ANTH 260 - Current Themes in Anthropological Theory and Method

Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
1 unit(s)

The focus is upon particular cultural sub-systems and their study in cross-cultural perspective. The sub-system selected varies from year to year. Examples include: kinship systems, political organizations, religious beliefs and practices, verbal and nonverbal communication.

May be repeated for credit if the topic has changed.

Topic for 2025/26a: Anthropology of Food. What does food tell us about the differences between us? Why do the Germans love sauerkraut so much? How did Kentucky Fried Chicken become part of Trinidad and Tobago’s national identity? What kinds of food do rich people eat? These are the kinds of questions asked by Food Anthropologists. This course introduces you to the way anthropologists think about food, the kinds of questions they ask, and the way they seek answers. We examine the relationship between food and culture with a focus on how personal identities and social groups are formed through food production, preparation, consumption, and exchange. Course topics include an examination of how the social and cultural boundaries surrounding food can mark gender, class, status, ethnicity, and other elements of identity. Mark Chatarpal.

Topic for 2025/26b: Community-Engaged Research. In this course, community engaged research means research that is collaborative, compassionate, ethically grounded, and action-oriented. Through hands-on research and collaboration with the local non-profit, The Haiti Project, students have the opportunity “learn by doing” as a complement to course readings. We also explore the alternative methodologies associated with the community-engaged research paradigm, including its refusal to privilege “expert” knowledge over indigenous ways of knowing and producing knowledge, and its emphasis on research being conducted with (in addition to for) a community. Such features often position community-engaged research as a critique of, or complement to, conventional research. With a focus on Haiti, as a place in the global economy, and The Haiti Project as a local non-profit, students think through, in a grounded way, what it means for research to contribute directly to the goals of a non-profit organization that was designed to serve Haiti and its communities. Candice Lowe Swift.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS