History of Anthropology I: from the Origins to Boas
Code: 105764 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2500256 Social and Cultural Anthropology | OB | 2 | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Isidoro Ruíz Haro
- Email:
- Isidoro.Ruiz@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- catalan (cat)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- Yes
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- No
Prerequisites
This subject has no prerequisites. It is recomended to course this subject before History of Anthropology II
Objectives and Contextualisation
Objectives
It is a Semester subject of the second year that traces the historical development of anthropology since its consolidation as an academic discipline in the second half of the Nineteenth Century to the theoretical developments of the Inter-war Period.
Its primary educational objective is to give historical coherence to the readings that are done in a dispersed way and that are systematized in very different ways to the rest of the subjects of the degree. At the end of the course students should be able to give reasons for:
a) The general, epistemological, theoretical and methodological characteristics of the different schools that have happened in the history of anthropology within the cited period in the European and USA context.
b) The main theses and developments of each one of the authors considered.
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 communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- Students must demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the history of anthropological theory and the genesis of its basic concepts.
- Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
- Using the discipline's ethnographic and theoretical corpus with analytical and synthesis skills.
Learning Outcomes
- Applying the basic concepts of the anthropological theory.
- Critically assessing ethnographic materials as a proposal for theoretical models.
- Establishing historical connection between ethnographic and theoretical development.
- Explaining aspects of the history of science by using the discipline's specific terminology.
- Explaining the specific notions of the history of science.
- Identifying main and supporting ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
- Identifying the key elements of the western cultural tradition from the 19th century to the present day.
- Identifying the recent disciplinary developments and the correlation between the anthropological theory and the social disciplines related in their historical development and the current interdisciplinary tendencies.
- Identifying the theories about human species in their relation to society and culture production.
- Integrating holistically the progress from the classical fields of Anthropology.
- Recognizing and interpreting the main theoretical orientations throughout the discipline's history from the 19th century to the present day.
Content
THEMATIC BLOCK I. THE BACKGROUND OF ANTHROPOLOGY
1. What history of what anthropology? Central and peripheral anthropologies. The influence of Colonialism.
2. Anthropology before Anthropology. The reflection on the otherness before the 19th Century: Antiquity and the Middle Ages; Renaissance and Baroque.
3. The immediate antecedents of the anthropological works of the Enlightenment.
THEMATIC BLOCK II. VICTORIAN ANGLOSAXON EVOLUTIONISM
1. Key influences beyond the Enlightenment heritage: C. Darwin and H. Spencer; K. Marx.
2. The emergence of Academic Anthropology.
3. Aspects of theory and method of Evolutionist orientation.
4. L. H. Morgan, paradigm of an evolutionist author (1818-1881).
THEMATIC BLOCK III. THE BIRTH OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY IN FRANCE
1. Influence of the French Sociology: Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) and the “Social fact”.
2. Marcel Mauss (1872-1950) and other precursors of the French Social Anthropology.
THEMATIC BLOCK IV. DIFFUSIONISM AND HISTORICAL PARTICULARISM
1. Aspects of theory and method of the Diffusionist orientation.
2. The national variants of Diffusionism.
3. Historical Particularism: The contribution of Franz Boas (1858-1942).
THEMATIC BLOCK V. CONTINUITY LINES OF THE BOASIAN LEGACY: THE SCHOOL OF CULTURE AND PERSONALITY
1. The historical development of cultural anthropology in the United States.
2. The school of Culture and personality. Influences and phases.
3. The contribution of R.F. Benedict (1887-1948).
Methodology
Methodology
A. Theoretical and practical classes led by teachers: Master classes with ICT support and seminars for discussion in a large group and discussion of texts.
B. Search for documentation, reading texts, writing works
C. Study: Making diagrams, conceptual maps and summaries.
D. Tutorials: Personalized attention to the student in the office or in the classroom. Tutorials will be placed in b9/236 Office. The office hours for tutorials will be announced the first day of class and also will be available at the Moodle classroom.
TEACHING MATERIAL
In order to follow the teaching rhythm of the course, students must make the required readings that will be indicated in classes. The general bibliography contained in this Teaching Guide offers manuals that students are expected to use to complement the syllabus beyond what is explained in the classroom. During the course it is possible that other complementary literature is recommended.
DYNAMICS OF WORK
The course consists of 5 themed blocks. Each thematic block will be accompanied by one or more compulsory readings (chapters of a book or articles) that will be the basis for the discussion in class at the end of each thematic block. Compulsory readings complement the notes and will also be material to be taken into account for the assessment work. It can be asked the reading of a complete book or monograph related to one of the themed blocks, which will be indicated by the professor or should be chosen by the student from a list.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Seminars | 5 | 0.2 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 7, 6, 9, 11, 1 |
| Theoretical classes | 44 | 1.76 | 3, 4, 5, 8, 7, 6, 9, 10, 11, 1 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Individual and group tutoring | 2.5 | 0.1 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 7, 6, 9, 11, 1 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Essay writing | 30 | 1.2 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 7, 6, 9, 11, 1 |
| Mandatory readings | 12 | 0.48 | 3, 4, 5, 8, 7, 6, 9, 11, 1 |
| Personal study and work | 45 | 1.8 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 7, 6, 9, 10, 11, 1 |
Assessment
1. Module of works (30% of the final grade)
- Work in group of a maximum of four people for the elaboration of a written essay. During the course there will be tutorials for its preparation.
2. Module of comments and discussion of compulsory reading texts (20% of the grade).
- There will be some compulsory readings of texts throughout the Semester that will be evaluated through the completion of an individual exercise for each text and its discussion in class.
- The evaluation of this Module will be disaggregated following these criteria:
- The delivery of written comments (preferably in paper and compulsory on the session date) will suppose 10% of the final grade.
- The attendance and participation (to be registered by the professor) in the discussion of the texts dealt with in the commentaries will have a value of 10% of the final grade.
3. Module of exams (50% of the final grade)
- There will be 2 exams (25% each one) about topics worked in class and mandatory readings. The type of exam to be done will be informed by the professor sufficiently in advance.
Definition of "Not Appraising"
It will be considered that a student is not evaluable if he or she has not done none of the following activities: Exam and written essay, except in case of clearly justified causes.
Re-evaluation of the subject
Students can re-evaluate the Module of works (essay in groups) and the Module of exams.
The Module of comments and discussion of compulsory reading texts will not be recoverable.
The recovery of the Work in group would be done with an individual specific theoretical test.
About Plagiarism
Current regulations will be applicated:
In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to asignificant 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.
Evaluation in case test or exams can not be taken onsite
In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critical commentary and discussion of readings | 20% | 7.5 | 0.3 | 3, 4, 5, 8, 7, 6, 9, 11, 1 |
| Group writing of essays | 30% | 1 | 0.04 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 7, 6, 9, 10, 11, 1 |
| Written exams | 50% | 3 | 0.12 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 7, 6, 9, 11, 1 |
Bibliography
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BARNARD, Alan & SPENCER, Jonathan (1996 [2002]). Encyclopedia of social and Cultural Anthropology, London: Routledge.
BARTH, Fredrik et alt. (2012). Una disciplina, cuatro caminos. Antropología británica, alemana, francesa y estadounidense. Buenos Aires: Prometeo Libros.
BONTE, Pierre & IZARD, Michael (1996). Diccionario de Etnología y Antropología, Madrid: Akal.
BOHANNAN, Paul y GLAZER, Mark (1992). Antropología. Lecturas, Barcelona: McGraw Hill Interamericana.
CARO BAROJA, Julio (1991). Los fundamentos del pensamiento antropológico moderno, Madrid: CSIC.
DARNELL, Regna (comp.) (1974). Readings in the History of Anthropology, New York: Harper & Row Publishers,
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DUCHET, Michele (1976). Introducción. Antropología e historia en el Siglo de las Luces. México: Siglo XXI Editores.
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