Undergraduate Course: Anthropological Theory (SCAN10022)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Social Anthropology |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/subject_and_programme_specific_information/social_anthropology/honours |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | This course covers some of the main changes in theory and ethnography, and the complex relationship between the two, since the late 1960s. The first half of the course, taught by Joost Fontein, explores the emergence of what can be loosely thought of as 'post-structuralist' anthropology. The first two topical lectures examine the contribution of two hugely significant post-structuralist thinkers, Michel Foucault and Pierre Bourdieu, both of whose influence upon anthropological work continues to be profound, even four decades on. The third and fourth lectures explore how second wave feminism and postcolonialism, as broader social and political movements, coincided with, affected and were closely intertwined with the emergence of a post-structuralist anthropology that was preoccupied with fundamental questions of structure and agency, discourse and practice, subjectivity and embodiment, power and resistance, which with these great thinkers were critically engaged. The second half of the course, taught by Stefan Ecks, takes students through some of the continuing inspirations for anthropological theory, starting with the 'grand theories' of Karl Marx and Max Weber. Despite the fact that both these theorists wrote their works in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, they only began to influence anthropological theory since the 1960s.
The final two topical lectures deal with 'structuralism' before and after 'poststructuralism'. We first learn how structuralism was originally conceived by Claude Lévi-Strauss, and then explore how Bruno Latour's work can be understood as a direct response to Lévi-Strauss. The course ends with a summative overview of where anthropological theory now stands, and where it might go in the future. The course is intended to give students not only a grasp of the historical development of anthropological theory, but also a taste of what constitutes the cutting edge of anthropological theory today. It is a challenging but hugely rewarding course in which students' own first-hand reading of and creative engagement with complex theoretical thought is a central aim. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least 3 Anthropology courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses. |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Delivery period: 2014/15 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Learn enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
|
Web Timetable |
Web Timetable |
| Class Delivery Information |
50 minutes per week for 9 week(s). |
| Course Start Date |
15/09/2014 |
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 9,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
165 )
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| Additional Notes |
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| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) |
Written Exam
70 %,
Coursework
20 %,
Practical Exam
10 %
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| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | Anthropological Theory | 2:00 | |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
| By the end of the course, students should have a confident grasp of the main trends in anthropological theory that are influential today. They should have read a number of pieces by a range of theorists, and be capable of providing a critical account of anthropological theorists and the intellectual context in which they worked. They should be able to relate the application of those theories in existing ethnographic writing and be able to draw upon them in thinking about future ethnographic research. |
Assessment Information
| One 2-hour exam (70%), assessed coursework (20%) + Tutorial participation (10%) |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Stefan Ecks
Tel: (0131 6)50 6969
Email: |
Course secretary | Mr Ewen Miller
Tel: (0131 6)50 3925
Email: |
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