Face-to-face , second term, 30 hours of theory.

Second term
Monday from 10:45 to 12:45 at 43 Botanique 1

French (with possibility of english texts).

- The course is an introduction to social and cultural anthropology, which is one of the two main disciplines of the SOCA program. Addressing an audience of POLS students (+ options), it aims to familiarise with the main issues and questions of this discipline, in a way that is also beneficial to students who do not intend specifically to do anthropology in a professional way.
- To situate (social and cultural) anthropology in relation to other disciplines of the human and social sciences, specifically sociology (to which the students have been introduced in the first term).
- To present the emblematic methods of anthropology or ethnology (field survey, ethnographic description, participant observation, extended or multi-site case studies...) in relation to the model of knowledge in the social sciences.
- To introduce to some learnings from the main fields of anthropology (about the study of myths rites, symbolic exchange, kinship systems, different types of societies or cultural models...).
- To develop critical abilities: to distinguish the analytic and the normative register, to refer in an informed (or documented) way to historical contexts, to avoid the double pitfall of ethnocentrism and relativism.

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- Opening n ° 1: presentation of a classic object of anthropology and reflection on the transformations and appropriations of this object in the contemporary world - the case of shamanism and neochamanism.
- Opening n ° 2: diversity of models of society, reflection on the comparison criteria.
- The situation of anthropology or ethnology in the context of the emergence of this discipline (second half of the 19th century) and in the contemporary world. Comparison between a context marked by nation-states affirmation and colonialism, and a context now postcolonial, characterised by both globalisation and cultural diversity.
- Insights into the knowledge model and methods of anthropology.
- Evolutionism and its critics (culturalism and the recognition of specific cultural identities, structuralism and the rehabilitation of "wild thought", dynamic anthropology considering actors and conflicts...).
- Introduction to three major fields of anthropology: 1) the study of myths and rites (including the drivers of "symbolic efficiency"); 2) the symbolic exchange through the study of ceremonial mutual gift such as kula or potlatch (comparison with the economic or merchant exchange); 3) the kinship field (incest prohibition, the rules governing alliance and ancestry, different types of kinship systems...).

The UE Anthropology consists of a theoretical course (30 hours) and a guided reading seminar (6 sessions of 1.5 hours).

Description of the theoretical course :

During the lecture, the teacher exposes the subject in a lively but also rigorous and pedagogical way, taking into account that students have written materials (plan + course notes, not exhaustive). Students are encouraged to make complementary use of written materials and oral presentations. Indeed, the oral presentations do not consist of reading lecture notes but of accompanying the students in the discovery and appropriation of the subject (which supposes to highlight certain aspects related to structure, articulation, hierarchy, explicitation, etc.). In some parts of the lecture, an "inverted class" pedagogy may be applicable (the teacher brings a different light on the subject on the base of a previous reading of the notes by the students). The way of teaching aims to promote the empowerment of students, while allowing them to clarify and deepen the issues that must be acquired and mastered. The teacher may also introduce and discuss examples related to current events, giving the students the opportunity to intervene and ask questions during the lecture.

Description of the guided reading seminar:

This part consists of 6 guided reading sessions (for 4 groups of about 60 to 70 students).
The supervision of these sessions (lasting 1.5 hours) is provided by an assistant. The purpose of these sessions is to complete the lecture, to promote active appropriation of the subject by students and to support them in their learnings (at the formal level: analytical reading of scientific texts, and at a more informal level: expectations and requirements related to university training).
Students will work on texts considered to be part of the EU subject and the examination matter (see below).
These texts will be related to part of the course (this year: the symbolic exchange or the "gift / counter-gift").
Participation in the guided reading seminar is mandatory (it is not a TP or a monitorat, but a full component of the EU).

The oral exam covers both the lecture and the guided reading seminar.

Exam mark :
- lecture or theory: 12 points (3/5 of the mark)
- guided reading seminar: 8 points (2/5 of the mark).

The examination assesses the knowledge of the subject matter as well as the appropriation of the texts read.

Regarding the subject matter of the lecture, the student must be able to give back the important issues. He must but also able to answer questions of comprehension, which supposes a personal and in-depth synthesis work, as well as a capacity to relate different issues of the course.

Regarding the guided reading seminar, students must have and in-depth knowledge of the texts worked on during the sessions (that are intended to accompany students in their understanding and appropriation of texts). Whether or not they have attended the seminar sessions, it is expected that students will have and in-depth knowledge of these texts.

The knowledge related to the lecture (theoretical part) and to the guided reading seminar are evaluated during the exam. However, the part relating to the reading of texts will be taken into account only if the student obtains at least one third of the points for the part relating to the lecture (4/12, on the basis of minimum 2 questions). Indeed, the part of the exam relating to the lecture evaluates basic skills which, if they are not acquired, do not make it possible to consider taking into account the guided reading seminar part. In other words, it is considered that a deficiency that is too serious in terms of basic skills (less than 4/12) can not be compensated by knowledge of texts worked in the guided reading seminar. The principle applied here refers to a logic of learning outcomes and not an arithmetic logic. In the case where the seminar part is not taken into account for the final mark, the score out of 12 is adjusted in score out of 20 according to a rule of proportionality: 1/12 = 1.66/20 rounded to 2/20; 2/12 = 3.33/20 rounded to 3/20; 3/12 = 4.99/20 rounded to 5/20.

This assessment method is the same at the June and August/September sessions.
There is no supervision by the assistant scheduled outside the sessions scheduled during the quadrimester during which the course is given.

Details referring to the context of a "health crisis" (covid-19): at the time of writing this descriptive sheet, we can announce that the objective is to organize a (written) exam which will take place in face-to-face and “closed book”; if the sanitary conditions do not allow it, the examination will be organized in remote mode and "closed book" (provided that the technical conditions allow it).

See syllabus.