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
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly reading response papers on the essential readings | 150 words/week | 1-6 | Oral (in class); additional feedback provided on request in the office hours |
| Participation in tasks in the tutorials | Weekly | 1,2,5,6 | Oral (in class) |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio of 9 reading response papers (150 words each) with an introduction (500 words) | 40 | 1850 words | 1-6 | Written (further oral feedback available on request in the office hours) |
| Essay | 60 | 1800 words | 1-6 | Written (further oral feedback available on request in the office hours) |
| 0 |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio of reading response papers | Essay (1850 words) | 1-6 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Essay | Essay (1800 words) | 1-6 | August/September re-assessment period |
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
Kuper, A. 1996. Anthropology and Anthropologists: The Modern British School (3rd edition). London and New York: Routledge.
Ortner, S.B., 1984, Theory in Anthropology Since the Sixties, Comparative Studies in Society and History 26: 126-166.
Barnard, A., 2000. History and theory in anthropology. Cambridge University Press.
Layton, R., 1997. An introduction to theory in anthropology. Cambridge University Press.
Geertz, C., 1973. The interpretation of cultures: Selected essays (Vol. 5019). Basic books.
Kuper, A., 2009. Culture: The anthropologists' account. Harvard 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.
