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Mar 18, 2026
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Undergraduate Catalog 2026-2027
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ANT 203 Magic, Witchcraft and Religion Credits: (3)
This course examines the nature and evolution of religious beliefs and practices across cultures. Many different cosmologies, mythologies, rituals, and magical systems of thought - such as animism, totemism, witchcraft, sorcery, and shamanism - will be explored from an anthropological perspective. Emphasis will be placed on the religions of indigenous societies and their unique cultural contexts. Students will also consider the role that religion plays in promoting cultural stability and in expressing patterns of cultural change due to colonialism and globalization.
SUNY Gen Ed Area(s): DEISJ, Humanities, Social Sciences, World History & Global Awareness
Designation(s): Liberal Arts
Learning Outcomes
- Recognize and apply key terms and concepts related to the functionalist, structuralist, materialist, and cognitive anthropological approaches to religion, ritual and myth.
- Compare and contrast religious beliefs and practices of societies such as shamanism, magic, myth, ritual, witchcraft, and animism from an anthropological point of view.
- Identify various cultural factors (political, social, or economic) that may influence various religious practices and beliefs.
- Trace the cultural evolution of religion and the role that it plays in different types of cultures.
- Recognize the role of colonization and globalization in affecting supernatural beliefs and practices over time.
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