- Origins and Evolution of Violence

Catalog description

An examination of violence as a social practice across culture and time.  Using anthropological methods and perspectives, students learn theories of the origins of violence among Homo sapiens and our primate ancestors as well as how culture creates and perpetuates meaning in violent acts. Readings and discussions explore the cultural variation of violence at collective and individual levels and differentiate warfare from violence as a broader concept. Through archaeological and biological data, students learn how agency, identity, and performance play a role in the use and avoidance of violence across time, physical environments, and sociopolitical contexts.