Anthropology

Social justice has long been at the heart of 'development' – alongside economic growth, environmental sustainability and accountable governance. Further, these other goals are often regarded as instrumental to justice: growth enables surplus for redistribution; sustainability ensures fairness to future generations; and accountability promotes more equitable shares. Rather than debate ‘social justice’ in abstract terms, this course engages with embedded, ethnographic perspectives: why does injustice prevail; why do inequalities persist; why are states violent; how do people come to resist and mobilize for change; engage with the state; or turn to violent opposition? In listening to people’s perspectives, understanding their beliefs and desires, the course also introduces the anthropological approach to development at large. 

The course focuses on anthropological research on nature and the environment, as well as ideas from other human and social sciences, on the relationship between people and their environment. Various basic terms and theories central to environmental anthropology and related fields are introduced and discussed.

The course provides a basic introduction to cultural and narrative criminology, neutralization theory, and studies of crime, war, and social harm inspired by discourse and narrative analysis. It discusses links between the different traditions and the background in social constructivist theory and methodological influences from the humanities.

This course analyzes techno-science as a socio-cultural phenomenon. It offers an introduction to Science and Technology Studies (STS). It introduces students to the multiple ways in which science and technology; individuals and institutions mutually shape one another to the benefit and sometimes detriment of society. This course takes a critical approach to science and engineering. Students think critically but constructively about aspects of science and technology by focusing on different empirical domains such as human enhancement (e.g. Google glasses, Ritalin, Blade runner), disasters (e.g. Fukushima, Hurricane Katerina), the gene revolution (e.g. Monsanto) and the politics of artifacts (e.g. park benches, the UCM building, and nuclear plants) while using a set of principles and approaches from the field of Science and Technology Studies.

This course examines the driving forces behind social media addiction. It covers the underlying technical mechanisms and psychological factors that cause behavioral addiction to social media. In addition, the accumulative effect of social media addiction on our personal and professional lives, as well as societies across the world, will be discussed.