ANT 314: Anthropology of Magic, Witchcraft and Sorcery

3 credits

Human existence cannot be fully understood without understanding the deeply held emotional beliefs and rituals we express in order to make sense of the universe. This course will explore one area of belief and ritual, that of magic and witchcraft, from an anthropological and cross-cultural perspective. Magic can loosely be defined as an ideology grounded in the assumption that a supernatural universe exists; witchcraft-loosely the practice of magic-is grounded on the assumption that humans can manipulate aspects of the supernatural. This course will examine how and why magical ideology operates within cultures; magical healing and harm; magical deviance and social control; the ritual process; the roles of magical practitioners such as shaman, witch, sorcerer, and magician; entities of the supernatural worlds such as demons and angels; magic in history; and magical practice within contemporary cultures. Offered even Fall (2018, 2020).

Prerequisite(s): ANT 100 or sophomore standing.
Co-requisite(s): None.