ANTH 3016 Field Work in Anthropology, Summer 2019

Poster for ANTH 3016 Field Work in Anthropology.

Urban Archaeological Research
Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn

July 24–August 15, 2019
Summer Session II
Monday–Friday: 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
3 credits

Brooklyn has been undergoing rapid waves of gentrification since the end of the 20th century, and the community of Bed-Stuy is no exception. How does class, race, and gender intersect to shape the way that residents approach the threat of displacement? What can we learn from the archaeological resources such as the material culture and built environment people left behind? Does the preservation of the historic built environment contribute to or deter the process of gentrification? In particular, can the preservation of a historic house owned by the United Order of Tents, a historical black women's benevolent society provide the space for these conversations to occur? These questions will be at the heart of exploration of this urban archaeological research project.

The course will prepare students with foundational archaeological and ethnographic methods. Students will explore the history and contemporary struggle for place through a variety of modes of engagement such as films, walking tours, museum visits, community board meetings, and archaeological and ethnographic methodology. By end of course students will have a grounding in the following topics:

Geographical and cultural history of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn