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Because we grow up and live in specific environments, there are many things in our everyday lives that seem natural or need no explanation. For example, adultery is frowned upon and a firm handshake is the proper professional greeting. But these ways of thinking and being in the world are not universal; they are culturally specific. In this class, we seek to understand a central concept in the liberal arts: culture. The culture concept runs through foundational texts across the humanities and social sciences, helps us understand humans’ place in the world, and allows us to think critically about how we think and act every day. Peabody is home to “high culture.” It is a place that cultivates practices that have deep aesthetic value to broader society. But what does it really mean to be “cultured’? Is it possible to be outside of culture? This class expands the notion of culture to look at how social institutions and systems of power organize our daily lives. Moreover, the class challenges students to critically reflect on their understandings of cultural difference.