SOC 308 Material Culture
Culture is meaning. Traditionally, meaning has been investigated in terms of ideas and structures of thought. This class aims to investigate an overlooked component of this traditional approach: the material world. Towards this end, we will analyze how material, whether objects, buildings or raw matter, inform and structure the interactions between people, as well as their perceptions and understandings of the world. While theoretical readings will guide this exploration, we will continuously draw from our own field research.