[ANTH V3950] Anthropology of Consumption

I seem to be in the minority, but I really don't see why people love this course so much. Prof West is intelligent and funny--yes--but it takes more than that to make a good class. Her teaching essentially consisted of assigning pretty dense economic texts to a bunch of social science majors and then letting them present on the texts themselves with little interference from her. Of course, most people didn't understand (or read) the texts, so this led absolutely nowhere, and inevitably half an hour into every class we'd start talking about OUR consumption patterns: i.e. the consumption and struggles of privileged Columbia students, as if that's what matters on a global scale. We addressed pressing questions like, "Why do we seek 'authentic' ethnic food?" and "Why is it girls can't order whiskey at bars and guys can't order cosmos?" and "Is it wrong to buy products because you like the advertising story behind them, even if they cost more?" An utter waste of time--and, worse (?), I felt like Prof West kind of knew that.

Ah, Paige West. Here is the thing about her: she is the perfect combination of smart and daft (can discuss semiotics but can't work the room lights), tough and girly (she does karate and surfs but wears pink cowboy boots), and professorial and cool (she runs a killer class discussion where you have to keep on your toes, do the reading AND make smart comments and she has the class over for dinner at the end of the term and thinks it is funny when a student brings a case of Bud).

This is a great professor and a great class. West really knows her stuff in terms of anthropology, economics, sociology, and philosophy that she has you read in the class. She is very smart, very articulate, and very funny (both at times that she means to be and at times when she has no idea that she is being). She is also one of the most engaging and charismatic speakers I have ever encountered. I walked into this class simply wanting to take a class with West. As an anthropology major I had heard that I had to take one with her before I graduated. I walked out of the class wanting to study consumption issues for a Masters or PhD. I can't say enough good things about West and this class. Every anthropology major (and everyone else for that matter) should take a class from her before they leave Columbia.

I also feel the need to comment on some of the other reviews that state that she is "openly left" or "political" in class. Actually, I thought that she was the most neutral professor I've had yet. She was equally critical of the left and the right (when it came up). She seems to see the world as ultimately f**ked up because of the way that capitalism and its agents have created a set of social relations between people where everything is about buying and selling things (ideas, people, images....). I sort of see this as neither left nor right but rather as a true intellectual way of seeing social life.
She is just a wonderful professor and a wonderful person. My friends and I ran into West and her husband at the West End one night. She stopped by our table, introduced herself and her husband to my friends and talked to us for about 10 minutes. She seems to really care what we think about things, who we are, and what we are studying. How many Columbia professors can you say that about?

Great Class. This is the second seminar I've had with West and she is amazing. The class is too big (most of her classes are) but she really lets you work through the readings in class and does not have a heavy hand in leading the discussions. She is super smart but never makes you feel like you are not. I will take a seminar from this woman every semster I have left here.