Introduction to Social Anthropology: Theorising the Everyday World
| Module title | Introduction to Social Anthropology: Theorising the Everyday World |
|---|---|
| Module code | ANT1004 |
| Academic year | 2021/2 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Sally Atkinson (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 60 |
|---|
Module description
This module will introduce you to anthropological studies and concepts that will change the way you see the immediate, everyday world around you. You will encounter a range of ethnographic and case study materials and will gain a foundational knowledge of anthropological theory and concepts. The module will allow you to question cultural assumptions and think critically and analytically about key questions and problems in studying the worlds of other people and our own. You will also have the opportunity to develop research and presentation skills, and to start considering the practical and ethical implications of ethnographic fieldwork and social scientific research.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module will deepen your foundational knowledge of anthropological theory and concepts, and expand your ability to think critically and analytically about key questions and problems in studying the worlds of other people and our own. You will also begin to develop a sensibility for the practical and ethical issues arising in the context of ethnographic fieldwork (and related qualitative social research) whose methods are increasingly used in a variety of organisational and professional contexts
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. show a solid understanding of the extent and nature of human diversity and commonality as seen from a socio-cultural perspective;
- 2. demonstrate - in written and oral presentations and the exams - the relationship between specific social and cultural forms in relation to broader global and historical processes;
- 3. show facility in the use of the repertoire of key concepts and approaches of anthropological analysis;
- 4. display, in written and oral form, the ability to question cultural assumptions;
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. critically evaluate contemporary anthropological and related texts;
- 6. display - in written and oral form - an understanding of the discipline's relation to, and difference from, from other approaches and explanations offered in the social sciences;
- 7. identify and assess key anthropological issues relevant to the contemporary world, and develop critical, comparative and cross-cultural insight;
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. demonstrate transferable skills in formulating, researching and addressing focused questions;
- 9. prepare focused and comprehensive written and oral presentations, and in discussing ideas and interpretations with others in a clear and reasoned way;
- 10. plan and execute work independently and in collaboration with others; and
- 11. demonstrate skills in cross-cultural understanding, translation and comparison, which will be of advantage in a broad range of professional settings.
Syllabus plan
Lecture topics for this module include:
- Studying the ‘other’: the emergence of the anthropological perspective
- Anthropology and its colonial legacies
- People and things: houses, objects, materials
- Worlds in and out of control: order, disorder and dirt
- Power and resistance
- Embodied culture
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | 123 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching | 22 | Eleven 2-hour lectures, involving group discussion and film screenings |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching | 5 | Five 1-hour tutorials |
| Guided independent study | 33 | Weekly reading for lectures and tutorials |
| Guided independent study | 18 | Preparing tutorial presentation individually or in pairs |
| Guided independent study | 27 | Research and writing of formative essay |
| Guided independent study | 40 | Exam preparation (reading, library-based research) |
| Guided independent study | 5 | Web-based activities |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tutorial presentation | 15 Minutes | 1-7, 9-11 | Oral |
| Essay | 1500 words | 1-10 | Written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 100 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | 100 | 2 hours | 1-6, 8, 10 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | Examination (2 hours) | 1-6, 8, 10 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Appadurai, A. (ed.) 1986. The Social Life of Things: Commodities in cultural perspective. Cambridge: CambridgeUniversity Press.
Barnard, A. and J. Spencer (eds) 1996. Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology. Routledge.
Benda-Beckmann, K. von & F. Pirie (eds) 2007. Order and Disorder: Anthropological Perspectives. Oxford and New York: Berghahn.
Carsten, J. 2004. After Kinship. Cambridge: CambridgeUniversity Press
Douglas, M. 1966. Purity and Danger. London: Routledge.
Dumont, L. 1980. Homo Hierarchicus: The Caste System and its Implications. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Gell, A. 1998. Art and Agency in Anthropological Theory.Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Mauss, M. 1990 (1924). The Gift: The form and reason for exchange in archaic societies. London: Routledge.
Miller, D. (ed.) 1993. Unwrapping Christmas. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Turner, V. 1969. The Ritual Process: structure and anti-structure.
ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
ARD - Anthropology Review Database
Internet Anthropologist
Anthrobase
SOSIG: Social Science Information Gateway
Anthropology Resources on the Internet
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
ethnographic film
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 4 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/12/2011 |
| Last revision date | 10/03/2021 |
