Critical Social Inquiry 0190 - Understanding Culture/Power

In this class, students will be introduced to the main concepts and central problems of cultural anthropology. Anthropology helps us understand common global issues --- issues of power and social change -- through the investigation of the culturally particular and local meanings in people's daily lives. In this course, we will explore these issues through close reading of ethnographies and careful viewing of ethnographic films on a range of topics (including class, race, gender, and migration). While we are sure to delve into the "exotic" ideas and practices of far-away peoples, we will also investigate "strange" ideas and practices of our own. What makes a cultural anthropologist is not just who or where or even what we choose to study, but how we study it and our comparative perspective on humankind. Students will be expected to participate actively in class discussions, write short weekly commentaries, and compose longer critical analytic essays.

Power, Community and Social Justice Multiple Cultural Perspectives Writing and Research