Course: Anthropology of Material Culture

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Course title Anthropology of Material Culture
Course code KSA/AMAK
Organizational form of instruction Lecture + Seminar
Level of course Bachelor
Year of study 2
Semester Winter and summer
Number of ECTS credits 4
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course Compulsory-optional
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Lozoviuk Petr, Doc. Ph.D.
  • Janeček Petr, Doc. PhDr. Ph.D.
  • Baumanová Monika, Doc. M.A., Ph.D.
Course content
1. Material turn in contemporary anthropology 2. Material culture amongst Cultural Anthropology, European Ethnology and Cultural Studies 3. Collecting artefacts: Museological and antiquarian approaches 4. Trichotomy of material, spiritual, and social culture in European Ethnology 5. Material culture in historical and archeological sciences 6. Material culture of archaic and traditional societies 7. Material culture and theory of production and consumption in Cultural Studies 8. Material culture of contemporary complex societies I. - consumer and mass culture 9. Material culture of contemporary complex societies II. - subcultures and naive art 10. Methodology and techniques of field research of material culture

Learning activities and teaching methods
Lecture supplemented with a discussion, Collaborative instruction, Multimedia supported teaching, Seminar classes, Self-study of literature, Textual studies
  • Preparation for an examination (30-60) - 30 hours per semester
  • Contact hours - 39 hours per semester
  • Preparation for comprehensive test (10-40) - 35 hours per semester
prerequisite
Knowledge
to characterize and describe the basic concepts of anthropological sciences
to characterize and describe the main disciplines of historical, humanities and social sciences, especially those dealing with material culture
to characterize and explain the basic aspects of culture of various historical periods of the Czech and the European history
to describe and interpret the basic chronology of art history
to describe the difference between material and spiritual culture
to communicate at a basic level in a selected world language
Skills
to understand and interpret professional text in the Czech language
to understand and interpret a professional text in a selected world language
to understand a professional lecture
to consider the social function of artifacts
to present the social functions of the artifact in the seminar
to lead a debate on a professional text
to use printed information sources
to use electronic information sources
Competences
N/A
N/A
N/A
learning outcomes
Knowledge
to define material culture and artefactual elements of expressive culture from cultural, social, historical and geographical points of view
to characterize paradigm shifts and the development of theory and methodology of material culture research in socio-cultural anthropology, European ethnology, cultural studies and related disciplines
to identify various types of material artifacts in the contemporary Czech society, including the evaluation of their historical roots and their social function
Skills
to apply methodological approaches to material culture research to specific empirical material
to use relevant anthropological, ethnological, historiographical and art historical terminology in relation to material culture and artifacts
to reflect critically contemporary approaches of socio-cultural anthropology, European ethnology, cultural studies and related fields to the study of historical and contemporary artifacts
to identify various types of material artifacts in the contemporary Czech society, including the evaluation of their historical roots and their social function
to analyze and compare different types and interrelationships of selected material phenomena in different types of cultures at the basic level
Competences
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
teaching methods
Knowledge
Lecture supplemented with a discussion
Multimedia supported teaching
Textual studies
Collaborative instruction
Self-study of literature
Skills
Seminar classes
Textual studies
Self-study of literature
Multimedia supported teaching
Competences
Lecture supplemented with a discussion
Multimedia supported teaching
Seminar classes
Collaborative instruction
Self-study of literature
assessment methods
Knowledge
Written exam
Test
Skills
Test
Skills demonstration during practicum
Competences
Written exam
Test
Skills demonstration during practicum
Recommended literature
  • Lidová kultura : národopisná encyklopedie Čech, Moravy a Slezska. 1. svazek, [Biografická část]. Vyd. 1. Praha : Etnologický ústav Akademie věd České republiky v Praze, 2007. ISBN 978-80-204-1711-4.
  • Lidová kultura : národopisná encyklopedie Čech, Moravy a Slezska. 2. svazek, [Věcná část, A - N]. Vyd. 1. Praha : Etnologický ústav Akademie věd České republiky v Praze, 2007. ISBN 978-80-204-1712-1.
  • Lidová kultura : národopisná encyklopedie Čech, Moravy a Slezska. 3. svazek, [Věcná část, O - Ž]. Vyd. 1. Praha : Etnologický ústav Akademie věd České republiky v Praze, 2007. ISBN 978-80-204-1713-8.
  • Appadurai, Arjun. The social life of things : commodities in cultural perspective. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1986. ISBN 978-0-521-35726-5.
  • Berger, Arthur Asa. What object Means. An Introduction to Material Culture. Walnut Creek, 2009.
  • Buchli, Victor (ed.). The Material Culture Reader. London, 1996.
  • Dorson, Richard M. (ed.). Handbook of American Folklore. Bloomington, 1986.
  • Doušek, Roman. Etnologický výzkum lidového stavitelství. Brno, 2013.
  • Janeček, Petr (ed.). Folklor atomového věku. Kolektivně sdílené prvky expresivní kultury v soudobé české společnosti.. Praha, 2011.
  • Jeřábek, Richard. Kultura materiální, duchovní a sociální - antikvovaná trichotomie. Národopisná revue 10, s. 5-6. 2000.
  • Petráň, Josef. Dějiny hmotné kultury. II/2, Kultura každodenního života od 16. do 18. století /. Karolinum, Praha, 1997.
  • Petráň, Josef. Dějiny hmotné kultury. I/1, Vymezení kulturních dějin, kultura každodenního života od pravěku do 15.století /.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Social and Cultural Anthropology (16-5) Category: Philosophy, theology 2 Recommended year of study:2, Recommended semester: Winter
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Social and Cultural Anthropology (16-5) Category: Philosophy, theology 2 Recommended year of study:2, Recommended semester: Winter