Course syllabus

Subject and Catalogue Number: Course Name

SEMESTER 2, 2018

15 points

 
Course Convenor: 

 Christine Dureau - cm.dureau@auckland.ac.nz

Teacher:

Course delivery format:

E.g. - 2 hours of lectures and 1 hour of tutorial

(Timetable and room details can be viewed on Student Services Online)

 Summary of Course Description:              

This course is intended to develop familiarity with some writers and issues of foundational and contemporary significance in social and cultural anthropology. In addition to reading some early works, we consider their influence in contemporary practice. I hope you will acquire a solid grounding upon which to develop your research interests in your later studies.

Some of the writers covered are not, themselves, anthropologists, but anthropology has always had a broad orientation, and the works we consider have been influential within the discipline.

Although no single moment marks the emergence of contemporary anthropology, we confine ourselves to the theorists of the late-19^th century and afterwards. This is an arbitrary point of departure: many of the themes of contemporary anthropology can be discerned in Enlightenment thinkers, for example. However the works that we consider provide an understanding of some key intellectual developments in social and cultural anthropology.

 Course outcomes:

By the end of this course, you:

• Should have developed insight into the nature of theoretical analysis generally
• Should understand key aspects of the theories covered
• Be developing an ability to discern complementary and contrasting relationships between theoretical approaches
• Have critical insight into the value of different theoretical perspectives and their potential relevance
• Have developed a capacity for balanced engagement with contemporary issues and debates in socio-cultural anthropology.
• Have theoretical resources appropriate to the development of Masters-level research in sociocultural anthropology.

 Assessment Summary:

Weekly Precis x 10 (20%)

Participation (10%)

Essay One (30%)

Essay Two (40%)

Weekly Topics:

Prescribed Texts:

Ferguson, James, 1999. Expectations of Modernity: Myths and Meanings of Urban Life on the Zambian Copperbelt. Berkeley: University of California Press.

 Recommended Texts:

Nil

 Workload and deadlines for submission of coursework:           

The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material. You should submit your work on time. In extreme circumstances, such as illness, you may seek an extension but you may be required to provide supporting information before the assignment is due. Late assignments without a pre-approved extension may be penalised by loss of marks – check course information for details.