ANTH 260 — Mexican Heritage and Contemporary Peoples (3 Credits, Varies)
This course will be divided into three distinct, yet related, segments. The first will provide an overview of the four major state-level pre-contact societies; those of the Olmec, Teotihuacano, Mayan, and Aztec peoples. The second will transition into an examination of the indigenous strongholds in current Mexico including the Mayan, Zapotec, Tarahumara, Huichol, and Nahua peoples and their adaptive strategies to maintain and revitalize their cultural traditions and language in an age of globalization. The course will also look at the mestizo identity most Mexicans claim and the Mexican-American realities of remittance economies, dual identities, and separated kin groups. The final segment of the course will focus on contemporary issues in Mexico relating to poverty, immigration, drug trafficking, political corruption, shifting religious attitudes, fluctuating subsistence patterns, and increasing ecological degradation. Successful completion of ENGL 101 is recommended prior to enrollment. (3 lecture hours, 0 lab hours, 3 credits)