Universität Wien

240523 SE Selling/Consuming Ethnicity - Material culture in the context of anthropological debates (P4) (2017S)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 24 - Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie
Continuous assessment of course work

Participation at first session is obligatory!
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 40 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Wednesday 29.03. 09:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 26.04. 09:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 10.05. 09:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 31.05. 09:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 14.06. 09:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 21.06. 09:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

The seminar deals with the analisis of the commercialization of authenticity and ethnicity, which is essential and indispensable to understand (urban) societies in the context of material culture from a contemporary anthropological perspective. In the seminar, theoretical anthropological approaches will be discussed and linked to the collected fieldwork data of the participating students.

The course introduces anthropological theory and practice about material culture and consumption in urban contexts. The students are enabled to identify and analyse research fields of material culture studies and consumption anthropology through studying anthropological texts and doing fieldwork (in the city). Processes of appreciation and devaluation of consumer practices are shown as integral part of emphasizing differences in urban societies. The importance of materiality in urban contexts will become unveiled on different social levels and ranks.

The methodology of the course includes:
+ short input sequences
+ presentation of documentations and videos
+ discussion of anthropological texts, text & film analysis
+ topical working groups with particular assignments (e.g. fieldwork, interviews, text/material analysis)
+ all steps supported by blended learning (Moodle)

Assessment and permitted materials

+ adequate attandance
+ individual quality of participation
+ written term paper (to be handed in until 31st of march 2017 latest)

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Grading criteria:
+ adequate course participation (attendance) (20%)
+ quality of course participation (30%)
+ qualitiy of term paper (50%)

Examination topics

Reading list

BÖNISCH-BREDNICH, Brigitte (2010) (Hrg.) Local lives. Migration and the politics of place, Burlington, VT, Ashgate.
MILLER, Daniel. (ed.). 2002. Consumption: critical concepts in the social sciences. Volumes 1-4. London, Routledge.
MILLER, Daniel. 2008. The comfort of things. Cambridge [u.a.], Polity.
DASTON, Lorraine. (ed.) 2004. Things that talk: object lessons from art and science. New York, NY, Zone Books.
EDWARDS, Elizabeth/ GOSDEN, Chris/ PHILLIPS, Ruth B. (2006). “Introduction” In: EDWARDS, Elizabeth et al. (eds.), Sensible Objects. Colonialism, Museums and Material Culture. Oxford & New York/ Berg Publishers: 1-31.
GRAVES-BROWN, Paul (2000). “Introduction” In: ders. (ed.), Matter, Materiality and Modern Culture. London & New York, Routledge: 1-9.
KALTMEIER, Olaf (2011) (Hrg.) Selling Ethnicity – Urban Cultural Politics in the Americas. Burlington, VT, Ashgate.
KOPYTOFF, Igor (2001). “The Cultural Biography of Things: Commoditization as Process” In: Miller, Daniel (ed.), Consumption - Critical Concepts in the Social Sciences, Vol. III [Disciplinary approaches to consumption]. London & New York, Routledge: 9-33.
MILLER, Daniel (2005). “Materiality: An Introduction” In: ders. (ed.), Materiality. Durham & London, Duke University Press: 1-50.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:40