Course Schedule and Catalog

Department: Anthropology

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Credit Hours: 3

Description: MONEY AND EVERYDAY LIFE ***** DISTRIBUTION COURSE GROUP 2 ***** Money is such a part of everday modern life that it is hard for us to imagine living wihout it. Yet in many pre-modern societies, gift-exchange was as important as money is in our own. This course will look at the cultural dimensions of systems of exchange, ranging from gift-giving among Northwest Coast Indians to foreign currency exchanges between financial institutions. Along with the classic work of Marx and Simmel on money and capital, we will also cover some of the anthropological work on gifts and exchange, such as that of Mauss, Levi-Strauss, and Bourdies, as well as some of the contemporary debates initiated by Bataille and Derrida. Repeatable for Credit.