ANTH367 Social and Cultural Perspectives on Witchcraft and Sorcery
Course Description
Beliefs about people with extraordinary powers to cause harm or good are found in societies of different types and in different periods in history. This course examines such beliefs in a number of different cultural, geographical, and historical contexts in order to demonstrate ways in which anthropologists and other social scientists approach the more general problem of understanding the function of belief systems in human society. The course does not teach techniques of witchcraft or sorcery.

Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher or permission of instructor.
Course Video
Video IntroductionClosed Captioned
Academic Information
Credits: 3
Distribution Area: World Cultures.
Schedule & Fee
Dates: Jun 1 - Aug 26
Class #: 1448
Course Fee: $960
Lab Fee: $0
Total Course Fee: $960
Instructor
Barbara Worley
barbara.worley@umb.edu | Bio
Book Information
Students must purchase these four inexpensive paperbacks (any edition is acceptable).
  1. Narby, Jeremy and Frances Huxley (2001/2004) Shamans Through Time: 500 Years on the Path to Knowledge. Tarcher Press. ISBN: 0500283273 or 0500510709
  2. Stoller, Paul (1997) Fusion of the Worlds: An Ethnography of Possession Among the Songhay of Niger. Univ. of Chicago Press. ISBN: 0226775453
  3. Boyer, Paul and Stephen Nissenbaum (1974/1997) Salem Possessed, The Social Origins of Witchcraft. Harvard Univ. Press / MJF Books. ISBN: 0674785266
  4. Luhrmann, Tanya (1991) Persuasions of the Witch’s Craft: Ritual Magic in Contemporary England. Harvard Univ. Press. ISBN: 0674663241
  5. All other materials are provide free to students, online.
Wimba Requirement
UMB online courses use Wimba classroom (a live discussion tool) at least twice during the semester. Information about Horizon Wimba can be found at www.dlvpc.umb.edu/wimbasupport.htm. Your course instructor will inform you about dates and times of course meetings in Wimba Classroom.