Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
3 credits · 3 lecture per week · On campus
Introduces the discipline of cultural anthropology and its distinctive approach to understanding human diversity. Students examine culture, language, kinship, economic life, political organization, religion, gender, race and ethnicity through ethnographic case studies drawn from around the world. The course emphasizes cultural relativism, the ethics of fieldwork, and the critical analysis of colonialism, globalization and migration. Students practise participant observation and ethnographic writing, and learn to connect everyday experiences in their own communities to broader social and historical forces. The course provides a foundation for further study in the social sciences and for work in intercultural settings.
Effective Sep 8, 2026 · Part of Bachelor of Arts
Course learning outcomes (5)
- Explain the central concepts of cultural anthropology, including culture, cultural relativism, ethnocentrism and holism, using ethnographic examples.
- Compare how kinship, economic exchange, political organization and religion are structured across different societies.
- Conduct a short participant-observation exercise and record field notes that separate description from interpretation.
- Analyze the effects of colonialism, globalization and migration on cultural identities and inequalities.
- Write clear, evidence-based ethnographic analyses that apply ethical principles of respect, consent and reciprocity.