People&Cultures Southeast Asia

Catalog description

An anthropological and topical introduction to the region of Southeast Asia and the various societies and cultures found there. Topics to be discussed are: regional definition and intra-regional variation, ecology and economic systems, history and prehistory, social organization including politico-territorial systems and concepts of hierarchy and power, kinship and alliance systems, patron-client systems, ethnic groups and ethnicity, religions, gender systems, personality and communicative systems such as language and other conceptual and symbolic systems. The focus of the course will be on analyses that contrast with western views and that have provided a source of debate on western theories of society and culture. Fulfills Core requirement(s): Diversity (DIV) and Cultural Elective (CE).