ANT 104-01 - Anthropological Inquiries

4 credits (Spring)

Beyond nature and culture. Are there more than five senses? Does language structure the way we perceive the world? Is there such thing as a natural catastrophe? Nature-culture distinctions are made every day by humans as we categorize others, structure our environment, and come to terms with our place among other beings. This course introduces students to anthropology and what it means to be human by critically tracking nature-culture divides across contemporary and historical human societies. Through the study of genes and epigenetics, kinship, climate change, language, and laughter, students will have an opportunity to examine what we share in common, or what might be distinct. In so doing, students will be introduced to four sub-fields of anthropology: linguistic, sociocultural, biological, and archaeology.

Prerequisite: None.
Instructor: Sweet