For those students who enjoy shows like “CSI,” “Criminal Minds” or “Bones” and need anthropology or general studies credits, ANT 255–Murder, Mayhem and Madness might be right up their shadowy alley. This class takes them on an exploration of humanity’s darkest behaviors while analyzing crimes through cultural, historical and psychological perspectives.
The class, designed for students enrolled in the Social Science Forensic minor, appeals to those who may not be enrolled in “hard science” majors but are considering career paths that involve crime scene work, death investigations and other forensic areas.
Sharon Moses, professor in the Department of Anthropology and creator of the class, said ANT 255 has become so popular that a percentage of seats must be reserved each semester for students enrolled in the minor to ensure they can get in.
“The class is a psychological anthropology perspective about crime scenes and analysis,” Moses said. “I think the first semester the Social Science Forensic minor and ANT 255 were offered was in 2017, and I had about 50 students enrolled in the minor. By the second semester of the same academic year, that number had almost doubled, and it has since exponentially gotten bigger, increasing the cap size of the class over time.”
The details of crimes covered in the class can be gruesome at times, so students interested in enrolling need to know their limitations and be ready to take it all in with a critical mind.
“We analyze different historical periods in which crimes take place as well as the people who commit those crimes,” Moses said. “We go over the context of a historical era and what it does to their perspective, how they think of themselves and their victims. We also look at how the cultural structure aids in the commission of crimes, since perpetrators take advantage of certain social expectations that we don’t have or that are completely different today.”
The class incorporates some forensic psychology viewpoints, exploring cases where an individual might be diagnosed with a psychological disorder that affects their behavior. But at its heart, the class is anthropological, emphasizing how social, cultural and ideological values shape individuals.
“It’s a little different than forensic psychology because it looks at ways people express themselves in criminal or deviant ways, influenced by external factors,” Moses said. “We look at case studies of serial killers, mass shootings, spree killers and individual homicides with varied motives. We consider the legal definition for insanity and those kinds of defenses.”
The class does not cover the legal assessments of crime trials but gives students a holistic feel about criminal behavior itself and what is expressed at a crime scene using different methods that don’t necessarily include lab work.
“Even though traditional forensic science is usually lab-oriented, the human component needs to be considered,” Moses said. “Human beings, with all their individual experiences, knowledge and values, are ultimately making the decisions about collecting, testing and interpreting evidence and behavior in addition to what science can offer. This impacts the pathway of evidence and professional opinions rendered at the crime scene as well as in court. Some forensic tests once thought to be indisputable are now questioned or have undergone major revision in approach. Anyone working in law enforcement or crime analysis would benefit from understanding what makes the criminal, as well as the analyst, tick.”
For more information on this and other unique classes at NAU, visit the class catalog.
Mariana Laas | NAU Communications
(928) 523-5050 | mariana.laas@nau.edu