Section 2 - Lecture 1 - Sociology - Anthropology PDF

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Sociology - Anthropology ...

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University of Glasgow School of Social and Political Sciences SOCIOLOGY 2A (Course Code: SOCIO2020) 2017-2018 Section 2: Key Concepts and Themes in Social Anthropology Lecture 1: Social Anthropology – A Dubious Discipline? (16 October 2017) Note: Each handout for the six lectures in this part of the course will have the same format and contain the same kinds of information: (1) Documentary films (or Video/Audio Clips); (2) Overview / Structure of the Lecture; and (3) Useful definitions (of ideas or concepts mentioned in the lecture).

Documentary films (as ‘background viewing’!)

'Strangers Abroad - Pioneers of Social Anthropology: Off the Verandah' (on Bronislaw Malinowski) (Central Television, 1986, 52 minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=zjCMOpnx6r8). Malinowski played a crucial role in the development of social anthropology, particularly in the UK. Franz Boas is widely regarded as a key founder of the tradition of cultural anthropology in the United States. Although the course will focus mainly on ‘the British tradition’ of social anthropology, the following documentary on Boas, from the same series, is well worth watching too:

‘Franz Boas - The Shackles of Tradition’ (52:00), Series: ‘Strangers Abroad, Programme 3 (1986) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOvFDioPrMM&list=PL65BAB2F5C65ACCDE

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Overview / Structure of Lecture 1

1. Why Social Anthropology? 2. What is Social Anthropology? 3. What do social anthropologists do? 4. Aims of this section of the course 5. Recommended general reading 6. A time-saving resource! 7. Social Anthropology – A Dubious Discipline? 8. Two recent developments 9. Tomorrow’s lecture 10. References 11. Sources ‘For Anthropology’ event on 8 November 2017 Information and Registration (free): https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/for-anthropologya-symposium-in-memory-of-dr-nicole-bourque-tickets-36353688862?aff=es2 Some useful definitions for Lecture 1

1. (Social) Anthropology ‘Anthropology can be defined as the comparative study of humans, their societies and their cultural worlds. It simultaneously explores human diversity and what it is that all human beings have in common’ (Eriksen 2017: 3). 2. Cultural Relativism ‘Cultural relativism is primarily a method (not a world-view) designed to explore cultural variation as independently as possible from the researcher’s prejudices. Its aim is to learn to see the world, as far as possible, in the same way as the informants, or “natives”, see it’ (Eriksen 2017: 14).

Robert Gibb Glasgow, 13 October 2017 2...