ANTH4115 – Advanced Anthropological Theory

The course provides students with a broad and advanced level grounding in contemporary anthropological theorization. In addition to introducing students to key theoretical discussions and approaches in the discipline, it presents them with a set of analytical tools and frameworks for theorizing the present moment and for constructing their own research agendas.

The course is divided into two main parts. The first quarter of the course introduces students to recent anthropological discussions on the role and practice of theory in anthropological research, and the history of anthropological theorization. The rest of the course explores recent developments in anthropological theorization through an examination of theoretical approaches and discussions that have animated the discipline in the 21st century.

Themes covered in the course:

• Gender, Sexuality and Kinship
• Religion in a Secular Age
• Anthropology and History
• The State
• Media and Publics
• Capital and Labour
• The Environment and the Anthropocene
• Beyond the Human
• Other Worlds, Other Politics

Knowledge

• Advanced level overview of key theoretical discussions in contemporary anthropology.
• Appreciation of their relevance for contemporary academic and public policy debates.
• Understanding of ongoing theoretical debates in social anthropology and related disciplines, and the position of the students’ own research in relation to these debates.

Skills

• Ability to summarize and convey advanced theoretical perspectives in anthropology.
• Extensive ability to construct and present an academic argument.
• Ability to write academic texts at an advanced level.

General competence

• Ability to understand and reflect on a variety of theoretical positions in anthropology and to use this understanding to contribute to the construction of a unique research agenda.
• Team-work capability through group discussions and group-presentations.
• Ability to express arguments both in solid academic written prose and through oral presentation.

Students must be enrolled in the master’s programme in Social Anthropology.

Students enrolled in other relevant Master's Degree Programmes can, on application to info-master@sai.uio.no, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.

If you are not already enrolled in the Master's Programme in Social Anthropology, please see our admission requirements and apply, and see the information on application and admission to master's degree programmes at UiO.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.

Term paper of 3150-3850 words including references. Choose a theme agreed with the course convenors that draws on theoretical perspectives relevant to your master’s thesis in social anthropology. Students enrolled in other master’s programmes do not need to link their choice of theory to their own master’s thesis but must agree on a theme with the course convenors.

• Adjusting oral examination.

The oral examination lasts 20 minutes.

The oral examination will only be held if the term paper receives a passing grade.

Remember to bring your identification to the oral exam. Student ID, passport, driver’s license and Norwegian ID-card are all valid forms of identification.

A passing grade for the term paper is a provisional grade. The examiners will inform you of the provisional grade and give an explanation for it when you present yourself for the oral exam.

Your performance in the oral exam may be used to adjust the final grade. The entire grading scale may be used for the final grade, but the grade will most commonly either remain unchanged or be adjusted by one grade up or down. You will receive your final grade and explanation of the grade immediately after the oral exam.

Only the final grade will appear on your master's diploma and transcript of records.

Previous exams and assessment guidelines

For the term paper:

All support material is allowed. When using AI, you must explain and be transparent about its use: read more about the guidelines for AI and exams at How to use AI as a student - University of Oslo

For the oral exam:

No examination support material is allowed.

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

Also see Grading guidelines in social anthropology

Explanations and appeals:

During the oral exam the examiners give an explanation for the provisional grade and present their evaluation of your term paper. No additional explanation will be given.

You can appeal against the grade awarded for the term paper. You cannot appeal against the adjusted grade on the oral examination.