Course content

In this course, you are introduced to social anthropology through its history. You will get experience with a variety of different perspectives on society, culture, and human life.You learn about key thinkers, theories and perspectives that have shaped the discipline over the past 150 years, from early evolutionist anthropology to recent power-oriented approaches. Social anthropologists question, on the one hand, the relationship between individual and society and, on the other, how humans make meaning to their lives and the world through norms, values, practices, and the ways in which they organize themselves. The answers we have found through the course of history has not rose in a vacuum, and in this course, you will learn how the different perspectives throughout the history of the discipline respond to the intellectual climate and societal challenges of their own age. New times demands new perspectives, and new perspectives tends to create even more perspectives. You will learn about this dynamic development of the discipline through perspectives such as evolutionism, functionalism and structural functionalism, actor-oriented perspectives and process theory, political economy, feminist anthropology and post-colonial critique.

Learning outcome

A student who has completed this course should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

• has good knowledge to the distinctive and classical approaches on society and culture.
• has good insight in central social anthropological works and how they build upon and at the same time differ from another.
• has insight into the interaction between the disciplinary theory development and societal processes.

Skills

• has a basic understanding of the dynamics in the disciplinary development.
• is able to have a constructive and critical view on the academic texts.
• has obtained skills in academic writing through working on the mandatory activities.

General competence

• is able to critically assess the disciplinary perspectives, basis of knowledge and implications.
• is able to think and write analytically, construct an argument, compare perspectives, recognize patterns and connections, discuss the implications of analytical approaches.
• is able to question what we take for granted, such as our values, conduct and habits, and thus easier can relate to other ways of living.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures and seminars. Some of the lectures may be given in English.

Please note that mandatory activities and lectures may start prior to the registration deadline.

Compulsory assignments

• Written assignment

Course materials

The reading list will be available at the beginning of the semester.

Credit reductions