ANT 420 - Urban Anthropology

Credits: 3

Prerequisite(s): ANT 201.
Urban anthropology is the study of human beings and their cultural institutions in cities. The focus of the course will be on urbanism (i.e., how large, dense, heterogeneous settlements shape behavior) and urbanization. We will look at the strategies people, both as individuals and in groups, use to cope with the demands posed by urban environments. The approach will be comparative, drawing on research completed in all parts of the world. In the last third of the course, we will focus on our own society as we examine the rise and decline of American cities and towns.