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Identical coursesCultural Anthropology (B-KUL-S0R08A)
Cannot be taken as part of an examination contractAims
Upon completion of this course the student is able to:
- reconstruct various ways in which the concept of ‘culture’ has been approached within anthropology
- understand the difference between ‘culture and culturalism
- situate an anthropologic’al text within a particular approach to culture
- evaluate the relevance the concept of ‘culture’ for their own Master thesis.
These aims are communicated to the students at the beginning of the course.
Previous knowledge
Students have been initiated in the different paradigms in the history of anthropology and have a basic understanding of main theories and authors.
Is included in these courses of study
Activities
6 ects. Cultural Anthropology (B-KUL-S0R08a)
Content
While the “culture” concept is key in many anthropological writings, describing exactly what we mean by it, is a difficult task. Its definition has been preoccupying generations of anthropologists. We observe constant revisions of what “culture” can mean, how the culture concept is used by our interlocutors and by ourselves, and if, and if so, why, it should be rejected or replaced. These questions are at the heart of debates of what matters to our discipline and which directions it should take. In 10 sessions we will read key texts in anthropology that deal with the definition of “culture”, how to study it (or not), and how to present it (or not) in ethnography. Starting from Geertz’ classic definition in the “interpretation of culture”, we move on to Wagner’s elaboration on “the invention of culture”, to Jackson’s elaborations about culture and lifeworlds; Appadurai’s on culture and globalization; and Ginsburg’s on the mediation of culture. The following sessions present theoretical contributions that either contest the culture concept or propose other concepts, such as Abu-Lughod and Ortner’s “writing against culture/after culture”, Fischer’s proposal to study “emergent forms of life”, the ANT-turn towards “networks” rather than “culture” (Strathern; Latour), recent proposals to explore fragments, as in meshworks and patchworks (Ingold; Tsing et al.; Chua); and calls to decolonize “cultural anthropology” (Nyamnjoh; Gupta and Stoolman; Makhulu et al. 2022 #CiteBlackWomen).
The course will also include two guest lectures.
Format: more information
12 sessions:
- 10 sessions: 1 hour group presentations regarding a read case study, with a focus on how the approach to culture is mobilized (related to the theory of 2nd hour of previous session); and 1 hour ex cathedra
- 2 sessions: guest lectures
Evaluation
Evaluation: Cultural Anthropology (B-KUL-S2R08a)
Explanation
Evaluation characteristics and determination of the final result
The evaluation is done by the didactic team, as communicated on Toledo and the exam schedule. The result is calculated and expressed as an integer number on 20.
- 5/20 group presentation
OR, for students who do not present: write a 2,000 word paper about an article in the journal Cultural Anthropology, and how the culture concept has been used, and relate the findings to one or more of the readings in the syllabus of this course
- 5/20 participation in online discussions about the required readings (weekly, on the Toledo Forum)
- 10/20 paper (4,000 words, excl. bibliography) on the question: if and how is “culture” relevant or irrelevant for your MA thesis? And if irrelevant, what is the more appropriate alternative and why so? – to be submitted by the beginning of the exam period
Retakes
The second exam opportunity deviates from the first exam opportunity in the following way:
If the student did not participate in (or failed) the group presentation, they are required to write a 2000 word paper about an article in the journal Cultural Anthropology, and how the culture concept has been used, and relate the findings to one or more of the readings in the syllabus of this course If the student did not participate in the online discussions about the required readings, they are required to write a 2000 word paper on the required readings in the course.