Anthropology of Culture

The main goal is to introduce students to the classical forms of modern ethnography (historical perspective) as well as to contemporary perspectives of Anthropology (after ‘human’, after ‘ethnos’).

Students will be introduced to the notion of culture and its alternative meanings from anthropological and historical perspective.

In order to achieve these goals, students will be encouraged to take an active part in lectures by joining discussions and present their own research projects.

Week 1: Introduction / Overview of the Course

Week 2: History of understanding the notion of culture | anthropological dichotomies

Week 3: History of cultural research | Armchair Theorizing

Week 4: Fieldwork research | UK-USA | Social/Cultural Anthropology

Week 5: Experimenting ethnographies: the historical outline

Week 6: The Power of Interpretation: from Herodotus to Harry Styles

Week 7: Inspiration Maps: Introduction to SRP (Student Research Project)

Week 8: Interdisciplinarity: Social Sciences | Anthropology and History

Week 9: Anthropology after Ethnos

Week 10: Student Research Project (SRP): fieldwork

Week 11: Student Research Project (SRP): participant observation

Week 12: Student Research Project (SRP): narratives

Week 13: Student Research Project (SRP): microhistories

Week 14: Student Research Project (SRP): emergent

Week 15: Summary | The Future of Anthropology: discussion

• Barker Ch. Cultural Studies. Theory and Practice. SAGE: Los Angeles, London, New Dehli. 2012.

• Clifford J. “On Ethnographic Authority” in: Representations No. 2 (Spring, 1983). University of California Press. pp. 118-146.

• Darnton R. The Great Cat Massacre and Other Episodes in French Cultural History. Basic Books. New York 1984. [chosen chapter]

• Frazer J. The Golden Bough. Chancellor Press. London 2000. [chosen chapters]

• Geertz C. “Under the Mosquito Net” in: “The New York Times” September 14, 1967 issue. https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1967/09/14/under-the-mosquito-net/.

• Kmita J. “Towards Cultural Relativism >with a Small ‘R’<”. in: Epistemology and History, A. Zeidler-Janiszewska (Ed.). Amsterdam: Rodopi 1996. pp. 541-614.

• Malinowski B. A Diary in the Strict Sense of the Term. Stanford University Press 1983. [chosen parts]

• Mead M. Coming of age in Samoa: a study of adolescence and sex in primitive societies. Penguin Books. Harmondsworth 1961. [chosen chapters]

• Rabinow P. Marking Time: On the Anthropology of the Contemporary. Princeton University Press. Princeton and Oxford 2008. [chosen chapters]

• Rees T. After Ethnos. Duke University Press. Durham and London 2018.

• Wagner R. „The Invention of Culture”. in: The Invention of Culture, R. Wagner, University of Chicago Press. 2016.

The main goal is to introduce students to the classical forms of modern ethnography (historical perspective) as well as to contemporary perspectives of Anthropology (after ‘human’, after ‘ethnos’).

Students will be introduced to the notion of culture and its alternative meanings from anthropological and historical perspective.

In order to achieve these goals, students will be encouraged to take an active part in lectures by joining discussions and present their own research projects.

Week 1: Introduction / Overview of the Course

Week 2: History of understanding the notion of culture | anthropological dichotomies

Week 3: History of cultural research | Armchair Theorizing

Week 4: Fieldwork research | UK-USA | Social/Cultural Anthropology

Week 5: Experimenting ethnographies: the historical outline

Week 6: The Power of Interpretation: from Herodotus to Harry Styles

Week 7: Inspiration Maps: Introduction to SRP (Student Research Project)

Week 8: Interdisciplinarity: Social Sciences | Anthropology and History

Week 9: Anthropology after Ethnos

Week 10: Student Research Project (SRP): fieldwork

Week 11: Student Research Project (SRP): participant observation

Week 12: Student Research Project (SRP): narratives

Week 13: Student Research Project (SRP): microhistories

Week 14: Student Research Project (SRP): emergent

Week 15: Summary | The Future of Anthropology: discussion

• Barker Ch. Cultural Studies. Theory and Practice. SAGE: Los Angeles, London, New Dehli. 2012.

• Clifford J. “On Ethnographic Authority” in: Representations No. 2 (Spring, 1983). University of California Press. pp. 118-146.

• Darnton R. The Great Cat Massacre and Other Episodes in French Cultural History. Basic Books. New York 1984. [chosen chapter]

• Frazer J. The Golden Bough. Chancellor Press. London 2000. [chosen chapters]

• Geertz C. “Under the Mosquito Net” in: “The New York Times” September 14, 1967 issue. https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1967/09/14/under-the-mosquito-net/.

• Kmita J. “Towards Cultural Relativism >with a Small ‘R’<”. in: Epistemology and History, A. Zeidler-Janiszewska (Ed.). Amsterdam: Rodopi 1996. pp. 541-614.

• Malinowski B. A Diary in the Strict Sense of the Term. Stanford University Press 1983. [chosen parts]

• Mead M. Coming of age in Samoa: a study of adolescence and sex in primitive societies. Penguin Books. Harmondsworth 1961. [chosen chapters]

• Rabinow P. Marking Time: On the Anthropology of the Contemporary. Princeton University Press. Princeton and Oxford 2008. [chosen chapters]

• Rees T. After Ethnos. Duke University Press. Durham and London 2018.

• Wagner R. „The Invention of Culture”. in: The Invention of Culture, R. Wagner, University of Chicago Press. 2016.

The course is designed as an extensive introduction to the anthropology of culture. The main goals of the course are: 1) to familiarize students with the most important anthropological concepts of culture; 2) to introduce and operationalize the basic concepts and analytical tools in the field of cultural anthropology; 3) to present the historical evolution of the discipline; 4) to present the most important theoretical approaches within the anthropology of culture; 5) to transfer the methodological knowledge and teach the practical skills regarding the methodology of cultural research.

In order to achieve these goals, students will be encouraged to take an active part in lectures by joining discussions and taking a part in various creative activities.

Introduction: The Invention of Culture

Early Definitions of Culture

Emergence of the Cultural Anthropology

Evolution of the Anthropological Thought

Studying Culture: Research Methods in Cultural Anthropology

A Cultural Researcher as a Participant in Culture.

Practical Problems of Ethnography

Interpretative Approach and Reflexivity

Postmodern approach in Cultural Anthropology

Applied Anthropology and the Problem of Engagement

Anthropology of Culture in the Context of Globalization

Anthropology of the Contemporary

Conclusion: Future-oriented Anthropology

Bruder J. Nomadland. Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century. W. W. Norton & Company 2017.

Clifford J. “On Ethnographic Authority” in: Representations No. 2 (Spring, 1983). University of California Press. pp. 118-146.

Darnton R. The Great Cat Massacre and Other Episodes in French Cultural History. Basic Books. New York 1984. [chosen chapter – student’s choice]

Frazer J. The Golden Bough. Chancellor Press. London 2000. [Chapters: 3 and 4]

Geertz C. “Under the Mosquito Net” in: “The New York Times” September 14, 1967 issue. https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1967/09/14/under-the-mosquito-net/.

Herodotus. Histories. Roman Roads Media 2013. [Book 2]

◦ https://archive.org/details/HerodotusHistory2019/Herodotus_History_2019/page/n5/mode/2up

Malinowski B. A Diary in the Strict Sense of the Term. Stanford University Press 1983. [chosen parts – student’s choice]

Malinowski B. The Argonauts of the Western Pacific. Fundacja Nowoczesna Polska (wolnelektury.pl project). [Chapter III]

Mead M. Coming of age in Samoa: a study of adolescence and sex in primitive societies. Penguin Books. Harmondsworth 1961. [chapters: II, VI, VII]

◦ https://archive.org/details/comingofageinsam00mead/page/n15/mode/2up

Rabinow P. Marking Time: On the Anthropology of the Contemporary. Princeton University Press. Princeton and Oxford 2008.

Rees T. After Ethnos. Duke University Press. Durham and London 2018.

Wagner R. „The Invention of Culture”. in: The Invention of Culture, R. Wagner, University of Chicago Press. 2016.

The course is designed as an extensive introduction to the anthropology of culture. The main goals of the course are: 1) to familiarize students with the most important anthropological concepts of culture; 2) to introduce and operationalize the basic concepts and analytical tools in the field of cultural anthropology; 3) to present the historical evolution of the discipline; 4) to present the most important theoretical approaches within the anthropology of culture; 5) to transfer the methodological knowledge and teach the practical skills regarding the methodology of cultural research.

In order to achieve these goals, students will be encouraged to take an active part in lectures by joining discussions and taking a part in various creative activities.

Introduction: The Invention of Culture

Early Definitions of Culture

Emergence of the Cultural Anthropology

Evolution of the Anthropological Thought

Studying Culture: Research Methods in Cultural Anthropology

A Cultural Researcher as a Participant in Culture.

Practical Problems of Ethnography

Interpretative Approach and Reflexivity

Postmodern approach in Cultural Anthropology

Applied Anthropology and the Problem of Engagement

Anthropology of Culture in the Context of Globalization

Anthropology of the Contemporary

Conclusion: Future-oriented Anthropology

Bruder J. Nomadland. Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century. W. W. Norton & Company 2017.

Clifford J. “On Ethnographic Authority” in: Representations No. 2 (Spring, 1983). University of California Press. pp. 118-146.

Darnton R. The Great Cat Massacre and Other Episodes in French Cultural History. Basic Books. New York 1984. [chosen chapter – student’s choice]

Frazer J. The Golden Bough. Chancellor Press. London 2000. [Chapters: 3 and 4]

Geertz C. “Under the Mosquito Net” in: “The New York Times” September 14, 1967 issue. https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1967/09/14/under-the-mosquito-net/.

Herodotus. Histories. Roman Roads Media 2013. [Book 2]

◦ https://archive.org/details/HerodotusHistory2019/Herodotus_History_2019/page/n5/mode/2up

Malinowski B. A Diary in the Strict Sense of the Term. Stanford University Press 1983. [chosen parts – student’s choice]

Malinowski B. The Argonauts of the Western Pacific. Fundacja Nowoczesna Polska (wolnelektury.pl project). [Chapter III]

Mead M. Coming of age in Samoa: a study of adolescence and sex in primitive societies. Penguin Books. Harmondsworth 1961. [chapters: II, VI, VII]

◦ https://archive.org/details/comingofageinsam00mead/page/n15/mode/2up

Rabinow P. Marking Time: On the Anthropology of the Contemporary. Princeton University Press. Princeton and Oxford 2008.

Rees T. After Ethnos. Duke University Press. Durham and London 2018.

Wagner R. „The Invention of Culture”. in: The Invention of Culture, R. Wagner, University of Chicago Press. 2016.