| Course Info | Class Number: 1223
This course will explore the basic principles and methods of sociocultural anthropology. Through field research, direct observation, and participation in a group’s daily life, sociocultural anthropologists examine the many ways that people organize their social institutions and cultural systems, ranging from the dynamics of life in small-scale societies to the transnational circulation of people, commodities, technologies and ideas. Sociocultural anthropology examines how many of the categories we assume to be “natural,” such as kinship, gender, or race, are culturally and socially constructed. It examines how people’s perceptions, beliefs, values, and actions are shaped by broader historical, economic, and political contexts. It is also a vital tool for understanding and critiquing imbalances of power in our contemporary world. Through a range of topically and geographically diverse course readings and films, and opportunities to practice ethnographic methodology, students will gain new analytical and methodological tools for understanding cultural difference, social organization, and social change.
Approach: Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC); Haverford: B: Analysis of the Social World (B), Social Science (SO)
Enrollment Cap: 25; Freshmen Spaces: 15; If the course exceeds the
enrollment cap the following criteria will be used for the lottery:
Major/Minor/Concentration; Freshman; Sophomore |
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