Religion counts among anthropology's most central and enduring areas of interest. This course traces a history of anthropological attention to belief and ritual from the nineteenth century to the present. We will read classic and contemporary ethnographic studies of religious systems, covering topics that include spirits and animism, totemism, magic, witchcraft, mythology, taboo, sacrilege, orthodoxy and orthopraxy, religion and modernity, and secularism.

Recent controversies over climate change, genetically modified organisms, and cloning raise questions about how scientific knowledge shapes governance and political life. Historical research into controversies over evolution and race remind us that these questions are not new. The political status of scientific claims presents a basic problem for Western democracies. Through attention to a series of controversies, this course examines the often-fraught relationship between modern science and politics. Are science and politics intrinsically at odds?

This class challenges assumptions about death and dying as we examine its meanings and related practices in various cultural contexts. We will ask: what is universal about death and dying, and what is socially constructed? What can the social sciences, bio medicine, literature, the arts, and our own qualitative research tell us about the processes of dying, of grieving, and of providing care? In essence, what does it take to approach death?

Fall 2015 THEAT-282-01: Rehearsal and performance of a new adaptation and World Premiere production of Washington Irving's classic tale of horror, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, directed by Noah Tuleja. October 22-25, 2015Fall 2015 THEAT-282-02: Rehearsal and performance of No Exit December 3-6, 2015 Spring 2016 THEAT-282-01: Rehearsal and performance of Fefu and Her Friends--Feb. 25-28, 2016 Spring 2016 THEAT-282-02: Rehearsal and performance of Hereafter--April 14-17, 2016

Fall 2015 THEAT-282-01: Rehearsal and performance of a new adaptation and World Premiere production of Washington Irving's classic tale of horror, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, directed by Noah Tuleja. October 22-25, 2015Fall 2015 THEAT-282-02: Rehearsal and performance of No Exit December 3-6, 2015 Spring 2016 THEAT-282-01: Rehearsal and performance of Fefu and Her Friends--Feb. 25-28, 2016 Spring 2016 THEAT-282-02: Rehearsal and performance of Hereafter--April 14-17, 2016

This reading and writing-intensive course draws upon the intellectual traditions of African American, African, and African diasporic studies in order to explore the connections and disjunctures among people of African descent. While the course pays attention to national, regional, and historical contexts, it asks this question: what do African descended people have in common and when and how are their experiences and interests different?

This course will explore several ways by which to integrate digital techniques with printmaking by hand. Using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, students will incorporate digital methods to develop their imagery but ultimately will print their final work using traditional processes. Students will learn the basics of each technique before moving onto those using digital intervention. Processes will include using photo emulsion for screen printing, digitally cut vinyl as an acid resist for intaglio and laser-printed pronto plates for lithography.

This seminar will discuss patterns and variations of human sexual behavior and the likely role that evolution has played in shaping some of these patterns. We will discuss the evolution of sex, gender differences, principles of sexual selection, physiology, cultural differences in sexual behavior, mating systems, etc. We will follow a recently published book on this topic, and add readings from the primary literature.

This course will focus on biological systems that push the limits of structural and physiological possibility. For example, midges flap their wings at up to 1000 Hz; bar-headed geese migrate over Mount Everest; deep-sea fish withstand pressures near 300 atmospheres; certain frogs can allow their body temperatures to drop below 0 degrees Celsius. Through readings and discussions we will explore the diverse mechanisms that underlie how organisms reach extreme levels of performance and survive in extreme environments.