Sharing Syllabi: The Anthropology of Superheroes

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  • posted byAnna
  • dateSeptember 30, 2015
  • commentsComments Off on Sharing Syllabi: The Anthropology of Superheroes
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Jamon Halvaksz, Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), shares the syllabus for his Fall 2015 course, ANT 4843: The Anthropology of Superheroes.

The course, which is currently in Week 7, examines the world of superheroes as both an imagined universe and a fan culture. Students delve into classic anthropological concepts including gender, ethnicity, nature vs. culture, utopia/dystopia, media studies, ritual, creativity, etc. while considering comic and real world superheroes.

The list of course texts is creative, and in addition to purchasing their books, students were required to purchase a one-day ticket for the Alamo City Comic Con, which ran September 11-13, 2015. Documenting the comic con constitutes the fieldwork portion of the course.

Download and read the syllabus here.

We’re definitely looking forward to finding out how the course goes this semester and how things might change for future offerings.

If you have suggestions for other resources or readings for a course on the anthropology of superheroes or a related topic, please use the comment box below or send us a Tweet.

Many thanks to Dr. Halvaksz for sharing his syllabus!

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