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Social Anthropology

Code: 101136
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Sociology OP 4

Contact lecturer

Name :
Maria Julieta Olaso Ruiz
Email :
mariajulieta.olaso@uab.cat

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

There is no prerequisites.

Objectives


Objectives and Contextualisation


The course provides an introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology as a discipline devoted to the comparative study of human sociocultural diversity. Throughout the semester, students will be introduced to the fundamental concepts and key topics of Social and Cultural Anthropology. The course covers the classical thematic areas of the discipline, introduces anthropological perspectives on difference and inequality, and explores some of the field's more recent developments.

The course promotes the development of an anthropological perspective aimed at understanding sociocultural diversity through a comparative and non-ethnocentric approach, encouraging students to question their own cultural assumptions. In addition, students will be introduced to ethnographic methodology, with particular emphasis on participant observation, fieldwork and reflexivity as fundamental tools for understanding social reality.

Through the study of ethnographic case studies that illustrate cultural diversity and highlight both the contrasts and similarities with students' own sociocultural context, together with the use of academic readings and audiovisual materials, students will acquire a basic understanding of anthropological methodology and the main ethnographic techniques. Furthermore, the course fosters a critical approach to the processes through which social differences and inequalities are constructed, thereby complementing students' sociological training.



Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

In response to the challenges faced by societies around the world, the United Nations (UN) adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, comprising 169 specific targets. The SDGs address a wide range of global challenges, from ending poverty to protecting life below water. They constitute the goals to be achieved by 2030 and call for the commitment of society as a whole.

The SDGs addressed in this course are:

  • SDG 1: No Poverty
  • SDG 5: Gender Equality
  • SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
  • SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
  • SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions






Learning outcomes

  1. Developing self-learning strategies.
  2. Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  3. Defining the sociological concepts that interpret the cultural phenomena.
  4. Explaining the social interpretations of culture according to these approaches.
  5. Relating the debates regarding these approaches, that refer to culture, with the historical context in which they emerged.
  6. Distinguishing the underlying cultural phenomena of specific policies or conflicts.

Contents

Topic 1. Social and Cultural Anthropology: Subjects, Methods, and Perspectives Subtitle: What does anthropology study? What does it mean to develop an anthropological perspective? How is it different from sociology?


Guiding questions:


  • What are the main branches of anthropology?


  • What does it mean to take an "anthropological perspective"?


  • Why is fieldwork central to anthropological research?


Topic 2. Sociopolitical Classifications and the Construction of Otherness: Between Difference and Hierarchy


Subtitle: How are "the others" constructed? What effects do social categories have? Guiding questions:


  • How are social categories such as race, ethnicity, gender and culture socially constructed?
  • What does the "construction of otherness" mean?
  • How are prejudices and stereotypes constructed?
  • How has inequality been naturalized over time?


Topic 3. Kinship and Social Organization: Bonds, Descent, and Alliances


Subtitle: Families, clans, and social ties-what is natural and what is cultural? Guiding questions:


  • What forms of kinship exist across societies?


  • How are family and alliance relationsconstructed?


  • How does kinship relate to power and social reproduction?


  • How are kinship and family forms changing today?


Topic 4. Economy and Modes of Subsistence: Exchange, Production, and Reciprocity Subtitle: How is material life organized? What does a "human economy" look like?

Guiding questions:


  • What types of exchangeexist beyond the market?


  • How does reciprocity operate in traditional and modern societies?


  • What insights does anthropology offer on poverty or value?


Topic 5. Political Organization and Power: Authority, Control, and Resistance


Subtitle: Who rules, how, and why? Understanding power through anthropology Guiding questions:


  • What forms of leadershipand governance exist?


  • How is power legitimized in different cultural contexts?


  • How are resistance and change expressed?


Topic 6. Religion, Rituals, and Systems of Belief: Meaning and Cultural Practices


Subtitle: Why do rituals matter? The social meaning of religion Guiding questions:


  • How does anthropology approach religion and ritual?


  • What role do myths, symbols, and spiritual practices play?


  • How is religiosity linked to collective identity?



 

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Lectures with ICT support 30 1.2
Discussion of written and audiovisual texts. 25 1
Reading and text reviews and group project 60 2.4
Class exercises and discussions. Group project. 35 1.4

Teaching Methodology

Based on the idea that students play the leading role in the teaching and learning process, this course promotes an active and participatory approach to knowledge construction. The teaching methodology combines the presentation of theoretical content with activities aimed at developing an anthropological perspective through the analysis of ethnographic case studies, specialised readings, audiovisual materials, and exercises involving reflection and classroom discussion. In addition, students will be encouraged to apply anthropological concepts to the analysis of contemporary social phenomena, fostering a critical understanding of sociocultural diversity.

The teaching methodology includes:

  • Lectures supported by information and communication technologies (ICT).
  • Reading and discussion of book chapters and scientific articles related to each of the course topics (specified in the Virtual Campus).
  • Viewing, analysis and discussion of audiovisual materials in class (documentaries, ethnographic reports, works of fiction and other audiovisual resources), as specified in the Virtual Campus.
  • Brief individual and group reflection exercises aimed at developing an anthropological perspective on contemporary social phenomena.
  • Analysis and discussion of interviews, documentaries and other audiovisual materials related to anthropological research.
  • Group project. Students will work collaboratively to analyse a social problem or phenomenon related to the course contents, integrating the concepts, readings and ethnographic case studies addressed throughout the semester. The project will conclude with an oral presentation in class.


Annotation: Fifteen minutes of one class session, within the timetable established by the Faculty or the Degree Programme, will be allocated for students to complete the institutional surveys evaluating the teaching performance and the course




Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Analytical essay based on the reading of a monograph 25% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Written exam 50% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Analytical essay 25% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Continuous Assessment
The assessment of the course will be carried out on a continuous basis through several graded activities:
• Group assignment analysing readings and ethnographic case studies: 25%
• Analytical essay based on the reading of a monograph: 25%
• Written exam on the content covered in class: 50%
The final grade will be the weighted average of the marks obtained in each of the above components.
Students who do not achieve a minimum grade of 5 will be considered to have failed the course and may be eligible for a resit exam, provided they have previously been assessed in activities representing at least two-thirds of the total course grade. The resit will consist of a final synthesis examination.
At the time of each assessment activity, the lecturer will inform students (via Moodle) of the procedure and the date for grade review.
Students will receive a “Not assessed” grade whenever they have not submitted at least 60% of the assessable activities.
Teaching staff are entitled to require that students have obtained a minimum grade (which in no case will exceed 3.5/10) in order to be eligible for the resit examination.
Single Assessment
• Students are responsible for completing all necessary procedures to opt for this assessment modality within the deadlines established by the UAB.
• All three assessment tasks must be submitted on the same day, as specified by the teaching staff.
• The three tasks are: exam (50%), individual synthesis assignment (25%) and individual analytical essay (25%).
• The level of demand will in no case be lower than in continuous assessment.
In the event that a student commits any irregularity that could lead to a significant alteration of the grade of an assessment activity, the activity will be graded with a 0, regardless of any subsequent disciplinary process. If multiple irregularities are detected in assessment activities of the same course, the final grade for the course will be 0.
This course permits the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies exclusively for bibliographic or information search tasks, text proofreading, or translation.
Students must (i) identify the parts generated using AI; (ii) specify the tools used; and (iii) include a critical reflection on how these tools influenced both the process and the final outcome of the assignment. Failure to transparently disclose the use of AI in this assessed activity will be considered academic misconduct and will result in a grade of 0 with no possibility of resit, or more severe sanctions in serious cases.

Bibliography

AADD. (1993). Diccionari d'antropologia. TERMCAT.

Augé, M., y Colleyn, J.-P. (2005). Qué es la antropología. Paidós.

Bonte, P., e Izard, M. (1996). Diccionario de etnología y antropología (Original publicado en 1991). Akal.

Bourgois, P. (2003). En busca de respeto. Vendiendo crack en Harlem. Siglo XXI Editores.

Comas d'Argemir, D. (1998). Antropología económica. Ariel.

Comellas, P., y Junyent, M. C. (2021). Els colors de la neu. Les llengües, les persones i el món. Eumo.

Díaz Cruz, R. (1998). Archipiélago de rituales. Anthropos.

Duch, L. (s.f.). Antropologia de la vida quotidiana (Varios volúmenes). Publicacions de l'Abadia de Montserrat.

Estruch, J. (2015). Entendre les religions. Una perspectiva sociològica. Mediterrània.

Frigolé, J., et al. (1995). Antropologia social. Proa.

González Echevarría, A., San Román Espinosa, T., y Valdés, R. (2000). Tres escritos introductorios al estudio del parentesco. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Servei de Publicacions.

Hammersley, M., y Atkinson, P. (1994). Etnografía (Original publicado en 1983). Paidós.

Harris, M. (1998). Introducción a la antropología general. Alianza.

Harris, M. (1999). El desarrollo de la teoría antropológica: historia de las teorías de la cultura. Siglo XXI.

Ingold, T. (2017). Anthropology and/as education: Anthropology, art, architecture and design. Routledge.

Junyent Figueras, M. C., y Comellas Casanova, P. (2019). Antropología lingüística. Síntesis.

Kottak, C. P. (2005). Introducción a la antropología cultural (Original publicado en 2002). McGraw-Hill.

Laburthe-Tolra, P., y Warnier, J.-P. (1998). Etnología y antropología (Original publicado en 1993). Akal.

Lévi-Strauss, C. (1985). El pensament salvatge (Original publicado en 1962). Edicions 62.

Lévi-Strauss, C. (2005). Tristos Tròpics (Original publicado en 1955). Anagrama.

Lewellen, T. C. (1994). Antropología política (Original publicado en 1983). Edicions Bellaterra.

Lisón Tolosana, C. (Ed.). (2007). Introducción a la Antropología Social y Cultural. Teoría, método y práctica. Akal.

Llobera, J. R. (1975). La antropología como ciencia. Anagrama.

Llobera, J. R. (1999). Manual d'antropologia social. Ediuoc.

Mair, L. (1998). Introducción a la antropología social (Original publicado en 1965). Alianza.

Narotzky, S. (2004). Antropología económica. Nuevas tendencias. Melusina.

Prat i Carós, J. (1984). La mitologia i la seva interpretació. Llar del Llibre.

Prat, J. (Coord.). (2004). I... això és la meva vida. Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament de Cultura.

Prats, L. (1997). Antropologia y patrimoni. Ariel.

Rodó-Zárate, M. (2021). Interseccionalitat. Desigualtats, llocs i emocions. Tigre de Paper.

Salazar, Carles. (2009). Antropologia de les creences. Religió, simbolisme, irracionalitat. Fragmenta.

Thiong'o, N. w. (2007). Descolonitzar la ment. Raig Verd.

Software

No specific software required.

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed