ANTH 50.34 Peoples of Oceania

The “Peoples of Oceania” course is an intentionally post-colonial and anti-racist approach to studying the vast and varied cultures of Oceania. We will focus on relationships between the religious, social, political, and economic systems in Oceania, rather than dividing weeks into the four geographic regions: Polynesia, Micronesia, Melanesia, and Australia, which have historically made up the foundation of many Pacific survey courses. Using the work of indigenous Tongan and Fijian scholar Epeli Hau’ofa (1939-2009) and his seminal text “We are the Ocean” as a guiding force, we will crisscross the atolls and islands that make up Oceania, creating a navigator’s chart of discussions and debates. Major themes discussed in class include: race/gender/class politics surrounding the ownership and control of cultural heritage, indigenous data sovereignty and intellectual property rights, and climate justice as social justice.

Instructor

Ferguson

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:INT or SOC; WCult:NW

The Timetable of Class Meetings contains the most up-to-date information about a course. It includes not only the meeting time and instructor, but also its official distributive and/or world culture designation. This information supersedes any information you may see elsewhere, to include what may appear in this ORC/Catalog or on a department/program website. Note that course attributes may change term to term therefore those in effect are those (only) during the term in which you enroll in the course.

Department-Specific Course Categories

CULT