ANSO 300

ANSO 300, also known as Modern Theories of Society and Culture, and informally as Modern Theories, is a survey course of anthropological and sociological theory offered at Knox. It counts for 1 credit. It is currently taught by Jill Wightman.

Course Description

Official Course Description

"Major nineteenth and twentieth century theorists are discussed, with particular attention given to the emergence of the disciplines of anthropology and sociology and the types of social theory that have been developed. Majors should take this course in the junior year."

Credits and Prerequisites

The course is worth one credit. It does not satisfy any Competency Requirements or Foundation Requirements. It is a required course for a major in Anthropology & Sociology. The prerequisite is two courses in the ANSO department.

Texts

• Parkin, Frank. (2003). "Max Weber." ISBN 978-0415285292
• Singer, Peter. (2000). "Marx: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions X)." ISBN 978-0192854056.
• Trouillot, Michel-Rolph. (1997). "Silencing the Past." ISBN 978-0807043110.

Course Format

The course is taught primarily in student-led seminar format. A substantial amount of reading is assigned for each class meeting, and a group of two or three students is charged with leading the discussion for that class day. In addition to the texts for purchase, the class relies heavily on reserves, most of which are on Moodle. The class covers Marx, Weber, and Foucault in significant detail, including primary and secondary texts. Postmodernism, and Trouillot's explanation of the manipulation of history are secondary subjects. In general, the course focuses more on sociological aspects than anthropological aspects, in part because the professor, Jill Wightman, is a sociologist.

Course Schedule

The course is currently offered in two sections during Winter Term.

2007-2008

Term	Section	Days	Period	Location	Instructor
Winter 2008	1	TT	3s		Jill Wightman
Winter 2008	2	TT	5s		Jill Wightman

2006-2007

Term	Section	Days	Period	Location	Instructor
Winter 2007	1	TT	3s	GDH 309B	Jill Wightman
Winter 2007	2	TT	5s	GDH 309B	Jill Wightman

2005-2006

Term	Section	Days	Period	Location	Instructor
Winter 2006	1	MWF	3, 4 (W only)	OM 311	Chad Broughton

Reviews

It's really easy to fall behind in the reading in this course, so everybody does it, but it means the seminars start to get awfully quiet around the end of the term. Professor Wightman threatened to require reflection papers, but never did, much to everyone's relief. The class is designed to de-emphasize lecture, sometimes overly so – some people had a lot of problem with it, others didn't. -taken Winter Term 2007, with Jill Wightman