Course Description & Information

Taught by Ph.D. student Maya Cowan (SUNY Binghamton), this course explores the ways in which the UAP conversation is informed by the culture and history of both the topic itself and the people who are engaging with it. Anthropology and UAP challenges students to explore not just what UAP are and what they can do, but the ways in which people discuss, conceptualize, and know the phenomena. It appears that the phenomena encompassed in the acronym UAP (“UFOs,” “USOs,” “ghosts,” spirits,” “visitors,” “extraterrestrials,” “foo fighters,” “faeries,” “angels,” etc.) have been with humankind from the very start. The meaning assigned to the phenomena, however, is far from universal. In some cultural contexts this meaning is an open question fraught with worry, secrecy and even alarm, while in other contexts the meaning is totally settled. This course explores the cultural dimensions of UAP. This includes Indigenous knowledge of what we call UAP, including how the discussion around UAP and space exploration can mirror the ideals of settler colonialism. We will also discuss the emerging academic study of UAP, and how our fascination with the unknown can push science forward. We will also talk about the politics of knowledge creation, and explore what UAP means for the future of humanity. The course consists of weekly readings and seminar discussions. Synchronous classes will be held each week, using the readings as a framing for the course discussion. Readings for this course are based in the subfield of sociocultural anthropology.