Unit information: Contemporary Theory in Social Anthropology in 2013/14

Unit name	Contemporary Theory in Social Anthropology
Unit code	ANTH20001
Credit points	20
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Margiotti
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of Anthropology and Archaeology
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

The aim of this course is to introduce students to a range of contemporary theories in Anthropology. It takes into account the organisation of the discipline, its international nature, and the different media with which anthropology is published. The intention is to stress the contemporary production of anthropology.

The overall aims of the unit are:

• To encourage you to apply and develop further your analytical skills in evaluating contemporary theories in social anthropology.

• To encourage consideration of the social context of the discipline, including the complex institutional, organisational and other factors that may be instrumental in shaping dominant ideas in social anthropology today.

• At a practical level, to encourage a thorough perception

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this unit you should:

• Be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of significant themes in contemporary anthropology, including instances of work on trans-nationalism, virtual reality, anthropology at home, and modern treatment of kinship.

• Have gained a good awareness of the institutional setting of the discipline in comparative setting, including European and North America, and examined a number of different articles, sample journal issues, monographs, web-based projects and films.

• Have sufficient accumulated knowledge of the state of the discipline to be able to place any new theories that you may come across within their contemporary disciplinary context.

Teaching Information

There will be a two-hour session per week in which I shall give lectures, complemented by frequent student presentations from suggested readings or other media. Your full presence is required at each class. This means that you have to be fully actively engaged with the class at all times. You will be divided in small research groups and will be expected to offer one presentation, individually or as a pair. These are an important part of the course, and really help it ‘go’. More information on this will be given in the first lecture.

Assessment Information

This course is assessed through one essay (50%) and one two-hour examination (50%).

1. One essay (50%) of 2,250-2,750 words, which has to be submitted by Friday 19th November 2010. The marked essay will be returned by Friday 10th December 2010.

2. A written examination (50%) will take place at the end of TB1 (date tbc). The examination will ask candidates to answer three questions in two hours.