Defense Against the Dark Arts

Anthropology Professor Ron Barrett shares a snapshot of his course.

The psychoanalysis of Harry Potter and more
This course is a comparative survey of magic and witchcraft across cultures. Students are expected to simultaneously learn details from particular magical traditions studied in class, as well as to relate these details to theories about magic and witchcraft within the discipline of anthropology. Major themes include: the relationships between science, religion, and magic; psychosomatic healing; shamanism and altered states of consciousness; spirit possession and exorcism; witch hunts past and present; and the psychoanalysis of Harry Potter.

Why should students take this class?
It is a great way to immerse yourself in other cultures that have different views about how to help people, and how to heal people, and have different ideas about what constitutes science and ritual and magic, and what defines religion.

Fun fact
Students begin to question whether the Flying Spaghetti Monster might actually be real.

How do you build community in class?
We try to adopt a culture in the course where students can learn as much from one another as they are learning from the professor. Students work together in groups to do presentations on common interests such as different kinds of magic or alternative religious traditions, and they really enjoy it. At the end of the semester, we have food and a celebration.

What new perspectives do students take away from this class?
I tell my students: You’re already an anthropologist. We’re all narcissistic primates, so we’re curious about ourselves and other people. This course just raises your awareness of being an anthropologist.

Outside of class you will find me…
I do what I do all the time, and I feel incredibly grateful and privileged that I get paid for. You’ll find me pretty much the same person in a lot of ways that you’ll see in class because I’m curious about people. I hang out with people and I learn from them. That’s what I like to do.