Course Schedule and Catalog

Department: Anthropology

Meeting: 2:30PM - 3:45PM TR (24-AUG-2026 - 4-DEC-2026) 

Part of Term: Full Term

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Language of Instruction: Taught in English

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Method of Instruction: Face to Face

Credit Hours: 3

 

Section Max Enrollment: 20

Section Enrolled: 6

Waitlisted: 0 (Max 99) 

Current members of the waitlist have priority for available seats.

Enrollment data as of: 26-APR-2026 11:58AM

 

 

Final Exam: No Final Exam

 

Description: In a world of rapidly changing technologies, consumers and their commodities are now central to economic growth in most parts of the world. Consumer spending remains resilient, accounting for the bulk of economic activity in the world’s largest economies. Where do the resources come from to sustain such growth, and for whom? What are the conditions that facilitated this current social, political economic climate? This course is an anthropological approach to the study of consumption and the processes that entangle people and objects together on a global scale. Throughout the course we will examine how consumption practices shape the modern world by emphasizing its impact on individual behaviors, the environment, the economy and public policy. This class will address a wide variety of processes involved in the creation, exchange and, consumption of commodities in a global historical context. Special attention will be paid to labor practices and social identities that are intricately tied to the way human consume and the material objects they acquire. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for ANTH 319 if student has credit for ANTH 519.