HUMN 3066 Power as a Cultural System
Credit Points 10
Legacy Code 102348
Coordinator Andrew Mcwilliam Opens in new window
Description In this unit students will explore notions of power, domination, authority and conflict from an anthropological perspective. Students will draw upon specific case studies of the social and political organisation of a variety of communities to understand how social order is perceived, achieved and maintained cross-culturally, through local systems of governance but also through social categories such as race, kinship, ethnicity and nations. Through these examinations students will also apply anthropological insights in order to understand how social practices such as participation, collaboration, resistance and violence operate in local political contexts. In the final part of the unit students will assess the various ways anthropologists work with and against local power structures and to what extent ethnography and applied anthropological work can intervene in systems of oppression.
School Social Sciences
Discipline Anthropology
Student Contribution Band HECS Band 4 10cp
Check your HECS Band contribution amount via the Fees page.
Level Undergraduate Level 3 subject
Pre-requisite(s) HUMN 1016
Restrictions Successful completion of 80 credit points in currently enrolled program.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify major anthropological theories and paradigms that can be utilised to understand power relationships and political systems.
- Use ethnographic case studies to analyse how the political is construed in various cultural contexts.
- Critically reflect on some of the power relationships intrinsic to ethnographic fieldwork and other professional situations anthropologists are involved in.
- Formulate research plans and strategies for conducting short term research projects in the anthropological tradition.
Subject Content
2. Neighbourhoods, villages, cities as sites of power
3. Kinship as a social structure
4. Political anthropology
5. Warfare and violence/peace and conflict resolution
6. The politics of culture
7. Race, ethnicities and nations
8. Religion and power
9. Power and knowledge
10. Research ethics and power
Assessment
The following table summarises the standard assessment tasks for this subject. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated, where there is a difference your Learning Guide takes precedence.
| Item | Length | Percent | Threshold | Individual/Group Task |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Literature Review | 4 x 200 words | 20 | N | Individual |
| Intra-session Exam | 800 words | 20 | N | Individual |
| Applied Project | 1,500 words | 40 | N | Individual |
| Critical Review | 20 minutes | 20 | N | Individual |
Teaching Periods
Autumn
Penrith (Kingswood)
Day
Subject Contact Geir Henning Presterudstuen Opens in new window
View timetable Opens in new window
Liverpool
Day
Subject Contact Geir Henning Presterudstuen Opens in new window