400007 SE SE Theory for Doctoral Candidates (2015W)

Culture, which used to be one of the key terms of (American) anthropology for almost a century, has become a word to be avoided in contemporary anthropology. Other academic disciplines as well as indigenous and other marginalized groups have "discovered" the term almost at the same time as it was discarded by anthropologists. First, the seminar will trace the career path of the word culture in anthropology and other social sciences. Second, and even more importantly, the course will discuss approaches with which to analyse essentialsed notions of culture - the stuff to own or lose; culture as weapon and commodity; etc. - that we encounter in the field(s). Finally, the seminar will explore where the analytical re-use of culture might be beneficial and where not.