LAST 320
Fall 2008 not offered
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| Crosslisting:
ANTH 320, RELI 471, AFAM 319 |
Traditions of witchcraft and sorcery in the Afro-Atlantic world have been dismissed as backward, superstitious practices incompatible with modernization. As the atavistic remnants of an archaic past, so the argument goes, these practices were supposed to have faded away with modern advances in technology, education, and economic development. Yet, there is convincing evidence to suggest just the opposite--that is, witchcraft and sorcery in the Afro-Atlantic world have been more a response to modern exigencies than the lingering cultural vestiges of a bygone era. This seminar will critically examine the modernity of witchcraft and sorcery in the Afro-Atlantic world. We will look at how both the historical experience associated with slavery and colonialism are refracted through magical and ritual imagery and the ways in which these spectral, yet embodied histories continue to shape how these communities interpret and react to global economic forces and the circulation of hidden forms of power-knowledge. |
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Essential Capabilities:
None |
| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS LAST |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (ANTH)(LAST)(RELI) |
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