ARTH 298 - Museum Anthropology

This course introduces students to the history and practice of museum anthropology and to contemporary issues in the field, particularly the transformation of the legal and ethical frameworks in which collecting institutions operate. Students will learn to think critically about the discipline of museum anthropology and about the ways in which collecting institutions engage with and represent people and cultures through the collection, display, and interpretation of the cultural objects humans produce and/or use. Through object-based learning with Wheaton’s Permanent Collection, students will also practice some of the skills used by anthropologists and other staff who work in collecting institutions.

Credits 4

Notes
From time to time, departments design a new course to be offered either on a one-time basis or an experimental basis before deciding whether to make it a regular part of the curriculum. Last offered Spring 2019.