ANTH 240a - or b.Cultural Localities

Institution:

Vassar College

Subject:

Description:

Detailed study of the cultures of people living in a particular area of the world, including their politics, economy, world view, religion, expressive practices, and historical transformations. Included is a critical assessment of different approaches to the study of culture. Areas covered vary from year to year and may include Europe, Africa, North America, and India. May be repeated for credit if the topic has changed. Prerequisite: previous coursework in Anthropology or by permission of instructor. Topic for 2008/09a: The Indian Ocean. This course is an introduction to the multiple cultures and peoples of the Indian Ocean. Using historical works, ethnographies, novels and film, we explore the complex trade networks and historical processes that have shaped the contemporary economies, cultures, and social problems of the region. Although the course concentrates on the southwest Indian Ocean, we approach the region as a cultural, economic, and political sphere whose various regions were closely interconnected. Topics include: colonialism, labor and trade migrations, religion, race, gender, and creolization. Ms. Lowe. Topic for 2008/09a: Envisioning Europe. Mr. Mercado. Topics for 2008/09b: Anthropology of the United States. This course turns a lens on anthropology within and of the United States. We consider the history of the discipline as one that studied the "other" and what it then means when it is used to study the United States. First, we explore the American tradition in Anthropology to examine who was identified as an appropriate anthropological subject in the United States. In this section, we consider the ways that this project both challenged and shored up racial and ethnic hierarchies. Second, we read recent anthropological work that is based in the United States to understand how concepts earlier used to understand the ethnographic other have been used /can be used/ to understand ourselves. Throughout the course, particular attention is given to how the United States is constructed as a nation through the anthropological project. Ms. Varghese. Mesoamerican Worlds. ( Same as Latin American and Latino/a Studies 240) An intensive survey of the culture, history, and politics of several neighboring indigenous societies that have deep historical and social ties to territory now located in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. This course explores the emergence of powerful Mesoamerican states with a cosmology tied to warfare and human sacrifice, the reconfiguration of these societies under the twin burdens of Christianity and colonial rule, and the strategies that some of these communities adopted in order to preserve local notions of identity, and to cope with or resist incorporation into nation-states. The course also introduces students to a selection of historical and religious texts produced by indigenous authors. After a consideration of socio-religious hierarchies, and writing and calendrical systems in Precolumbian Mesoamerica, the course focuses on adaptations resulting from interaction with an evolving colonial order. The course also investigates the relations between native communities and the Mexican and Guatemalan states, and examines the representation of indigenous identities, the rapport among environmental policies, globalization, and local agricultural practices, and indigenous autonomy in the wake of the EZLN rebellion. Students proficient in Spanish will be encouraged to use original sources for course projects. Mr. Tavárez.

Credits:

1.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.vassar.edu

Phone Number:

(845) 437-7000

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

The Course Profile information is provided and updated by third parties including the respective institutions. While the institutions are able to update their information at any time, the information is not independently validated, and no party associated with this website can accept responsibility for its accuracy.