Topics in Anthropology (490-0-22)
Topic
Current Developments and Debates in Human Biology
Instructors
Christopher W Kuzawa
847/467-4302
1810 Hinman Ave., Room #A63, EV Campus
Kuzawa is a biological anthropologist and epidemiologist with interests in evolutionary theory and health. He conducts fieldwork in collaboration with a large 40-year study in the Philippines, which has tracked multiple generations across their lives. Topics that his research addresses include the importance of early life adversity on adult health, the intergenerational and epigenetic determinants of health, the hormonal changes that accompany fatherhood, and the energetics and evolution of the human brain. He is Professor of Anthropology, a Faculty Fellow in the Institute for Policy Research, Director of the Health Inequality Network and an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Meeting Info
ANTHRO Sem Rm 104 - 1810 Hinmn: Wed 11:00AM - 1:50PM
Overview of class
This seminar will survey current trends in the study of DNA within the social sciences, with a focus on leading edge questions, debates and controversies. We will read current book length treatments of topics, along with shorter pieces that provide complementary or conflicting perspectives. The line up of books and topics will be finalized as a class, but will likely include (but not be limited to) recent work that uses ancient DNA to reconstruct the past migrations and relatedness of human populations, the use of DNA as a tool to reconnect with ancestral African populations in the African diaspora, current controversies around the relevance of genetics to health inequality and social mobility, and emerging debates around the ethical and societal implications of gene editing (CRISPR) technology. We will lay a foundation for engagement with these literatures through critical readings of historical antecedents to these fields.
Registration Requirements
Graduate Students Only
Learning Objectives
Gain fluency in current developments, debates and controversies in the social implications of current genomic work
Teaching Method
Discussion based seminar
Evaluation Method
Class participation, leading discussions, reaction papers, final paper
Class Materials (Required)
Reading materials will be made available via pdf
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Graduate Students.