SOAN 232 - Anthropology of Gender

Why are the roles males and females play in society so variable across cultures? How much of a role does environment play in traditional subsistence patterns and gender roles? How are other gender/sexual identities treated cross-culturally? Why do these roles and identities seem to change over time? This course explores the universal anthropological patterns of a sexual division of labor and variability in gender roles from several different angles. What types of activities are generally performed by men/by women - and why? How might this general pattern have evolved? How much of this pattern is related to basic properties of the environment, population density, and basic subsistence patterns? What cannot be generalized? Which aspects of either the division of labor or gender roles are culturally variable? How might we explain this pattern? The course focuses on learning to identify arguments in the anthropological literature, to develop analytical strategies for studying division of labor and gender roles, and question the utility of distinguishing anthropology of gender as a special field of study. We also explore contemporary issues related to gender from an anthropological perspective. Student interests help structure the latter portion of the course.

Social Perspectives and Intercultural Interconnecting Perspectives course of the Dialogues.

Credit(s): 3
When Offered: Spring Only