The goal of cultural anthropology is to understand how people in different places produce cultural, economic, and symbolic systems that regulate their lives. During this class we will learn about the cultural practices of people around the world, in order to broaden our understanding of how culture structures and patterns the lives of different groups, and to gain a better understanding of ourselves. We will begin by looking closely at the concept of culture as the central theme in anthropology, and how culture patterns human behaviour. We will also look at the historical development of social and economic systems, the role of language in culture, and various systems of political power.
a)To provide an understanding of the ways political actions and events are informed by ideas of the state, of political membership, and of human action.
(b).To equip the students with the knowledge to evaluate political events and developments in the light of the ideologies covered, and to evaluate the ideologies in application to political or other appropriate events.