Teaching Plan Information

Presentation

This course is an introduction to the field of sociocultural anthropology — the study of the commonalities of the human experience and the diversity of human societies and cultures. Over the course of the trimester, we will be exploring how anthropological thought has developed (key figures, concepts, and theories), how anthropologists conduct research (fieldwork, methodology, and techniques), and how they produce scholarship on an array of different topics and in a range of different contexts around the world (ethnographies).

By reading texts by key classical and contemporary authors covering topics such as kinship and gender; political economy; environment and ecology; ritual and religion; art; material culture; domination and violence; medicine and nutrition; race, colonialism and postcolonialism; and development, you will get an overview of anthropology’s range and discuss fresh perspectives that will richly inform your other courses, possible career choices, and the communities in which you are members.

Associated skills

General Skills

• Capacity to find and process scientific information
• Capacity of analysis and synthesis of concepts
• Critical reasoning skills and debating skills
• Capacity for interdisciplinary thought
• Individual research, writing, and presentation skills
• Group work skills
• Sensibility to issues of culture and gender

Specific Skills

1. Identify classic and contemporary key anthropologists and their ethnographic case studies, as well as important anthropological theories and schools of anthropological thought.
2. Build a robust understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the anthropological method and ethnographic practice.
3. Demonstrate mastery of basic anthropological vocabulary and key concepts.
4. Develop an understanding and anthropological sensibility towards a variety of cultures and societies from around the world.
5. Become critically aware of your own sociocultural milieu and discerning with regards to popular assumptions about cultural difference and power dynamics in the world.
6. Construct logical arguments supported by multiple sources and employing aspects of the theory, methodology, and content from the course.   

Learning outcomes

Through this course you will not only learn about the experiences of people whose lives are different from your own and develop an anthropological sensibility but will also form a critical awareness of your own sociocultural milieu. It is the hope that at the end of the trimester you will have learned to question and constructively critique the assumptions about cultural difference and power dynamics that govern commonly held ideas about the world we live in.

Sustainable Development Goals

#Gender equality #Reduced inequalities #Peace, justice and strong institutions

Prerequisites

This course has no prerequisites and is open to all interested students. Language of instruction is English.

Contents

The following Parts will include a variety of texts by classical and contemporary authors as well as occasional short films. 

Part 1 – Enlightenment Origins and Colonialist Foundations

Part 2 – System and Function

Part 3 – Structural anthropology

Part 4 – Symbolic and Interpretive Anthropology

Part 5 – Poststructuralism and Practice Theory

Part 6 – Questioning Anthropological Authority and the Crisis of Representation 

Part 7 – Material Culture, Matter, and Materiality

Part 8 – Anthropology of Religion and Art

Part 9 – Indigenous Perspectives and the Ontological Turn

Part 10 – Anthropologies in and of the Present

Teaching Methods

Class Structure

A typical class-day will consist of an hour of lecture by me followed by presentations by students and group debate/discussion. Class participation and group debate are therefore understood as a key aspect of the educational experience of the class and will be evaluated accordingly. Classes will be in-person only.

Class Climate                                                      

Class climate is really important to me. In order for discussions to be productive, all students need to come to class prepared and feel comfortable participating. We will create and maintain an atmosphere of mutual respect in which everyone’s ideas can be heard. You are encouraged to speak your mind critically and constructively and practice tolerance to the ideas of others.

Course Policies                                                   

Attendance

Having a good class discussion depends on your participation so your presence in class is essential. After three, “no-questions-asked” unexcused absences (a very late arrival may be marked as an absence), I reserve the right to lower your Class Participation and Attendance score by -3% for each absence thereafter. Excused absences include those arranged with me beforehand and those accompanied by appropriate documentation.

Late Work

I will not accept late work unless you offer a reasonable excuse ahead of time. I reserve the right to lower the grade on a late assignment. Students will be penalized by -10% on their assignment grade for each day an assignment is late.

Plagiarism

Maintaining ethical integrity is a key component of any career. As such, students are expected to do their own work and clearly acknowledge other authors’ ideas. Plagiarism in any form is considered a major violation and will be severely penalized with an automatic fail ("suspens") of the assignment. Students who plagiarize more than once will automatically fail the whole course. For more information on the UPF plagiarism policy see Normativa de Regulació.

Important Remarks

• Students should follow the syllabus and the Aula Global for updates about the course.
• Students are expected to complete all the assigned readings before class and should come prepared for the in-class debate/discussion.  
• Classes are conducted in English, but Spanish and Catalan are welcome occasionally if students need to clarify a point or ask a question. The presentations and assignments must be given/written in English.

Evaluation

Midterm Quiz (5%)

You will be quizzed on the definitions of key vocabulary and anthropological concepts discussed in the first half of the course as well as important anthropologists and their contributions.

Final Paper Proposal (10%)                                                                                                        

Think of the proposal as you selling me your research topic. Convince me that it is worthwhile pursuing in depth and explain how the topic fits within the purview of this class. I only need a 2-page succinct summary and a 1-page prospective bibliography.

Presentation of a reading (15%)

Pairs of students (or individual students, depending on class size) will choose a topic from the class schedule during which they will present a commentary (15–20 min.) on a reading assigned for that day, along with an outline/handout for the rest of the class, and a set of questions directed to the class to begin the discussion/debate.

Midterm review of a reading (15%)                                                                                                       

Write an academic review of a text assigned for class in no more than 1,500 words. The review will be evaluated on the degree of understanding displayed on the topic at hand, the depth of your critical evaluation of the author’s evidence and conclusions, and your original personal opinions. 

Final Research Paper (25%)                                                                                                       

Write a 3000- to 4000-word (excluding bibliography) research paper based on original research on an anthropological topic of your choice. The paper should involve at least 20 bibliographic sources. You are welcome to email me or come to my office hours to discuss possible topics.

Class Participation and Attendance (30%)

You should do the reading ahead of time so we can have a productive conversation in class.  I realize that some people are more shy and some more talkative than others, but I expect regular contributions from everyone. Because your peers will be facilitating discussion on certain days, do your best to make that easier for them. Attendance is vital to receiving a good class participation grade.

Recovering a Failing Grade

Those students who fail the final paper will have the opportunity to revise it and resubmit it during the following trimester by the deadline provided by the instructor. Students will not be able to recover their Class Participation and Attendance grade, unless they have had excused absences as per the Attendance Policy outlined above, in which case the absences will not be counted against them. Likewise, the Presentation of a Reading cannot be recovered if there is a failing grade or an unexcused no-show; if there is an excused absence, the presentation will be rescheduled without penalization.

Bibliography and information resources

AADD (1993). Diccionari d'Antropologia. TERMCAT, Barcelona.

Augé, Marc and J.-P. Colleyn. (2005). Qué es la antropología. Paidós, Barcelona.

Barret, Stanley R. (1997). Anthropology: A student's guide to Theory and Method. University of Toronto Press, Toronto.

Bohannan, Paul. (1996). Para raros, nosotros: introducción a la antropología cultural. Ediciones Akal, Madrid.

Bohannan, P. and M. Glazer (eds.) (1992). Antropología: lecturas. Mc Graw Hill, Madrid.

Boivin, M. A. Rosato and V. Arribas. (1998). Constructores de Otredad. Una introducción a la Antropología Social y Cultural. Eudeba, Buenos Aires.

Ember, C. R. and M. Ember. (2004). Antropología cultural. Prentice Hall, Madrid.

Engelke, Matthew. (2019). How to Think Like an Anthropologist. Princeton University Press, Princeton.

Hendry, Joy. (1999). An Introduction to Social Anthropology: Other People's Worlds. Macmillan Press, London.

Ingold, Timothy. (2018). Anthropology: Why it Matters. Wiley, London.

Kottak, Conrad P. (2011) Antropología cultural. McGraw-Hill, México. [14th edition].

Lavenda, Robert H. and Emily A. Schultz. (2017). Anthropology: What Does it Mean to Be Human? Oxford University Press, Oxford. [4^th Edition].

Monaghan, John and Peter Just. (2000). Social and Cultural Anthropology: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

ucción a la antropología cultural. Ediciones Akal, Madrid.

BOHANNAN, P. and GLAZER, M. (eds.) (1992). Antropología: lecturas. Mc Graw Hill, Madrid.

BOIVIN, M. A. ROSATO and V. ARRIBAS. (1998). Constructores de Otredad. Una introducción a la Antropología Social y Cultural. Eudeba, Buenos Aires.

EMBER, C. R. and EMBER, M. (2004). Antropología cultural. Prentice Hall, Madrid.

ENGELKE, Matthew. (2019). How to Think Like an Anthropologist. Princeton University Press, Princeton.

HENDRY, Joy. (1999). An Introduction to Social Anthropology: Other People's Worlds. Macmillan Press, London.

INGOLD, Timothy. (2018). Anthropology: Why it Matters. Wiley, London.

KOTTAK, Conrad P. (2011) Antropología cultural. McGraw-Hill, México. [14th edition].

LAVENDA, Robert H. and Emily A. SCHULTZ. (2017). Anthropology: What Does it Mean to Be Human? Oxford University Press, Oxford. [4^th Edition].

MONAGHAN, John and Peter JUST. (2000). Social and Cultural Anthropology: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Teaching Plan Information

Presentation

This course is an introduction to the field of sociocultural anthropology — the study of the commonalities of the human experience and the diversity of human societies and cultures. Over the course of the trimester, we will be exploring how anthropological thought has developed (key figures, concepts, and theories), how anthropologists conduct research (fieldwork, methodology, and techniques), and how they produce scholarship on an array of different topics and in a range of different contexts around the world (ethnographies).

By reading texts by key classical and contemporary authors covering topics such as kinship and gender; political economy; environment and ecology; ritual and religion; art; material culture; domination and violence; medicine and nutrition; race, colonialism and postcolonialism; and development, you will get an overview of anthropology’s range and discuss fresh perspectives that will richly inform your other courses, possible career choices, and the communities in which you are members.

Associated skills

General Skills

• Capacity to find and process scientific information
• Capacity of analysis and synthesis of concepts
• Critical reasoning skills and debating skills
• Capacity for interdisciplinary thought
• Individual research, writing, and presentation skills
• Group work skills
• Sensibility to issues of culture and gender

Specific Skills

1. Identify classic and contemporary key anthropologists and their ethnographic case studies, as well as important anthropological theories and schools of anthropological thought.
2. Build a robust understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the anthropological method and ethnographic practice.
3. Demonstrate mastery of basic anthropological vocabulary and key concepts.
4. Develop an understanding and anthropological sensibility towards a variety of cultures and societies from around the world.
5. Become critically aware of your own sociocultural milieu and discerning with regards to popular assumptions about cultural difference and power dynamics in the world.
6. Construct logical arguments supported by multiple sources and employing aspects of the theory, methodology, and content from the course.   

Learning outcomes

Through this course you will not only learn about the experiences of people whose lives are different from your own and develop an anthropological sensibility but will also form a critical awareness of your own sociocultural milieu. It is the hope that at the end of the trimester you will have learned to question and constructively critique the assumptions about cultural difference and power dynamics that govern commonly held ideas about the world we live in.

Sustainable Development Goals

#Gender equality #Reduced inequalities #Peace, justice and strong institutions

Prerequisites

This course has no prerequisites and is open to all interested students. Language of instruction is English.

Contents

The following Parts will include a variety of texts by classical and contemporary authors as well as occasional short films. 

Part 1 – Enlightenment Origins and Colonialist Foundations

Part 2 – System and Function

Part 3 – Structural anthropology

Part 4 – Symbolic and Interpretive Anthropology

Part 5 – Poststructuralism and Practice Theory

Part 6 – Questioning Anthropological Authority and the Crisis of Representation 

Part 7 – Material Culture, Matter, and Materiality

Part 8 – Anthropology of Religion and Art

Part 9 – Indigenous Perspectives and the Ontological Turn

Part 10 – Anthropologies in and of the Present

Teaching Methods

Class Structure

A typical class-day will consist of an hour of lecture by me followed by presentations by students and group debate/discussion. Class participation and group debate are therefore understood as a key aspect of the educational experience of the class and will be evaluated accordingly. Classes will be in-person only.

Class Climate                                                      

Class climate is really important to me. In order for discussions to be productive, all students need to come to class prepared and feel comfortable participating. We will create and maintain an atmosphere of mutual respect in which everyone’s ideas can be heard. You are encouraged to speak your mind critically and constructively and practice tolerance to the ideas of others.

Course Policies                                                   

Attendance

Having a good class discussion depends on your participation so your presence in class is essential. After three, “no-questions-asked” unexcused absences (a very late arrival may be marked as an absence), I reserve the right to lower your Class Participation and Attendance score by -3% for each absence thereafter. Excused absences include those arranged with me beforehand and those accompanied by appropriate documentation.

Late Work

I will not accept late work unless you offer a reasonable excuse ahead of time. I reserve the right to lower the grade on a late assignment. Students will be penalized by -10% on their assignment grade for each day an assignment is late.

Plagiarism

Maintaining ethical integrity is a key component of any career. As such, students are expected to do their own work and clearly acknowledge other authors’ ideas. Plagiarism in any form is considered a major violation and will be severely penalized with an automatic fail ("suspens") of the assignment. Students who plagiarize more than once will automatically fail the whole course. For more information on the UPF plagiarism policy see Normativa de Regulació.

Important Remarks

• Students should follow the syllabus and the Aula Global for updates about the course.
• Students are expected to complete all the assigned readings before class and should come prepared for the in-class debate/discussion.  
• Classes are conducted in English, but Spanish and Catalan are welcome occasionally if students need to clarify a point or ask a question. The presentations and assignments must be given/written in English.

Evaluation

Midterm Quiz (5%)

You will be quizzed on the definitions of key vocabulary and anthropological concepts discussed in the first half of the course as well as important anthropologists and their contributions.

Final Paper Proposal (10%)                                                                                                        

Think of the proposal as you selling me your research topic. Convince me that it is worthwhile pursuing in depth and explain how the topic fits within the purview of this class. I only need a 2-page succinct summary and a 1-page prospective bibliography.

Presentation of a reading (15%)

Pairs of students (or individual students, depending on class size) will choose a topic from the class schedule during which they will present a commentary (15–20 min.) on a reading assigned for that day, along with an outline/handout for the rest of the class, and a set of questions directed to the class to begin the discussion/debate.

Midterm review of a reading (15%)                                                                                                       

Write an academic review of a text assigned for class in no more than 1,500 words. The review will be evaluated on the degree of understanding displayed on the topic at hand, the depth of your critical evaluation of the author’s evidence and conclusions, and your original personal opinions. 

Final Research Paper (25%)                                                                                                       

Write a 3000- to 4000-word (excluding bibliography) research paper based on original research on an anthropological topic of your choice. The paper should involve at least 20 bibliographic sources. You are welcome to email me or come to my office hours to discuss possible topics.

Class Participation and Attendance (30%)

You should do the reading ahead of time so we can have a productive conversation in class.  I realize that some people are more shy and some more talkative than others, but I expect regular contributions from everyone. Because your peers will be facilitating discussion on certain days, do your best to make that easier for them. Attendance is vital to receiving a good class participation grade.

Recovering a Failing Grade

Those students who fail the final paper will have the opportunity to revise it and resubmit it during the following trimester by the deadline provided by the instructor. Students will not be able to recover their Class Participation and Attendance grade, unless they have had excused absences as per the Attendance Policy outlined above, in which case the absences will not be counted against them. Likewise, the Presentation of a Reading cannot be recovered if there is a failing grade or an unexcused no-show; if there is an excused absence, the presentation will be rescheduled without penalization.

Bibliography and information resources

AADD (1993). Diccionari d'Antropologia. TERMCAT, Barcelona.

Augé, Marc and J.-P. Colleyn. (2005). Qué es la antropología. Paidós, Barcelona.

Barret, Stanley R. (1997). Anthropology: A student's guide to Theory and Method. University of Toronto Press, Toronto.

Bohannan, Paul. (1996). Para raros, nosotros: introducción a la antropología cultural. Ediciones Akal, Madrid.

Bohannan, P. and M. Glazer (eds.) (1992). Antropología: lecturas. Mc Graw Hill, Madrid.

Boivin, M. A. Rosato and V. Arribas. (1998). Constructores de Otredad. Una introducción a la Antropología Social y Cultural. Eudeba, Buenos Aires.

Ember, C. R. and M. Ember. (2004). Antropología cultural. Prentice Hall, Madrid.

Engelke, Matthew. (2019). How to Think Like an Anthropologist. Princeton University Press, Princeton.

Hendry, Joy. (1999). An Introduction to Social Anthropology: Other People's Worlds. Macmillan Press, London.

Ingold, Timothy. (2018). Anthropology: Why it Matters. Wiley, London.

Kottak, Conrad P. (2011) Antropología cultural. McGraw-Hill, México. [14th edition].

Lavenda, Robert H. and Emily A. Schultz. (2017). Anthropology: What Does it Mean to Be Human? Oxford University Press, Oxford. [4^th Edition].

Monaghan, John and Peter Just. (2000). Social and Cultural Anthropology: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

ucción a la antropología cultural. Ediciones Akal, Madrid.

BOHANNAN, P. and GLAZER, M. (eds.) (1992). Antropología: lecturas. Mc Graw Hill, Madrid.

BOIVIN, M. A. ROSATO and V. ARRIBAS. (1998). Constructores de Otredad. Una introducción a la Antropología Social y Cultural. Eudeba, Buenos Aires.

EMBER, C. R. and EMBER, M. (2004). Antropología cultural. Prentice Hall, Madrid.

ENGELKE, Matthew. (2019). How to Think Like an Anthropologist. Princeton University Press, Princeton.

HENDRY, Joy. (1999). An Introduction to Social Anthropology: Other People's Worlds. Macmillan Press, London.

INGOLD, Timothy. (2018). Anthropology: Why it Matters. Wiley, London.

KOTTAK, Conrad P. (2011) Antropología cultural. McGraw-Hill, México. [14th edition].

LAVENDA, Robert H. and Emily A. SCHULTZ. (2017). Anthropology: What Does it Mean to Be Human? Oxford University Press, Oxford. [4^th Edition].

MONAGHAN, John and Peter JUST. (2000). Social and Cultural Anthropology: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, Oxford.