Regional Studies of Culture: 1

SOAN10331 Regional Studies of Culture: 1 20 Semester 1 Undergraduate Level 1 Chloe Nahum-Claudel Unit coordinator Sebastien Bachelet Unit coordinator Anthropology 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' First part HE study/Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 10.0 This course is an introduction to the anthropology of two selected ethnographic regions. It comprises two consecutive sections, each consisting five lectures plus guided reading and dealing with a particular region. Regions change each academic year. In 2022-2023, the regions covered are Amazonia (Lowland South America) and Britain.    This course is an introduction to the anthropology of two selected ethnographic regions. It comprises two consecutive sections, each consisting five lectures plus guided reading and dealing with a particular region. Region 1 – Amazonia (Lowland South America)This section of the course is designed to present some of the exciting theoretical challenges opened by the anthropological study of Indigenous Amazonian societies – that is the descendants of peoples who lived in the Amazon river watershed prior to the arrival of Europeans in 1492; and who continue to live today as minorities in settler colonial states of Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, Surinam, Columbia. We will look at classic themes such as animism (treating plants and animals as endowed with consciousness) through topics such as pet-keeping, cookery, and rituals surrounding the birth of children. And we will also seek to understand Indigenous people’s political participation within multi-ethnic Latin American countries, and their place within the global economy – for instance as custodians of the forest; as dwellers on land exploited for oil, hydropower, agribusiness, and other resources and as powerful symbols of both humanity’s past and future. This triple focus on the everyday lives, political positioning and representations of Indigenous Amazonian people will allow us to critically interrogate some of the longstanding stereotypical images and representations of the Amazon region as a place of nature and primitiveness. You will be invited to answer questions such as: How have Amazonian anthropologists redefined “Nature” in ways that also transform our understanding of ourselves? Are environmentalists and Indigenous people natural allies in conservation efforts? Why might eating meat be complicated for so-called “animists” and how do different Amazonian peoples deal with this ambivalence? Region 2 – Melanesia (Papua New Guinea) This part of the module shifts the ethnographic focus to Papua New Guinea in the Southwestern Pacific, long perceived to be the ‘last unknown’. Using the stimulus of ethnographic insights taken from ‘the back of beyond’, anthropological studies of the region require a decolonisation of interpretive skills and analytical tools to understand better how people develop meaningful lives together. Therefore, we will explore ‘reverse anthropology’ to better understand ‘economy’, generally defined as social actions to enable human flourishing and of particular importance in this nation that scores very low on the human development index (HDI) while supporting some of the world’s wealthiest multinational corporations mining and logging national resources. Course lectures will introduce ‘reverse anthropology’ before exploring some of its features as they entwine development, even while remaining unseen in shared livelihoods; We will consider symbolically engendered social forms, political leadership, spiritual and religious belief, and collective social action.     <ul> <li>Students will gain an overview of the anthropological studies of each region from historical and contemporary perspectives.</li> <li>Students will understand the key themes and theories that have shaped a regional study.</li> <li>Students will learn to read ethnographic texts critically, and develop the skill of close reading and analysis of anthropological texts.</li> <li>Students will be able to recognize the anthropological arguments developed from comparisons between different studies and different cultures, and why they matter in wider anthropology.</li> <li>Students will develop skills in writing analytical and well-structured answers to essay questions.</li></ul> Lectures, weekly tutorials 0 Other 100% <ul> <li>75% - One final 1500-word essay per block (block 1 essay due November; block 2 essay due in January);  </li> <li>25% - 4 x 250 word writing task;</li></ul>  Personalised feedback will be given on each of the essays.Feedback will also be given on class participation Restricted Course BA (H) Archaeol & Anthr BA (H) Archaeol & Anthr First Year Optional BA(Hons) Comp Relig & Soc An BA(Hons) Comp Relig & Soc An First Year Optional BA(Hons) Linguist & Soc Anth BA(Hons) Linguist & Soc Anth First Year Optional BSocSc(Hons) SoAn BSocSc(Hons) SoAn First Year Mandatory BA(Hons) Social Sciences BA(Hons)SocSc First Year Optional N Lectures 20 Tutorials 10 0 170 Information Length of Course: 12 weeks over one semester