Political Anthropology
Code: 101266 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2500256 Social and Cultural Anthropology | OB | 2 | 2 |
Contact
- Name:
- Silvia Graciela Álvarez Litben
- Email:
- Silvia.Alvarez@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- spanish (spa)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- Yes
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- Yes
Teachers
- Sílvia Gómez Mestres
Prerequisites
It is recommended that students have studied the Basic Concepts and Anthropology History.
Objectives and Contextualisation
The objective of the course is to understand the basic concepts of political anthropology linked to the field of social relations and the construction of power in all areas of society. Based on a maximalist perspective of the concept of politics, including the gender perspective, we will move forward in the different contributions that anthropology offers us from its more classical theories to contemporary ones, and we will review interpretations of different cases.
Competences
- Apprehending cultural diversity through ethnography and critically assessing ethnographic materials as knowledge of local contexts and as a proposal of theoretical models.
- Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
- Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
- Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
- Students must demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the history of anthropological theory and the genesis of its basic concepts.
- Using the discipline's ethnographic and theoretical corpus with analytical and synthesis skills.
Learning Outcomes
- Applying the basic concepts of the anthropological theory.
- Assessing critically the explicit and implicit theoretical models in the ethnographic materials.
- Establishing historical connection between ethnographic and theoretical development.
- Identifying main and supporting ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
- Identifying the transcultural variability of economic, kinship, political, symbolic and cognitive, educational and gender systems as well as their corresponding anthropological theory.
- Interpreting the cultural diversity through ethnography.
- Knowing and understanding the culture's influence in the various institutional systems of social action.
- Summarising acquired knowledge about the origin and transformations experienced in the several fields of anthropology.
- Summarizing the characteristics of a written text in accordance to its communicative purposes.
- Theoretically analysing ethnographic examples of cultural diversity in the fields of kinship, economy, politics and religion.
Content
- From the definition of "the political" to the specificity of Political Anthropology.
- Historical approach to the origin and development of the anthropological analysis of "the political".
- Critics and supporters of the British school. Contributions of French ethnology. Political systems and legal modes of regulation.
- Hegemony and resistance processes in historical and contemporary contexts. Towards a dynamic and historical anthropology. Social movements, globalization and new forms of political relationship.
Methodology
The activities of the subject will consist of theoretical and practical expositions by the teacher, who may also include occasional guest lectures. It will include the reading of texts, the viewing of documentaries and the participation with debate in classes. Some written tests on the readings and classes will be carried out.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Theoretical classes and documentary viewing | 50 | 2 | 2, 3, 5, 6, 1 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Supervision of the professor through individual tutorials, discussions in class of texts, cases, documentaries. | 25 | 1 | 10, 2, 7, 3, 5, 4, 6, 1 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Personal study, text reading, organization and analysis of annotations and diagrams of classes, virtual campus, writing of works, preparation of comments for debates, bibliographical search. | 75 | 3 | 10, 2, 7, 3, 5, 4, 9, 1 |
Assessment
The evaluation of the subject will be done in a procedural way, through various written tests based on the classes, compulsory readings, or conferences. The preparation of individual and group work will have a total value of 60%. An exam based on classes and readings will be worth 20%. Written tests based on classes and videos will be worth 20%. Participation in individual or group class discussions or bibliographic searches will be taken into account in the final grade. At the time of each evaluation activity, the procedure and date of review of the grades will be reported. To pass the subject, it is necessary to pass 70% of the scheduled written activities. All suspended written tests may be recovered in the re-evaluation. A student who has not submitted 2/3 parts (60%) of the written tests, without just cause, is considered "Not Evaluable".
In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participation in individual or group discussions will be evaluated. | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10, 7, 5, 8, 1 |
| The elaboration of individual and group work. | 50 | 0 | 0 | 2, 7, 3, 5, 4, 9, 8, 1 |
| Written tests based on classes, videos and texts of the program | 40 | 0 | 0 | 10, 7, 4, 6, 9, 8 |