Cultural Anthropology

Catalog description

This course looks at how culture shapes the ways in which we experience, interpret and make sense of the worlds we inhabit. Traditionally this meant that socio-cultural Anthropology was the study of cultures that were “different”—and different meant non-Western. Currently, socio-cultural Anthropology studies the culture of any aspect of life anywhere in the world: a main crossroads in Mexico City, a hospital in Colombia, stem cell research in South Korea, state bureaucracy in Congo, Engineers in France and low-income populations living with HIV in the U.S —the possibilities are virtually endless. To learn about culture, students will read anthropological literature and get familiar with concepts, ideas and methods commonly used in this discipline. Additionally, students will build on these tools to analyze current events in the world, or explore ways to apply Anthropology to their own professional background. In doing so, students will practice critical thinking and learn about the importance of difference and diversity. .