Theoretical Perspectives in Anthropology – 532
Theoretical Perspectives in Anthropology – 532
Unit I: Historical Development of Anthropology
1. Foundations of Anthropology:
A. What is anthropological perspective ?
B. History of the discipline
- Intellectual context (enlightenment, positivism, influence of Durkheim, Weber and Marx and others)
- Political and economic contexts: relationship between the political-economic contexts: relationships between the political-economic dominance (Western colonialism, capitalism and racism) and the forms of knowledge production/intellectual t raditions
2. Overview of the development of Anthropology in the world context with particular reerences to US, Britain, France, Germany, South Asia and Nepal
Unit II: Major Classical Theoretical Approaches
1. Cultural theories and the “Science” of culture
A. Evolutionism: the contexts, theoretical and methodological approaches: critical reviews of the contribution of E.B. Tylor and LH Morgan
B. Diffusionism: the contexts, general theoretical assumptions, methodological approaches and critiques
C. Historical particularism and idea o cultural relativism: Critical reviews of contribution of Franz Boas
D. Linking theories to the idea of time, space and universality of human history and cultural differences [the ‘West and the “Others”]
2. Functionalism and structural functionalism (British Social Anthropology): Critical review of the contributions of B. Malinowski, A.R. Radclife Brown, Evan-Pritchard. Linking theories with ethnographic fieldwork. Holism and the idea of non-western, non-capitalist, simple societies”
3. Structuralism (French anthropology): Critical reviews of Levi Strauss’s contributions and his influence in anthropology
4. Anthropology and Moral Economics: Marcel Mauss’s ‘The Gift’ and Marshal Shalins’ ‘Stone Age Economy’
5. Culture and Personality Critical review of the Contributions of Ralph Linton, Margaret Mead, and Ruth Benedict
6. Symbolic and Interpretative Approaches: Critical reviews of the contributions of Clifford Geertz, victor Turner, David Schneider, and Mary Douglass
7. Ecological approaches: contributions of and critical reviews of Leslie White, Julian Steward, Roy. A. Rappaport and Marvin Harris
8. Marxism and anthropology
A. Anthropological Impetus in Marxism (Marx and Engels)
- Mode of Production: means of production, relations of production
- Simultaneous existence of multiple modes of productions
- Commodity and commodity fetishism
B. Marxian Theory of Value: economic and anthropological approach to value
C. Alienation: Marxian and Anthropological approach
D. Application of Marxian approach in the study of non-capitalist societies and cultures
Symbolic and Interpretative Approaches:
Symbolic anthropologist claim hat culture does not exists separately from individuals but rather lies in their symbolic expression or interpretation of events and things around them. Symbolic anthropology believes that logical reality is constructed by peoples themselves. Thus symbolic anthropology relies on ‘Acter-centric prospective’ in a more Weberian passion of new people understand and interpreted the social action they execute /perform.
Symbolic Anthropologist such as Clifar Geertz and David Schneider take the semiotic (semiology is science/system of symbol) approach which means their central focus is on the analysis of meaning.
Symbolic Anthropologists focus non on individual action and interpretation (as post-modernist claim) but on social action and interpretation which are publicly shared and agreed.
Symbolic Anthropology
Materialist Prospective Mentalist Prospective
Levi Strauss
Ethnocognition (Ethno-people)