Anthropology

This course explores the institutions and practices of international aid through the lens of development and humanitarian expertise. The course is structured around a visit in the last lecture from aid practitioners such as from the British Red Cross who discusses their work and how to get into the profession of development, humanitarianism, and other related careers. Students work in groups throughout the semester to prepare for this event, ultimately producing blog entries that showcase what they think anthropology can offer to understand humanitarian and development issues. 

Fashion and textiles operate at the intersection of persons and society, and are the primary cultural signifiers of what sorts of people, individuals consider themselves to be. Fashion goods are the primary points of debates about unfolding values, aspirations, hierarchies, objections, new technologies, and ways of socializing. The course in equips students to understand the societal impact of emerging new technologies and new materials in the production and retailing of textile and fashion with an emphasis on modelling societal take-up via the unique method of anthropology, which provides a depth of focus on the human life cycle and unfolding biographical relations across many cultures.

This course offers a sociological view of economic, social, and political processes, with a special focus on global social change and development. The course provides the knowledge needed to understand and critically analyze discussions about global social change, focusing especially on the post-war period. The teaching consists of lectures, exercises, group assignments and seminars.  In the first module, explore both classical and modern sociological theories. Examine the economic, social, and political transformations central to classical sociology. Key topics include the rise of nation-states, capitalism, bureaucracies, rationalization, and the increasing division of labor within and between countries. The course also covers foundational scientific theories developed in classical sociology that continue to influence the social sciences today.  In the second module, address current development challenges around the world, using both macro (large scale) and micro (small scale) perspectives. Focus on how societies are structured and how they evolve, considering institutions, structures, and social networks, and their complex interactions. Use sociological theories and concepts to shed light on how inequality is created and sustained. The module ends with an evaluation of various social policy interventions through the lens of the theories we have discussed in the course.

This course provides an anthropological study of the present-day Mapuche people through a critical analysis of the history of Mapuche-Chilean relations and its impact on the current political situation. It examines the characteristics and sociocultural expressions of the Mapuche people and the different contemporary artistic expressions of Mapuche creators in light of their historical and cultural particularity.

This course explores how anthropologists have evaluated, criticized, and contributed to development. Focusing on both "Big D" development (schemes of improvement or projects) and "little d" development (change which occurs as the result of economic growth or modernization) the course shows how anthropological insights have been used to change practices from within as well as critique development from the outside. From anthropological work which seeks pragmatic engagement to that which deconstructs development as an oppressive and power laden discourse, the course gives students a broad background to the field. Topics covered include the role of the state, participation and farmer first approaches; gender and development; development as discourse and "aidnography"; neo liberalism and global capital; corporate social responsibility; markets and micro credit; and the relationship between "tradition" and modernity.