ANTH 266 - Cultural Evolution

Institution:

Williams College

Subject:

Anthropology

Description:

The past decade has seen a revival of Big History in the form of studies of large-scale, persistent patterns in human cultural development. This interdisciplinary tutorial draws on the insights of Big History by bringing together evolutionary thought and complexity theory to consider the emergence of recognizably human social behavior in the distant past, the impact of such innovations as language, tool-making, and ritual on human adaptation, and the circumstances that eventually led to the domestication of plants and animals and the rise of ranked societies and social inequality. Readings will include works by the historian David Christian, the philosopher Daniel Dennett, and the physical anthropologist Barbara King, among others. Questions to be considered in the tutorial include: What is the evolutionary significance of religion? Why did human populations shift from hunting and gathering to agriculture even though farming is risky and requires much more work? What can complexity theory tell us about the trajectory of human societies as the global population increases? How plausible is that claim that digital technologies and sophisticated prosthetics are destined to transform us into a posthuman species?

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

But prior exposure to anthropology and evolutionary theory is desirable

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Other

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.williams.edu

Phone Number:

(413) 597-3131

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Four-one-four plan

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