Vassar Moodle

L2-Economie et Droit - L2-Economie et MIA - L2-Economie & Gestion - semestre 2

This course explores the intellectual traditions and debates that make anthropology distinctive among the social sciences. Building upon lessons from ANTH 140 and students’ training across the four subfields, Anthropological Theory is a required class for all anthropology majors. Over the course of the semester, we will read original texts by anthropologists (and other social scientists) to become familiar with key terms, scholars, and theoretical approaches that have shaped the discipline from the late 19th century to the present. As we proceed through this course, I encourage you to approach the history of anthropological theory not as a static “canon” but as a dynamic process of critically mapping, re-making, and questioning knowledge formations. This is a process in which we are all active participants. The course will culminate in each of you constructing your own syllabus – or anti-syllabus, depending on the approach you take. You may build upon the material we have read, selectively draw from it, or critically work against it; the goal is that you will come away from this class not only with a solid grasp of anthropological theories, but with a deeper sense of your own intellectual sensibilities, the research and questions you wish to pursue, and the anthropology you wish to practice.