Unit information: Social Theories in 2016/17

Unit name	Social Theories
Unit code	ARCH20057
Credit points	20
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Professor. Hodos Lucas
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of Anthropology and Archaeology
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

This unit aims to acquaint students with contemporary theories within anthropology and archaeology. Emphasis is placed upon the role of theory in these fields and the academic, political and social contexts within which various theoretical approaches have developed. The unit reviews the history of theoretical developments of anthropology and archaeology and provides the necessary analytical frameworks within which students can understand contemporary theoretical trends within these fields. The unit will provide students with the skills to effectively read, understand and assess current anthropological and archaeological literature on the basis of its theoretical stance.

Aims

• To provide students with an overview of the historical development of anthropological and archaeological theory from the 1960s.
• To provide students with an understanding of contemporary theoretical movements in anthropology and archaeology.
• To enable students to assess the relative importance and usefulness of competing explanative frameworks.
• To provide students with a theoretical foundation to effectively read and understand current anthropological and archaeological literature.
• To enable students to apply different theoretical frameworks to anthropological and archaeological case studies.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of the unit, a successful student will be able to

1) Discuss the broad philosophical and historical development of contemporary anthropological and archaeological theory.

2) Critically assess competing explanative frameworks and evaluate their strengths and weakness.

3) Evaluate critically and deconstruct anthropological and archaeological texts on the basis of their theoretical underpinnings.

4) Explain and evaluate anthropological and archaeological data from multiple theoretical standpoints.

Teaching Information

Weekly two hours of lecture, and bieweekly one hour seminar. There will also be a three hour field trip.

Assessment Information

One essay of 2500 words (50%). Assesses ILOs 1-4

One two-hour exam (50%). Assesses ILOs 1-4

Reading and References

• Astuti, R., J. Parry, and C. Stafford (eds) 2007. Questions of Anthropology. Oxford: Berg.
• Bentley, R.A., H.D.G. Maschner and C. Chippendale (eds) 2008. Handbook of Archaeological Theories. Lanham: AltaMira Press.
• Gosden, C. 1999. Anthropology & Archaeology: a changing relationship. London: Routledge.
• Hodder, I. (ed) 2012. Archaeological Theory Today. Cambridge: Polity Press.
• Kuklick, H. (ed) 2008. A New History of Anthropology. Oxford: Blackwell.
• Moberg, M. 2012. Engaging anthropological theory: a social and political history. London: Routledge.
• Moore, H. and T. Sanders (eds) 2006. Anthropology in Theory: issues in epistemology. Oxford: Blackwell.
• Rapport, N. and J. Overing. 2007. Social and Cultural Anthropology: the key concepts. London: Routledge.
• Thomas, J. (ed) 2000. Interpretive Archaeology, a reader. London: Leicester University Press.
• Trigger, B. 1989. A History of Archaeological Thought. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.