Alcohol consumption has long been a common practice in many cultures, with a history that goes back thousands of years. This course takes an anthropological approach to the consumption of alcohol in cross-cultural perspective, considering the diversity in practices surrounding drinking from the point of view of cultural and linguistic anthropology, with some material from the fields of biological anthropology and archaeology. Through anthropological studies of drinking cultures, we will focus on the many cultural meanings that surround alcohol and the places and situations in which it is consumed. Some of the topics we will cover include: \drinking and social identity; cultural ideas about gender and drinking; cultural understandings of alcohol abuse; "drunk talk" across cultures; and archaeological and biological evidence for drinking cultures in the past and the origins of drinking. Learning objectives for this course include: 1. Increase awareness of the role that culture plays in the consumption and experience of alcohol, as well as of the diversity of cultural meanings surrounding the consumption of alcohol. 2. Contribute to a class ethnography of the role alcohol plays in American culture and subcultures. (Drinking is neither required nor encouraged in the fulfillment of the coursework). 3. Examine the cultural frameworks in which alcohol production and consumption are understood in different cultures

Students will be required to participate actively in the course. This course is an intensive, all-online class that runs for 6 weeks.

An essay midterm and final, several assignments and participation all count towards your final grade.