University of St Andrews

What is the purpose of anthropology in the 21st century? Is anthropological knowledge still useful and distinctive? How do anthropologists construct and communicate this knowledge? To whom? Are they successful in this task? Is there a future for anthropology and for anthropological writing? What does this future look like? This course asks these fundamental questions by examining critically the texts that anthropologists produce, their ethnographies. Since the 19th century, ethnography has been the key method anthropologists have used to communicate what they learn about their informants and the world. As we advance into the third millennium, is there still a place for ethnography and ethnographic knowledge? And, does ethnography build or break down barriers between anthropologists and the people they study? Ethnographic texts are created through very peculiar codes and conventions, and these are often difficult for non-specialists to disentangle. The course will lay bare these elements and ask what they reveal about anthropology, about anthropologists, and about the past and future of the discipline. This course will help you strengthen your critical and creative thinking, acquire strong skills in text deconstruction and analysis, and develop your own individual reflexive stance.

Module Catalogue

SA3061 Reading Ethnography

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