Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

The module explores the ethnographic tradition within social and cultural anthropology which, at its very core, concerns the question of how we can represent 'other' cultures and what implications there are to researching our 'own'. As such, debates about ethnography have shaped the discipline of anthropology itself, whilst these debates have also taken heed from developments in wider social-theoretical thinking such as post-modernism, interpretivism and concerns about subjectivity.

Through reading, students will familiarise themselves with ethnography as both a research methodology and a form of writing that is integral to the production of anthropological knowledge. They will learn about how developments in the social sciences have impacted upon this most qualitative and, arguably, subjective methodology. The module discusses the big debates that have questioned or re-asserted the value of ethnography as a way of understanding and representing 'other' cultures and, more recently, the anthropologist's own; and closes with the most recent trends in debates about ethnography.

Outline Of Syllabus

The module begins with the beginnings of ethnography, and then moves along some of the main debates that have shaped our thinking about this methodology and this way of representing culture: moving from Malinowski's work and his diary to postmodernism via the seminal volume Writing Culture; literary critiques of ethnographic texts; the acknowledgement of the individual versus macro-analysis of culture (Wikan vs Geertz); and discussions around 'anthropology at home' to more recent ideas of multivocality in representation and the ontological turn. Exploring these trends, the module moves from the Trobriand Islands and Bali, to the UK, Israel and East Germany. In session six, students will present an ethnography which they have chosen from a list of options.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

By the end of the module, students will have:

An understanding of ethnography as both a methodology and a way of representing data.

Knowledge of key debates and theoretical developments that have shaped ethnography.

An understanding of key concepts in ethnography such as subjectivity and objectivity, self-reflexivity, native anthropology/anthropology at home, informants, and key ethical issues in ethnographic research and representation.

An awareness of current debates and issues in anthropological research and writing.

Intended Skill Outcomes

By the end of the module, students will be able to:

Critically explore ethnographic texts.

Assess ethnographic research in terms of its relation to current debates in the discipline and with regard to research ethics.

Critically evaluate and synthesise material from different sources to develop a coherent and substantiated argument.

Present arguments both orally and in writing.

Consider the usefulness of an ethnographic approach for their dissertation and devise an appropriate methodological design.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The module is based on the reading and class discussion of ethnographic texts and critiques of ethnography. the texts must be read in detail in advance, which is supported through pre-recorded lecture material that provides background and questions to guide the reading. To help aid discussion in the in-person seminars each student will sign up to present key points from one of the readings - there'll be one presentation per session. These presentations are informal. Students will sign up for their chosen text and seminar in session one. This approach practices critical reading skills, presentation, argument and discussion, whilst introducing students to the particularities of ethnographic texts and debates in anthropology.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The essay asks students to discuss a particular trend or debate in the social sciences which had an impact on debates about ethnography. This tests learning aims by requiring students to develop a sustained argument that interrelates theoretical debates, methodology and text through the exploration of relevant case examples, ie ethnographies.

General Notes

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