Module ANT1009 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
ANT1009: Theories and Approaches in Anthropology
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
The aims of this module are to provide you with a foundation for anthropological analysis, to provide a theoretical structure and to introduce conceptual tools. It aims to give you the tools needed to approach critically a broad range of social and cultural phenomena, by asking different types of questions, such as: in whose interest is it, is there a group benefiting from this arrangement/ argument / representation? What is the perspective of the actors involved?
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
---|---|
Module-Specific Skills | 1. demonstrate critical knowledge and reflection upon the development of anthropological theory and approaches; 2. show familiarity with a range of theoretical approaches and how they relate to each other and to other disciplines. |
Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. show a developing capacity to recognise, describe and evaluate anthropological theory and its integral relation to fieldwork contexts, practices and data; 4. demonstrate familiarity with a variety of anthropological and related literature. |
Personal and Key Skills | 5. devise and sustain an original argument based on close interpretation of texts; 6. communicate effectively in written and verbal form. |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content will vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some of the following:
A critical history of anthropological theory: from functionalism to postmodernism. This might include some of the following themes:
- Precursors: Marx and Durkheim
- 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
The module will also include theoretical approaches to key substantive areas and might include topics such as:
- race,
- kinship,
- class,
- place, identity and belonging
The module will also ask students to reflect on how to theorise contemporary socio-political events such as the national and global implications of Brexit and the global covid-19 pandemic.
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
---|---|---|
27.5 | 122.5 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
---|---|---|
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 16.5 | Weekly 1.5 hour lectures |
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 11 | Weekly 1 hour tutorials |
Guided Independent Study | 33 | Reading of the set texts for weekly lectures and the tutorials |
Guided Independent Study | 11 | Writing weekly response papers |
Guided Independent Study | 30 | Additional reading under the guidance of the lecturer |
Guided Independent Study | 20 | Preparation and writing of the essay |
Guided Independent Study | 28.5 | Recapitulation of reading done throughout the term; preparation of essay plans; portfolio revision, etc. |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
ARD - Anthropology Review Database
Internet Anthropologist
Anthrobase
SOSIG: Social Science Information Gateway
Anthropology Resources on the Internet