Admission Requirements
The following categories of students may register for this course:
Students enrolled for the Leiden University bachelor’s programme Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology
Exchange students admitted for this specific course during the application procedure
Course Description
This course convenes a series of dialogues informed by approaches such as Oceanic Studies, the Black Atlantic, Borderlands, migration studies, globalization studies as well as the broader call for decolonization of the anthropological curriculum. It marks a shift away from the classical Area Studies paradigm. The course revisits major debates in cultural anthropology and comparative–historical sociology across Africa, Asia and Europe. These regions are understood as historically contingent and negotiated objects of analysis. The aim is to develop a more dynamic approach that does justice to today’s multipolar reality and to allow it to take root in our curriculum and scholarly community, while maintaining a mode of social and cultural inquiry that is grounded in place and time and that also has an eye for complex global challenges.
Course Objectives
Successful completion of this course will mean that students will be able to:
historicize and problematize anthropology’s longstanding assumption that space, place and culture overlap
explain the value of ways to study different parts of the world attuned to (im)mobility and multipolarity
distinguish and recognize contrasting perspectives on Africa, Asia and Europe as contingent and entangled objects of analysis
anticipate and articulate dynamics associated with living in an interconnected world in which means of mobility and connection are unevenly distributed
work in teams to discuss, reflect and make a group presentation
critically study academic literature and respond in written form
Schedule
Dates and room numbers can be found on the website.
Mode of Instruction
This is a 10 ECTS course, which means 280 hours of study (1 ECTS is equivalent to 28 study hours or sbus). These 280 study hours are composed of the following components:
Lectures: 14 x 2 hours = 28 hours x 1,5 = 42 sbu
Literature (850 pages) and audio-visual resource = 160 sbu
Group presentations = 8 sbu
Response papers = 45 sbu
Final take-home exam = 25 sbu
Assessment Method
In-class group presentation
Response papers
Take-home exam
Registration in My Studymap
Registration for the lectures My Studymap is mandatory for all students. Registration closes 5 days before the start of the course. Carefully read all information about the procedures and deadlines for registering for courses and exams.
Students need not register for the examination via My Studymap, because this course does not include a single final examination.
Brightspace
Brightspace is the digital learning environment of Leiden University. Brightspace gives access to course announcements and electronic study material. Assignments will also be submitted in Brightspace. Announcements about and changes to courses are given via Brightspace. Students are advised to check Brightspace daily to keep informed about rooms, schedules, deadlines and all details regarding assignments. Lecturers assume that all students read information posted on Brightspace.
- How to login
The homepage for Brightspace is: Brightspace
Please log in with your ULCN-account and personal password. On the left you will see an overview of My Courses.
For access to courses in Brightspace students must be registered for those courses in My Studymap.
Course Literature
To be announced.
Articles from electronic journals and monographs available through Leiden University’s digital library.