ANT 104-01 & 02 - Anthropological Inquiries

4 credits (Spring)

Empire and Class-ification. This introductory course invites students to consider anthropology as a set of power-laden analytic tools. How do archaeology, biological, linguistic, and sociocultural anthropology deploy interdisciplinary techniques for studying today’s most pressing problems from ecological devastation to racialized hierarchy? How are the discipline’s traditional “4 fields” embedded in histories of imperialism, capitalism, and attendant discontent? Empirical classification-e.g., of primate behavior or material remains-is both at the heart of anthropological practice and also a deeply political endeavor. Assignments focused on ethnography and multimedia will prepare majors for continued exploration and valuable inquiry, including in non-academic professional careers.

Prerequisite: None.
Instructor: Kohl