On the contribution of anthropology to the study of major challenges to everyday life in human history and the production of responses to these challenges. The ongoing challenges of the past few years will be used as a starting point to think through similar and perennial challenges in education, health, technology, etc.
The class is a general introduction to anthropological approaches to the study of the political and professional concerns that are always challenging human life. The class focuses on various theoretical approaches to the identification of constraints (social structure, systems) and opportunities (culture, agency, play, imagination) in the ongoing production of human responses across all distinctions of identity and contexts.
Note that this class meets with the course required of first year doctoral students in anthropology (ITSF 5610). It shares the same readings as listed in the syllabus. Requirements for students registered for ITSF 4011 are similar but separate from those of the students registered for ITSF 5610.