Spring 2013 Philosophy of Culture Suggested Projects and Topics

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Philosophy of Culture: Suggested Projects and Topics

There are many, many possible additional topics for you to pursue in the Philosophy of Culture course. Some of these are good topics for short research papers, class presentations, or other projects. I will add to the list as the course proceeds, but here are some general and specific topics to help you find something of interest to you.

1. Read more about any of the anthropologists or schools of anthropology mentioned in Erikson.
2. Read more about marxist or freudian thought on culture.
3. Identify any cultural practice in Italian culture (a particular holiday and it's cultural significance, the Italian approach to _______ (fill in the blank with religion, politics, greetings, vacation habits, family life, marriage...) and report on it.
4. Look into the ways that globalism is affecting local culture (esp. in Italy). Have anthropologist used the HRAF to study italian culture?
5. Read more about bio-geography and its approaches to culture.
6. Read about supporters and critics of evolutionary explanations of culture. Reviews of Wilson's book, for example, are uneven. There is alot of disagreement amoung biologists about group selection. A class report on that from a biology student would be great.
7. Read more about the European encounter with "other" cultures in the "age of exploration" -- late 15th - 17th centuries. (Amerigo Vespucci?)
8. Following up on Wilson, Ch. 7, look into "unconscious racism" or other research on groupishness and tribalism. Sports behavior is also related.
9. Look into recent evidence of the decline of violence (connects with Wilson Chapter 8)
10. From Dennett's essay on the evolution of culture, you might pick up an interest in evolutionary explanations of the emergence of music.
11. Diamond's essay on "disastrous mistakes" cultures make references famous cases at the beginning. A short class presentation about any of those would be interesting (and count for 5-10%)
12. Study fascist culture in politics or art in Italy.
13. Go into further depth on Italian Neorealist film.