ANTH 362 - Political Anthropology

This course examines human political action in a variety of societies, both within and outside established political structures. Beginning with the attempt to construct truly cross-cultural definitions of power and politics, the class looks at examples of both centralized and un-centralized systems of authority and management. Topics include the management of cooperation and collective action in the absence of formal leadership roles; the use of informal mechanisms such as gossip, witchcraft, and influence; succession to office and the symbols and ceremonies surrounding the transfer of power; the construction of group identities based on race, ethnicity, and class; gender relations as a domain of political action; ethnicity, nationalism, and ethnic conflict; and the particular perspective anthropology can bring to the study of politics.

Credits: 1.00
Corequisite: None
Prerequisites: None
Major/Minor Restrictions: None
Class Restriction: No First-year
Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
Liberal Arts CORE: None
Formerly: SOAN 362

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