Basic Principles of Social and Cultural Anthropology
Code: 105790 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2503878 Sociocultural Gender Studies | FB | 1 | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Maria Bruna Alvarez Mora
- Email:
- mariabruna.alvarez@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- catalan (cat)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- No
Teachers
- Vanessa Estefania Mantilla Salazar
Prerequisites
None
Objectives and Contextualisation
Objective of the course
The objective of the course Basic Principals of Social and Cultural Anthropology is to offer a first approach to Social Anthropology and the anthropological perspective of analysis based on the affirmation of the existence of a shared and varied humanity. It is a general overview of the discipline, including objects of study-analysis of cultures and their diversity-, its historical trajectory, methodology and research techniques-fieldwork-, its main areas of research and some of its applications in the contemporary world. It consists on illustrating ethnographically the human cultural diversity, discussing theoretical concepts and explanations about it, addressing some of the classic and contemporary texts by key authors-and critically reflecting around the scientific study of socio-cultural differences and the construction of inequality, as well as developing critical perspectives for constructing egalitarian coexistence. This course offers, through seven subjects, an introductory vision to anthropology as a discipline and to some of the particular fields in which it is manifested: kinship, economy, politics and religion. Finally, it also aims to approach a way of looking at and analyse the world in a way that respects different cultures and societies.
Competences
- Express correctly and in a non-sexist or homophobic manner both orally and in writing.
- Incorporate the non-androcentric perspective in the work carried out.
- Interpret and explain the history of gender relations, the significance of differences and the processes of generating inequalities in a context of globalization.
- Interpret gender inequalities in relation to sexuality, class, ethnicity and territory based on the concepts and approaches of sociocultural analysis.
- 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.
Learning Outcomes
- Apply knowledge of cultural variability and its genesis to avoid ethnocentric projections.
- Distinguish the effects of the sex and gender variables in the empirical analyzes.
- Distinguish the various processes of intercultural relationship.
- Identify the intersection of the different axes of inequality: class, race, sexuality, gender expression and functional diversity.
- Make an inclusive use of language.
- 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.
- Use the basic concepts of social and cultural anthropology to understand the relationships between different societies and cultures.
Content
The subject Basic Principals of Social and Cultural Anthropology is an initial approach to the study of the human socio-cultural variability, from a comparative perspective. Throughout the semester, the basic concepts and key themes of Social and Cultural Anthropology are presented and developed. We will deal with the classic thematic areas and some of the most recent developments of the discipline will be introduced. Through the study of ethnographic cases that illustrate cultural diversity, and with the support of reading materials, audiovisuals and guest speakers, students will acquire a basic knowledge of anthropological discipline.
Topic 1. What is Anthropology?
- Human diversity and its interpretation.
- The debate between nature and culture.
Topic 2. Historical Approach to Anthropology
- Background: the concept of ‘otherness’ in Western history.
- The emergence of academic Anthropology.
- Anthropology in the field and social sciences.
- Object, method and anthropological techniques.
- Ethnography and Fieldwork. Emic and Etic Perspectives.
Topic 3. Economy and Exchange
- Modes, forms and relations of production and reproduction.
- Reciprocity, redistribution and exchange.
- Trade, money, market and circulation of goods, services, parts of the body and people.
Topic 4. Families
- Social construction of kinship ties.
- The gaze of classical anthropology towards kinship.
- Introduction of gender perspective in kinship analysis.
- Gender, regulation of sexuality and organization of procreation.
- Anthropology of reproduction and reproductive policies.
Topic 5. Power(s)
- Political anthropology.
- Biopolitics and governance.
- Hegemony
Topic 6. Symbolic systems: beliefs and rituals
- Universality of the religious phenomenon.
- The sacred and the profane. Mythology.
- Symbols, rituals and rites of passage.
- New forms of religiosity
Topic 7. What is Anthropology useful for?
- Applied anthropology.
- Research and Dissemination: services to people, communities, administrations and public and private organisations and the states.
Methodology
- All activities are programmed, and the assessment exercises have a deadline of delivery that must be strictly fulfilled, according to the proposed through the Moodle.
-The work of the students consists fundamentally in the investigation and analysis of information, the execution of the readings foreseen, the accomplishment and delivery (sending via virtual campus) of the works and comments and the Participation in the guided debates.
- The readings are also part of the syllabus evaluated through the exam.
-The different exercises will be returned corrected with comments and guidelines for their reformulation, if deemed necessary, and for the following assessment.
-The student must take into account that the Moodle is the space through which fundamental information of the course are notified. Therefore, it is your responsibility to be attentive to the news and information that will be sent.
-The communication will be done through Moodle. In urgent cases, it is suggested resorting to communication through email.
- 15 minutes of a class will be reserved, within the calendar established by the center / degree, for the completion by the students of the surveys of evaluation of the performance of the teaching staff and of evaluation of the subject.
About the mentoring:
- It will be informed at the beginning of the course about the office and the schedules. We suggest carrying out at least one individual tutoring during the first month of the subject.
About the writing assignments:
Form and Formatting Aspects
All written works must be submitted:
- Through Moodle
- Identified with the NIU
- In Word format
- With the page number
- Indicating the total number of words
- InCatalan, Spanish or English
- Without spelling and / or grammatical errors
- With citations, notes, references, and bibliography in APA format
- Consult the specific instructions for each assignment
Content: See the specific instructions of each assignment.
Correction criteria:
- Quality of the presentation, format, writing and bibliographical references in APA
- Comprehension, amplitude and depth of the analysis of the bibliography, presentations and viewings and their relation with the concepts of the course.
- Presentation of an articulated text through a coherent and academic-based argumentation.
- Linkage of presentations, bibliographies and / or views with ethnographic examples from the press, own experience or ethnographic observation.
Scale of qualification:
- At the beginning of the course, evaluation rubrics will be provided through Moodle.
- At the time of carrying out each evaluation activity, the teacher will inform the students (Moodle) of the procedure and the date of revision of the grades.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Clases teóricas y prácticas | 38 | 1.52 | 1, 3, 2, 5, 4, 6, 7 |
| Discussion seminars about the compulsory readings | 6 | 0.24 | 2, 5, 4, 6, 7 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Individual and grupal tutorials | 4.5 | 0.18 | 1, 3, 2, 5, 4, 7 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Readings | 12 | 0.48 | 2, 5, 4, 6 |
| Readings and written essays | 17 | 0.68 | 1, 3, 2, 5, 4, 6, 7 |
| Study and personal work | 30 | 1.2 | 1, 3, 2, 5, 4, 6, 7 |
Assessment
Activity 1 (10%) Tests of the required readings + bibliographical references in APA
The classes dedicated to the required readings will begin with a virtual quiz on each reading. It will be essential to have read the reading in advance in order to be able to answer the test.
The test will be taken online with the device that the student has at her disposal on: September 21, October 5, October 24, October 31, November 14, November 21, November 28 and December 5.
Finally, there will be a test to learn how to correctly make a list of bibliographic references in APA format, which will be taken until October 17 at the latest.
Activity 2: Commentary (30%)
Delivery of a 500-word commentary relating 3 of the 8 required reading texts with a free-choice press release, to be delivered on Novmeber 17.
Activity instructions and an assessment rubric will be posted on Moodle at the beginning of the course.
Activity 3: Oral Presentation (30%)
An oral presentation in groups of a maximum of 4 people based on the analysis of 10 hours of ethnographic observation or audiovisual material and a minimum of two readings - one mandatory and another complementary, of a list that will be provided at the beginning of the course.
The activity will consist of the following parts:
- Constitution of the group through Moodle. Please note that each reading option can only be chosen by one group. November 8th
- Presentation of the presentation script (5% of the grade)
- Powerpoint of the oral presentation. December 21st
- On January 9 and 11, we will make oral presentations, which in no case may exceed 10 minutes.
Activity 4: Test(40%): December 19
Individual written test in class on the content of the sessions, including the compulsory readings, the lectures and the related viewings. The exam will consist of two parts:
- a multiple-choice test on the compulsory readings (25%)
- a commentary on a press release related to the compulsory readings and the content of the course (75%).
Evaluation normativity
- To be considered as having passed the subject, you will need to obtain a minimum grade of 5.0 as an average grade resulting from the marks obtained in each of the activities, considering the percentage of each of them in the final grade. It is mandatory to carry out ALL the evaluation activities to pass the subject. Therefore, a student who has not completed some assessment activities will not be EVALUABLE. If the student is assessable but does not pass one of the activities, he / she can recover it during the assessment period.
- Once the subject has been passed, it cannot be subject to a new evaluation.
- Those who for attendance at meetings of the collegiate bodies of university representation or other reasons provided for in their respective regulations cannot attend programmed evaluation activities at any time, they have the right to be programmes a different day and time for its realization
- Those who participate in the different assessment activities and they need it, they will receive a justification document for this participation.
- The ones who carry out any irregularity that can lead to a significant variation of the qualification of an evaluation activity, this and the whole subject will be qualified with 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that can be instructed.
- The disciplinaryprocess derived from copying or plagiarism, both in the case of work and in the case of exams, implies a 0 (zero) for the activity, the loss of the right to reevaluation and the suspension of the entire course. Remember that a "copy" is considered a work that reproduces in whole or in part the work of another classmate. "Plagiarism" is to present all or part of an author's text as one's own, without citing the sources, either on paper or in digital format. See UAB documentation on "plagiarism" at: http://wuster.uab.es/web_argumenta_obert/unit_20/sot_2_01.html
- The deadline for the delivery of the activities is clearly detailed in this teaching guide. Any activity not delivered within the established deadline will be considered as not delivered.
- At the time of completion of each evaluation activity, the student will be informed through Moodle of the procedure and grade review form.
About the re-revaluation
They can re-evaluate those who:
- Have obtained an average grade of the 4 (four) activities of at least 3.5. If a lower grade is obtained, the subject cannot be re-evaluated.
- The re-evaluation will consist of a single test and will take place on the day, time and place programmed by the Faculty.
- The mark obtained in the re-evaluation will constitute the final grade of the subject.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commentary on three of the eight required readings | 30% | 11 | 0.44 | 1, 3, 2, 5, 4, 6, 7 |
| Ethnographic analysis | 30% | 11 | 0.44 | 1, 3, 2, 5, 4, 6, 7 |
| Final exam | 30% | 11 | 0.44 | 1, 3, 2, 5, 4, 6, 7 |
| Tests of the required readings + bibliographical references in APA | 10% | 9.5 | 0.38 | 1, 3, 2, 5, 4, 6, 7 |
Bibliography
General References
Barnard, Alan. (2000). History and theory in anthropology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Bohannan, Paul. (1996). Para raros, nosotros: Introducción a la antropología cultural. Madrid: Ediciones Akal.
Bohannan, Paul. y Glazer, Mark. (2001). Antropología. Lecturas. Madrid: Mc Graw Hill. - Delaney, C. et al (2011). Investigating Culture: An Experiential Introduction to Anthropology. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. 2 edition.
Comas d’Argemir, Dolors. (2017). La antropología importa. Diversidad cultural y desigualdades sociales en los retos de la sociedad actual. En Palenzuela, P. (coord.). Antropología y compromiso. Homenaje al profesor Isidoro Moreno (pp. 89-108). Barcelona: Icaria.
Durkheim, Émilie. [1895] (2001). ¿Qué es un hecho social?, Durkheim, E. [1895] (2001). Las reglas del método sociológico. México: FCE, 38-52.
Eriksen, Thomas et. al. (2001). A history of anthropology. London: Pluto Press. - Eriksen, T. H. [1995] (2001). Small Places, Large Issues. An Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology. London - Sterling - Virginia: Pluto Press.
Héritier, Françoise. (1996). Masculino/Femenino. El pensamiento de la diferencia. Barcelona: Ariel.
Lewin, Ellen (2006). Feminist Anthropology. A Reader. Oxford: Blackwell.
Ingold, Tim. (1994). Companion encyclopedia of anthropology. London-New York: Routledge.
Kottak, Conrad. (2002). Antropología cultural. Espejo para la humanidad. Madrid: McGraw-Hill.
Marcus, George. [1986] (1991). Problemas de la etnografía contemporánea en el mundo moderno. Marcus G. y Clifford J. [1986] (1991). Retóricas de la antropología. Madrid: Júcar. pp. 235-268.
Mead, Margaret [1925] (1990). Adolescencia y cultura en Samoa. Barcelona: Paidós.
Raport, Nigel. [1999] (2014). Social and Cultural Anthropology. The Key Concepts. Abingdon-New York: Routledge. 3 edition.
Velasco, Honorio. comp., (2010). Lecturas de antropología social y cultural. La cultura y las culturas. Madrid: Trotta.
Wade, Peter (2014). Raza, ciencia, sociedad. Interdisciplina 2, núm. 4, 35-62.
Compulsory readings by blocks
Tema 1: What is Anthropology?
Eriksen, Thomas (2004). Why Anthropology?. In What is Anthropology (pp. 3-18). London, Ann Arbor: Pluto Press
Ortner, Sherry (1979). ¿Es la mujer con respecto al hombre lo que la naturaleza con respecto a la cultura? En Harris, Olivia y Kate Young, comp., Antropología y feminismo (p. 109-131).
Tema 2: Historical approach to Anthropology
Malinowski, Bronislaw [1922] (1972). "Introducción: objeto, método y finalidad de esta investigación". Malinowski, B. [1922] (1972). Los argonautas del Pacífico occidental. Comercio y aventura entre los indígenas de la Nueva Guinea Melanésica. Barcelona: Península, 37-54.
Tema 3: Economy and exchange
Mauss, Mauss. [1924] (2009). Los dones intercambiados. En Ensayo sobre el don: forma y función del intercambio en las sociedades arcaicas (pp. 81-106). Buenos Aires: Katz.
Tema 4: Families
Ginsburg, Faye. & Rapp, Rayna. (1991). The politics of reproduction. Annual Review of Anthropology, 20, 311–43.
Tema 5: Powers
Foucault, Michel. [1976] (2009). Derecho de muerte y poder sobre la vida. En La voluntad del saber (pp. 143-169). Madrid: Siglo XXI
Tema 6: Simbolic Systems: belivings and ritual
Durkheim, E. ([1912] 1968). Definición del fenómeno religioso y de la religión. En Las formas elementales de la vida religiosa. Buenos Aires: Schapire.
Tema 7: What is anthropology useful for?
Godelier, Maurice. (2016). En el mundo de hoy, la antropología es más importante que nunca, AIBR Revista de Antropología Iberoamericana 10(3): 59-77. http://www.aibr.org/antropologia/netesp/numeros/1101/110104.pdf
Software
Required by UAB.