Theoretical Perspectives in Social Anthropology and Material Culture

Description

Module Content  This module engages the past, present, and future of social anthropology and material culture studies. The course examines anthropology’s relationship to colonial practices asking whether its methods and concerns encourage complicity with power, or resistant forms of thinking. It explores the conditions for anthropology as an ethical praxis in the light of this earlier history, and looks at past and present contributions from feminism, queer and trans studies, and decolonial approaches. The second half of the course focuses on specific debates/topics and topics, for example: multi-species anthropology, capitalism/neoliberalism, technology and infrastructure studies, the Anthropocene.    Learning Outcomes Through taking this module, students can expect to enhance their learning in the following areas: Relate contemporary debates about the politics and ethics of anthropological research with longer historical trends and trajectories of debate within and beyond the discipline How to critically evaluate and discuss divergent theoretical approaches in the study of social and cultural phenomena How to relate theoretical approaches to empirical materials, including ethnographic accounts of social and cultural phenomena Understanding the historical development of anthropological thinking and research Exploring the political implications and orientations of different theoretical approaches and currents within anthropology How to evaluate and construct anthropological arguments Teaching Methods The module is taught as a single one-and-a-half hour lecture per week and eight one-hour discussion classes (tutorials). Attendance at tutorials is a requirement of the course. Additional Information There will be one formative essay The assessed essay should deal with a different topic than the formative essay.