"ANTH 383 Anthropology History and Theory Marshall Fall 2024" by Lydia Wilson Marshall
 

Document Type

Syllabus

Publication Date

Fall 2024

Course Description

This semester, we will study anthropological theory. The term “theory” can seem intimidating and abstract, but in essence the word simply means how anthropologists make sense of the world. Different theoretical lenses in anthropology have led to radically different understandings of the same cultural phenomena. By exploring a wide range of theoretical standpoints, we will learn how adopting each of these varied perspectives shapes our explanations of the world around us. We will also analyze the power structures governing who has been recognized as “important” theorists in anthropology. Toward this end, the class will analyze the complex and troubled history of the discipline, including how it was used to justify and support colonialism. We will also study anthropologists who are typically overlooked in traditional histories of the discipline, including women, people of color, and scholars from the global south. The final portion of the course invites students to contribute to a new view of anthropology’s canon by highlighting theoretically innovative contemporary scholarship.

Student Outcomes

Students will be able to . . . - summarize the history and development of anthropology as a discipline, including the ways anthropology has been complicit with colonial and racist logics and how this history shapes contemporary approaches. - compare, critique, and apply anthropological theoretical approaches. - engage with cultural difference and develop self-awareness of their own cultural backgrounds and how that impacts their values, beliefs, and assumptions.

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