This course will combine readings in diverse but related fields to explore both the concept of "culture" as it has emerged in different disciplines and the ways in which culture (both as created word and as the meanings we attach to it) informs our notions of society and of personal identity. Starting from an analysis of different concepts of culture, we will proceed to explore the relation between different disciplines (in particular, history, anthropology, and literary studies) by concentrating on clearly defined topics which are intended to suggest new ways of thinking about how our personal and collective experience is organized and transformed. (For more on cultural studies, see English 92 and English 100.)