Culture and Representation (Elective pathway) (L6075E)

15 credits, Level 5

Spring teaching

On this module, you'll explore the concept of ‘culture’ and the political dimensions of representing other cultures. You'll consider:

• how anthropological understandings of ‘culture’ evolved in the 20th century
• the role of anthropology in analysing and representing culture in ethnographic research
• how ‘culture’ is used in public debates by politicians, activists and curators to address issues of identity and distinction.

Key topics include structure and agency, embodiment, art and aesthetics, power and protest.

This module is suitable for anthropology students and non-specialists, helping you:

• deepen your understanding of anthropological concepts
• develop critical reading and analytical skills
• reflect on personal experiences to inform your engagement with culture
• prepare for extended writing projects like dissertations
• improve academic writing through tailored assessments.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 22 hours of contact time and about 128 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2024/25. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.