Anthropology 201 - Science Fiction

How can anthropology help us understand the cultural assumptions, empirical knowledge, and causal and interpretive theories underlying science fiction and help science fiction draw on more valid and plausible assumptions, knowledge, and theories? How can science fiction writers' efforts to develop hypotheses about what events, people, and processes might be like under different conditions help anthropologists develop hypotheses in the real world? This class will help students think about these questions by reading, analyzing, discussing, and writing anthropological and science fiction texts that relate to each other in enlightening ways. 

Limited to 19 students.  Spring semester.  Professor Fong.