ANT 358 - Advanced Topic: Race, Ethnicity & Anthropology (1)

This course will examine concepts of race and ethnicity from the perspective of anthropology. Using a four-field approach we will explore the biology of human diversity, origins of the modern concept of race, and the ongoing impacts of racial worldviews on contemporary social life. Throughout the course, we will attend to differences in wealth, power, and prestige replicated through the social enactment of race. We will collectively explore questions such as: how do anthropologists understand biological diversity; how has science both contributed to and challenged conceptions of race and ethnicity; how do ideas of race and ethnicity vary historically and cross-culturally; why do conceptions of race and ethnicity change or persist; and how do ideas of race and ethnicity continue to shape our social worlds? Discussions throughout this course will allow us to think together about important issues that shape all of our lives. Through our collective engagement with conceptions of race and ethnicity we will challenge our assumptions, ask pressing questions, better understand persistent inequalities, and explore possible futures. Prerequisite: ANT 101 or SOC 101
(Social Science)