Material Culture Environment

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This anthropologically grounded course examines objects, their properties, and materials through interdisciplinary lens, integrating insights from sociology, environmental studies, and science and technology studies to offer a holistic understanding of material culture. This approach will incorporate diverse perspectives and knowledge systems to explore the social, natural, and cultural connections within artifacts. Everyday life is marked by the transformation of resources sourced from the immediate environment into various objects, including food, garments, tools, furniture, houses, and weapons. These objects are inextricably linked to the specific loci, time, culture, and environment in which humans live. This phenomenon has been the focal point of extensive research in the area of social studies of science and technology. From an anthropological perspective, the objective of this course is to examine the life of artifacts as a means to understand how cultural practices influence environmental crises. With this perspective, we will explore the social life of artifacts, human and non-human agencies to modify environment, indigenous and ethnic knowledge, and sociolinguistics. Throughout the course, we will explore global examples of innovation, adaptation, and resilience through the lens of diverse identities, highlighting how cultural practices and material culture are fundamentally shaped by and reflective of identity differences. The students will gain hands-on experience through a series of learning-by-doing activities, including journal writing, group presentations on artifacts and food, and museum visits, which will be mechanisms for gathering, sharing, and learning experiences.