ANTHRO 1718 - Activist, Collaborative, and Engaged Interventions in Anthropology

Semester: 

Spring

Offered: 

2022

Prof. Andrea Wright
Thurs. 12:00 PM - 2:45 PM
Tozzer 416

What approaches and methodologies do anthropologists use to examine and strengthen theories and practices oriented towards community? What responsibilities do anthropologists have to the people and places with which they work? Can and should anthropologists engage in research that is community driven, politically conscious, and centrally concerned with the transformation of our social conditions? The urgency of the ongoing global pandemic and continued injustice and violence underscore the importance of connecting the work we are doing inside the classroom with the work being done in our local and global communities. This work is not apolitical or individual, and we must analyze the inherent inequalities and social dimensions of what it means to conduct engaged scholarship embedded within particular contexts. By employing a hands-on approach to engaged anthropology, this course will explore these questions and more. We will begin the semester by learning the theoretical and methodological underpinnings of anthropology as a discipline and engaged anthropology as an intervention. Readings will focus on ethnographic, scholarly, and public-facing works that illustrate how culture, social relations, and systems of power shape the experiences, practices, and interactions of individuals and their communities as they strive to establish and maintain collaborative relationships in pursuit of a more just world. The course will culminate in a community or campus-based project on a critical topic chosen by the student.