Professor: Brown Course format: Lecture Number of respondents: 17 Total Enrollment: 27 Class Composition: Froshs: 1 Sophs: 12 Jrs: 5 Srs: 8 Concs: 3 Non-Concs: 13 Don't Know: 1

Instructor Average: 1.70 Course Average: 1.48

“Political Anthropology” is an introduction to the anthropological study of politics. The objectives of the class were exposure to new modes of analysis as well as alternative political and cultural practices that challenged the state. There are no prerequisites for this class; however, some knowledge of political systems and theories is helpful.

Students felt that on the whole, Professor Brown was extremely adept at generating interesting discussion material as well as facilitating those discussions. He was approachable and laidback, and made students feel comfortable any time they had questions or problems meeting deadlines. Professor Brown was accommodating in terms of the needs and interests of the class, and always willing to help out a student.

While many students found the assigned readings interesting and relevant to the class, some students felt that the readings became repetitive. Major assignments included a take-home midterm, a final paper, a class-led discussion, and a final exam. Most students felt the assignments were fair evaluations.

Students spent between one and six hours on work outside of class. Some students felt that the amount of work met their expectations, while some thought that it surpassed their expectations. More work was required during exam time and when papers were due. Many students found this to be a fascinating and worthwhile class taught by an extremely capable professor. In one student’s words, “TAKE IT! It’s the best class I’ve taken at Brown!”

View AN/0133 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.