Course syllabus

ANTHRO 310:  Reading Ethnography

SEMESTER ONE, 2018

15 points

 
Course Convenor: 

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

 Teacher:

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

Course delivery format:

One x 2 hour seminar; one x 1 hour seminar 

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

 Summary of Course Description:              

Ethnographic texts are the major outcome of research in social and cultural anthropology. This seminar-based course compares different ethnographies and approaches to ethnographic research and writing. This course follows your core social anthropology courses and is intended as

• A capstone course for completing anthropology majors in the sociocultural stream
• A bridging course to graduate study in sociocultural anthropology
• A focused, in-depth engagement with social anthropology's defining form of knowledge production

It is designed to:

• Provide a transitional style of learning between lectures and the small-group seminars of graduate courses and many professional work environments
• Deepen your understanding of the nature of ethnographic texts and their relationship to disciplinary research theory
• Help you to understand the interplay between research, writing and reading
• Enhance your understanding of the relationships between comprehension and critique

 Course outcomes:

See Course Outline (coming)

 Assessment Summary:

 See Course Outline (coming)

Weekly Topics:

Prescribed Texts

Gay y Blasco, Paloma & Huon Wardle, 2007. How to Read Ethnography. Abingdon: Routledge.(Weekly Discussions). On order USB; available in hard and e-copy in the library.

Cole, Jennifer, 2010. Sex and Salvation: Imagining the Future in Madagascar. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. (1st half.) On order USB; available in hard and e-copy in library.

Boellstorff, Tom, 2008. Coming of Age in Second Life : An Anthropologist Explores the Virtually Human. Princeton: Princeton University Press. (2nd  half.) On order USB; available in hard and e-copy in library.

 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.