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Identical coursesPower, Politics and Cultures of Late Capitalism in Anthropological Perspectives (B-KUL-S0K19A)
De Boeck Filip (coordinator) | De Boeck Filip | Van Wolputte Steven Aims
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- explain the cultural embeddedness of political processes, violence, war and conflict in our contemporary world;
- situate major anthropological perspectives on state formation, ethnic identity, and theories of conflict and resistance;
- analyse contemporary processes of conflict and conflict resolution from an anthropological perspective;
- read and critically analyse articles and texts presenting cases of political conflict in various cultural settings;
- situate the field of political anthropology within the broader field of social and cultural anthropology.
The course aims will be explained during the first lecture of the course.
Previous knowledge
At the beginning of this course, students can situate social-theoretical (anthropological, sociological, economic) concepts and theories; they have an active knowledge of the main approaches, methods and themes in social and cultural anthropology as illustrated in the introductory course : Introduction to anthropology in a decolonizing world (S0J98A).
Is included in these courses of study
Activities
6 ects. Power, Politics and Cultures of Late Capitalism in Anthropological Perspectives (B-KUL-S0K19a)
Content
Today, many people in Africa, Asia, Latin-America, Eastern-Europe or the Balkans live in worlds that are falling apart in front of their very eyes. The basis of their social relations is being disrupted, and the shared epistemological truths on which these relations rest do no longer apply. This necessarily imperils people's ability to continue to construct a significant reality: the breaking up of the 'taken-for-granted' quality of a world that goes without saying for those who experience, live in and belong to it jeopardizes cohesive cultural systems and destroys embodied cultural identities and habituses. How do people cope with the fundamental ruptures in their lives and identities in the face of a collapsing reality that grows more complex, chaotic and violent every day and that seems to announce the end of social life and the societal fabric as most of us understand it? How can we expand the cultural metalogue in order to understand how people live on a daily basis -individually and collectively- these profound changes in social, cultural, political, economic, moral and aesthetic patterns?
The course will focus on the following topics:
1) anthropology and/or the state
2) a basic introduction to economic anthropology
3) local meanings and mechanisms of violence
4) local mechanisms and strategies of survival, resistance and resilience for resolving
Course material
Basic articles and chapters used in class as well as recommended literature will be available on Toledo as from the first week.
A course schedule, slides, links to audio-visual media and exam requirements will be communicated through Toledo.
Format: more information
Professors and guest lecturers introduce students to current topics in political and economic anthropology (such as the disintegration of political and administrative structures and state institutions, violence as a consequence of that, local mechanisms for resolving conflict, shadow economy, corruption, strategies of survival, resistance and resilience).
Students are expected to
- attend the lectures and actively participate in the discussions;
- research and prepare a paper or presentation related to the topics treated during the lectures;
By doing so, they practise
- linking the cases presented in class with course readings from different authors and themes;
- searching for examples in preparation of their final research paper;
- critically reflecting on cutting-edge issues in the field of political anthropology
Evaluation
Evaluation: Power, Politics and Cultures of Late Capitalism in Anthropological Perspectives (B-KUL-S2K19a)
Explanation
Evaluation characteristics
The course is evaluated by the teacher, as announced via Toledo and the examination regulations.
Students write a paper* concerning a theme of their own choice (in consultation with the lecturers), as long as it is related to the course content and is relevant to the lectures and texts that are discussed in class.
This paper should incorporate at least three texts from the reader. These three texts serve as a starting point for further reflection and individual reading of relevant literature, to be chosen by the student in consultation with the lecturer(s).
The paper should be 5000 words. It should be written in the form of an essay and also consist of a title, an abstract, keywords and a bibliography; an introduction, middle part and conclusions; endnotes; reference list. The written assignment will be evaluated for content, quality of writing, and format.
Determination of the final result
The course is evaluated by the teacher, as announced via Toledo and the examination regulations. The result is calculated and expressed as an integer out of 20.
The deadline for presenting the paper topic will be announced in class and on Toledo.
A soft copy must be uploaded on Toledo no later than the first Monday of the examination period. Deadlines for the final paper are not negotiable. In case of exceptional, individual circumstances, students can contact the ombuds concerning the deadline. Papers submitted after this date will be considered for the next examination period (i.e. the third examination period). This means students will receive an NA (not attended) score.
*Students are fully responsible for submitting papers and assignments free of fraud and plagiarism (www.kuleuven.be/english/education/plagiarism/) and are requested to observe the Faculty’s relevant regulations. Plagiarism will be sanctioned with the sanctions mentioned in the University’s Regulations on Education and Examinations (http://www.kuleuven.be/education/regulations/).
Second examination opportunity
Same as the first exam opportunity
Information about retaking exams
Second examination opportunity
Same as the first exam opportunity