Child and Youth Cultures

This first year seminar addresses childhood from two linked but distinctive theoretical perspectives. First, what is childhood? Rather than assuming it is a universal category, we will explore how childhood has been constructed differently through history and across cultures, in opposition to infancy, youth, and adulthood. Second, who are children? In contrast to conventional representations of young people as passive objects of socialization, we will review anthropological conceptions of children and youth as social actors with respect to identity formation, cultural expression, and political economy. Enrollment limited to 19 first year students.