Anthropological Theory (SA0028)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : SPS-3-SAAT

After an introduction to the roots of contemporary anthropological theory in the classic social theory of Marx, Weber and Durkheim, this course covers the main changes in theory and ethnography since the late 1960s, concentrating especially on the theoretical reaction against the structuralism of the 1960s and 1970s, and the powerful model of &'culture as meaning' developed in the symbolic anthropology of David Schneider and Clifford Geertz. Since the early 1980s, all aspects of this model have been challenged by new approaches to theory and writing, sometimes loosely referred to as 'postmodern' anthropology. The course will assess the critical impact of Bourdieu, Foucault, and Said, as well as feminist theory, not least through close reading of the theorists themselves as well as relevant ethnographic applications of their ideas.

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Social Anthropology, (School of Social and Political Studies, Schedule J)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2)

? Contact Teaching Time : 1 hour(s) 50 minutes per week for 10 weeks

? Other Required Attendance : 50 minutes per week for 9 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
18/09/2007	11:10	13:00	Room G.11, William Robertson Building	Central

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Tuesday	11:10	13:00	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students should be able to provide an overview of the general trends in anthropological theory from the mid 1970s to the present. They should have all read a number of short pieces by a range of influential anthropological and social theorists, and be capable of providing a critical account of key theorists and the intellectual and social context in which they worked. And they should be able to discuss the application of those theories to different ethnographic problems.