Culture and Criticism
Anthropology of American Culture
Starting: July 11 – August 17
56:606:631:H6
Wednesday 6:00 pm – 9:40 pm
Online-Hybrid Section
50% of the class will be online
Instructor: Professor McCarty
Note: Off-campus courses at JBMDL. Hybrid course in eCollege format with limited in-class meetings.
How do anthropologists understand culture? What is meant by an “Anthropology of American Culture”? Is it appropriate to speak of American culture? How does this approach compare to other disciplines in the Social Sciences? Where do we find ‘American culture’? How are we a part of it? Can we study ourselves in an unbiased way? Have anthropologists from other countries studied “us”? This course will explore the nature of American culture–what holds it together and what divides it. Central to our study will be the examination and critique of current American images from popular culture. We will also draw connections between the various theoretical approaches and real life situations and other varied sources of knowledge about American culture. Where do we go to find sources of American culture? Who are some of the important writers on this subject, anthropologists or otherwise? Have we changed as a people since we became a nation? Do the insights of foreign observers help us to see ourselves and our culture more clearly? We will consult the writings of philosophers, historians, literary figures, and anthropologists to help answer these questions.
Philosophy and Religion
Social and Political Philosophy
Starting: May 31 – July 8
56:606:641:B6
W 6:00 pm – 9:40 pm
Online-Hybrid Section
50% of the class will be online
Instructor: Professor Betz
Critical examination of the philosophical problems involved in theories of the state and its relationship to citizens. Topics include the nature and justification of political obligations, natural rights, justice, anarchism, and the development of political ideals of communism, socialism, liberalism, and democracy. Satisfies requirement in ethical/political/social theory for Philosophy Major and Minor. Critical examination of the philosophical problems involved in theories of the society and relationships between individuals. Topics include ways gender and/or racial consideration enter into the social standing of the individual, political and economic consequences of one’s social class, and the use of liberalism, critical social theory, and post-modernism to challenge existing social institutions. Satisfies requirement in ethical/political/social theory for Philosophy Major and Minor.