Syllabus
see attached document
Annotation
In this introductory class to sociocultural anthropology, students will acquire a basic knowledge about the histories, theories and methods in sociocultural anthropology. Moreover, students will engage in critical understanding of many relevant anthropological concepts and issues, with a special emphasis on the following topics: cultural relativism, culture and difference, language and power; gender and culture; religion and culture; cross-cultural understanding of art; orientalism; cultural appropriation; social and historical construction of ethnicity, race, and nation/nationalism; anthropological perspectives on social class; anthropology of emotion; colonial and postcolonial cultures and economies; anthropology of global migration, and refugee discourse.
Anthropological approaches of familiarization/defamiliarization (Rosaldo), and anti-essentialist concept of culture (Abu-Lughod), will provide for the main framework of analysis of various case studies employed during the course. Areas of study will include both Western and non-Western societies, historical and contemporary.
Classes will combine lectures with participatory discussions based on film materials, and mandatory weekly readings. In addition, students will learn how to analyze, understand, and critique media images, sounds, and cultural and academic texts as related to the main topics of the course.
Grading is based on participation, weekly reading and writing assignments, and a final exam.