ANT 200 - Cultural Myths & Cultural Realities

Institution:

Le Moyne College

Subject:

Description:

This course focuses on how we study other, especially non-western, cultures. In it, we look at recent critical debates on the nature of anthropological inquiry and the representations of other cultures that anthropologists have constructed. We will consider questions such as: Is anthropology a science or a humanity Why do anthropologists studying the same culture come up with very different pictures of the culture What kinds of methodologies do anthropologists use, and what are their limitations How accurate are the anthropologists’ representations of other cultures How much of the anthropologist’s own personal and cultural biases are revealed in the way other cultures are described How much does the anthropologist’s own theoretical perspective affect the way the data are interpreted Is the nature of anthropological inquiry such that we can never escape biases How can re-studies enable us to refine our methods and generate more complex comparative categories to use in the understanding of other cultures We focus on two basic case studies: that of Samoa and that of the Muslim Bedouins of North Africa with an optional case study on Bali. We read classic ethnographies on these societies along with recent re-studies in order to answer the questions posed above. The student is introduced to 1) classic ethnographies of non-western cultures; 2) revelatory re-studies of cultures; 3) basic questions of methodology in the discipline of anthropology; 4) theoretical anthropological inquiry and the representation of other cultures.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.lemoyne.edu

Phone Number:

(315) 445-4100

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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