This course explores culture and gender from an anthropological perspective, using both films and written texts. Some of the films are fiction, some are nonfiction, some blur the line. All of the films have documentary or ethnographic value; they tell us something about the people they depict, the people who made them, and us, the viewer. By reading and watching films about other people and ourselves, you should learn the basic concepts of cultural anthropology and be able to apply them to any society. In addition, you should learn to think critically about films and other media. 

Learning Objectives

  • Use the basic concepts of cultural anthropology to think critically about cultural and media practices in any social context;
  • Understand the concepts of culture, ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, and human rights and be able to apply them to the world beyond the classroom;
  • Learn how to use the ethnographic method to understand cultural practices;
  • Analyze and think critically about documentary and ethnographic representations, including visual, filmic, and other media representations;
  • Explain how inequality at different scales is historically, politically, and culturally produced. 

In this course, you will

  • Watch at least one film in every module, including recent releases;
  • Reflect on the films in a journal;
  • Synthesize brief readings, Powerpoint videos introducing key concepts, and the films through regular online activities.