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Traditions of Anthropological Inquiry

Module description

This module provides an intellectual history of anthropological theory, constituting a broad overview of some of the key theoretical and empirical approaches from different schools and traditions of the discipline. You will be introduced to a variety of approaches to anthropological thought. In so doing, we will learn how theory and ethnography are co-constructed, and how theoretical positions can change throughout the research process. We will inquire into what constitutes anthropological theory, how it has meaning in relation to fieldwork practices, contexts, and data, and to understand anthropological theories and approaches in relation to other disciplines.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aims of this module are to provide you with an understanding of how anthropological theory has developed historically and cross-culturally, to provide a theoretical structure, and to introduce different conceptual tools. It will develop your knowledge of anthropological theory and introduce you to a body of canonical approaches developed by anthropologists and theorists in other disciplines, such as sociology, feminist theory, and postcolonial studies. You will understand how anthropological theory as a distinct body of knowledge and methodological approaches has developed, and the different ways that this body of knowledge has been adapted through time and in different regions. You will learn how to use anthropological theory confidently and become well versed in the different theoretical traditions that anthropologists use.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. display a detailed knowledge of specific theories, approaches, and methodological approaches in anthropology.
• 2. show familiarity with a range of theoretical approaches and how they relate to each other and to other disciplines.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. demonstrate a competence in using major theoretical perspectives and concepts in anthropology via the application of appropriate theoretical models in the analysis of ethnographic case studies.
• 4. demonstrate familiarity with a variety of anthropological and related literature.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. express your own ideas orally and in writing, summarize the arguments of others, and distinguish between the two
• 6. engage in constructive discussion in group situations and seminars
• 7. evaluate your strengths and weaknesses in learning and study skills and to take action to improve your capacity to learn

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

• Functionalism and structural functionalism
• Process and conflict
• Structuralism
• Practice
• Power and resistance
• Interpretivism and cultural hermeneutics
• Postmodernism
• Critique of culture/ the literary turn
• Postcolonial theory
• Feminism

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to redo the assessment(s) as defined above. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Barnard, A., 2000. History and theory in anthropology. Cambridge University Press.
• Bourdieu, P.,1993. Structures, Habitus, Power: Basis for a Theory of Symbolic Power, in Dirks, N.B., Eley, G. and Ortner, S.B., 1994. Culture/power/history: A reader in contemporary social theory. Princeton University Press.
• Candea, M. ed., 2018. Schools and styles of anthropological theory. Routledge.
• Cerwonka, A. and L. H. Malkki. 2007. Improvising Theory: Process and Temporality in Ethnographic Fieldwork. Chicago, University of Chicago Press.
• Geertz, C., 1973. The interpretation of cultures: Selected essays (Vol. 5019). Basic books.
• Layton, R., 1997. An introduction to theory in anthropology. Cambridge University Press
• Ortner, S. B. 2006. Anthropology and Social Theory: culture, power, and the acting subject, Duke University Press.
• Trouillot, M., 2016. Global transformations: Anthropology and the modern world. Springer.

Key words search

Anthropology; Theory; Methodology