AP/ANTH 2160 3.00 Growing Up Human: The Anthropology of Childhood
Course Offering Fall/Winter 2026-27
This course explores childhood across cultures from an anthropological perspective. Through ethnographic case studies, students examine how societies define growing up and how social, cultural, political, and economic factors shape childhood and youth. The course highlights anthropological approaches to childhood, revealing both universal patterns and culturally specific practices in children's lives across diverse global contexts.
Key topics include the concept of childhood in different societies, child-rearing practices, and the ways children are socialized into social roles, including those related to gender, kinship, and community. We also examine the impact of globalization on youth, children's agency and autonomy, and the intersections of childhood with political and economic inequalities. Special attention is given to marginalized and underrepresented childhoods, such as those of Indigenous, migrant, and refugee children.
The course also explores historical anthropological approaches to childhood, drawing on key texts by noted anthropologists such as Margaret Mead, whose work has shaped the field. Throughout the course, students critically engage with ethnographic texts, films, and children's narratives to analyze how children participate in and shape their social worlds. Emphasis is placed on the lived experiences of children, their capacity for agency, and their roles as active cultural producers. By the end of the course, students will have a nuanced understanding of how anthropologists study childhood and how these perspectives can inform broader discussions about human societies and the futures of global youth.