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Course Info for ANTH - 265 - 01, Spring 2023
Class number: 2907 Title: Thinking with Things Department: Anthropology
Career: Undergraduate Component: Lecture Session: Regular
Instructor's Permission Required: No Grading Basis: Regular Units: 1.00
Enrollment limited to 19 Current enrollment: 8 Available seats: 11
Start date: Wednesday, January 25, 2023 End date: Friday, May 12, 2023 Mode of Instruction: In Person
Schedule: MW: 10:00AM-11:15AM, LSC - 136 Instructor(s): Guzman, Amanda
Prerequisite(s): None
Distribution Requirement: Meets Social Sciences Requirement
Course Description:
Our relationship to and interaction with things is a defining feature of the human experience. To think with things is to use objects as the primary lens of analysis. This course explores a range of object case-studies and the unique questions they present for understanding American history and contemporary society. The course centers on close-looking or building interpretations from direct material observation. Students work hands-on with objects spanning from historical texts to folk art and souvenir material to contemporary art and digital media. Object case-studies draw from diverse representations including cultural heritage debates in museums and portrayals of cultural identity performance in popular media. Students will learn to critically examine and discuss the many materials that make up our world.