Anthropological Theory
MIT OpenCourseWare presents a semester-long survey of the social theories that shape anthropological analysis. The syllabus works through major theoretical propositions on agency, structure, subjectivity, history, social change, power, culture, and the politics of representation. Each perspective gets examined on three levels: its explanatory power for understanding human behavior, the historical and social context that produced it, and its place in ongoing scholarly debates. Materials include the full reading list, lecture topics, and assignments used in the MIT course, letting students follow the same weekly progression through foundational and contemporary anthropological thought. No enrollment or certificate is offered; this is open courseware for self-study, free to access under MIT's Creative Commons license.