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CULT 601 Contemporary Issues in Anthropology
Full Course Title:
Contemporary Issues in Anthropology
Course Code:
CULT 601
Course Level/BiH cycle:
III Study cycle
ECTS credit value:
6 ECTS
Student work-load:
For the whole semester:
Lectures
Practical training
Assignment
Individual
learning
TOTAL
45
15
30
60
150
Length:
Spring 2013
Faculty/School/Department:
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences / Department of Cultural Studies
Course leader:
Assist. Prof. Dr. Tuba Boz
Contact details:
Office:
F2.7
e-mail:
tboz@ius.edu.ba
Office hours:
Monday 2-3pm Thursday
11am-12pm
Phone:
+387 33 957 404
Site:
IUS Main Campus
Host Study Program:
Cultural Studies
Course status:
Elective
Pre-requisites:
None
Access restrictions:
III study cycle students only
Assessment:
Attendance and Participation, Research Project, Field work Presentation, Final Exam.
Date validated:
October 2013
Course aims:
Learning outcomes:
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To introduce students to key anthropological theorists and theories
To develop students’ observation and analytical skills
To deepen student’s understanding of the culture in abstract and practical terms
To develop academic communication skills, research skills and critical thinking
After successful completion of this course, students will be able:

To understand the historical socio-cultural context in which anthropology was employed;

To connect anthropological theories to contemporary issues in as societies;

To critically analyze and compare various cultures in society and across the globe;

To observe cultures and social interaction with a particular attention to detail and reflexivity;

To conduct research with a sophisticated consideration to issues concerning ethics and
representation.
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Indicative syllabus content:
This course is designed for doctoral students in the field of Cultural Studies with a focus on classical and
contemporary theories and issues in Anthropology. The politics and methods of ethnographic research is also
central to this field. The main themes to be dealt with may include: Politics of Anthropology; beliefs and
traditions, innovation, new technologies and culture; Globalization and Marginalization; Cultural Geography;
Pluralism; Multiculturalism; Religion and; Cultural Integration, Cultural Assimilation; Hegemony and
Resistance; Intercultural Exchange; Cross-cultural Communication; Migration and Citizenship; Ethnographic
research and Ethics.
Teaching occurs via lectures, seminars and tutorials, individual and team- work in-class activities
Learning delivery:
Assessment Rationale:
Assessment Weighting:
In order to provide solid foundation in Cultural Studies Program and to enable students to develop a critical
and evaluative understanding of culture with the socio-political environment, and to demonstrate
commitment and diligence at any time, different assessment methods are proposed for this module.
Therefore, appropriate and diverse assessment methods include field-work project, presentations, group
activities, consultations, exams and take-home exams with the aim to help students to stay focused and
active, and fully benefit from the module.
Attendance and Participation 10%,
Research Project 30%
Fieldwork 20%
Presentation and Reflection 10%
Final Exam 30%
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

Essential Reading:





Recommended readings:
Beattie, John. (1966) Other Cultures: Aims, Methods and Achievements in Social
Anthropology. U.K: Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd.
Barnard, A. (2004) History and Theory in Anthropology. U.K. Cambridge University Press.
May, Tim. (2002). Qualitative Research in Action. London: SAGE.
Wierzbicka, Anna. (1997). Understanding Cultures Through Their Key Words. New York:
Oxford University Press.
Ammerman, Nancy. (2007). Everyday Religion: Observing Modern Religious Lives. New York:
Oxford University Press.
Hall, Edward, Beyond Culture
Hall, Edward, The Silent Language
Additional articles and readings will be supplied in class for discussions
Intranet web reference:
N/A
Important notes:
Class absences should not exceed 20% of total class time. Students who exceed the limits without a medical
certificate or emergency excuse acceptable to and approved by the Dean of the relevant faculty member shall
not be allowed to take the final examination and shall receive a mark of N/A for the course. If the Dean
approves the excuse, the student will be considered to have withdrawn from the course.
Presentation of assignments
- Your cover page must include:

Your name

Essay title

Title of the subject

Your lecture’s name

Date of submission/Due date
- Your paper:

Font: Times New Roman

Size: 12

You must use 1.5 spacing

Include page numbers

Staple the pages together

Ensure that you use spell check and then check over your paper yourself again.
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Double check over your grammar and expression
You will use the in-text citations (APA) for your referencing
You will NOT USE the following or similar websites in your academic writing:
Wikipedia
Answers.com
Yahoo answers
Plagiarism:
Assignments must be the original work of the student. Sources must be acknowledged and cited. Plagiarism
will result in an immediate fail.
Submitting your work
-
You must submit your work on time in class.
Email your assignment to tboz@ius.edu.ba
In the subject section of the email, you must include:
Your name
Course title
Assessment type
Quality assurance:
Student surveys, discussion on course, student appeals, e-mails, direct (formal) feedback at the end of the
semester by students, assistants and other colleagues
Course schedule:
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Week
1.
Lesson / Date
10/10
Topics to be covered
Class activities
Problems/
Assignments
(Homework)
Social and Cultural Anthropology
Fieldwork report
Chap. 1 and 2
Consultations
and additional
references to
the literature
will be
discussed and
given during
the class
Fieldwork report
Chap. 3
Consultations
and additional
references to
the literature
will be
discussed and
given during
the class
Fieldwork report
Chap. 6
Consultations
and additional
references to
the literature
will be
discussed and
given during
the class
3.
24/10
Theorizing Culture
4.
31/10
Learning objectives (After this lesson student will be able
to:)
Introduction to the course, expectations and
requirements
2.
17/10
Readings
Ethnography in the 21st century
4
Understand the significance, relevance and applicability of
social and cultural anthropology historically and in the 21st
century
Critically analyze and discuss culture in abstract and
practical terms
Conduct ethnographic research
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5.
7/11
Ethics and Representation
Fieldwork report
6.
Social Functions and Social Structure
Chap. 4
Consultations
and additional
references to
the literature
will be
discussed and
given during
the class
Beliefs and Values
Fieldwork report
Chap. 5
Consultations
and additional
references to
the literature
will be
discussed and
given during
the class
Fieldwork report
Chap. 7
Consultations
and additional
references to
the literature
will be
discussed and
given during
the class
Fieldwork report
14/11
7.
21/11
8.
28/11
Consultations
and additional
references to
the literature
will be
discussed and
given during
the class
Kinship
5
Prepare documents to conduct ethical research and become
sensitive to issues of representation when researching and
writing about people and their cultures
Discuss and analyse society and culture, agency and
structure
Critically analyze the connection between culture and
religion and the role of religion in society
Know the different types of kinship in different societies and
its relevance to modern society
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9.
5/12
Marriage and Affinity
Fieldwork report
Chap. 8
Consultations
and additional
references to
the literature
will be
discussed and
given during
the class
Fieldwork report
Chap. 9
Consultations
and additional
references to
the literature
will be
discussed and
given during
the class
Fieldwork report
Chap. 10
Consultations
and
references to
the literature
will be
discussed and
given during
the class
Fieldwork report
Chap. 11
Consultations
and additional
references to
the literature
will be
discussed and
given during
the class
10.
12/12
Social Control and Political Organisation
11.
2/12
Law and Social Sanctions
12.
19/12
Economic and Property Relations
6
Have a cultural relativistic view of marriage and affinity in
societies and its relevance to society as a whole
Critically discuss and evaluate how culture is used as means
of social control in the 21st century, culture of surveillance as
a mean of political repression
Understand different forms of social sanction in both
Western and Eastern cultures and the challenges of
diversity management in societies
Critically discuss how culture affects economic and property
relations
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13.
26/12
Rituals – Magic
Fieldwork report
Chap. 12
Consultations
and additional
references to
the literature
will be
discussed and
given during
the class
Fieldwork report
Chap. 13
Consultations
and additional
references to
the literature
will be
discussed and
given during
the class
Fieldwork report
Chap. 14
Consultations
and additional
references to
the literature
will be
discussed and
given during
the class
14.
23/12
Rituals – Religion
15.
9/1
16.
Social Change
Final Exams
7
Recognize the manifest and latent functions of rituals and
magic in society
Study the significance of rituals in religion across cultures
Appreciate the dynamic nature of culture and examine the
relationship between culture and soil change in a globalised
world