Introduction to Anthropology (ANTH*1150)

Code and section: ANTH*1150*01

Term: Winter 2025

Instructor: Lauren Sneyd

Details

Course Description
This course examines the diversity of humanity through the lens of cultural anthropology. Cultural anthropology is the study of humans, particularly the many ways people around the world today and throughout human history have organized themselves to live together: to get along, to survive, to thrive and to have meaningful lives. This course will introduce the work of anthropologists, and the research strategies and analytical perspectives they have developed to understand and to approach human diversity. Through the lens of cultural anthropology, we will consider topics like culture, language, economics, structures of power, race and racism, ethnicity and nationalism, gender, sexuality, kinship, family, marriage, religion, and health and illness. The tools developed by anthropologists to understand human diversity can be appreciated by students in various fields: whether your interest is in marketing, accounting, psychology or political science, you will need a skill set for analyzing and engaging a multi-cultural and increasingly interconnected world and workplace. This course will equip you to better understand and engage the world as you move through it, and if you so choose, to apply those strategies to address complicated contemporary issues. The content of this course will be delivered in lectures, films, and slides.

Learning Outcomes
• Critically reflect on culture, social relations and social structures in order to develop a broader and deeper understanding of social problems;
• Situate and critically evaluate one’s social and cultural identity and location, power and privilege, within a personal, social, cultural, political and global context;
• Engage in classical and contemporary scholarly inquiry to identify and address anthropological questions and issues;
• Demonstrate personal and academic integrity and ethical reasoning.

Evaluation
Two written assignments (20% each) 40%
Midterm 30%
Final exam 30%
Required texts
One textbook and one ethnography

Syllabus

Attachment	Size
ANTH1150 W25 LSneyd Short outline copy.pdf	55.27 KB