About the Unit

Director's Page

Certification Procedure

Unit Colloquium Series

Unit Criticism Seminar

Recent Events

Unit Courses
Unit Departments
Unit Faculty
Unit Office Hours and Location
Back to the Unit Homepage
Back to UIUC

460 PROSEMINAR IN ETHNOLOGICAL THEORY. (1 unit)

Professor Alejandro Lugo             Office: 385 Davenport Hall; PH: 333-0283

a-lugo@uiuc-edu

 

The purpose of this advanced seminar is to examine foundational theoretical schemes in sociocultural anthropology.  We will focus on the twentieth century and will take into consideration the political and intellectual contexts in which theoretical formulations emerged.  We will examine anthropological theorizing as it developed vis-a-vis classic social theory; that is, we will study the intersections and ruptures between Durkheimian theory, marxism, structuralism, symbolism, and the cultural perspective in Weberian orientations.  We will close with recent theoretical writings that are currently challenging the human sciences (both the social sciences and the humanities).  The relatively new trends in the study of society and culture include postcolonialism, poststructuralism, feminist theory, postmodernism, and cultural studies.  I hope that through this seminar, the student will be exposed to a selective (not exhausuve) body of literature that will provide conceptual tools necessary to critically and productively intervene in anthropology and beyond.