Postgraduate Course: Ritual and Religion (PGSP11191)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Postgrad (School of Social and Political Studies) |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the study of religion and ritual from an anthropological perspective. This course explores fundamental questions related to the definition and study of religious systems and ritual practices and challenges us to reconsider the general categories and classifications used in anthropology, particularly in relation to the concepts of religion and ritual themselves and related disciplinary distinctions between notions of science, magic, and myth. The general aim is to provide a critical reappraisal of how the notions of ritual and religion have been constructed and used in the comparative study of society and culture. Concentrating on the most influential theories of ritual action and religious commitment, the course addresses the role these constructions have played in organizing a broad discourse on human diversity and the varied nature of human life and experience.
Tracing the fluctuating presence of common themes, each session will provide an analysis of more general theoretical paradigms rather than single theorists or individual ethnographies |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2011/12 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1)
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WebCT enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| Central | Lecture | Lecture Theatre 3, 7 Bristo Square | 1-11 | | | 11:10 - 13:00 | | | | Central | Seminar | Pod 3, third floor Chrystal Macmillan | 1-11 | | 11:10 - 12:00 | | or 14:00 - 14:50 | |
| First Class |
First class information not currently available |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the study of religion and ritual from an anthropological perspective. This course explores fundamental questions related to the definition and study of religious systems and ritual practices and challenges us to reconsider the general categories and classifications used in anthropology, particularly in relation to the concepts of "religion" and "ritual" themselves and related disciplinary distinctions between notions of "science," "magic," and "myth." The general aim is to provide a critical reappraisal of how the notions of ritual and religion have been constructed and used in the comparative study of society and culture. Concentrating on the most influential theories of ritual action and religious commitment, the course addresses the role these constructions have played in organizing a broad discourse on human diversity and the varied nature of human life and experience. Tracing the fluctuating presence of common themes, each session will provide an analysis of more general theoretical paradigms rather than single theorists or individual ethnographies.
2. By the end of the course, through class assignments and tutorial projects that foster a critical appreciation of 'the anthropology of religion and ritual', students should have a clear overview of the main theories of ritual action and religious commitment. In addition, having explored a variety of ethnographies, they should be able to reflect on the possible application of these theories to different ethnographic problems. |
Assessment Information
| One 4000 word essay. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Week 1: What is Religion?
Week 2: The Secularization of Religion
Week 3: The Problem of the Human within Anthropological Atheism
Week 4: What is Ritual?
Week 5: Rituals and Sense
Week 6: Rituals and Selves
Week 7: Ritual "and" Religion? Ritual "or" Religion? Everyday life and spiritual practice
Week 8: The Endurance of Religion: An Ethnographic Example
Week 9: Religion, Politics, Secularism: Theory and Ethnography
Week 10: "The Pinch of Destiny" |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
The course consists of one two-hour session a week for the whole class, supported by separate seminars with the instructor. The two-hour sessions involve a mixture of lectures, discussions, and videos. The seminars will meet every two weeks and will cover the assigned readings in much greater detail. Each student will lead (or co-lead) one seminar session by making a short presentation at the beginning of a seminar meeting. The schedule of these seminars and the list of presentations will be formulated after the first class meeting. Students should note that attendance and participation in the seminar sessions is compulsory. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Richard Baxstrom
Tel:
Email: Richard.Baxstrom@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Clare Nisbet
Tel:
Email: Clare.Nisbet@ed.ac.uk |
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© Copyright 2011 The University of Edinburgh - 16 January 2012 6:37 am
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