Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (ANTH 0100)

Instructor: Elisaveta (Lisa) Koriouchkina

This course examines what it means to be human in different cultures. We will study a range of theories and methods used to study culture, including ethnography, the intensive and personal study of cultures that is a hallmark of anthropology. We will learn how anthropology contributes to understanding social problems like racism, genocide, disease, militarism, and social inequalities of all kinds.

People live in a variety of different societies and cultures. This course examines this variety, asks what it means to say that people are social and cultural beings, introduces concepts and approaches used by anthropologists in understanding human variation, and makes these concepts our own by applying them to the societies and cultures in which we ourselves live.

The social sciences attempt to understand the human condition. Cultural anthropology in particular attempts to understand and explain the ways people live around the world. Why are there so many different kinds of people, cultures, and societies? What can we learn about ourselves by studying others? Topics covered in this course will include the 1) environment and food, 2) production and economics, 3) kinship, marriage, and family groups, 4) social and political structures, 5) religion, and 6) gender.

This course is designed to help students develop critical thinking skills and explore a variety of cultural environments through lectures, films, and readings. In addition, a number of short analytical papers and small presentations will be required, and students will conduct their own research using techniques such as participant observation, informal interviews, and surveys.

As this list indicates, students will be introduced to the major concepts and research methods typical of the social sciences, especially anthropology, while challenging our assumptions about human behavior and the world around us. We hope that exposure to the tremendous diversity within the discipline will illustrate why anthropology is such a vital part of the social sciences.