Core Themes in Anthropology-Period 1

"Anthropology is the science of culture and anthropologists gaze at other peoples' cultural peculiarities, map them and make sense of them."

This is the common sense assumption of many people outside the profession and it may in part be the case. But anthropology is much more than that. From the time anthropology emerged in the 19th century as a scholarly discipline in its own right, anthropologists have addressed a whole range of fundamental questions dealing with human activity, in social, cultural, political, religious, economic and other domains. There is a considerable overlap with what sociologists do, for example in addressing societal structures and institutional settings. But anthropology has a broader, yet more specific focus: to understand how human beings create cultural life worlds, how they live in those worlds, and how they make sense of these worlds. The main aim of anthropology is to study human activity in relation to the social and cultural environment of people, groups and societies.

This course is the first of three courses in the thematic cluster "Anthropological Base", in which the focus of anthropology will be introduced, explained and discussed. The aim of the courses is to make student familiar with the discipline, the big issues, the various approaches, the theoretical discussions and contemporary efforts to understand a world in turmoil. Basic concepts will be explained: how they developed throughout the history of the discipline and how they are applied in understanding and explaining contemporary societal issues.

There are six central theme-hubs or recurring issues that will be revisited in all three courses within the cluster. These themes are: 1) questions about the nature of "culture(s)"; 2) questions about individual and society; 3) questions about ?ties that bind? (on the manifold manifestations of belonging); 4) questions about structure and agency; 5) questions about the body; and 6) questions revolving around language, convictions and emic/etic categorizations.

These themes can be considered as six recurring basic conceptual questions, or discussions that have time and again been addressed by anthropologists in different ways and under different circumstances. They constitute the basis for theoretical disputes, methodological reflections, but also for assessing contemporary societal issues. They should however in no way be treated as disciplinary straightjackets. Far from that; they only help us to draw some lines in the enormous complexity of human activity. In order to enhance the coherence of the cluster, the six recurring issues will in different ways be addressed in each of the three courses.

Contact hours listed under a course description may vary due to the combination of lecture-based and independent work required for each course therefore, CEA's recommended credits are based on the ECTS credits assigned by VU Amsterdam. 1 ECTS equals 28 contact hours assigned by VU Amsterdam.