Students

ANTH7000 – Core Issues in Anthropological Theory I

2024 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Chris Houston
chris.houston@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MRes
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

The seminars deal with a selected number of theoretical, methodological and interpretative issues that are currently being debated by anthropologists. These issues will vary from unit to unit according to contemporary developments in anthropology and the interests of the course convenor, and in terms of how current concerns in the discipline link to the theoretical issues addressed by students at undergraduate level. Others may be more enduring, such as the theoretical issues related to the ‘writing culture’ debate, ‘orientalism’ and the problem of the ‘other’, cultural relativism, politics and power, and the relation between individual and society.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: apply core anthropological theories to both your own life as a member of society and to the social processes of the world around you
  • ULO2: demonstrate a mastery of emerging themes in the discipline of anthropology by writing an essay and participating in weekly seminar discussions
  • ULO3: conceptualize the ways that different writers have theorized the creation of culture by subjects as well as the creation of subjects by culture, or what might usefully be described as the mutual co-constitution by cultured subjects (ethnics) and society of each other.
  • ULO4: consider the issues of social reproduction and domination; the creation of subjectivity through intercultural and inter-subjective encounter; the self-institution of society; and the individual as creator of their world beyond their conditioning by pre-existing cultural frameworks.

General Assessment Information

To successfully complete ANTH 7000 students are required to do the following:

1. Prepare for and attend the Class Seminar.

2. Attend, where possible, the Anthropology Colloquium series on Wednesday mornings.

3. Satisfactorily complete an essay; participate in the class seminar; and introduce a reading (see Assessment above).

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all non-timed written assessments (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc) is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams/quizzes, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.

 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Seminar Presentation 10% No Dates to be decided upon through discussion
Seminar Participation 20% No Continuous
Major Essay 70% No Friday 31st May, Week 13

Seminar Presentation

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 4 hours
Due: Dates to be decided upon through discussion
Weighting: 10%

 

Over the duration of the seminar, depending on student numbers, each student will give one brief introduction to the week’s reading(s), drawing out its main themes and selecting a number of questions or puzzles for the seminar to discuss. These introductory remarks are intended merely to get the seminar rolling – students might wish to focus on something interesting, maddening or confusing about the reading for example.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • apply core anthropological theories to both your own life as a member of society and to the social processes of the world around you
  • conceptualize the ways that different writers have theorized the creation of culture by subjects as well as the creation of subjects by culture, or what might usefully be described as the mutual co-constitution by cultured subjects (ethnics) and society of each other.
  • consider the issues of social reproduction and domination; the creation of subjectivity through intercultural and inter-subjective encounter; the self-institution of society; and the individual as creator of their world beyond their conditioning by pre-existing cultural frameworks.

Seminar Participation

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 60 hours
Due: Continuous
Weighting: 20%

 

To facilitate seminar discussion, non-presenting students are required to submit a one page response to the readings each week, structured according to the three ‘Is’ – Insight, Interest, and Incomprehension. Find in the article what you thought was the author’s main insight; something of particular interest to you; and something that seemed confusing or even incomprehensible that you would like to discuss in the class.The seminar mark will be awarded on the basis of the written work, as well as on seminar participation.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • demonstrate a mastery of emerging themes in the discipline of anthropology by writing an essay and participating in weekly seminar discussions
  • conceptualize the ways that different writers have theorized the creation of culture by subjects as well as the creation of subjects by culture, or what might usefully be described as the mutual co-constitution by cultured subjects (ethnics) and society of each other.
  • consider the issues of social reproduction and domination; the creation of subjectivity through intercultural and inter-subjective encounter; the self-institution of society; and the individual as creator of their world beyond their conditioning by pre-existing cultural frameworks.

Major Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 60 hours
Due: Friday 31st May, Week 13
Weighting: 70%

 

The essay should relate, compare and critically assess the work of two or more of the authors to the major themes of the unit – cultural creativity, agency (agents), structures and world-making. In your essay, critically focus on where the authors identify sources of creativity or change, and how the texts articulate society and the individual – or in what terms.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • apply core anthropological theories to both your own life as a member of society and to the social processes of the world around you
  • demonstrate a mastery of emerging themes in the discipline of anthropology by writing an essay and participating in weekly seminar discussions
  • conceptualize the ways that different writers have theorized the creation of culture by subjects as well as the creation of subjects by culture, or what might usefully be described as the mutual co-constitution by cultured subjects (ethnics) and society of each other.
  • consider the issues of social reproduction and domination; the creation of subjectivity through intercultural and inter-subjective encounter; the self-institution of society; and the individual as creator of their world beyond their conditioning by pre-existing cultural frameworks.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

ANTH 7000 focuses on one key conundrum in anthropological theory and research, the question of the relationship between the individual and the broader social world in which they dwell. We explore the ways that different writers have conceptualized and theorized the creation of culture by subjects as well as the creation of subjects by culture, or what might usefully be described as the mutual co-constitution by cultured subjects (ethnics) and society of each other. The works of Bourdieu, Jackson, Castoriadis, and Rapport etc. focus on different aspects of this relationship: on social reproduction and domination; on the creation of subjectivity through intercultural and inter-subjective encounter; on the self-institution of society; and on the individual as creator of their world beyond their conditioning by pre-existing cultural frameworks. The seminar readings and discussion are designed so that your reading and reflection feeds into your fieldwork/thesis, both as aid to facilitate its completion, and as grit to problematize your thinking.

The unit runs as a two-hour seminar. Students are expected to read the weekly material so as to be able to join in the discussion. 

All readings are found on the iLearn page of the course.

Unit Schedule

Cultural Creativity, Agency, and Social Life

“Humans are gifted with the capacity and the will to take consciously a stand towards the world and to give it meaning” Max Weber

 

PROVISIONAL SEMINAR SCHEDULE & CONTENT

Session One: Creativity and Agency

Reading: ‘Agent and Agency’; and ‘Classification’; in N. Rapport and J. Overing (2000) Social and Cultural Anthropology: The Key Concepts.

 

Session Two: Structuring Society, Making Individuals

Reading: Bourdieu, P. (1962) The Algerians; Part One (pp1-118).

 

Session Three: Altering Society, Altering Self

Bourdieu, P. (1962) The Algerians; Part Two (pp119-192).

 

Session Four: Gendered Subjects

Reading: Bourdieu, P. (2001) Masculine Domination; pp 1-54.

 

Session Five: Structuring Dispositions: A Theory of Practice (as a Middle Way)

Reading: Bourdieu, P. (1972) Outline of a Theory of Practice, pp. 1-29; pp. 72-95.

 

Session Six: Phenomenology in Anthropology.

Reading: Desjarlais R. and Throop C.J. (2011) ‘Phenomenological Approaches in Anthropology’, in Annual Review of Anthropology 40: 87–102.

Houston, C. (2021) ‘Why Social Scientists Still Need Phenomenology’, in Thesis Eleven, DOI: 10.1177/07255136211064326, pp. 1-18.

 

Session Seven: Phenomenology in Anthropology II.

Reading: Case study of phenomenology in interpretive action, on the topic of student interest.

 

Session Eight: Intersubjectivity in Anthropology

Reading: Jackson, M. (1998) ‘Preamble’ (pp. 1-36) in Minima Ethnographica: Intersubjectivity and the Anthropological Project.

 

Session Nine: Instituting Society

Reading: Castoriadis, C. (1997) ‘The Imaginary: Creation in the Social-Historical Domain’, in World in Fragments: Writings on Politics, Society, Pyschoanalysis and the Imagination.

(1991) ‘Power, Politics and Autonomy’, in Philosophy, Politics, Autonomy.

 

Session Ten: Individuality

Reading: Rapport, N. (1997) ‘Manifesto’ & Chapters One-Five, in Transcendent Individual: Towards a Literary and Liberal Anthropology.

 

Session Eleven: Society and Subjects

Reading: Rapport, N. (2001) ‘Random Mind: Towards an Appreciation of Openess in Individual, Society and Anthropology’,

Replies and Response by Friedman, Gray, Kapfarer, Samual, Sokefeld, Toren, and Rapport, in Australian Journal of Anthropology, 12: 2.

 

Session Twelve: Events and Subjects

Reading: Humphrey, Caroline. 2008. Reassembling Individual Subjects: Events and Decisions in Troubled Times. Anthropological Theory 8 (4):357–380.

Veena Das, ‘On Singularity and the Event: Further Reflections on the Ordinary’ [https://www.academia.edu/8237494/On_Singularity_and_the_Event_Further_Reflections_on_the_Ordinary.

 

Session Thirteen: TBC.

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Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

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Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

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Unit information based on version 2024.01R of the Handbook