ANTH 391 - Anthropological Theory

3 Credit(s)

This course examines historical and contemporary theories in anthropology. It focuses on the relationship between ethnography and social theory and traces the genealogies of central questions about the nature of society and culture. In the first part of the course, we will discuss the intellectual frameworks of 18th and 19th century societal theorists in Europe and the emergence of anthropology as a discipline. We will then focus on the key theorists whose ideas shaped future anthropological inquiry into culture and humankind. We will also discuss how the works of these theorists have influenced contemporary paradigms in anthropology.

Prerequisite(s): Anthropology majors and minors only. A minimum of Junior standing required.