11292 - Cultural Anthropology (1)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will have learnt the main themes and conceptual framework of the discipline. They will also take part in critical discussions concerning the main intellectual schools of thought and apply these skills to social situations based on cultural variety. They will apply the main models of critical analysis to cultures, ethnic populations, gender and generations, and be able to focus on socio-cultural issues to do with migratory processes, globalization and the knowledge society. They will have learnt to listen, understand and debate respectfully with different viewpoints, and acquired judgment on a professional, human and ethical level.

Course contents

This course, which is taught in English, looks at Anthropology through the intertwined lens of (post)colonialism, gender, race and the environment.

The first weeks will involve a general introduction on anthropology as a discipline through a cursory exploration of some of its main original critical concepts and ideas. Questions we will address include: What is anthropology and who is/was it for? In the following classes we will look at key anthropological work that has helped understanding the working of gender, race, war, colonialism and empire and their interrelation. We will carry on by tracing how the discipline has changed over time and focus on the claims and research of scholars who argue for a need to 'decolonise anthropology'.

While the focus of the discipline has by and large been on human subjects and communities - their diversities and commonalities, cultural and social systems, power relations, rituals and beliefs- with the human induced climate crisis and ensuing planetary devastation, emphasis is now posed also onto the relationship between the human and non-human, whether it be nature (animals, vegetation, rivers) and/or buildings and ruins. In this light, students will also be introduced to some of the debates and theories, particularly those initiated by Indigenous scholars across a variety of contexts, on questions of violence, co-existence, (in)justice and reparation.

The final and more thematic part of the course will look at how the study of human (im)mobility has contributed to a more refined understanding of issues of power, time, death, life, the environment, borders and bodies.

Readings/Bibliography

For attending students a complete syllabus will be uploaded at the beginning of the course.

Teaching methods

Classes will be a mixture of frontal and guest lectures, class discussions and presentations. We will also rely on audio-visuals, documentaries, blogs, podcasts and visual arts story-telling, maps, fiction and non fiction work.

Assessment methods

For attending students: (those attending at least 75% of the course) the exam will consist of two assignments: 1) a mini ethnography project to be presented in class (50% of the grade) and 1 essay of 1500-2000 words which will also be presented to the class in a short presentation (50%) . The topic will be chosen among a list provided during the course. Students are also expected to actively participate in classroom discussions.

For non-attending students: An oral exam based on the following text:

Nina Brown, Thomas McIlwraith, Laura Tubelle de González (2020) Perspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology Part 1 and 1 chapter of your choice from Part 2. Pressbooks

The book is available for free to download at:

https://perspectives.americananthro.org/Chapters/Perspectives.pdf

Teaching tools

In addition to frontal lectures, we will hold some seminars on "Anthropology in Practice/Hands-on Anthropology" in which national and international guests will present their ethnographic research and explore with us the central questions of the course. Previous to the talk and as way of preparation, students will be assigned a reading/article written by the guest speaker so to facilitate engagement and have a lively Q/A.

 

Office hours

See the website of Ruba Salih