Money, Work, and Power: Culture and Economics

Economic activities take place within cultural contexts which define appropriate values and goals, and in societies varying in scale, technology, and organization. Looking cross-culturally, and at economic activities in societies such as the United States, this course examines the production, distribution, and consumption of material goods, analyzing these as essentially social activities - properly understood only when we take account of social relations and cultural values. Consequently, the course also investigates the extent to which the words commonly used to describe economic life, such as "market", "wealth", "price", "profit", "work", and "money", are culturally specific rather than universally applicable. At least one previous course in Anthropology or another social science is strongly recommended.