ANTH 2807 - COMMUNITY ARCHAEOLOGY AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTS

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
Why and for whom do we study the past? Is community archaeology the new "New Archaeology"? Archaeology is performed in a variety of political and economic settings and for a range of reasons. In this class, we will examine the multiple stakeholders involved in the archaeological enterprise, and the often-conflicting demands they place on archaeologists as academics and citizens, with the goal of developing strategies that can improve diversity in the subfield and communication to non-academic groups. At a basic level, this class explores two interrelated questions: What "should" be the ultimate goals of archaeology? To what degree do we need to change what archaeology does to accomplish what it "should"? To address these concerns, we'll examine major criticisms of how archaeologists have interacted with communities and publics, but much of our time will focus on correctives that seek to overcome these limitations. In particular, we will consider calls for diverse "archaeologies" which incorporate alternate models and experiences of the past but sometimes challenge our basic notions about the field. We will also discuss the responsibilities that archaeologists have to communities and how we might envision future collaborative community archaeologies, even when the past is a painful topic. This is also a writing-intensive course. Writing assignments, revisions, and presentations are designed to help you practice and polish your writing. I will give you detailed feedback on drafts, and we will also peer-review sections in class. I strongly encourage you to pay attention to the feedback you receive from your professor and colleagues in your revised drafts and beyond this class.
Academic Career: Graduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: Grad LG/SNC Basis

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