ANT 366 Economic Anthropology
The concept of “the economy” pervades much of our understanding of human cultures and lived reality. But how does something that appears so fundamental vary widely within cultures and among them? This intensive course examines broad topics of production, exchange, and consumption from a cross-disciplinary perspective that includes archaeological perspectives and present-day ethnography. Major debates in economic anthropology will be discussed and scrutinized in regard to materiality, human decision making, and non-capitalist systems. By doing so, this course reveals how economic anthropology is embedded in academic inquiry, and contributes to theory. Mastery of course material is demonstrated through three research papers, the leading of in-class discussions, and informal presentations of papers to peers.