Anthropological Theory

Anthropological theory shapes what we see, what we question, and how we write. This course examines how anthropologists have theorized the social world, tracing key intellectual traditions. We ask: What forces shape the realities we study? How do concepts like culture, social structure, power, colonialism, and racial capitalism help us analyze the conditions of our time? What is the relationship between ethnography and theory, and how does theory inform anthropological writing? This course equips students with the theoretical tools necessary to critically engage with the field today and to develop their own independent research projects.