Anthropology and Education

ANTH

406

Anthropology and Education

The anthropology of education has a rich and varied history of investigating the linkages between culture and learning. Anthropologists studying education have sought to examine learning and academic achievement as ongoing social processes and as cultural products deeply embedded in broader historical, economic, political, social, and cultural frames. In this course, we will discuss selected works in the anthropology of education-- both classic and contemporary-- to understand the unique contributions anthropological perspectives make to the study of race, ethnicity, gender, class, and language in education. Special consideration is given to "bilingual" and "bicultural" (and "multicultural") education in the United States and elsewhere. Course readings will focus on formal schooling and informal education in the United States; an emphasis placed on studies of minority groups in public urban schools. Informed by the course readings, we will explore the following questions: What is a cultural analysis of schooling? What insights does ethnography-- anthropology's signature method-- provide to key educational issues, like achievement gaps, bilingual education, and uneven access to higher education?

Fall, Spring

Undergraduate

Yes

026561