This course is an introduction to cultural anthropology, the study of human societies and cultures. Students will examine the concept of culture in historical and global perspective, and learn tools for cross-cultural comparative analysis with an emphasis on critical thinking in relation to cultural values and practices, variation in human behavior, the organization of social life, and the making of cultural identity. Cross-cultural topics include subsistence, power and law, gender, family and kinship, language and intercultural communication, and the impact of globalization on human societies. Students will also learn fundamental concepts in anthropology to better understand the causes and conditions of our contemporary world.