Cultural anthropology: difference and communication

obligatory courses

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the theory of cultural and ethnic differences. During the course, the basic theoretical assumptions of anthropological and ethnological schools will be discussed.

Classroom
Remote learning

Classes are organized in the Program of Integrated Actions for the Development of the University of Warsaw (ZIP), co-financed by the European Social Fund under OP KED, path 3.5.

The concept of difference and intercultural communication. What does cultural anthropology, ethnology and ethnography do?

Part I Cultural differences and intercultural communication in nineteenth and twentieth century anthropology (folk studies, evolutionism; functionalist school in British social anthropology, structuralism, interpretative anthropology. Part II theory of ethnic differences; Soviet theory of ethnogenesis; theories of nation and nationalism; postcolonial theory and theory of communication.

The concept of cultural difference and intercultural communication. What does cultural anthropology, ethnology and ethnography do. Passing conditions and organization of classes.

Part I.

Cultural difference and intercultural communication in 19th and 20th century anthropology

2. Discussion of the history of the discipline as well as schools and mainstream research in ethnology and cultural anthropology. Between the search for the "spirit of the nation" and an attempt to describe the universal history of man. Precursors of anthropology - XVI-XIX centuries.

Cochiara, G. (1971). History of folklore in Europe. Warsaw: State Publishing Institute.

3. Folk studies in Poland and Europe (19th century). The birth of cultural anthropology in the USA and social anthropology in Great Britain. Evolutionism. Edward Burnett Tylor's definition of culture.

Burszt, W. (1998). Cultural anthropology: themes, theories, interpretations. Poznań: Zysk i S-ka Publishing House.

4. Functionalist school in British social anthropology. Field research and participant observation as a discipline-defining method. Cultural diffusionism. School of Culture and Personality (Franz Boas, Ruth Benedict, Margaret Mead).

Burszt, W. (1998). Cultural anthropology: themes, theories, interpretations. Poznań: Zysk i S-ka Publishing House.

Benedict, R. (2011). Culture patterns. Warsaw: Warsaw Literary Publishing House.

Part II.

Cultural difference and intercultural communication in contemporary anthropology

5. Józef Obrebski's theory of ethnic differences and Fredrik Barth's theory of ethnic boundaries.

Obrebski, J. (2005). Today's People of Polesie and other essays. Warsaw: Wyd. IFiS PAN.

6. The Soviet theory of ethnogenesis and interethnic contacts by Lev Gumilev.

Paradowski, R. (2003). Russia's Eurasian Empire. Studium idei, Warsaw: Elipsa.

Szporluk, R. (2003). Empire, communism and nations. Selection of essays. Krakow: Wyd. Arcana.

7. Theories of nation and nationalism (Ernest Gellner, Eric Hobsbawm, Benedict Anderson). Postcolonial Theory (Edward Said).

Hobsbawm, E. Ranger, T. (2008). Invented Tradition: Considerations on the Sources and Spread of Nationalism, Kraków: Jagiellonian University Publishing House.

Anderson, B. (1997). Imagined communities. Krakow: Wyd. Sign.

Gellner, E. (2009). Nations and Nationalism. Warsaw: Difin.

Smith, A.D. (2009). Ethnic sources of nations. Krakow: Jagiellonian University Press.

Said, E. (2005). Orientalism. Poznań: Wyd. Profit and Ska.

8. Interpretative anthropology (Victor Turner and Clifford Geertz).

Turner, V. (2005). Social games, fields and metaphors. Symbolic action in society. Krakow: Jagiellonian University Press.

Geertz, C. (2005). Interpretation of cultures. Krakow: Jagiellonian University Press.

9. Anthropology of communication. Is human communication more like a telegraph or an orchestra consonance? (Yves Winkin).

Winkin, Y. (2007). Communication anthropology: from theory to field research. Warsaw: Publishing House of the University of Warsaw.

- G. Cochiara, Dzieje folklorystyki w Europie, Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, Warszawa 1971

- J. Obrębski, Dzisiejsi ludzie Polesia i inne eseje, Wyd. IFiS PAN, Warszawa 2005

- Z. Benedyktowicz, Portrety „obcego”. Od stereotypu do symbolu, Wyd. Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, Kraków 2000

- R. Benedict, Wzory kultury, Warszawskie Wydawnictwo Literackie, Warszawa 2011

- E. Gellner, Narody i Nacjonalizm, Difin, Warszawa 2009

- N. Gole, Muzułmanie w Europie. Dzisiejsze kontrowersje wokół islamu, Kraków 2016.

- E. Hobsbawm, T. Ranger, Tradycja wynaleziona: rozważania o źródłach i rozprzestrzenianiu się nacjonalizmu, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, Kraków 2008

- B. Anderson, Wspólnoty wyobrażone, wyd. Znak, Kraków 1997

- A. D. Smith, Etniczne źródła narodów, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, Kraków 2009

- R. Paradowski, Euroazjatyckie imperium Rosji. Studium idei, Warszawa 2003

- V. Turner, Gry społeczne, pola i metafory. Symboliczne działanie w społeczeństwie, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, Kraków 2005

- C. Geertz, Interpretacja kultur. Wybrane eseje Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, Kraków 2005

- P. Rabinow, Refleksje na temat badań terenowych w Maroku, Wyd. Marek Drewiecki, Kęty 2010

- J. Clifford, Kłopoty z kulturą. Dwudziestowieczna etnografia, literatura i sztuka, Wydawnictwo KR, Warszawa 2000.

- L. Gandhi, Teoria postkolonialna. Wprowadzenie krytyczne, Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, Poznań 2008.

- M.V. Angrosino, Badania etnograficzne i obserwacyjne, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 2015

- P. Bourdieu, Dystynkcja: społeczna krytyka władzy sa̧dzenia. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar, Warszawa 2005

- J.P. Butler, Walczące słowa: mowa nienawiści i polityka performatywu, Wydawnictwo Krytyki Politycznej, Warszawa 2010

- A. P. Cohen, Symbolic construction of community, Routledge, 2013

- A. Gupta, J. Ferguson, Beyond “culture”: Space, identity, and the politics of difference, „Cultural anthropology”, 7 (1), 1992, 6–23

- T. Ingold, „Człowieczyć” to czasownik [w:] Kolokwia antropologiczne. Problemy współczesnej antropologii społecznej, Wydawnictwo Nauka i Innowacje, Poznań 2014, s. 527–544

- B. Latour, Splataja̜c na nowo to, co społeczne: wprowadzenie do teorii aktora-sieci, Universitas, Kraków 2010

- Y. Navaro‐Yashin, Affective spaces, melancholic objects: ruination and the production of anthropological knowledge, „Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute”, 15 (1), 2009, 1–18.

- J. Oakley, Konteksty upłciowionych tekstów. Przykłady antropologiczne z minionych dekad [w:] Kolokwia antropologiczne. Problemy współczesnej antropologii społecznej, Wydawnictwo Nauka i Innowacje, Poznań 2014, s. 105-131

- M.A. Pedersen, Not quite shamans: spirit worlds and political lives in northern Mongolia, Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2011

- S. Pink, Etnografia wizualna: obrazy, media i przedstawienie w badaniach, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, Kraków 2009

- T. Rakowski, Łowcy,zbieracze, praktycy niemocy: etnografia człowieka zdegradowanego. Wydawnictwo słowo/obraz terytoria, Gdańsk 2009

- Ł. Smyrski, Między władzą spojrzenia a praktyką: antropologia krajobrazu, Oficyna Naukowa : Instytut Etnologii i Antropologii Kulturowej Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, Warszawa 2018

- D. Strinati, Wprowadzenie do kultury popularnej, Warszawa 1998.

- L.J.D. Wacquant, Więzienia nędzy, Warszawa: Instytut Wydawniczy Książka i Prasa, Warszawa 2009

- I.M. Wallerstein, Analiza systemów-światów: wprowadzenie, Wydawnictwo Akademickie Dialog, Warszawa 2007

- Y. Winkin, Antropologia komunikacji: od teorii do badań terenowych, Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, Warszawa 2007.

Knowledge: graduate

- has in-depth detailed knowledge (including terminology, theory and methodology) in the field of cultural anthropology in the context of intercultural communication K_W01 (NKR)

- has extended knowledge of selected problems of cultural anthropology in terms of research on cultural difference and intercultural communication K_W02 (NKR)

- has detailed knowledge of the state of anthropological research in the field of cultural difference and intercultural communication in Poland and in the world K_W05 (NKR)

- knows and understands advanced methods of analysis, interpretation and evaluation of various communication methods K_W06 (NKR)

- knows and understands Polish and foreign anthropological traditions and approaches to intercultural communication (methods of analysis and interpretation) K_W07 (NKR)

Skills: Student

- is able to operationalize anthropological theories in the study of cultural differences K_U02 (NKR)

- can analyze the problems of cultural communication using the methodology of individual schools of cultural anthropology K_U07 (NKR)

Competences: Student

- is aware of the difference resulting from cultural, religious and philosophical diversity and its impact on the shaping of social and political attitudes and economic processes K_K06 (NKR)

- understands and appreciates the value of tradition and cultural heritage of his own and other regions K_K08 (NKR)

- Written exam.

- Term paper.

- Attendance control.