Sex, Money and Power: Anthropology of Intimacy and Exchange
ANTH 203
Spring 2009
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
FGSS 223 |
This course focuses on the dense exchanges between money and sex/intimacy in various cultural and historical contexts, from the normalized arrangement of sex/money in marriage to the stigmatized arrangement of sex/money in sex work. We will combine recent ethnographic explorations of the relationships between sex/intimacy and money/commodification with interdisciplinary analysis of capitalism, globalization, and neoliberalism. Case studies will be drawn from: sex work and tourism; marketing and pornography; reproduction, domestic labor, transnational adoption; marriage; class and sexual lifestyle; labor and carework; the global market in organs and body parts; outsourced surrogacy; sex stores and commodities; and sexual activism and identity politics. Throughout, we will ask: How do practices or bodies gain value? How are intimacies--sexual and social--commoditized? Who benefits from such arrangements, and who does not? And finally, how are transnational flows complicating relationships between sex and money in a variety of sites? |
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Essential Capabilities:
Intercultural Literacy
Intercultural literacy: the course is a cross-cultural investigation of the differential ways sex and money, intimacy and exchange come together. Readings are ethnographic, and focus on multiple cultures (Thailand, the US, the Carribbean, Russia, India) in their own context, and in comparison.
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS ANTH |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (ANTH)(CSCT)(FGSS)(HRAD-MN)(STS) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Lisa Roffel, DESIRING CHINA
Ara Willson, INTIMATE ECONOMIES OF THAILAND
Katherine Frank, G-STRINGS AND SYMPATHY
Wendy Chapkis, LIVE SEX ACTS: WOMEN PERFORMING EROTIC LABOR
Lisa Duggan, TWILIGHT OF EQUALITY
Rosemary Hennessey, PROFIT AND PLEASURE
Arle Hochschild, THE MANAGED HEART: THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF HUMAN FEELING.
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Examinations and Assignments:
Attendance and participation; in-class discussion leader/presenter; 6 reading response papers; final paper. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Readings are still under consideration; email me at mdweiss@wesleyan.edu if you would like the finalized list of course texts. |
| Instructor(s): Weiss,Margot Times: ..T.R.. 02:40PM-04:00PM; Location: ANTH6; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 15 | | SR major: 5 | JR major: 10 | | |
| Seats Available: 0 | GRAD: 0 | SR non-major: 0 | JR non-major: 0 | SO: 0 | FR: X |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 4 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 1 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 1 | Unranked: 2 |
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