War and Culture (U00287)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : SPS-3-SAWAR

The twentieth century was the bloodiest in history. Why, despite the apparent achievements of 'modernity', have the experiences of so many people been marked by violence and destruction? Through a critical exploration of the relationship between war, violence and culture, this course aims to explore how and whether anthropology can help us understand the causes and consequences of the violence over the last century. In particular, lectures examine the relationships between identity and violence, the political economy of war, how people experience war from a distance, the cultural and political logics of genocide, terror, and torture, as well as 'peace building' and diplomacy, in order to examine the motivations, identifications, and processes that lead to war, and out of it.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : Visiting students must have prior study in Social Anthropology or closely related subject area; as a general guide we usually require students to have completed three courses at grade B or above.

? Costs : None

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Social Anthropology, (School of Social and Political Studies, Schedule J)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 1 hour(s) 50 minutes per week for 11 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
11/01/2007	14:00	15:50	Room G.8, 1 George Square (Neuroscience)	Med+Vet

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Thursday	14:00	15:50	Central

? Additional Class Information : Variable from year to year.

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course students should have an advanced grasp of anthropological approaches to the causes and consequences of war and other forms of violence. In doing so they will develop a high level of critical insight into how anthropological perspectives can shed light on the processes of war and violence. Of necessity, this is an interdisciplinary exercise, which requires an appreciation of both the particular processes of violence in specific times and places, and how this relates to broader historical, political and cultural forces. Students should have read at several book-length ethnographic studies, and should have a critical awareness of the main theoretical issues in the relationship between anthropological and other approaches to the material covered in the course.

Teaching
The course involves one two-hour session a week for the whole class. Most weeks will involve a mixture of a lecture and discussion and some group work.