ANTHR 1189

FWS: Witchcraft, Insurance, and Terror

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2014-2015.

'A brutal typhoon kills 6,300 people in the Philippines!' 'A lone wolf terrorist ends the lives of 77 people in Norway!' 'A driverless train carrying 72 boxcars of crude oil explodes in Canada!' All of these statements refer to events in which foreseeable and unforeseeable conditions intermingle, and unintended and intended acts mix. In a chance-filled world of unavoidable violence, this course asks: how do social institutions distribute responsibility for experiences of loss? Drawing on anthropological research, noir fiction, and the philosophy of design, this seminar aims to denaturalize the cultural production of misfortune and the quintessential spaces of its management, from insurance offices to climate conferences. Writing assignments will encourage students to 'think dangerously' and to juxtapose academic texts alongside non-academic artifacts.

When Offered Spring.

Satisfies Requirement First-Year Writing Seminar.

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