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ANT1004 Power, Ritual & Symbol

Level 1
Semester 2
Dr Graham McFarlane

This module addresses religion and politics as points of entry into social anthropology. The first half of the course focuses on ‘religion’ as a belief system; the power of symbols and ritual, witchcraft ideas and witchcraft accusations and the lessons we can learn from these; as well as on how religion operates under conditions of rapid social change. During this first part of the module, there will also be a brief introduction to recent developments in the anthropology of cognition, showing how they illuminate the power of ‘religious’ ideas and ritual processes. Through this discussion of the role of ritual in regimes of power, the second half of the module shifts  towards a general consideration of anthropological approaches to politics and power. In this section we will look at the nature of ‘power’; at how anthropologists have analysed political systems comparatively; at the micro-politics of everyday life and gossip; at the issue of ‘nationalism’ and ethnic conflicts; and on violence and everyday life. Overall, and as in the first semester module, the journey will demonstrate that the defining features of anthropology are the diversity and richness of its subject matter, its theories and methods based on ethnographic research and its comparative scope

Teaching – 4 hours: 2 one hour lectures, 1 one hour tutorial, 1 one hour film screening
       
Assessment:  Examination (65%), tutorial attendance and participation (10%) and 2000-word Assessed Essay  (25%)