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AT1003: INTRODUCTION TO ANTHROPOLOGY: PEOPLES OF THE WORLD (2015-2016)

Last modified: 25 Mar 2016 11:33


Course Overview

Anthropology is the comparative study of human ways of life through the study of societies and cultures around the world. In this course we introduce some of the key topics of contemporary anthropological inquiry: What is Anthropology? What do anthropologists do? What is ethnography? How can we see the diverse world of societies and cultures around us, not by looking from the outside, but by looking at how people themselves make their own lives and meanings?

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 1
Term First Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus None. Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Nancy Wachowich

Qualification Prerequisites

None.

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Undergraduate Programme (Studied)
  • Either Programme Level 1 or Programme Level 2

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

This course is the basic introductory module to anthropology, and introduces students to the principal features of the discipline. Anthropology itself has many sub-branches, such as social, cultural, anthropology, forensic and evolutionary anthropology. The anthropology programme and courses at Aberdeen focus on socio-cultural anthropology, that is the comparative study of human societies and cultures through detailed ethnography. Ethnography is a way of describing social life that emerges from long-term fieldwork amongst and study of particular cultures and communities, to understand the way in which diverse communities and cultures organise their lives, interact with one another, form meaningful understandings of the world through religion, politics, kinship and language. In this sense, anthropology at Aberdeen is the study of societies and cultures from the “inside”, a perspective profoundly different from that which usually come across in news or television reports, travel shows or political rhetoric. It challenges our basic assumptions about the world we live in.

The course as a whole is comprised of three components: an introduction to socio-cultural anthropology itself, and two further substantive components, which change from year: the study of exchange and gift-giving; the formations of language, meaning and myth; the anthropology of politics and social movements.   


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (60%), in-course assessment (40%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination.

Formative Assessment

Tutorial presentations and discussions.

Feedback

Written feedback will be provided for continuous assessment work. This will normally be provided within three weeks of the submission date. Oral feedback on class presentations will also be provided where appropriate.

Course Learning Outcomes

None.

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