Cultural Anthropology I-E2
| Numbering Code | U-LAS05 10002 LE40 | Year/Term | 2022 ・ Second semester | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Credits | 2 | Course Type | Lecture | |
| Target Year | All students | Target Student | For all majors | |
| Language | English | Day/Period | Thu.2 | |
| Instructor name | De Antoni, Andrea (Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies Program-Specific Associate Professor) | |||
| Outline and Purpose of the Course |
This course will introduce students to the central topics, concepts and methods of socio-cultural anthropology, which can be broadly defined as the study of human cultures and societies. It will survey the key areas of inquiry in contemporary socio-cultural anthropology and offer insights into how the seemingly most commonsensical aspects of any person’s life can be informed by the cultural and social contexts of which they consider themselves a part. The course will draw on ethnographic examples and case studies from a variety of cultures, but contemporary Japan will play a major role, in order to provide students with an interpretational framework for a better understanding of the context where we are living. |
|||
| Course Goals |
The course aims to introduce the key debates and understandings within socio-cultural anthropology. It will allow students to: - understand key concepts and terminology of socio-cultural anthropology - develop a cultural perspective, to realize that anthropology involves a way of seeing, a frame of reference for interpreting people's behaviour in all societies - develop an acceptance and appreciation of people informed by different cultures, and maintain a non-judgmental attitude - understand social relationships, for a comprehension not only of man, society and culture in general, but also of ourselves, our experiences, our own societies and cultures, as well as of the particular context where we are living at present, i.e. contemporary Japan. |
|||
| Schedule and Contents |
The following list of topics is indicative. Depending on the class and discussions, the topics taken into consideration might end up being be fewer. Nevertheless, they will include: Week 1: Course Introduction/What is Anthropology? Week 2: Race, Cultural Evolutionism and Racism Week 3: The Characteristics of Culture Week 4: Symbolic Classifications, Taboo, Pollution and Disgust Week 5: Gifts, Exchange and Reciprocity Week 6: The Anthropology of Ritual Practice Week 7: Cosmologies, Magic, Religion and Spirituality Week 8: Witchcraft Week 9: Shamanism and Spirit Possession Week 10: Law, Order and Social Control Week 11: Myths, Social Memory and Invented Traditions Week 12: Imagined Communities, Political Organization and the State Week 13: Economics and the Environment Week 14: Course Summary and Round-up Discussion Week 15: Final Test Week 16. Feedback |
|||
| Evaluation Methods and Policy |
Class Attendance and Contribution to Discussions (40%) Final Test (60%) |
|||
| Course Requirements | None | |||
| Study outside of Class (preparation and review) |
Students are required to complete the assigned readings and to come to class prepared to discuss them. Your class participation will be a part of the evaluation process (see above). Ideally speaking, students would be expected to conduct their own small ethnographic projects outside of class time. Yet, given the present conditions, the possibilities and modalities to carry out such projects will be discussed during the first class. |
|||
| Textbooks | Textbooks/References | Sharing Our Worlds: An Introduction to Social Anthropology, Hendry, Joy, (Red Globe Press, 2016) | ||
