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History of Anthropology I: from the Origins to Boas

Code: 105764 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2500256 Social and Cultural Anthropology OB 2

Contact

Name:
José Sánchez García
Email:
Desconegut

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


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, theoretical and methodological characteristics of the different schools or currents that have occurred in this period of the history of anthropology;

b) The main theses and developments of each one of the authors considered.

 

Competences

  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Apprehending cultural diversity through ethnography and critically assessing ethnographic materials as knowledge of local contexts and as a proposal of theoretical models.
  • Carry out effective written work or oral presentations adapted to the appropriate register in different languages.
  • Demonstrate skills for working autonomously or in teams to achieve the planned objectives including in multicultural and interdisciplinary contexts.
  • 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.
  • Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Use digital tools and critically interpret specific documentary sources.
  • Using the discipline's ethnographic and theoretical corpus with analytical and synthesis skills.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse the sex- or gender-based inequalities and the gender biases present in one's own area of knowledge.
  2. Applying the basic concepts of the anthropological theory.
  3. Assess the reliability of sources, select important data and cross-check information.
  4. Carry out ethical use of the information especially when it is of a personal nature.
  5. Communicate using language that is not sexist or discriminatory.
  6. Consider how gender stereotypes and roles impinge on the exercise of the profession.
  7. Critically analyse the principles, values and procedures that govern the exercise of the profession.
  8. Critically assessing ethnographic materials as a proposal for theoretical models.
  9. Critically identify and compose a basic bibliography for the field opf study.
  10. Effectively working in teams and respecting different opinions.
  11. Establishing historical connection between ethnographic and theoretical development.
  12. Explain the explicit or implicit code of practice of one's own area of knowledge.
  13. Explaining aspects of the history of science by using the discipline's specific terminology.
  14. Explaining the specific notions of the history of science.
  15. Express ideas with a specific vocabulary appropriate to the discipline.
  16. Identify main and secondary ideas and express them with linguistic correctness.
  17. Identify the principal forms of sex- or gender-based inequality and discrimination present in society.
  18. Identifying the key elements of the western cultural tradition from the 19th century to the present day.
  19. 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.
  20. Identifying the theories about human species in their relation to society and culture production.
  21. Integrating holistically the progress from the classical fields of Anthropology.
  22. Plan work effectively, individually or in groups, in order to fulfil the planned objectives.
  23. Proponer proyectos y acciones que estén de acuerdo con los principios de responsabilidad ética y de respeto por los derechos y deberes fundamentales, la diversidad y los valores democráticos.
  24. Propose projects and actions that incorporate the gender perspective.
  25. Recognizing and interpreting the main theoretical orientations throughout the discipline's history from the 19th century to the present day.
  26. Weigh up the impact of any long- or short-term difficulty, harm or discrimination that could be caused to certain persons or groups by the actions or projects.

Content

THEMATIC BLOCK I. GENERAL OVERVIEW: KEY ELEMENTS OF ANTHROPOLOGY AS A SCIENCE FROM THE MID-19th CENTURY TO THE PRESENT

  1. What history of what anthropology?
  2. The great debates of Anthropology during the twentieth century
  3. Anthropology and Colonialism. Central and peripheral anthropologies.

THEMATIC BLOCK II. PRECEDENTS AND ANTECEDENTS OF ANTHROPOLOGY. THE REFLECTION ON OTHERNESS BEFORE THE NINETEENTH CENTURY

  1. Reflection on otherness in Greco-Roman Antiquity and in the Middle Ages.
  2. Impact of the "discovery" of America and the beginnings of European colonial expansionism (15th – 17th centuries)
  3. Immediate antecedents: The Enlightenment (18th Century)

THEMATIC BLOCK III. CULTURAL EVOLUTIONISM AND DIFFUSIONISM (19thCENTURY)

  1. Emergence of academic Anthropology in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century: Key Influences Beyond Enlightenment Heritage: C. Darwin and H. Spencer; K. Marx.
  2. Cultural Evolutionism: theory and methods of the Cultural  Evolutionism orientation.
  3. "Jurists" and "Anthropologists": the legacies of L. H. Morgan and E. B. Tylor
  4. Diffusionism: theory and methods of diffusionist orientation. National variants of Diffusionism.
  5. Cultural diffusion and acculturation.

THEMATIC BLOCK IV. THE BIRTH OF ETHNOLOGIE IN FRANCE

  1. Historical development of ethnologie and social anthropology in France.
  2. The French Sociological School: Emile Durkheim and Marcel Mauss, from the "social fact" to the "rule of reciprocity"
  3. Ethnographic missions in sub-Saharan Africa.
  4. Levy-Bruhl and A. Van Gennep: from the primitive mentality to the structure of the rites of passage.

THEMATIC BLOCK V. EMERGENCE OF BRITISH SOCIALANTHROPOLOGY: FUNCTIONALISMS OF MALINOWSKI AND RADCLIFFE-BROWN

  1. Emergence and historical development of social anthropology in Britain.
  2. Aspects of theory and method of functionalist orientations: B. Malinowski’s functionalist school and A. R. Radcliffe-Brown’s structural-functionalism.
  3. Ethnography and fieldwork

WINE THEMATIC BLOCK VI. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY IN THE USA:  HISTORICAL PARTICULARISM AND THE SCHOOL OF CULTURE AND PERSONALITY

  1. Historical development of cultural anthropology in the United States.
  2. Historical Particularism and cultural relativism: the legacy of Franz Boas
  3. The School of Culture and Personality. Influences and phases. The contributions of Margaret Mead and R. F. Benedict and A. Kardiner

 


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Seminars 10 0.4 2, 8, 11, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25
Theoretical classes 30 1.2 2, 11, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25
Type: Supervised      
Individual and group tutoring 5 0.2 2, 8, 11, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25
Type: Autonomous      
Essay writing 30 1.2 2, 8, 11, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25
Mandatory readings 10 0.4 2, 11, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25
Personal study and work 40 1.6 2, 8, 11, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25

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.  The office hours and place 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 6 thematic 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. Mandatory readings and the calendar for the exam and the delivery of works will be provided at the beginning of the course and will be availablein the moodle classroom.

 

 

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.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Class Participation and discussion of readings 20% 10 0.4 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26
Group writing of essays 30% 10 0.4 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
Written exams 50% 5 0.2 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26

Evaluation of the course is understood as a continuous and progressive process, which extends throughout the course period and is developed from the realization of different assessment activities:

WORK MODULE (30% of the final grade):

Individual or Group work on a issue propossed by the teacher. The guideline for the completion of the work and the evaluation rubric will be provided at the beginning of course.

PARTICIPATION MODULE (20% of the final grade): this module is not recoverable.

There will be several compulsory readings of texts of the authors worked in class that will be discussed collectively (in the classroom or through the Virtual Campus forum). The evaluation will take into account not only the number of debates where the student has participated but also on the quality of the intervention, as well as the participation on the day scheduled for the debate. The evidence on the participation will be the written contributions derived from the activities carried out.

WRITTEN TEST MODULE (50% of the final grade):

There will be two exams (25% each) on the course themes and the compulsory readings.

To pass the course, students will need to obtain a minimum score of 5 resulting from the average of the marks obtained in each of the activities (according to the percentage of each in the final note). 

At the time of carrying out each evaluation activity, the lecturer will inform the students (in the classroom or via Virtual Campus) of the procedure and date of review of the qualifications.

At the beginning of the course, the schedule will be reached with the dates of completion ofthe work, discussionof compulsory readings, and exams. That schedule may be changed according to course developement. Also, it will be given the compulsory readings in PDF format atVirtual Campus.

 

On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.

 

 

SINGLE ASSESSMENT
 

The teaching staff will inform students who have opted for this modality of the single assessment date.

The single assessment of the subject will consist of the realization of a final exam (50% of the grade), and the delivery of an individual essay (30% of the grade) and the delivery of a set of reviews of the compulsory readings of the course (20% of the grade)
 

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

All activities have a deadline that must be met strictly, according to the proposed schedule. The absence or delivery outside the term of the evaluation activities without a justified and accredited cause means that the activity will not be evaluated.

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.

NOT ASSESSABLE

IN the case of continous assessment, the student will receive the grade of Not assessable as long as he/she has not done the two exams and/or delivered the written essay, except for justified and duly accredited reasons. In any case, students will obtain a “Not assessed/Not submitted” course grade unless they have submitted more than 30% of the assessment items.

In the case of single assessment, the student will receive the grade of "Not assessable" if more than 1/3 parts of the evaluation activities has not been delivered.

EXAMS AND WORKS RECOVERY CRITERIA

The evaluation process include recovery systems. 

To participate in the recovery process, the teacher may require the student to have obtained a minimum final grade, which cannot exceed in any case 3.5. 

Those activities that the teacher considers to be non-recoverable, for example: oral presentations, group work , tasks related to daily teaching activity may be excluded from the recovery process (with the approval of the coordination of studies and the center).

In the case of opting for the single assessment system, in order to be eligible for recovery, the same recovery system will be applied asfor continuous evaluation


Bibliography

ADAMS, William Y. (1998).  The Philosophical Roots of Anthropology. Stanford University: CSLI Publications.

AZCONA, Jesús (1987). Para comprender la antropología, Estella, Verbo Divino, (vol. 1, "La historia"; vol. 2, "La cultura").

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,

DESCOLA, Ph. et alt. (1988). Les idées de l'anthropologie, París: A. Colin.

DUCHET, Michele (1976). Introducción. Antropología e historia en el Siglo de las Luces. México: Siglo XXI Editores.

ENCICLOPEDIA INTERNACIONAL DE LAS CIENCIAS SOCIALES, dirigida por David L. Sills [Ed. Española, director Vicente Cervera Tomás], Madrid: Aguilar, 1974-1977.

ERIKSEN, Thomas Hylland & NIELSEN, Finn Sivert (2001). A history of Anthropology. London: Pluto Press.

EVANS-PRITCHARD, E.E. (1987). Historia del pensamiento antropológico, Madrid: Cátedra.

HARRIS, Marvin (1983 [1968]). El desarrollo de la teoría antropológica,Madrid: Siglo XXI.

KAHN,J.S. (ed.) (1975). El concepto de cultura: textos fundamenta-les, Barcelona: Anagrama.

KILANI, Mondher (1996). Introduction à l'anthropologie, Paris: Editions Payot.

KUPER, Adam (1988). The Invention of Primitive Society. Transformations of an Illusion, New York: Routledge,

KUPER, Adam J. (1996). Ortodoxia y tabú. Apuntes críticos sobre la teoría antropológica. Barcelona: Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona.

LECLERCQ, George (1973). Antropología y colonialismo. Madrid: Alberto Corazón Editor.

LLOBERA, J.R. (1975). La antropología como ciencia, Barcelona, Anagrama (especialmente, Llobera, J.R.: "Postcriptum: algunas tesis provisionales sobre la naturaleza de la antropología", pág. 373-287)

LOMBARD, J. (1972). L´anthropologie britannique contemporaine, París: P.U.F.

LOMBARD, J. (1997). Introducción a la etnología, Madrid: Alianza editorial.

LOWIE, R.H. (1946). Historia de la etnología, México: F.C.E.

MARZAL, M. (2016 [1996]). Historia de la Antropología. Volúmenes II (Antropología Cultural) y III (Antropología Social), Quito: Ediciones Abya-Yala

MAUSS, Marcel (1971). Sociología y Antropología.  Madrid: Editorial Tecnos.

MERCIER, P. (1995). Historia de la antropología, Madrid: Península.

PALERM, A. (1974). Historia de la etnología: los precursores, México, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia.

PALERM, A. (1976). Historia de la etnología: los evolucionistas México, Instituto Nacional de Antropología eHistoria.

PALERM, A. (1977). Historia de la etnología: Tylor y los profesionales británicos, México, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia.

ROSSI, I. y O'HIGGINS, E. (1981). Teorías de la cultura y métodos antropológicos, Barcelona: Anagrama.

STOCKING, G. W. (1982). Race, Culture and Evolution. Essays in the History of Anthropology, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

STOCKING, G. W. (1982). Introduction to A Franz Boas Reader. The Shaping of American Anthropology, 1883-1911, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

STOCKING, G. W. (ed.) (1985). Observers observed. Essays on Ethnographic Fieldwork [His-tory of Anthropology (I)], Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.

STOCKING, G. W. (ed.) (1985). Objects and Others. Essays on Museums and Material Culture [History of Anthropology (III)], Madison, University of Wisconsin Press.

STOCKING, G. W. (ed.) (1986). Malinowski, Rivers, Benedict and Others. Essays on Culture and Personality [History of Anthropology (IV)], Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.

STOCKING, G. W (1987). Victorian Anthropology, New York: The Free Press

STOCKING, G. W. (1987). The Progress of Civilization in the Enlightment. En Victorian Anthropology. Nueva York: The Free Press.

STOCKING, G. W. (1987). The Science of Progress in France. En Victorian Anthropology. Nueva York: The Free Press.

STOCKING. G. W. (1999). After Tylor. British Social Anthropology, 1888-1951, London: The Athlone Press.

VALDÉS, María (1998). El pensamiento antropológico de Lewis H. Morgan. Bellaterra : UAB, Publicacions d’Antropologia Cultural.

VALDÉS, María (2006). El pensamiento antropológico de Franz Boas.Bellaterra : UAB, Publicacions d’Antropologia Cultural.

ZEITLIN, Irving (1982). El iluminismo: sus fundamentos filosóficos. En: Ideología y teoría sociológica (pp. 13-20).Buenos Aires: Amorrortu.


Software

MODDLE ON VIRTUAL CAMPUS


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed