This course will introduce students to an anthropological perspective on the changing character and complexity of American culture. We will examine the key symbols and core values of American society and how these are differentially understood and encountered in everyday life by diverse peoples in the United States. Topics include the experience of race, ethnicity, and gender in various local settings and how these categories intersect with economic, political, and historic forces. The course will examine the role of patriotism, migration, and social class in shaping the life worlds of Americans. We will ask, how are ideas about race made and unmade? Why is it often so difficult to speak of social class? What influences does “American culture” have and how is it shaped by material and symbolic practices beyond the borders of the United States?Note: This course can be used to satisfy the university Core American Culture (AC) requirement. Although it may be usable towards graduation as a major requirement or university elective, it cannot be used to satisfy any of the university GenEd requirements. See your advisor for further information. Mode: Lecture/Seminar.