Using the novel as ethnography, this course examines world cultures through literary works of authors from various parts of the world. We explore the construction of community in precolonial, colonial, and postcolonial times; independence movements; issues of individual and social identity; and the themes of change, adaptation and conflict. Student work includes an analytical essay, contribution to an extensively researched, group class presentation on contextual material, a research based essay, and a final piece of fiction writing.
Learning Outcomes:
• To explore the line between truth and fiction in narrative accounts
• To explore and analyze how meaning is communicated in novels by cultural insiders and scrutinize similarities and differences with ethnographic sources
• To appreciate and assess various sources of everyday understandings
Delivery Method: Fully in-person
Prerequisites: Previous work in anthropology, or another social science, and permission of instructor (mprazak@bennington.edu).
Course Level: 4000-level
Credits: 4
T/F 2:10PM - 4:00PM (Full-term)
Maximum Enrollment: 16
Course Frequency: Every 2-3 years
Categories: All courses , Anthropology , Fully In-Person
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