The Anthropology of Biology
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this course examining biology through the lens of cultural anthropology, looking at how genomics, biotechnology, biodiversity conservation, pharmaceutical bioprospecting, and synthetic biology are reshaping what counts as life. Readings draw on primary scientific literature, social studies of science, and literary and film sources to examine cell lines, biodiversity databases, and artificial life models as cultural artifacts. Topics include bioterrorism, genetic modification, and cloning as social concerns, framed around Erwin Schrodinger's 1944 question 'What Is Life?' The course materials include a syllabus, weekly readings, and assignments as posted on MIT's OpenCourseWare site. No video lectures are included, but the reading list and discussion structure give a full semester-length treatment of the subject. Free to access, with no certificate offered through OCW.