Anthropology 101 - Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Institution:

Bard College

Subject:

Description:

GIS, GSS This course explores the intellectual angles through which anthropologists have engaged culture as a central, and yet often elusive concept in understanding how societies work. The analysis of culture has undergone many transformations over the past century, from arguing for the existence of integrated systems of thought and practice among so-called "primitives," to scrutinizing the culturalvalues of colonial subjects, to attempting to decipher the mind-set of the enemy during World War II. In recent years, anthropology has become more self-reflexive, questioning the discipline's authority to represent other societies and critiquing its participation in the creation of exoticized others. The course combines discussions, lectures, and films to reflect upon the construc- tion of social identity, power, and difference in a world where cultures are undergoing rapid reification. Specific topics include the transformative roles of ritual and symbol; nationalism and the making of majorities/minorities in postcolonial states; witchcraft and sorcery in historical and contemporary contexts; and cultural constructions of gender and sexuality.

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.bard.edu

Phone Number:

(845) 758-6822

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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