Anthropology of ethnicity and nationalism

general courses

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the issues of ethnology and anthropology of ethnicity. During the course the main the issue of anthropological and ethnological schools dealing with the issues of ethnic and national identity will be discussed, including the works of the prominent scholars from Anglo-Saxon, Central European and Russian/Soviet traditions.

Classroom

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the issues of ethnology and anthropology of ethnicity. During the course the main the issue of anthropological and ethnological schools dealing with the issues of ethnic and national identity will be discussed, including the works of the prominent scholars from Anglo-Saxon, Central European and Russian/Soviet traditions.

1. Introduction. Anthropology of ethnicity and other fields of studies on nationality and ethnicity (sociology, history, cultural studies).

2. Ethnological and anthropological approaches to ethnicity and nationalism.

3. Studies on nation and nationalism. Modernism. Primordialism. Neo-perenialism. Ethno-symbolism.

4. Ethnological descriptions of the ‘Other’ in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Philo-Orientalism. The myth of noble savage.

5. Forerunners of modern ethnology and cultural anthropology: Giambattista Vico, Joseph François Lafitau.

6. 19th century forerunners of studies on nation and nationalism. Heinrich von Treitschke, Freidrich Meineke, John Dalberg Acton, John Stuart Mill, Jules Michelet, Ernest Renan.

7. 19th century folklore studies. James Macpherson. Count Alexei Musin-Pushkin. Grimm brothers.

8. 19th century folklore studies in Poland: Oskar Kolberg.

9. National identity issue in Polish sociology and ethnology: Florian Znaniecki, Jan Stanisław Bystroń, Józef Obrębski.

10. Identity based concept of ethnic group: Frederik Barth and Józef Obrębski.

11. From stereotype to symbol. Z. Benedyktowicz and phenomenological approach towards the ‘other’.

12. Marx, Marxism and nationalism.

13. The Soviet Union’s approach towards the nations and nationalisms. Theory and practice. "Soviet nation".

14. Imperial heritage and Soviet nationalities issue in terms of Roman Szporluk.

15. Soviet ethnology: from Marxism to the theory of Lev Gumilev.

16. American cultural anthropology and the study of ethnicity. Ethnic Indians of North America. From H.L. Morgan to Franz Boas.

17. Cultural patterns by Ruth Benedict: the traditional culture of Zuni, Dobu and Kwakiutl.

18. Chrysanthemum and the Sword - Ruth Benedict on Japanese culture.

19. The role of epic poetry and folk bards in construction of the national identity in the Balkans in Rigels Halili's work.

20. The evolution of research on nation and nationalism in the twentieth century: from Emile Durkheim and Max Weber to Hans Kohn, Karl Deutsch and Eli Kedourie.

21. The "classic modernism": Ernest Gellner’s theory of nation and nationalism.

22. Eric Hobsbawm and the concept of invented traditions.

23. Benedict Anderson: Imagined communities.

24. Ethno-symbolism and work of Anthony D. Smith.

25. Herfried Münkler and the myths of the Germans in anthropological perspective.

26. National minorities in Europe. The cases of France and Poland.

27. Ethnicity in the American context. The notion of ethnics in Michael Novak's thought.

28. Minorities in the context of globalization. Arjun Appadurai's theory.

29. The concept of banal nationalism by Michael Billig. Exemplications of this phenomenon in Polish culture.

30. Summary and conclusions.

G. Cochiara, Dzieje folklorystyki w Europie, Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, Warszawa 1971, J. Obrębski, Dzisiejsi ludzie Polesia i inne eseje, Wyd. IFiS PAN, Warszawa 2005, M. Hroch, Małe narody Europy, Ossolineum, Wrocław 2003, P. Lawrence, Nacjonalizm. Historia i teoria, Książka i Wiedza, Warszawa 2007, E. Hobsbawm, Tradycja wynaleziona: rozważania o źródłach i rozprzestrzenianiu się nacjonalizmu, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, Kraków 2008, B. Anderson, Wspólnoty wyobrażone, wyd. Znak, Kraków 1997, R. Benedict, Wzory kultury, Warszawskie Wydawnictwo Literackie, Warszawa 2011, E. Gellner, Narody i Nacjonalizm, Difin, Warszawa 2009, A. D. Smith, Etniczne źródła narodów, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, Kraków 2009, R. Paradowski, Euroazjatyckie imperium Rosji. Studium idei, Warszawa 2003, R. Szporluk, Imperium, komunizm i narody. Wybór esejów, Wyd. Arcana, Kraków 2003, W. Zajączkowski, Rosja i narody. Ósmy kontynent. Szkic dziejów Eurazji, Warszawa 2009, U. Altermatt, Sarajewo przestrzega. Etnonacjonalizm w Europie, Wyd. Znak, Kraków 1998, I. Colovic, Polityka symboli. Eseje o antropologii politycznej, Universitas, Kraków 2001, S. Zapaśnik, „Walczący islam” w Azji centralnej. Problem społecznej genezy zjawiska, Wyd. Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego, Wrocław 2009, J. Sierakowska-Dyndo, Granice wyobraźni politycznej Afgańczyków, Wyd. Dialog, Warszawa 1998.

The course enable student to analyze various ethnic, national and confessional identity issues. The student learns basic concepts from the field of ethnology, anthropology of ethnicity and anthropology of nationalism.

K_W02 has organized general knowledge (including terminology, theory and methodology) in the scope of cultural studies

K_W05 has detailed and organized knowledge of anthropological literature and studies on nationalism; can name and characterize most important phenomena/trends/literary texts/writings.

K_W10 can name and characterize basic cultural phenomena studied by anthropology of ethnicity and nationalism.

K_U03 can use the basic terminology from the domain of ethnology, anthropology of ethnicity and anthropology of nationalism.

K_U04 can use anthropology of ethnicity to analyze and interpret events taking place in the modern world.

- The evaluation of student’s skills.

- Written exam.

- Attendance control.