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Anthropology of the State

Module description

Whether it’s a source of aspiration, hope, fear or mistrust, the state seems to preoccupy contemporary thinking across the political spectrum. But what exactly is the state? How are states different from other forms of socio-political organization? How did states emerge historically? What does it mean to be stateless, now and historically? In this module, you will learn how different social sciences study the state. You will then apply those analytical tools to a diverse range of case-studies highlighting how humans live with (and without) states.

This module is well-suited for students interested in politics and the human condition.

Module aims - intentions of the module

You will be introduced to a range of social scientific approaches to the study of the state, from political theory and anthropology to history, archaeology and sociology. You will then apply these analytical tools to a range of historical cases to explore the diverse ways in which humans live with (and without) states. Through a guided research project, you will develop your own personal approach to the study of the state and apply that approach to a particular contemporary or historical state or non-state society.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

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

• 1. demonstrate familiarity with the major contemporary social scientific approaches to the study of the state;
• 2. show a developed understanding of specific issues related to the study of the state, including definitional matters, the difficulty of defining the boundaries of ‘the state’, and understanding the nature of statelessness both historically and today;
• 3. show a developed understanding of particular types of state like the welfare state, the carceral state, the theatre state, the Islamic state, divine kingship, and the galactic polity.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

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

• 4. apply various theories and methodologies to specific cases;
• 5. show competence in critically assessing claims about the state and socio-political organization more generally;
• 6. think clearly about the social, political, and anthropological implications of states.

ILO: Personal and key skills

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

• 7. communicate effectively in written and oral form;
• 8. engage in cross-cultural translation and comparison;
• 9. conduct research on a topic and organize findings in written form in a compelling manner.

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:

• Three Perspectives on the State (Conservative, Marxist, and Libertarian)
• The Problem of Defining the Boundaries of the State
• Archaeological Approaches to the State
• Statelessness as a Choice
• Statelessness as an Imposition
• The Welfare State
• The Carceral State
• The Islamic State
• Divine Kingship
• The Theatre State and the Galactic Polity

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)

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic reading:

Alexander, Michelle. 2010. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. New York: The New Press.

Althusser, Louis. 1968. “Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses” in Lenin and Philosophy. New York: Monthly Review Press.

Clastres, Pierre. 1977. Society against the State. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Foucault, Michel. 1991. “Governmentality” in The Foucault Effect: Studies in Governmentality, Burchell, Gordon, and Miller (eds.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Geertz, Clifford. 1980. Negara: The Theatre State in Nineteenth Century Bali. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Goffman, Alice. 2014. On The Run: Fugitive Life in an American City. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Hobbes, Thomas. 1651. Leviathan. London: Penguin Classics.

Kantorowicz, Ernst. 1957. The King’s Two Bodies: A Study in Medieval Political Theology. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Petryna, Adriana. 2002. Life Exposed: Biological Citizens after Chernobyl. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Tilly, Charles. 1985. “War-Making and State-Making as Organized Crime” in Bringing the State Back In, Evans, Rueschemeyer and Skocpol, (eds.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Key words search

Anthropology; The State; Politics; Political Theory