Last modified: 31 Jul 2023 11:19
Anthropology and art have much to offer each other. Taking historical and contemporary perspectives, students in this course will debate the cultural significance of art and the nature of creativity. We will focus particularly on questions of place, landscape and materials through a combined art-anthropology approach. The course will use the University of Aberdeen’s own art and ethnographic collections, and we will also work with Peacock Visual Arts in Aberdeen.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | Second Term | Credit Points | 30 credits (15 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
|
||
Anthropologists have used works of art from around the world as an index of culture, to study symbolic meaning, rituals and concepts of agency. Anthropology today by contrast often carries out research with art, rather than on it, using collaborative practice to explore issues of shared concern amongst anthropologists and artists. The category of ‘art’ itself is being questioned in new and interesting ways.
Using a combined art-anthropology approach, this course will focus particularly on questions of place, landscape and materials. Examples from socially-engaged art and environmental art will help us find new ways to think about people and the places they live. Cases from the course co-ordinator’s own research will be presented and the course will have an ethnographic focus on Scotland and its landscape – while also using international comparisons. A partnership with Peacock Visual Arts in Aberdeen will enable students to develop an anthropological perspective on contemporary art and the life of an active arts organisation. We will also use the extensive artistic and ethnographic collections of the University of Aberdeen.
Teaching will involve a series of two-hour seminars in which theoretical and case study materials will be explored.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 39 | Feedback Weeks | 42 | |
| Feedback |
Feedback will be provided within three weeks of submission. |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Reflection | Create | Develop and carry out independent project work on a topic relevant to anthropology and art |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 15 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback | ||||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
|
||
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 35 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 31 | Feedback Weeks | 34 | |
| Feedback |
Feedback will be provided within three weeks of submission. |
Word Count | 2000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Evaluate contemporary examples of combined anthropology-art approaches to research |
| Conceptual | Understand | Describe and understand the history of anthropology’s relationship with art |
| Procedural | Analyse | Analyse the themes of place, landscape and materials in relation to Scotland and other international cases |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 43 | Feedback Weeks | 46 | |
| Feedback | Word Count | |||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
|
||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Reflection | Create | Develop and carry out independent project work on a topic relevant to anthropology and art |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Evaluate contemporary examples of combined anthropology-art approaches to research |
| Conceptual | Understand | Describe and understand the history of anthropology’s relationship with art |
| Procedural | Analyse | Analyse the themes of place, landscape and materials in relation to Scotland and other international cases |
We have detected that you are have compatibility mode enabled or are using an old version of Internet Explorer. You either need to switch off compatibility mode for this site or upgrade your browser.
