What is play? How does play form part of our social being and innermost sense of self? What importance do particular games hold not only in players’ intimate lives but also in social formations, from quirky subcultures to nations and empires? Historians of play contend that games precede formal philosophy and religion and are arguably the forgotten basis on which societies took shape. As a way of being in the world, play may be understood as a mode of symbolic action and of engagement with the object world. But playfulness is also something more than behavior and meaning alone; it is also that tacit context surrounding activity and signaling “this is play.” When we play today, we may be training or distracting our minds, creating or destroying entire worlds, teaching or transgressing ways of being in the world. Anytime we play a game we enter into it by free volition, yet we surrender our autonomy to its rules and constraints. Play is deeply paradoxical and paradoxically deep! This First_year Seminar will explore the bounding of time and space, the shaping of identities, the cultivation of skill, and the construction of social reality through play. Through ethnographic studies of virtual worlds, simulations, casinos, sports, and war games we will encounter new approaches to understanding imagination, labor, competition, hierarchy, and other key cultural ideas. In addition to outings to observe leisure spaces and film screenings, we will also play selected games, examine their mechanics, and reflect on their worlds of possibility. Finally, you will draw on course materials to design a game of your own and play-test it with classmates.

• Days/Times: F 1:30PM - 4:00PM
• Instructor: Angelini, Alessandro
• Room: Mergenthaler 439
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 12/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

"This First-Year Seminar is an introduction to the field of biological anthropology, which is broadly a mixture of social studies and biological studies that focus on human evolution and human biosocial variation. We will explore evolutionary theory and mechanisms of inheritance, the diversity of living primates, the fossil record, human evolution, and modern human biological variation. We will begin the semester by learning the basic principles of evolution and natural selection as proposed by Charles Darwin. We will then move on to consider the primate condition across species and through time. This involves examining the taxonomy of extant monkeys and apes as well as the fossil and archaeological record of our hominin ancestors that begins some 7 million years ago. This will involve excursions to local zoos and museums, as well as visits to labs right here at Hopkins. Following a survey of human biocultural evolution, we will consider how this history has influenced contemporary human biological variation.

• Days/Times: M 3:00PM - 5:30PM
• Instructor: Lans, Aja Marie
• Room: Mergenthaler 439
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 12/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

The question of what it means to be human requires continual investigation. Anthropology offers conceptual tools and an ethical groundwork for understanding humanity in all its diversity. This course familiarizes students with anthropological concepts and methods. We will engage in critical analysis of a broad range of subjects including language, exchange, class, race, gender, kinship, sexuality, religion, and capitalism.

• Days/Times: W 12:00PM - 1:15PM, M 12:00PM - 1:15PM
• Instructor: MacLochlainn, Scott
• Room: Mergenthaler 111
• Status: Reserved Open
• Seats Available: 4/15
• PosTag(s): ARCH-RELATE

The question of what it means to be human requires continual investigation. Anthropology offers conceptual tools and an ethical groundwork for understanding humanity in all its diversity. This course familiarizes students with anthropological concepts and methods. We will engage in critical analysis of a broad range of subjects including language, exchange, class, race, gender, kinship, sexuality, religion, and capitalism.

• Days/Times: W 12:00PM - 1:15PM, M 12:00PM - 1:15PM
• Instructor: MacLochlainn, Scott
• Room: Mergenthaler 111
• Status: Reserved Open
• Seats Available: 5/15
• PosTag(s): ARCH-RELATE

The question of what it means to be human requires continual investigation. Anthropology offers conceptual tools and an ethical groundwork for understanding humanity in all its diversity. This course familiarizes students with anthropological concepts and methods. We will engage in critical analysis of a broad range of subjects including language, exchange, class, race, gender, kinship, sexuality, religion, and capitalism.

• Days/Times: W 12:00PM - 1:15PM, M 12:00PM - 1:15PM
• Instructor: MacLochlainn, Scott
• Room: Mergenthaler 111
• Status: Reserved Open
• Seats Available: 3/15
• PosTag(s): ARCH-RELATE

The question of what it means to be human requires continual investigation. Anthropology offers conceptual tools and an ethical groundwork for understanding humanity in all its diversity. This course familiarizes students with anthropological concepts and methods. We will engage in critical analysis of a broad range of subjects including language, exchange, class, race, gender, kinship, sexuality, religion, and capitalism.

• Days/Times: W 12:00PM - 1:15PM, M 12:00PM - 1:15PM
• Instructor: MacLochlainn, Scott
• Room: Mergenthaler 111
• Status: Reserved Open
• Seats Available: 4/15
• PosTag(s): ARCH-RELATE

Who is the subject of mental illness? This course brings us into the study of mental illness and addiction by considering the relations, institutions, and vocabularies in which illness is embedded. It will bring us into the questions of the normal and the pathological, the shifting line of the normal, the quotidian experiences of madness within the scene of the domestic, and the ways in which mental illness is legitimated or denied by institutions. We will also work towards developing an anthropological perspective on mental health within the context of humanitarian intervention and assistance, global health policies and frameworks.

• Days/Times: T 10:30AM - 11:45AM, Th 10:30AM - 11:45AM
• Instructor: Han, Clara
• Room: Mergenthaler 426
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 5/14
• PosTag(s): CES-LSO, MSCH-HUM

This First-Year Seminar examines how Buddhist traditions understand and navigate death, dying, and the afterlife. More specifically, drawing on case studies from South, East, and Southeast Asia, the course investigates historical practices and contemporary adaptations, offering insights into how Buddhist communities confront mortality, support the dying, and honor the dead. Engaging with sacred texts, ethnographic accounts, visual media, and field trips (Buddhist temples, museums, parks, and cemeteries) students will gain a deeper understanding of the interplay between ritual, mythology, material culture, and cultural context in shaping Buddhist responses to life's ultimate transition.

• Days/Times: F 12:00PM - 2:30PM
• Instructor: Kim, Sujung
• Room: Mergenthaler 426
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 12/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

Who is the subject of mental illness? This course brings us into the study of mental illness and addiction by considering the relations, institutions, and vocabularies in which illness is embedded. It will bring us into the questions of the normal and the pathological, the shifting line of the normal, the quotidian experiences of madness within the scene of the domestic, and the ways in which mental illness is legitimated or denied by institutions. We will also work towards developing an anthropological perspective on mental health within the context of humanitarian intervention and assistance, global health policies and frameworks.

• Days/Times: T 10:30AM - 11:45AM, Th 10:30AM - 11:45AM
• Instructor: Han, Clara
• Room: Mergenthaler 426
• Status: Waitlist Only
• Seats Available: 0/14
• PosTag(s): CES-LSO, MSCH-HUM

This course explores the craft of ethnography as a mode of research and writing fundamental to anthropology. Through the close reading of several ethnographic works, we will consider the intertwining of description, local concepts, and analysis. We will undertake several observation and writing exercises to learn how to write in an ethnographic mode and translate field research into lively texts.

• Days/Times: W 1:30PM - 4:00PM
• Instructor: Procupez, Valeria
• Room: Mergenthaler 426
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 6/15
• PosTag(s): ARCH-RELATE

Baltimore is often described as "a city of neighborhoods." But what exactly does this mean? In this class we will use the tools of urban anthropology to disentangle the notion of "neighborhood," inquiring how it is defined by spatial contours, layouts and material histories; and asking about the vibes, experiences, and cultural traits that characterize neighborhoods and distinguish them from one another. We will engage in an on-the ground, hands-on exploration of a local neighborhood to collectively craft a biography of its lived and built environments. First, we will examine how city-wide and local events might leave marks on the experiences of local dwellers and the stories of the urban landscape, and we will use these as entry points for tracing the life of the neighborhood. We will do archival research to learn how the neighborhood has been shaped by power relations as well as resistance, how it has changed through shifts in capital investment, zoning and political decision-making, and flows of populations. Then, we will refresh our skills in various methods of urban ethnography, such as participant observation among local residents and organizations, in-depth interviews, life-stories, kinship charts, and narrative maps, that will allow us to trace individual trajectories as well as the unfolding, in time and space, of buildings and urban areas. Our aim will be to map out variety of affects and dynamics of contemporary urban everyday life.

• Days/Times: M 4:00PM - 6:30PM
• Instructor: Procupez, Valeria
• Room: Mergenthaler 426
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 5/15
• PosTag(s): CES-CC, CES-RI

Students are invited to attend, for credit, the departmental research colloquium in anthropology. The colloquium meets most (but not all) Tuesday afternoons during the semester. Students are expected to attend and listen, encouraged to ask questions when they wish, and to write one brief reflection on contemporary trends in the field, based on what they have observed during these sessions. This course does not apply to Anthropology major or minors towards their minimum department requirement. It counts towards your total credit requirement to degree.

• Days/Times: T 12:00PM - 1:30PM
• Instructor: Khan, Naveeda; Lans, Aja Marie
• Room: Mergenthaler 426
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 7/20
• PosTag(s): n/a

The Environmental Justice Workshop is a space for engaged learning and collaborative environmental work, giving students a chance to join in the collective struggle to build equitable and sustainable urban futures in Baltimore. In the fall of 2025, the workshop will be taught by anthropologist Anand Pandian (Johns Hopkins) as a cross-institutional partnership with anthropologist Chloe Ahmann (Cornell University) and the South Baltimore Community Land Trust. Working together as a team of faculty and students at both universities, we will collaborate with environmental justice activists and Baltimore residents to research, write, and produce a four-part digital humanities curriculum about the discriminatory history of waste management in Baltimore and its impact on working-class and minority residents. Students enrolled in this course will gain experience with archival and ethnographic research methods, learn how to conduct time-sensitive research responsive to community needs, and produce media resources for a broader civic audience engaged in the fight for environmental justice. Many class sessions will take place in various community locations in south Baltimore, and meeting times include transportation to/from the Homewood campus.

• Days/Times: Th 1:30PM - 5:00PM
• Instructor: Pandian, Anand
• Room: Mergenthaler 426
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 5/15
• PosTag(s): ENVS-MAJOR, ENVS-MINOR, CES-CC, CES-LE, CES-RI, AGRI-ELECT

Anthropologist Irma McLaurin explains that Black feminist anthropologists are “Black women (first) who do anthropology (second).” Broadly, Black feminism is based on the notion that Black women and their knowledge matter. Being Black and female within a patriarchal white supremacist society subjects Black women to unique experiences that give insight into the many forms that oppression can take. But Black feminisms and Black feminists are not homogenous. There are various political views and disciplinary approaches. Of course, not all Black feminists are academics—there are artists, organizers, and mothers. There are different gender identities and sexualities. What is shared among Black feminists is an emphasis on retrieving and (re)producing Black women’s knowledge, doing activist work, and a commitment to humanism. In this course, we focus on engagements with Black feminism in all subfields of anthropology.

• Days/Times: T 4:00PM - 6:30PM
• Instructor: Lans, Aja Marie
• Room: Mergenthaler 439
• Status: Waitlist Only
• Seats Available: 0/8
• PosTag(s): n/a

This course will trace the history of an idea - how to make the human body physically immortal - in two Indian systems of knowledge, Yoga and Ayurveda. The course will follow the development of this idea in both theory and practice in the ancient and medieval Indian world. Beginning with accounts of immortal humans that are found in early Sanskrit literature, the course will move on to the elaboration of yogic practice in the tantric movements and to the refinements to alchemical theory (rasāyana-śāstra) in Ayurvedic texts. The course will then move to the emergence of postural yoga (haṭha-yoga) as an independent discipline, which marks a new phase in the pursuit of corporeal immortality. Throughout we will keep track of competing theories of the body - its systems, components, processes, subtle dimensions, channels, centers, layers of physicality, and interactions with breath and spirit - as these form the ground on which to apply bespoke, immortality-creating methods.

• Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 1:15PM
• Instructor: Minkowski, Christopher Zand
• Room: Mergenthaler 426
• Status: Waitlist Only
• Seats Available: 0/16
• PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM

The knowledge and practices of science and medicine are not as self-evident as they may appear. When we observe, what do we see? What counts as evidence? How does evidence become fact? How do facts circulate and what are their effects? Who is included in and excluded from our common-sense notions of science, medicine, and technology? This course will introduce students to central theoretical concerns in Science and Technology Studies and the Medical Humanities, focusing on enduring problematics that animate scholars. In conjunction with examinations of theoretical bases, students will learn to evaluate the methodological tools used in different fields in the humanities to study the production and circulation of scientific knowledge and the structures of medical care and public health. This problem-centered approach will help students understand and apply key concepts and approaches in critical studies of science, technology, and medicine.

• Days/Times: TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
• Instructor: Puglionesi, Alicia Gladys
• Room: Maryland 217
• Status: Reserved Open
• Seats Available: 2/18
• PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM, CES-TI

This course critically examines the role of exhibitions in shaping cultural narratives and public understanding of people and places across the globe. Students will explore the history, theory, and practice of exhibiting cultures in museums, galleries, and digital platforms. Topics include curatorial ethics, representation and identity, postcolonial critiques, audience engagement, and the impact of emerging technologies on exhibition design. Through case studies and hands-on projects, students will analyze how cultural heritage is displayed and interpreted, considering issues of appropriation, authenticity, and inclusivity. The course culminates in a final project where students conceptualize and design their own cultural exhibition proposal.

• Days/Times: Th 1:30PM - 4:00PM
• Instructor: Roome, Kristine
• Room:  
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 7/15
• PosTag(s): CDS-SSMC

What does it mean that until relatively recently, the center of queer/trans culture was the underground – a metaphorical space of illegality – and what are the political possibilities of such illegality? This seminar will consider how Black/trans fugitivity and interracial sex, trans identity theft and forgery, black market hormones and silicone injections, sex work, and mood-altering drugs defined same-sex desiring and gender-variant cultures during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Far from being a lawless place, we will analyze how life in the underground, including stints in prison, concretely shaped gender and sexual possibilities, subcultural codes of conduct, and practices of community-making.

• Days/Times: Th 2:30PM - 5:00PM
• Instructor: Amin, Kadji
• Room:  
• Status: Waitlist Only
• Seats Available: 0/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

We live in a world of global consumption. This course introduces students to the birth of global consumer culture in the period from the 1600s through to the American, French and Haitian revolutions. These revolutions were themselves sold to consumers through “revolutionary things”, and this period witnessed the first major consumer boycotts against slave-produced goods. Students will examine the histories of many key commodities involved in the “consumer revolution”, including fashion items such as shoes, wigs, clothing and accessories. A significant portion of the course will examine addictive stimulants like sugar, coffee, tea and tobacco, globalized and imperial goods which became common for the first time in this period. We shall see how production of these goods involved new forms of racialized exploitation; simultaneously, we shall explore the diversity of people involved in the consumer revolution, studying the consumption of important new goods by people living in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. By the end of the class, students will understand how the emergence of mass consumption affected the global politics of race, gender and class, with especially important consequences for women and non-elite men. Students will examine objects lauded for their politeness, decorative appeal, and cultural importance such as porcelain tea sets, snuffboxes, and fans. Students will choose their own objects for a student presentation and research project.

• Days/Times: TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
• Instructor: Roberts, Anna May
• Room: Gilman 119
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 10/20
• PosTag(s): HIST-US, HIST-EUROPE, CES-FT, CES-GI, CES-PD, CES-RI, INST-GLOBAL

Although fundamentally grounded in human existence, Illness, pain, and suffering are also cultural experiences that have been depicted in literature and film. The way different cultures relate to and convey pain is embedded in the cosmogonic ideas each society holds about suffering and its outcomes. Reading through different literary texts from different parts of the world and drawing on movies that portray varied experiences of illness, this course aims to help students think about illness and its ramifications in a more transcultural way in order to understand how illness functions across different geographic, climatic, political, and social conditions. The students will also gain a better understanding of the causes of pain, its symptoms, and the different manners in which the authors and filmmakers whose works we will study mediate it to their readers and viewers. From basic traditional potions to hyper-modern medical technologies, illness also mobilizes different types of science across cultures and social classes. By the end of the course, students will develop an ethics of reading for illness not a as monolithic condition but rather as an experience that has unique cultural codes and mechanisms that need to be known to better understand it and probably treat it.

• Days/Times: T 1:30PM - 4:00PM
• Instructor: El Guabli, Brahim
• Room:  
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 3/14
• PosTag(s): CDS-GI, MSCH-HUM

On 13 October 2022, a middle-aged upper-middle class Chinese man staged a public political protest on an elevated road in Beijing. Peng Lifa, or “Bridge Man,” as he has become known in allusion to Tank Man from the Tiananmen demonstrations in 1989, demanded elections and reforms. How have urban Chinese been able to be so content or even happy despite their lack of political freedom? The class readings will introduce you to different kinds of activists who have confronted the authoritarian state since the late 1990s, among them human rights lawyers, reporters, environmental activists, feminists, religious activists, and labor activists. We will ask whether freedom, an obviously Western notion, is useful as an analytical category to think about China. Does freedom translate across the West/non-West divide?

• Days/Times: TTh 4:30PM - 5:45PM
• Instructor: Henning, Stefan
• Room: Gilman 219
• Status: Waitlist Only
• Seats Available: 0/15
• PosTag(s): INST-CP, CES-LSO

Ever since the Chinese Empire fell in 1911, Chinese have tried to think of themselves as modern and to build a modern Chinese state. Among the Western concepts that Chinese appropriated to define and comprehend themselves were the notions of ethnicity, culture, nationality, and race. We will try to answer the following questions: What was the allure of arcane and elusive Western categories on culture, ethnicity, and race for Chinese scientists in the 20th century, and how did these categories come to underpin the rule of the Chinese state over its enormous population since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949? How have the Chinese state’s policies on nationality and ethnicity shaped the minds of American China scholars as they study ethnicity and nationality in China?

• Days/Times: TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
• Instructor: Henning, Stefan
• Room: Mergenthaler 266
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 3/15
• PosTag(s): INST-CP, INST-GLOBAL, CES-RI