approaches to Documenting Animal DomesticationHodder: Human-thing Entanglement
7	Hunting with Other Animals	Dogs, birds of prey, and cooperative hunting.	Exam 1	Perri et al.: Dog Domestication and the Dual Dispersal of People and Dogs into the AmericasSoma: Eagle Hunters in Action
Ethnological Examples
8	Indigenous North America	Subsistence hunting, spiritual relationships with animals.	IRB CertificateReading Reaction 2	Watts: Indigenous Place-thought and Agency Amongst Humans and Non-humansNadasdy: The Gift of the Animal
9	Amazonian and South American Hunting	Animism, perspectivism, and forest ecology.		Fausto: Feasting on People Cepek: The Forest
10	African Hunting Traditions	Hunter-gatherers, tracking, and energy expenditure	Participant Observation Fieldnotes	McCaskie: People and AnimalsPontzer et al: Energy Expenditure and Activity Among Hadza Hunter-Gatherers
11	Southeast Asia	Fishing-hunting hybrids, and ritual hunting.		Hitchcock: Characteristics of Hunter-gatherers in AsiaPuri: Penan and Kenyah Hunting Techniques in the Lurah River Area
12	Australia and Oceania	Fishing, ethnoarchaeology, and gendered labor	Interview Summary Sheets	Kirch and Dye: Ethnoarchaeology and the Development of Polynesian Fishing StrategiesBliege Bird and Bird: Why Women Hunt
The New Age of Hunting
13	Postindustrial Hunting	Sport hunting, hunting as heritage, animal commodities	Research QuestionReading Reaction 3	Collard and Dempsey: Life for SaleMbaiwa and Hambira: Can the Subaltern Speak?
14	Conservation and National Parks	Ecotourism, camera hunting, and wildlife management.		Knight: Making Wildlife ViewableMedley: Selfie Safaris
15	Rethinking Hunting		Final Research Report
Final Exam			Exam 2