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AT4548: ANTHROPOLOGY AND ART: ON PLACE, LANDSCAPE AND MATERIALS (2022-2023)

Last modified: 31 Jul 2023 11:19


Course Overview

Anthropology and art have much to offer each other. Taking historical and contemporary perspectives, students in this course will debate the cultural significance of art and the nature of creativity. We will focus particularly on questions of place, landscape and materials through a combined art-anthropology approach. The course will use the University of Aberdeen’s own art and ethnographic collections, and we will also work with Peacock Visual Arts in Aberdeen.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 4
Term Second Term Credit Points 30 credits (15 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Jo Vergunst

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

Anthropologists have used works of art from around the world as an index of culture, to study symbolic meaning, rituals and concepts of agency. Anthropology today by contrast often carries out research with art, rather than on it, using collaborative practice to explore issues of shared concern amongst anthropologists and artists. The category of ‘art’ itself is being questioned in new and interesting ways.

 

Using a combined art-anthropology approach, this course will focus particularly on questions of place, landscape and materials. Examples from socially-engaged art and environmental art will help us find new ways to think about people and the places they live. Cases from the course co-ordinator’s own research will be presented and the course will have an ethnographic focus on Scotland and its landscape – while also using international comparisons. A partnership with Peacock Visual Arts in Aberdeen will enable students to develop an anthropological perspective on contemporary art and the life of an active arts organisation.  We will also use the extensive artistic and ethnographic collections of the University of Aberdeen.

 

Teaching will involve a series of two-hour seminars in which theoretical and case study materials will be explored.

 

 

 

 


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

Project Report/Dissertation

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 50
Assessment Weeks 39 Feedback Weeks 42

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Feedback

Feedback will be provided within three weeks of submission.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ReflectionCreateDevelop and carry out independent project work on a topic relevant to anthropology and art

Discussion Posts

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 15
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Feedback
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 35
Assessment Weeks 31 Feedback Weeks 34

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Feedback

Feedback will be provided within three weeks of submission.

Word Count 2000
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualEvaluateEvaluate contemporary examples of combined anthropology-art approaches to research
ConceptualUnderstandDescribe and understand the history of anthropology’s relationship with art
ProceduralAnalyseAnalyse the themes of place, landscape and materials in relation to Scotland and other international cases

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Resit Assessments

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 100
Assessment Weeks 43 Feedback Weeks 46

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback Word Count
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ReflectionCreateDevelop and carry out independent project work on a topic relevant to anthropology and art
ConceptualEvaluateEvaluate contemporary examples of combined anthropology-art approaches to research
ConceptualUnderstandDescribe and understand the history of anthropology’s relationship with art
ProceduralAnalyseAnalyse the themes of place, landscape and materials in relation to Scotland and other international cases

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