Module HUSS1121: UNDERSTANDING SOCIETY AND CULTURE

Department: Anthropology (Human Sciences) [Queen's Campus, Stockton]

HUSS1121: UNDERSTANDING SOCIETY AND CULTURE

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To introduce students to central concepts and approaches in social anthropology and to relate them to concrete areas of social life (e.g. food and family).
• to provide a foundation of understanding about the history of social anthropology, theoretical paradigms that have developed in the discipline and the key figures who have shaped them.
• to provide a basic understanding of the discipline expected of students taking many second and third stage modules in the Human Sciences curriculum.

Content

• Lectures introduce theoretical approaches and the contributions that key figures have made in social anthropology (using concrete ethnographic examples for illustration).
• Half of the course will be devoted to an exploration of 'food' and half to 'family' and kinship (although other topical foci could substitute for these at times, dependent on staffing).
• Classes: Three of the five classes in each term require the completion of worksheets that test the students' abilities to understand the lecture material and to supplement this with appropriate readings.
• The remaining two classes in each term allow for group discussion and working exercises to help with essay preparation and test revision.

Learning Outcomes

• By the end of the module students will: have a basic knowledge of the history and analytical content of social and cultural anthropology.
• be able to relate these analytical tools to concrete areas of social life.

• have developed reading, library research and writing skills.
• "Critically evaluate evidence, concepts, and arguements drawn from a range of sources and apply anthropological material to relevant social issues to do with food practice and kinship".

• "Communicate through written work".
• "Communicate ideas".
• "Plan organise and manage time to meet dealines".
• "Be computer literate to produce word processed material and access data".

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Essay
• Examination.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

2 essays 1500 words each.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University