Description

The aim of this course is to provide an introduction to the field of Social and Cultural Anthropology and anthropological themes, such as kinship, marriage, and social identity (constituted by gender, race & age), further complemented by ideas related to politics, economics and religion. The course will expose the students to the lives of different people around the world and to some of the ways anthropologists have come to understand them. In particular, we will examine key terms, concepts and approaches used in anthropological writings and theorizing and we will focus on their application in various ethnographies. Students are expected to think analytically and compare evidence across cultures, including our own. The primary challenge is to develop a capacity for stepping out of our own cultural mindset.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
– Gain understanding that categories of difference (such as cleanliness, dirt, kinship, gender, age, race, etc.) are often not biologically given but culturally and socially constructed and gain a sense of the various ways in which these categories differ in the world;
– Further develop a basic understanding of the various ways in which anthropologists have understood culture, have theorized about it and of the multiple methods employed by them while conducting research;
– Develop an appreciation for cultural diversity and move beyond ethnocentric understanding of the world;
– Be able to demonstrate the ability to critically read, analyze, critique and comment upon academic anthropology journal articles.

*Course content subject to change