Outline

Overview

The unit provides students with a basis for the understanding of anthropology in the context of current Western philosophical and scientific thought. It particularly explores the work of Claude Levi-Strauss in the light of existential phenomenological and psychoanalytic critiques. The aim is to deepen the students' critical knowledge of anthropological theory and the importance of comparative understanding in relation to the practice of ethnography.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Anthropology
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Ryan Schram, ryan.schram@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	First essay: Compare two theories of culture Argue for an important contrast between two major theories from class.	30%	Week 05	1500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Second essay: Your thesis and anthropology Explain the larger importance of your thesis topic for theories of culture.	40%	Week 13	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Small continuous assessment	Seminar leadership roles Make different contributions to class, including leading discussions.	20%	Weekly	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Weekly writing assignments Weekly reflections on current thinking, progress, and goals for class.	10%	Weekly	10x 250 words ea.
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

The assignments in this class are required for completion of the honours degree. They, like this class as a whole, are meant to help you develop a firm foundation in cultural anthropology and an awareness of your own relationship to the field as a whole.

The assignments may not contribute directly to your progress on your thesis project, but don’t think of them as distractions from your main goal for this year, which is to produce an excellent orginal thesis. Everything in this class should be seen as a step toward that goal.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Students have to submit all of the assignments in order to pass the class. Any missing assignments will result in an AF. The university policy for accepting late work, including late penalties, will be applied to students’ work. It is very important for students to keep in regular contact with the instructor about their progress in the class.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	What kinds of questions should anthropology answer? Sahlins (2009).	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 02	Morgan and Boas on history. Boas ([1920] 2006); Morgan (1877), chap. 1.	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 03	The Boasian school of anthropology. Benedict ([1934] 1946), chaps. 1–2; Whorf ([1939] 2012).	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 04	Levi-Strauss, the linguistic turn, and structuralism. Hanks (1996); Lévi-Strauss ([1949] 1969), chaps. 1–6; Morgan (1871), preface and chap. 1 is recommended.	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 05	Elementary structures. Continue reading Lévi-Strauss ([1949] 1969).	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 06	British structuralism. Douglas ([1966] 2005), chaps. 1–2; Douglas ([1970] 2004), intro. and chaps. 1–2; see also Douglas (2006a) and Douglas (2006b) for background.	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 07	Structures of values. Dumont ([1970] 1980), pp. 1–91 (intro. and chaps. 1–3), pp. 239–245 (postface).	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 08	Holism and hierarchy. Continue reading Dumont ([1970] 1980).	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 09	Society as a verb. Wagner (1974); Strathern (1979); Strathern (1991); Wagner (1991).	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 10	Questioning structuralist anthropology’s ontological dualism. Strathern (1996); Strathern ([1998] 2013).	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 11	An ontological anthropology. Viveiros de Castro (1998); Viveiros de Castro (2004); Kohn (2015).	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 12	Responses to the ontological turn. Bessire and Bond (2014); Hornborg (2017).	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 13	What’s next?	Seminar (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

According to university policies, attendance is required in all class sessions whether they are online or on campus, and seminar leadership is a part of your grade.

More importantly, though, I want to get to know you as an individual and to help you and every student develop his or her own individual perspective on the field of anthropology. For that reason, I want to see you in class on a regular basis and to have regular (weekly) contact with each student to see how their thinking is developing.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Benedict, Ruth. (1934) 1946. Patterns of Culture. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Bessire, Lucas, and David Bond. 2014. “Ontological Anthropology and the Deferral of Critique.” American Ethnologist 41 (3): 440–56. https://doi.org/10.1111/amet.12083.

Boas, Franz. (1920) 2006. “The Methods of Ethnology.” In Readings for a History of Anthropological Theory, edited by Liam Donat Murphy and Paul A. Erickson, 2nd ed., 99–105. Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview Press.

Douglas, Mary. (1970) 2004. Natural Symbols: Explorations in Cosmology. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203426623.

———. (1966) 2005. Purity and Danger: An Analysis of Concept of Pollution and Taboo. London: Routledge. http://www.myilibrary.com?id=19533.

———. 2006a. “A History of Grid and Group Cultural Theory.” University of Toronto. http://projects.chass.utoronto.ca/semiotics/cyber/douglas1.pdf.

———. 2006b. “Seeing Everything in Black and White.” University of Toronto. http://projects.chass.utoronto.ca/semiotics/cyber/douglas2.pdf.

Dumont, Louis. (1970) 1980. Homo Hierarchicus: The Caste System and Its Implications. 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Hanks, William F. 1996. “The Language of Saussure.” In Language and Communicative Practices, 21–38. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press. https://search.alexanderstreet.com/view/work/bibliographic_entity%7Cdocument%7C1677290?account_id=14757&usage_group_id=95408.

Hornborg, Alf. 2017. “Artifacts Have Consequences, Not Agency: Toward a Critical Theory of Global Environmental History.” European Journal of Social Theory 20 (1): 95–110. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368431016640536.

Kohn, Eduardo. 2015. “Anthropology of Ontologies.” Annual Review of Anthropology 44 (1): 311–27. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-anthro-102214-014127.

Lévi-Strauss, Claude. (1949) 1969. The Elementary Structures of Kinship. Edited by Rodney Needham. Translated by James Harle Bell and John Richard von Sturmer. Boston: Beacon Press.

Morgan, Lewis H. 1871. Systems of Consanguinity and Affinity in the Human Family. Vol. 17. Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge. Washington, D.C.: The Smithsonian Institution.

———. 1877. Ancient Society, or Researches in the Lines of Human Progress from Savagery Through Barbarism to Civilization. Chicago: Charles H. Kerr and Co. https://archive.org/details/ancientsociety00morggoog/page/n28.

Sahlins, Marshall. 2009. “On the Anthropology of Levi-Strauss.” AAA Blog. July 7, 2009. https://blog.americananthro.org/2009/07/07/on-the-anthropology-of-levi-strauss/.

Strathern, Marilyn. 1979. “The Self in Self-Decoration.” Oceania 49 (4): 241–57. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40332210.

———. 1991. “One Man and Many Men.” In Big Men and Great Men: Personifications of Power in Melanesia, edited by Maurice Godelier and Marilyn Strathern, 197–214. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

———. 1996. “Cutting the Network.” The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 2 (3): 517–35. https://doi.org/10.2307/3034901.

———. (1998) 2013. “Social Relations and the Idea of Externality.” In Learning to See in Melanesia, 179–205. Manchester: HAU Society for Ethnographic Theory. https://haubooks.org/viewbook/learning-to-see-in-melanesia/front_matter.

Viveiros de Castro, Eduardo. 1998. “Cosmological Deixis and Amerindian Perspectivism.” The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 4 (3): 469–88. https://doi.org/10.2307/3034157.

———. 2004. “Exchanging Perspectives: The Transformation of Objects into Subjects in Amerindian Ontologies.” Common Knowledge 10 (3): 463–84. https://doi.org/10.1215/0961754X-10-3-463.

Wagner, Roy. 1974. “Are There Social Groups in the New Guinea Highlands?” In Frontiers of Anthropology: An Introduction to Anthropological Thinking, edited by Murray J. Leaf, 95–122. New York: D. Van Nostrand Co.

———. 1991. “The Fractal Person.” In Big Men and Great Men: Personifications of Power in Melanesia, edited by Maurice Godelier and Marilyn Strathern, 159–73. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Whorf, Benjamin Lee. (1939) 2012. “The Relation of Habitual Thought and Behavior to Language.” In Language, Thought, and Reality, edited by John B. Carroll, Stephen C. Levinson, and Penny Lee, 173–204. Selected Writings of Benjamin Lee Whorf. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt5hhbx2.15.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. An ability to think critically about anthropological theory and use it constructively while working on their fourth year honours theses with a sense of the relation of that project to a broader understanding of anthropological thought;
LO2. An ability to read anthropological writings in terms of an understanding of their disciplinary and broader epistemological-historical context;
LO3. An ability to read anthropological writings in relation to the development of a specific research interest;
LO4. An ability to deal critically with and assimilate writings from other disciplines and non-academic sources to an anthropological project.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This is a alternate version of this class, previously offered in 2019 with some new topics.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

ANTH4102: Anthropology of Mind and Experience

Semester 1, 2022 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect