C Magic, Witchcraft and Religion

Catalog description

Term hours: 54 lecture. This course is an introduction to the anthropology of religion. It will explore the beliefs and practices of numerous world cultures, particularly, but not exclusively, focusing on non-Western traditional societies, using a cross-cultural approach. Anthropological perspectives on the study of religion, mythology and symbolism will be discussed. Ritual, magic, divination, shamanism, sorcery, altered states of consciousness, healing, witchcraft, syncretism and new religious movements, among other related topics, will be analyzed with respect to the functions they have and how religion as a cultural institution is integrated into society in general and in the life of the individual. (UC/CSU, AA GE, CalGETC).