Senior Seminar: Politics and Symbols

Examination of the key role played by symbols in politics. We examine symbols, myths, and rituals used to win support, create political reality, and form political groups, whether in defense of the status quo or creating movements seeking to overthrow it. The 2016 U.S. presidential, congressional, state, and local political campaigns receive attention. Students, in part working in groups, will engage in original research both on the 2016 American elections and a wide variety of historical and contemporary political developments, from ISIS and the Arab Spring to the American anti-abortion movement. Prerequisites: two previous courses in anthropology.