Fall 2020 Course Offers Information

 
 
Mainz, Fassnachtsbrunnen

Mainz, Fassnachtsbrunnen

Anth 112 Introductory Anthropology: Sociocultural Anthropology

Section: F20N01 | Section: F20N02

There are many ways of thinking about this world and the course will explore the vastness of the human experience. This specific anthropological way of thinking and analysing is a skill that makes anthropologists most valuable in many work environments, if it is to introduce new approaches to companies, to work for NGO’s or to introduce challenges to ‘development’ agencies; if it is to work for the United Nations or to work in other international settings. Anthropology will give you insights in the ingenuity of human sociality, it teaches you to think creatively and to see things from multiple points of view.

Sveti Naum, North Macedonia.

Sveti Naum, North Macedonia.

Anth 211 Social Anthropology

Section: F20N02

Social anthropology is about documenting social consistencies and acknowledging human variation. We will explore the diverse and surprising ways in which people in different parts of the world may perceive, experience and act in our shared world through an anthropological lens. Exploring the history of anthropology, students will gain an understanding of the theoretical frameworks that have defined the field and engage in contemporary epistemological debates that persist in the area, answering questions like: Would earth still exist if humanity would have died out? Why does science dominate the Western world as objective truth? Has a scientific worldview enabled colonialism? What is “nature” and does it differ from “culture”?

Who are you and what does it mean to exist?

Who are you and what does it mean to exist?

Anth 304 Anthropology of Virtual Space

Section: F20N01

Throughout human history, technologies have shaped forms of identity, community, and society. We are in the midst of one of the most massive technological transformations in human history, shaped by digital technologies. This phrase “digital technologies” refers to an array of infrastructures, devices, and practices including but not limited to mobile phones, laptops, tablets, and other computers; websites, online games, virtual worlds, social network sites, apps, and blogs; and governments, corporations, nonprofits, activists, users, makers, hackers, players, and friends. In this course we will look for an understanding of the emergent socialities that cross these virtual and actual worlds. We will ask questions about the virtual character of selves and social relations, how virtual worlds both enhance and augment our understanding of specifically human forms of sociality.