Other People’s Worlds (ANT4129.01)

Miroslava Prazak

In the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century a European based world-economy came into existence. Fueled by the philosophy of mercantilism, traders followed, and sometimes were, explorers seeking riches in the lands discovered in the search for trade routes. The resulting contact between cultures led to fundamental transformations of all the societies and cultures involved. Drawing on specific ethnographic examples, this course invites students to embark on a journey of exploration of the globe. Through texts and films we will examine the internal dynamics of selected societies on various continents in order to understand how they construct their world, as well as investigate the dynamics which tie them together in a system of hierarchy established over the course of centuries since the age of European exploration.


Learning Outcomes:
- To explore the roots and dynamics of colonialism
- To expose relationships of power, technologies and domination
- To identify and examine the perspectives and positions of the "other"
- To examine the realities of people's lives in the contestations of the past half a millennium
- To research and communicate (both orally and in writing) a specific instance--the dimensions of an ethnographic reality--that resonates


Delivery Method: Fully in-person
Prerequisites: Previous work in anthropology or in SCT. Please email mprazak@bennington.edu to express interest.
Course Level: 4000-level
Credits: 4
Tu/F 2:10PM - 4:00PM (Full-term)
Maximum Enrollment: 16
Course Frequency: Every 2-3 years

Categories: 4000 , All courses , Anthropology , Black Studies , Four Credit , Fully In-Person
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