UNIVERSITY OF ST. ANDREWS Department of Social Anthropology St Salvator’s Quadrangle

Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
UNIVERSITY OF ST. ANDREWS
Department of Social Anthropology
St Salvator’s Quadrangle
MRes in Social Anthropology
POSTGRADUATE INFORMATION BOOKLET
SESSION 2008/2009
Programme Director: Dr Huon Wardle
Subject Specific Coordinator (sem 1): Mr Tristan Platt
Subject Specific Coordinator (sem 2): Prof. Peter Gow
Generic Modules Coordinator (sem 2): Dr Will Rollason
Please consult the Programme Director for matters concerning the
programme as a whole and coordinators for information about individual
modules. Statements in this document may be modified or cancelled in the
light of University policy, and no responsibility is accepted for the
consequences of such changes.
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
CONTENTS
Introduction
4
Programme
6
Department of Social Anthropology Organisation
8
Administrative Support
8
University Postgraduate Handbook
9
Rules & Regulations
Academic Appeals and Complaints
Academic Fraud
Academic Misconduct
Appeals, Complaints and Discipline
Code of Practice
Communication
Fees
Health & Safety
Key University Contacts
Key Dates
Personal Details
Senate Regulations
Student Support
Withdrawal from Studies
9
Student Progress
Advising
Late Submission of Work
Permission to Proceed
Sickness Absence Reporting
13
Examinations
Access to exam scripts
Grade Point Scale
13
Assessment Grading or Feedback
Progression to the Dissertation
Granting of Degrees
14
University and School Services
Use of Library & Computer Facilities
Communications within the University
Student Support
Students with special needs
Health & Safety
16
Key Contacts
17
Responsibilities: Staff & Student
17
Guidelines on Academic Integrity
17
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
Referencing Guide
Generic Format
Books
Journal Articles
Internet Sites
Other Formats
18
Continuous Assessment
Submission of Coursework
20
Assessment Procedures
20
Correspondence
20
Change of Address
21
Reading Week
21
Office Hours and Appointments
21
Programme Enquiries
21
Contact Address
21
Programme Structure
22
Module Outlines
23
Other Training and Research Activities
28
Teaching Staff & Interests
29
APPENDIX 1: The Rationale Underlying the Programme
31
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
INTRODUCTION
The Department of Social Anthropology is pleased to welcome you as a graduate student to the University of
St Andrews. Social Anthropology was established here in 1979, and is now a constituent Department in the
University’s School of Philosophical and Anthropological Studies. It is an independent unit and a cost centre,
operating within the structure of the School. Since its inception, the Department has established an
international reputation for its scholarship, research and training [a record confirmed in December 2001
when it was awarded a grade of 5A (the highest grade) in the British ‘Research Assessment Exercise’]. In the
University, the Main Library holds a fine anthropology collection, including materials from all ethnographic
regions of the world and complete runs of the major academic journals. Within the Department there are two
smaller collections of materials, one of which is held in the library of the Centre for Amerindian, Latin
American and Caribbean Studies (CAS). This contains a unique collection of works relating to societies and
cultures of the Americas.
Regular research seminars, organised by the Department and its research centres, include speakers from
outside St Andrews and of international standing. These seminars, along with distinguished visiting
professors that are appointed from time to time, enrich the intellectual environment of the Department.
Permanent members of staff are now 11 in number: (4 professors, 1 reader, 3 senior lecturers and 3
lecturers). A new appointment in Social Anthropology is being proposed for the near future.
The Department provides a particular focus for research training and provision in Social Anthropology, and
has a distinctive ambience as a research environment. Research in Social Anthropology at St Andrews is
especially concerned with:
- the application of qualitative methodology and its relation to comparative analysis;
- interpretative approaches to society and culture;
- modes of thought;
- language use (of informants and anthropologists) and literature;
- the relation of history to current social situations.
Philosophical anthropology, the anthropology of knowledge and of the body, the ethnography of aesthetics,
history and anthropology, medical anthropology, visual anthropology and the anthropology of
cosmopolitanism are some of the more recent developments.
This is a department of social anthropology interested in furthering the discipline as a humanistic, qualitative,
comparativist, philosophical, moral, political and aesthetic pursuit. The focus is upon collective and
individual understandings of social reality, and everyday constructions of cultural meaning as embodied in
the diversity of forms of social life, discourse and practice. It is also concerned with the problems and
possibilities of comprehension and translation, memory and the past.
A range of area studies is offered by the Department, and these include regional specialisms concentrating on
Africa (sub-Saharan, east and west), the Americas (especially the Andes, the Amazon and the island
Caribbean), Europe (including Britain) and Melanesia.
Postgraduate supervision in the Department is available in all the main areas of the discipline and in the
specific specialisms mentioned above. The Department is especially interested, however, in the substantive
and theoretical focus of an applicant, which is one of the main criteria for entry.
Research centres: three research centres operate within the department: the Centre for Amerindian, Latin
American and Caribbean (CAS), and the recently established Centre for Cosmopolitan Studies (CCS) and the
Centre for Pacific Studies (CPS). They host their own seminar series, workshops and visiting scholars.
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
The Centre for Amerindian, Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CAS) promotes research on the
societies and inter-cultural identities of America, emphasising peasant and indigenous societies of the Andes,
Amazon and Caribbean, the effects of white and black diasporas, and the phenomena of mestizaje,
creolization and ethnogenesis.
The Centre takes a historical and language-oriented perspective that emphasises the transformation and
continuity of anchored identities and verbal performances as manifested in oral and literary media.
Methodologies combine archive and fieldwork, and a perspective on the present as live historical process.
The Centre convenes seminars and conferences, hosts visiting fellows, funds studentships and publishes the
results of its research. It also collaborates with other researchers, projects and research institutions.' The
Centre works closely with the interdisciplinary LACNET (Latin American and Caribbean network) initiative
to link interests in this region across departments and between universities.
The St Andrews Centre for Cosmopolitan Studies (CCS) focuses on a set of issues - identity, social
inclusion, migration, recognition, entitlement, sovereignty, belonging and rights- which are fundamental for
a knowledge of, and purchase upon, social and cultural life in the twenty-first century.
The Centre promotes an egalitarian, existentially sensitive, social science which aims at placing individual
experience at the centre of an appreciation of complex, increasingly global, social and cultural milieux, for
the purpose of adumbrating the ethical space of the citizen in a plural and fluid society.
The Centre convenes seminars and conferences, hosts visiting fellows, funds studentships and publishes the
results of its research. The Centre also collaborates with other researchers, projects and research institutions.'
The Centre for Pacific Studies is engaged with all things Pacific – the region's wonderful historical
variation, its religions, languages, the politics of its states, cities, towns and villages, literature, art, public
and domestic ritual, kinship and household organisation, law – in short every aspect of social relations to be
found there.
The peoples and cultures of the Pacific and Melanesia regions have had a truly remarkable impact on the
history of social anthropology from its origins. The creativity of Pacific people's engagement with global
forms such as colonialism, Christianity, capitalism and development have ensured a continuing impact on the
discipline.
Today these engagements and encounters are an acknowledged source of theoretical creativity in
anthropological theory worldwide. In contemporary anthropology the region continues to offer extraordinary
opportunities for research in every domain.
Conferences and distinguished visitors to Social Anthropology: a crucial element in fostering the
Department’s international reputation has been a series of internationally-based conferences, each of which
has considered an important contemporary theoretical issue within the discipline. Most recently these have
dealt with interpreting the concept of the ‘market’ at global and local levels, the anthropology of aesthetics
and emotions, the problem of context in interpretative anthropology, ways of knowing and the anthropology
of knowledge. The Ladislav Holy Memorial Trust (an independent charitable trust) plays an important
supportive role for many of these conferences.
From time to time scholars are appointed to a St Andrews ‘Visiting Professorship in Social Anthropology’.
Distinguished visitors to the department have included, amongst others, James Fernandez, Eduardo Archetti,
Michael Herzfeld, John and Jean Comaroff, Verena Stolcke and Sidney Mintz. Each year the Department has
members of the international academic community join the staff to follow post-doctoral work and other
research endeavours. Such visiting scholars greatly enhance the thriving research environment of the
Department.
Interdisciplinary links: Social Anthropology maintains close relations with kindred disciplines, especially
Philosophy, Psychology, Modern Languages, Film Studies, History, Art History, Divinity and Geography.
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
Specifically, the newly established Department of Film Studies offers a fruitful area of overlapping interests
with Visual Anthropology. The Centre for the Study of Religion and Politics in the School of Divinity
focuses on the practice of religion and its political context in Latin American, Africa and Asia. The School of
History incorporates Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies, as well as the Institute for Environmental History
that touches upon issues of interest in environmental and ecological anthropology. The Institute of European
and Cultural Identity Studies in the School of Modern Languages focuses on the formation and negotiation
of cultural identities within Europe. The School of Geography’s research programme in Population, Health
and Welfare examines health and welfare implications of population characteristics, movement and change,
with a regional focus on the UK, the US, the European Union and Africa. The Department of Spanish in the
School of Modern Languages fosters literary and inter-disciplinary approaches to the understanding of
Hispanic and Hispanic American Societies.
The structure of postgraduate studies in the University allows for the possibility of inter-departmental
supervision of research projects of an inter-disciplinary nature.
PROGRAMMES
Master of Research in Social Anthropology
The general requirements for the ESRC accredited MRes in Social Anthropology are 180 credits over a
period of 1 year or part-time equivalent. Each generic course module is worth 15 credits. Each subjectspecific module is worth 30 credits, with the exception of SA5099 (dissertation), which is worth 60 credits.
Teaching is carried out by means of lectures to subject-specific and generic course students, complemented
by seminars, supervisions and reading groups. Students are expected to take an active part in classes, which
are the opportunity for practical work and formative assessment. The overall aim is to foster critical thinking
and the creative application of knowledge and skills through exposure to different academic approaches,
teaching methods and intellectual outlooks.
Continuous assessment [in the form of assessed essays] normally makes up 100% of the mark for a module,
with exception of SS5104, which is assessed by in-class exercises and tests. Subject-specific modules
(SA5010, SA5011, SA5001, SA5002, SA5003) are co-taught by a team of teachers. Continuous assessment
consists of two essays per module. Contact hours are 4 hours a week (lectures, seminars & supervisions) per
taught module. Generic modules (SS5101, SS5102, SS5103, SS5104) are either team-taught or involve a
single teacher within his or her specialism. Contact hours range between 16 and 20 hours per semester for a
15 credit module [for more details on each module see section ‘Module Outlines’ in this Handbook and also
individual module handbooks].
In addition to the Mres in Social Anthropology, the department also offers region-specific Mres pathways
(below). This Handbook provides you with an overview of the structure of these MRes degrees, including
both generic and subject specific aspects. We attempt to give as much information as possible in this
summary, but it should be read alongside course specific and general university material. Please read the
Handbook closely and ensure it is kept for future reference. If you have any further queries, please don’t
hesitate to consult with your personal tutor the respective module convener or the programme director.
Please note that students who wish to progress to PhD should register that intention as soon as possible with
the departmental Postgraduate Committee; the possibility exists to submit the MRes dissertation as a
research proposal for a PhD project. This opportunity can be taken up only after appropriate consultation
with your supervisor and with the approval of the Postgraduate Committee [see the PhD handbook for
further details]. Students can usually only proceed to PhD after successful completion of the MRes course.
The criteria for completion are laid out further in this handbook [see section ‘Assessment Grading or
Feedback’].
[For further details on the rationale underlying the programme structure please see Appendix 1.]
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
Region Specific Mres pathways.
Master of Research in Social Anthropology with Amerindian Studies
The MRes in Social Anthropology and Amerindian Studies consists of 180 credits, 120 of which are made
up of four modules (30 credits each), of which two or three modules are in Amerindian Studies, and one or
two modules are drawn from the MRes in Social Anthropology. The other 60 credits are provided by the
Dissertation. Together, these modules aim to give students an awareness of research topics and trends in
Amerindian Studies, and to prepare them for anthropological fieldwork in the Americas (especially South
America).
•
•
•
SA5010 (30 credits) Research Methods in Social Anthropology
SA5011 (30 credits) Research Methods in Anthropology of Connections: Interdisciplinarity as
Methodology
SA5099 (60 credits) Dissertation
Three modules with special reference to Amerindian Studies:
•
•
•
SA5201 (30 Credits) Amerindian Language and Literature
SA5202 (30 Credits) Amerindian History and Ethnography
SA5203 (30 credits) Special Subject (Amerindian Studies)
Master of Research in Social Anthropology with Pacific Studies
This new MRes is designed with those students in mind who have a special interest in the Pacific and
Melanesia. The courses in anthropological methods will be taken in common with students taking the
existing MRes in Social Anthropology and the MRes in Social Anthropology with Amerindian Studies, and
the new MRes in Social Anthropology with African Studies with two courses being devoted to the history,
languages, cultures and varieties of social organisation of the Pacific region and their significance for the
contemporary lives of its many peoples.
•
•
•
SA5010 (30 credits) Research Methods in Social Anthropology
SA5011 (30 credits) Research Methods in Anthropology of Connections: Interdisciplinarity as
Methodology
SA5099 (60 credits) Dissertation
Two modules with special reference to the Pacific and Melanesia:
•
•
SA5301 (30 credits) Anthropology of the Pacific and Melanesia (i)
SA5302 (30 credits) Anthropology of the Pacific and Melanesia (ii)
.
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY
ORGANISATION
Head of School
Prof Peter Clark
Email: [email protected]
Tel No: 01334 462470
Office: Room G06, Philosophy Building, Edgecliffe, The Scores
Head of Department
Prof Christina Toren
Email: [email protected]
Tel No: 01334 462973
Office: First Floor, 71 North Street
Staff in the Department (contact details can be found at the end of the booklet)
Prof. Roy Dilley
Prof. Peter Gow
Prof. Nigel Rapport
Prof. Christina Toren
Mr. Tristan Platt
Dr. Mark Harris
Dr. Tony Crook
Dr. Stan Frankland
Dr Paloma Gay y Blasco
Dr Kai Kresse (on leave 2008/9)
Dr Adam Reed
Dr Huon Wardle
Dr Stephanie Bunn
Dr Will Rollason
Programme Director
Dr Huon Wardle
[email protected]
Tel No: 01334 462982
Office: St Salvator’s Quad, rm 20
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
Lisa Smith and Mhairi Aitkenhead will deal with routine enquiries about the programme. These enquiries
should be made at the Secretary’s office, 71 North Street.
Lisa Smith
Email:
[email protected]
Tel No:
01334 462977
Fax No: 01334 462985
Mhairi Aitkenhead
Email: [email protected]
Tel No: 01334 462972
Fax No: 01334 462985
Department of Social Anthropology
University of St Andrews
71 North Street
St Andrews
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
UNIVERSITY POSTGRADUATE HANDBOOK
The University Postgraduate Handbook contains relevant and important information on a variety of issues,
and may be accessed at http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/publications/pghandbook/
These include information on:
Academic Matters, Academic regulations and Code of Practice, Employment, Financial Information, Health,
Library and Information Services, Student Organisations, Student services and Student Support and
Guidance.
This handbook also offers straightforward advice on issues relating to the codes which represent University
Policy.
Please refer to, and make use of, this important resource.
RULES AND REGULATIONS
Academic Appeals and Complaints
The University is committed to ensuring as high a quality of student experience as possible to any student
studying in St Andrews. Occasionally things may go wrong and if you are experiencing a difficulty or are
dissatisfied with your academic experience you should raise your concerns as soon as possible with the staff
members concerned. This allows steps to be taken to address the issue quickly.
Academic Complaints
As with Academic Appeals, complaints concerning aspects or your academic experience should be raised in
the first instance directly with the member of staff concerned or to the Head of School. The appropriate
member of staff should provide a response within five working days. If at this point you are still not satisfied
you should submit an appeal against the response from the School, in writing to the Academic Registrar,
within one calendar month after the response has been received from the School.
The University’s Code of Practice on Student Appeals, Complaints and Discipline should be consulted by
any student contemplating submitting a complaint. It can be found at:
http://foi.st-andrews.ac.uk/PublicationScheme/servlet/core.generator.gblobserv?id=1512
Further Guidance and Support
The Students’ Association provides independent confidential advice and support for students who are
contemplating making an appeal or complaint. For further information contact Iain Cupples, the
Association’s Education Adviser by phone on (01334 46) 2700, or by email on [email protected].
In addition support is available from the appropriate Prodean who may be contacted by e-mailing [email protected] or [email protected].
Academic Fraud
The University defines academic fraud as ‘deliberate deception in an academic context.’ This may involve
plagiarism (the act of deliberately taking another’s ideas and representing them as one’s own); submitting
work which has been submitted in another course, falsifying data, inventing citations etc. The University
will use all available means to detect academic fraud. Academic Fraud is completely unacceptable in this
University, and will be treated severely. Repeated offences will lead to expulsion from the University. The
University Code is published at
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/registry/academic_policy/pdf_files/academic_fraud.pdf
Specific postgraduate guidance may be found in the Code of Practice.
Students should be aware that work submitted for assessment may be tested for evidence of plagiarism
either on a comprehensive or sample basis.
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
Academic Misconduct
Academic integrity is fundamental to the values promoted by the University. It is important that all students
are judged on their ability, and no student will be allowed unfairly to take an advantage over others, to affect
the security and integrity of the assessment process, or to diminish the reliability and quality of a University
of St Andrews degree.
Academic misconduct includes the presentation of material as one’s own when it is not one’s own; the
presentation of material whose provenance is academically inappropriate; and academically inappropriate
behaviour in an examination or class test. Any work that is submitted for feedback and evaluation is liable
for consideration under the University’s Academic Misconduct policy irrespective of whether it carries credit
towards your degree. All work submitted by students is expected to represent good academic practice.
You should be aware that the University takes academic misconduct offences extremely seriously and any
student found guilty of a repeat offence may be expelled from the University either temporarily or on a
permanent basis.
The University’s Academic Misconduct Policy covers the behaviour of both undergraduate and postgraduate
students.
All students are advised to familiarise themselves with the University’s Guide to students called “Avoiding
Academic Misconduct” which may be accessed from:
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/students/policy/academicmisconduct
or
from
the
Students
Association’s
publication
“Don’t
Get
it
Wrong”:
(http://yourunion.net/files/dont_get_it_wrong.pdf). The full University policy and procedure is also available
from:
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/students/policy/academicmisconduct/.
Students who are unsure about the correct presentation of academic material should approach their tutors,
and may also contact SALTIRE ([email protected]) for training.
Appeals, Complaints and Discipline
The University has a Code of Practice on Appeals, Complaints and Discipline which may be found at
http://www-standrews.ac.uk/registry/procedures/general_procedures/cp_student_complaint_appeals_discipline
Students must be aware that they have a right of appeal, but only within the terms of this code and after due
process within their School has been exhausted.
Specific postgraduate guidance may be found in the Code of Practice.
Code of Practice
Postgraduates are referred to the University’s Code of practice for Students and Supervisors in Taught and
Research Postgraduate Programmes
http://foi.st-andrews.ac.uk/PublicationScheme/servlet/core.generator.gblobserv?id=489
This contains all relevant information concerning study, regulations, progress review, and should be
referred to regularly.
Communication
Your university e-mail account is the official means of communication for the University and you are
therefore reminded that you should read your e-mails at least every 48 hours (particularly during the
academic year). You can arrange to have your University e-mail account automatically forwarded to your
personal external account. However you should be aware that there may be problems with this and you
should check regularly to make sure the forwarding is working.
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
Fees
For full information on the Tuition Fees that you will be liable to pay throughout your studies go to
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/students/money/
Health & Safety
A first-aid box is located in the Secretary’s Office, 71 North Street.
Notices are posted throughout the School indicating who the current First Aiders are and how to contact
them.
Notices are also displayed detailing your exit routes and assembly points in the event of fire. All students
should familiarise themselves with this information.
The School Safety Officer is Dr Tony Crook (tony.crook). Any hazards or safety-related incidents should be
reported to the School Safety Officer or the School Office immediately.
Students are reminded that the misuse of any Safety, Fire or First Aid equipment will result in discipline.
Key contact information
Key University Contacts
University Switchboard
Student Support Services Helpline
Academic Registrar & Clerk
Academic Registry – transcripts, graduation, fees
Academic Registry – Pro Deans, advising - Arts - UG
Academic Registry – Pro Deans, advising - Science - UG
Academic Registry – Postgraduate – Arts/Divinity
Academic Registry – Pro Deans - Science/Medicine
Student Experience Office
Old Union Reception
(01334) 476161
(01334) (46)2720
(01334) (46)2596
(01334) (46)2162/3097
(01334) (46) 2139
(01334) (46) 2134
(01334) (46) 2136
(01334) (46) 2140
(01334) (46)2020
(01334) (46)2585/2586
School Contacts
Key contact information for the Schools is outlined below:
Head of School
Professor Peter Clark – pjc
Depute Head of School
Professor Sarah Broadie – sjb15
Chair of Department
Professor Christina Toren – ct51
Departmental Office/Secretary
71 North Street. Open 9-1 & 2-5 daily - socanth
Director of Teaching
Dr Adam Reed - ader
Director of Research
Professor Sarah Broadie – sjb15
Disability Co-ordinator
Dr Stephanie Bunn – sjb20
Examinations Officer
Dr Paloma Gay y Blasco – pgyb
Health & Safety Officer
Dr Tony Crook – tc23
Key Dates
Pre-Sessional week:
Martimas Semester/
Semester 1
Reading Week
Raisin Monday
St Andrews Day Graduation
Christmas Vacation
Revision period Commences
Week commencing Monday 22 September 2008
Monday 29 September 2008 – Friday 23 January 2009
Week commencing Monday 10 November 2008
24 November 2008
Thursday 27 November 2008 (no teaching all day)
Saturday 20 December 2008 – Sunday 4 January 2009
Monday 5 January 2009
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
Semester 1 Examination Diet
Candlemas Semester/
Semester 2
Spring Vacation
May Day Holiday (no classes)
Revision period
Semester 2 Examination Diet
Graduations
Re-assessment Diet (Medicine)
Re-assessment Diet (other subjects)
Saturday 10 January 200 – Tuesday 20 January 2009
Monday 9 February 2009 – Friday 29 May 2009
Saturday 28 March 2009 – Sunday 12 April 2009
Monday 4 May 2009
Commences Saturday 9 May 2009
Saturday 16 May 2009 - Wednesday 26 May 2009
Tuesday 23 June 2009 – Friday 26 June 2009
Monday 31 August 2009 – Thursday 3 September 2009
Monday 7 September 2009 – Thursday 10 September 2009
Personal Details
You are responsible for ensuring that your contact details are kept up to date. You may do this at anytime
during the year via your E-vision account which can be accessed from the Current Students section of the
University home page
Senate Regulations
You should make yourself aware of the Senate Regulations and the key Codes of Practice and Rules that
govern your studies and behaviour in St Andrews.
These are all available on the University web page under the Sections on Academic Matters and Policy &
Guidance.
Student Support
A range of support is available to students from the University’s Student Services department. Key
information includes: How to contact the Academic Support Adviser, Advisers and Counselling, Childcare
information, disability support, legal and financial advice. Further information is available at:
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/students/safety//.
Students may wish to obtain advice and guidance from within the School in the first instance. If so you
should contact Dr Stephanie Bunn (sjb20) who is our Disabilities and Support Officer and will identify the
most appropriate person to speak to you.
Please be assured that personal matters will be dealt with confidentially and information will only be passed
on to other members of in accordance with the University Student Confidentiality Policy: http://foi.standrews.ac.uk/PublicationScheme/servlet/core.generator.gblobserv?id=1097
Withdrawal from studies
If you are considering withdrawing from your studies at the University you should discuss the matter with
your Adviser of Studies in the first instance. You are advised to arrange to do this at as early a stage as
possible as there are often alternative options open to you that would not require the final step of permanent
withdrawal from the University.
You should be aware that there are fee implications when you withdraw from your studies part of the way
through an academic year. You should therefore ensure you contact the Fees Officer in the Academic
Registry to obtain early advice on the final implications of your decision before you complete your
withdrawal.
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
STUDENT PROGRESS
Advising
Students will be advised into the appropriate modules for their programme of study at the beginning of the
session, and may not change from those modules after the first two weeks of the semester, except with the
permission of the Pro-Dean of Postgraduates, who may be contacted through the Academic Support Office,
Old Union Building.
Late submission of work
There are deadlines published for work related to each module. Work submitted after those deadlines
without good reason will be penalised. Failure to gain credit will jeopardise your attainment of the
degree.
Penalties for late essays will be as follows:
Missing the deadline or handed in the following day: immediate loss of 2 marks; a further mark per day
will be deducted for each subsequent day late. Submission of work more than one week late will receive
no commentary, while submission of work more than 2 weeks late will receive zero and result in the loss
of Permission to Proceed (see below).
Permission to Proceed
The University’s Code of Practice on Permission to Proceed may be found at
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/registry/academic_policy/pdf_files/permission%20to%20proceed-2
Failure to complete the work required by the module by the deadlines set will lead to loss of permission to
proceed, and possible limitation of studies.
Sickness absence reporting
Students are responsible for providing information about medical or personal conditions affecting their study
promptly and fully through submitting a self-certificate to the Academic Support Office, Old Union
Building. These will be monitored and frequent absences will result in a request to see a member of the
Faculty
of
Student
Support
Services.
For
further
details
see
http://www-standrews.ac.uk/registry/academic_policy/pdf_files/sickness%20and%20absence%reporting
EXAMINATIONS
All information relating to University examinations may be found at
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/registry/examinations/important_examination_information_for_students
Access to exam scripts
The University policy on access to exam scripts is found at
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/registry/academic_policy/Exam_scripts
Grade Point Scale
The University uses a universal grade point scale of 1-20, with the possibility to use one decimal point.
The key reporting codes are:
0X
No Permission to Proceed
0-4.9
Fail
5.0-20.0
Pass
S
Applies to a grade for an honours and taught postgraduate modules affected by special
circumstances (with the exception of taught postgraduate dissertations/projects).
In order to gain automatic access to the dissertation, students must gain a credit-weighted average of 13.5 or
above. Average grades of 12.0-13.4 allow access to the dissertation only at the discretion of the School, and
require a credit-weighted average across taught modules and dissertation of at least 13.5.
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
ASSESSMENT GRADING OR FEEDBACK
Modules are examined at the end of the semester in which they are taught. Because modules for this degree
are drawn from three different subjects, conventions may vary across the University. It is the student’s
responsibility to keep a careful check of examining arrangements as regards syllabus, rubric, time and place.
This may be done by reference to course handouts, memos, email, the notice board and the postgraduate
catalogue.
The following Grade Scale is adopted in all module assessments and examinations:
16.5-20.0
Distinction
13.5 +
Right of Progression to dissertation
12.0-13.4
Discretionary Progression to dissertation
5.0-11.9
Pass at Postgraduate Diploma Level
1.0-4.9
Fail
The Grade Scale is also used in deciding the following matters: Progression to the Dissertation, Granting of
Degrees and Granting Distinction.
Excellence: work characterised by
16.5-20.0
Distinction
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Original thought and reflection.
Critical use of wider reading (well beyond that recommended).
Links with other modules/wider curriculum.
Clear evidence of wider reading.
Excellent use of data and examples.
Strong organisation and analytical ability.
Flair in presentation.
Well-balanced arguments.
Superior understanding of the topic/assessment task.
Such work would be regarded as marking a candidate who could be confidently recommended to a research
council for funding for doctoral level work. Colleagues are encouraged to use the whole range of the scale
for marking excellence.
Merit: work characterised by
13.5 – 16.4
Automatic progression to dissertation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Critical awareness and analytical ability.
Logical organisation and consistent relevance.
Clear evidence of reading beyond the curriculum.
Solid knowledge and use of literature.
Well-chosen use of examples and data.
Fluent presentation.
Well-structured arguments.
Some excellent quality work, but not fully developed.
Solid understanding of the topic/assessment task.
Such work would be regarded as marking a candidate who could be confidently accepted onto the
dissertation.
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
Pass with discretionary right to progression: Work characterised by
12.0-13.4
Discretionary right to progress to
dissertation
• Some critical awareness, but descriptive overall.
• Some knowledge and/or use of literature.
• Some good quality work, but too short.
• Overdependence on lecture material.
• Some use of examples and data.
• Coherently structured and presented.
• Competently argued.
• Reasonable understanding of the topic/assessment task.
Such work would be regarded as marking a candidate whose capacity to progress to the dissertation has to be
discussed. Note that success in the dissertation can only be attained by the achievement of a credit-weighted
mean of 13.5 across taught and dissertation elements.
Pass with no right to progression: work characterised by
5.0-11.9
Pass in taught element
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Largely descriptive.
Some errors of fact or interpretation.
Little evidence of reading.
Overly dependant on lecture material.
Limited use of examples and data.
Flaws in structure and presentation.
Weakly developed arguments.
Does not directly answer the question (often too short).
Incomplete understanding of the topic/assessment task.
Fail: work characterised by
1.0-4.9
Fail
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Inappropriate use of sources
Inaccurate and/or irrelevant content.
Failure to address the assessment task
Conjecture rather than informed argument.
May be unfinished, in note form, or a partial answer.
Inadequate understanding of the topic.
No discernible structure or argument.
Very poor presentation (sometimes illegible).
Tenuous connection with topic/assessment task
May be unfinished, in note form, or a partial answer.
Inadequate understanding of the topic.
Progression to the Dissertation: An average mark of 13.5 or better in modules automatically allows the
MRes candidate to progress to writing a dissertation. If the candidate’s average module mark is below 13.5,
he or she may still progress towards writing a dissertation, but only at the discretion of the Examiners. Such
discretionary progression is granted by the Examiners normally to candidates who have a module average no
lower than 12.
Granting of Degrees: Candidates who fail to progress to the dissertation can still be awarded a Graduate
Diploma, as long as their module average mark is 5 or better. To be granted the MRes degree, the candidate
must fulfil the following two conditions.
(a)
he or she must obtain a mark of 13.5 or better on the dissertation.
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
(b)
a weighted average of the dissertation mark (weight of 1/3) and module marks (weight of 2/3s)
must also be 13.5 or better. Any MRes candidate who does not fulfil both of these two conditions
will normally be granted a Graduate Diploma as long as their overall average is 5 or better.
UNIVERSITY AND SCHOOL SERVICES
Use of Library and Computer Facilities
For information on use of the University Library and Information Services, please see
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/ITS/
Communication within the University
Students are reminded that e-mail is an official means of communication, and are expected to read their
email within a 48-hour period (Monday to Friday) during term-time. Students who use hotmail or other
external email accounts must check both their external account and their University account. Students can
arrange to have their University email forwarded to their external account. There are problems associated
with it, and those who set up a forwarding arrangement must check to make sure it is working.
Student Support
A range of support is available to students from the University’s Student Services department. Key
information includes: How to contact the Academic Support Adviser, Advisers and Counselling, Childcare
information, disability support, legal and financial advice. Further information is available at:
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/students/safety//.
Students may wish to obtain advice and guidance from within the School in the first instance. If so you
should contact Dr Stephanie Bunn (sjb20) who is our Disabilities and Support Officer and will identify the
most appropriate person to speak to you.
Please be assured that personal matters will be dealt with confidentially and information will only be passed
on to other members of in accordance with the University Student Confidentiality Policy: http://foi.standrews.ac.uk/PublicationScheme/servlet/core.generator.gblobserv?id=1097
A range of support is available to students from the University’s Student Services department. Key
information includes: How to contact the Academic Support Adviser, Advisers and Counselling, Childcare
information, disability support, legal and financial advice. Further information is available at:
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/students/safety//.
Students may wish to obtain advice and guidance from within the School in the first instance. If so you
should contact Dr Stephanie Bunn (sjb20) who is our Disabilities and Support Officer and will identify the
most appropriate person to speak to you.
Please be assured that personal matters will be dealt with confidentially and information will only be passed
on to other members of in accordance with the University Student Confidentiality Policy: http://foi.standrews.ac.uk/PublicationScheme/servlet/core.generator.gblobserv?id=1097
Students with Special Needs
Students with special needs or disabilities should contact the School Disabilities Adviser. Please also see the
website at Student Support Services for further details:
http://www-st-andrews.ac.uk/services/sss/welfare/disstat.html
Health and Safety
For details on Health and Safety for students within the University see
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/publications/pghandbook/Safety_Issues.shtml
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
KEY CONTACTS
The Careers Advisory Service website is at
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/careers/
SALTIRE is the University’s central point for assistance with teaching and learning. It aims to encourage
excellence and innovation in learning and teaching by providing support and guidance for students and staff.
Its website is http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/saltire/index.php
RESPONSIBILITIES: STAFF AND STUDENT
In seeking to achieve our objectives, there are levels of input from staff and students which should be
regarded as minimum requirements.
Staff Responsibilities:
• clear notification of module objectives and content, teaching methods, assessment and the penalties
for non-compliance with attendance or submission requirements;
• sensitivity in setting coursework submission dates and early notice of such dates;
• a level of library provision which gives you reasonable access to all recommended material, where
necessary through the short-loan system;
• high quality provision of study aids (handouts etc);
• return of coursework with appropriate feedback within 2 weeks of submission;
• advance notification of, and explanation for, any changes to teaching times or rooms;
• a reasonable level of access to staff outside formal class times, with indication of staff office hours,
where operated;
• the opportunity for discussion of performance in assessed and non-assessed coursework and
examinations.
Student Responsibilities:
• punctuality and full attendance at lectures and tutorials;
• to read the references required and to seek out and consult additional sources such as academic and
professional journals;
• adequate preparation for and active participation in smaller group classes (tutorials, seminars etc);
• to organise and schedule work so that submission deadlines are adhered to and the acceptance of any
penalties. Extensions must be agreed with one of the Programme Directors;
• strict compliance with University regulations relating to academic offences (e.g. plagiarism and
tutorial attendance) and acceptance of the penalties for non-compliance (See page 3).
• written, and if possible, prior notification of unavoidable inability to attend tutorials (e.g. on health
grounds). Students should complete a self-certification of absence form (See page 4).
• to check your email on a daily basis.
GUIDELINES ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
It is critical to the reputation of the programme and of the University that everyone associated with the
programme behaves with the highest academic integrity. As the programme helps create individuals who
might take up responsible positions in the academy, business and government, we have a special
responsibility to ensure that our academic standards are beyond reproach.
The programme encourages students to work together and discuss ideas, this is an integral part of the
learning process. However, we should caution you that discussion and collaboration should be clearly
separated from the written preparation and submission of individually assessed work.
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
REFERENCING GUIDE
This guide sets out the Harvard system of referencing to be used in tutor-marked assignments and research
reports. It is important to reference published material that you wish to use in your written work. While
referencing is a standard that is used to avoid plagiarism it also supports a strong scientific method. To build
arguments and provide evidence you must reference any published resources you use. The spirit of
referencing is embodied in Newton’s famous 1676 quote, “If I have seen further it is by standing on the
shoulders of giants”. It means that Newton’s great discoveries were made by building on the previous work
of scientists. This reference guide sets out how to reference other authors’ work properly.
For each type of material you are referencing (e.g. books, journal articles, newspapers, internet sites), this
guide presents two parts, and how to write the full reference at the end of your work. The section at the end
of the work should be called a reference section and only include those references cited in the essay. For the
purposes of this guide these two sections will be called in-text referencing and the reference list format.
A note on paraphrasing and quoting: quotations are direct transcriptions of text from other sources while
paraphrasing uses your own words to express others’ ideas. You should attempt to paraphrase where
possible and only use quotations sparingly and strategically. Both paraphrasing and quoting require
referencing, and quotations must refer to the page number from which they were take (see Books section
overleaf).
Generic Format
Students in Social Anthropology are advised to follow the generic format for in-text referencing and the
reference list as set down in The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute. While this guide provides a
range of examples for books, articles, Internet sources etc, the generic format below should be used where
adaptation is necessary.
In-text
Author (year) or (Author year)
e.g. Malinowski (1926) or (Malinowski 1926)
Reference list
Books
Author.Year. Title. Place Published: Publisher.
e.g. Malinowski, B. 1926. Argonauts of the Western Pacific. New York: Dutton.
Articles
Author. Year. ‘Article title’. Journal Title, volume (number): pages.
e.g. Toren, C. 2004. Corrigendum: becoming Christian in Fiji. Journal of Royal Anthropological Institute 10
(1), 85-118.
Books
The following exemplifies several in-text references for books with one author, two authors, more than two
authors, and authors cited by another author. When citing more than two authors, list all authors’ surnames
the first time, then use et al. (see example; et al. is an abbreviated version of the Latin phrase et alii, which
means “and others”). Note the different formats for the in-text referencing of paraphrasing and quotations
(with page number) and the complete references in the reference list.
In-Text
One author
This essay is about a ‘sensing of place’ (Basso 1996), the manner in which a set of persons animate a city
and imagine that the city animates them. Basso (1996) claims that relationships to places are most richly
lived and felt when persons make them the object of awareness and reflection. In considering their ‘lived
topography’ (Basso 1996: 58), therefore, one has to include a rejection of what place meant to them.
Two authors
Banks & Morphy (1997: 45) state that addition, division, magnification or reduction become key foci.
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
Author cited by other author: secondary sources
Firth (1958) outlines Malinowski’s (1926) account of fieldwork principles.
Reference List
Alphabetically ordered list of references.
Banks, M., & Morphy, H. (eds.). 1997. Rethinking Visual Anthropology. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Edwards, E. 2001. Raw histories: photographs, anthropology and museums. Oxford: Berg.
Gell, A. 1998. Art and Agency: an anthropological theory. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Pinney, C. 1997. Camera Indica: the social life of Indian photographs. London: Reaktion.
Journal Articles
In-text referencing of journal articles uses the same format as books (see above). Notice that the reference
list includes the name of the journal article and the name of the journal. Be wary of electronic journals or
articles retrieved from the Internet, as some formats may not include the original page numbers you might
need for direct quotations.
Reference list
Foster, R. 1999. The commercial construction of “new nations”. Journal of Material Culture 4, 263-83.
Internet Sites
The variability of Internet site quality is problematic for referencing in academic essays. However, access to
annual company reports, press releases, and daily news services provide ample reasons to utilise the Internet
in essays. Journal articles obtained over the Internet should use the standard journal format unless the
journal is solely in electronic format (see below).
In-text
Dvorak (2002) describes blogging as the most significant new form on the Internet.
According to McIntosh (2002), the notion of virtuality hinders the development of new online interactions.
Reference list
Dvorak, John C. 2002. The blog phenomenon. PC Magasine 05/02/02 http://www.pcmag.com/article
McIntosh, Neil. 2002. A tale of one man and his blog. Guardian Unlimited 31/01/02
http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/story
Other formats
Again, use the generic system when you encounter material to be referenced that does not fit clearly into the
previous or following examples.
•
Newspapers
In-text
Use same as Books (i.e. Author year). If no author is found then use full name and date as follows.
The oil crisis has caused parents to ‘consider home education’ (The Times 9 July 1973: 3).
Reference list
The Times. 1973. Oil Crisis Impacts on Learning. 9th July: 3.
•
Chapter in edited collection
In Text
Pinney (1997: 5) argues for a different perspective on photographic sensibility.
Reference list
Pinney, C. 1997. Photographic portraiture in central India in the 1980s. In Portraiture: facing the
subject (ed.) J. Woodall, 145-177. Oxford: Manchester University Press.
•
Author with more than one publication in a year
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
In-text
Pinney (1997a) is distinguished from Pinney (1997b).
Reference List
Pinney, C. 1997a. Camera Indica: the social life of Indian photographs. London: Reaktion.
Pinney, C. 1997b. Photographic portraiture in central India in the 1980s. In Portraiture: facing the
subject (ed.) J. Woodall, 145-177. Oxford: Manchester University Press.
•
Interviews and personal communication
Students are advised not to reference personal communication (e.g. lectures or meetings) unless as
part of a submitted field research project with a relevant section on methods. Lecture material
should be traced back to original sources.
CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT
Submission of Coursework
Written assignments should be submitted as follows:
•
•
•
All assignments must be word-processed.
Two copies to be handed in to the Lisa Smith at 71 North Street by 1600hrs on the submission date,
which will be advised by the Module Leader/Tutor.
Work Submitted late, except from those people with approved extenuating circumstances, will not be
marked.
ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES
The Department is committed to a continuing review of its assessment procedures and is active in evaluating
and implementing creative modes of assessment, where appropriate. The philosophy and practical aspects of
assessment for each module will be fully explained by each course co-ordinator. A central aim of this
approach is that, for each module, the mode of assessment should constitute a strong incentive for students to
strive for excellence.
It is important that students understand the principles which guide the award of particular grades for assessed
work. In particular, it is essential that students understand what is required to achieve the highest grades and
that these grades are achievable and available for high quality work.
The Department is keenly aware of the importance of establishing the criteria for excellence in an
environment where teaching staff, departments and universities are judged increasingly on student
performance. There is, therefore, a common interest in developing a system and a culture which provides the
incentive to aim for excellence.
The marking scales give a detailed account of the type of work that will achieve the appropriate grade.
The module lecturers will provide you with relevant basic reading for assessed work; in order to perform
well in an assessment you must be willing to use your initiative to search out additional useful references.
CORRESPONDENCE
We expect you to check your St Andrews e-mail addresses daily as this is our main way of communicating
with you.
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
CHANGE OF ADDRESS
Students should change their address via the Student Portal and inform the Department by email
([email protected]), thus avoiding difficulties should any emergencies arise.
READING WEEK
Week 7 of the Martinmas Semester has been designated as ‘Reading Week’. There will be no classes or
lectures during this week thus allowing postgraduates the opportunity to catch up with the vast amount of
required reading material. DO NOT REGARD READING WEEK AS A HOLIDAY, YOU WILL FIND
IT ESSENTIAL TO USE THIS TIME PRODUCTIVELY.
OFFICE HOURS AND APPOINTMENTS
You will find that all members of staff in the Department will be helpful in dealing with your queries.
Members of staff are required to intimate their availability to students by posting notice of their office hours.
You are entitled to consult them freely, without appointment, during these posted office hours, though it
would help if you could give notice of your visit.
Please note that members of staff have many teaching, administrative and research commitments, both
within and outwith the University. As a matter of courtesy therefore, they should not be disturbed outside
office hours. If an urgent need for consultation arises, an appointment should be made through Lisa Smith.
PROGRAMME ENQUIRIES
You will find that many of your enquiries will be answered by careful reference to printed material you have
received. Routine enquiries about the programme should be made at the departmental office, 71 North
Street. More substantive enquiries should be addressed to the Programme Directors during office hours, by
appointment, or in writing.
CONTACT ADDRESS
Before leaving St Andrews, please provide an up to date forwarding address where you can be reached for
the next 18 months. This is particularly important because information relating to graduation procedures is
passed on after leaving St Andrews.
Please note that you must positively elect your method of graduation (either in person, or in absentia); just
doing nothing will not mean you have graduated, and may lay you open to the accusation of a false claim of
graduate status.
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
MRES IN SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
SEMESTER 1
SEMESTER 2
Modules
Modules
Research Methods in Social
Anthropology (SA5010)
The Anthropology of
Connections: Interdisciplinarity
as Methodology (SA5011)
Being a Social Scientist: skills,
processes and outcomes
(SS5101)
Philosophy and Methodology of
the Social Sciences (SS5102)
Dissertation
(SA5099)
Quantitative Methods (SS5104) Qualitative Methods (SS5103)
Theory and Method in Social Anthropology (SA5001- Optional)
Current Issues in Social Anthropology (SA5002- Optional)
Social Organisation & Culture (SA5003- Optional)
MRes in Social Anthropology -
M.Res: 180 credits (modules in above table)
MRES IN SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY WITH AMERINDIAN STUDIES
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
SEMESTER 1
SEMESTER 2
Modules
Modules
Research Methods in Social
Anthropology (SA5010)
The Anthropology of
Connections: Interdisciplinarity
as Methodology (SA5011)
Amerindian History and
Ethnography (SA5202)
Amerindian Language and
Literature (SA5201)
Special Subject (Amerindian
Studies) (SA5203)
Theory and Method in Social Anthropology (SA5001- Optional)
Dissertation
(SA5099)
Current Issues in Social Anthropology (SA5002- Optional)
Social Organisation & Culture (SA5003- Optional)
MRes in Social Anthropology with Amerindian Studies – Mres: 180 credits (made up of modules above)
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
MRES IN SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY WITH PACIFIC STUDIES
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
SEMESTER 1
SEMESTER 2
Modules
Modules
The Anthropology of
Connections: Interdisciplinarity
as Methodology (SA5011)
Anthropology of the Pacific and Anthropology of the Pacific and
Melanesia I (SA5301)
Melanesia II (SA5302)
Theory and Method in Social Anthropology (SA5001- Optional)
Research Methods in Social
Anthropology (SA5010)
Dissertation
(SA5099)
Current Issues in Social Anthropology (SA5002- Optional)
Social Organisation & Culture (SA5003- Optional)
MRes in Social Anthropology with Pacific Studies – Mres: 180 credits (made up of modules above)
SS5101:
BEING A SOCIAL SCIENTIST: SKILLS, PROCESSES AND OUTCOMES
Credits:
Semester:
Programme(s):
Description:
15.0
1
Compulsory module for MRes in Social Anthropology
This module focuses on developing students’ specific research
thinking and writing skills in a practically based way. Thus, the module will address
the nature of being a research social scientist including exploring some of the ethical
issues involved. The module will also consider selecting suitable research questions
and framing these as appropriate for Masters and PhD dissertations.
To be arranged
Two and a half hours, weekly
Continuous Assessment = 100%
Class Hour:
Teaching:
Assessment:
[please refer to SS5101 module handbook for further details on assessment, the course structure and
suggested readings]
SS5102:
PHILOSOPHY AND METHODOLOGY OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
Credits:
Semester:
Programme(s):
Description:
15.0
2
Compulsory module for MRes in Social Anthropology
Beginning with a discussion of the evolution of the social
sciences, this module addresses central philosophical questions of social science
including discussion of epistemological and methodological aspects of positivism
and interpretivism.
To be arranged
Two hours weekly
Continuous Assessment = 100%
Class Hour:
Teaching:
Assessment:
[please refer to SS5102 module handbook for further details on assessment, the course structure and
suggested readings]
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
SS5103:
QUALITATIVE METHODS IN SOCIAL RESEARCH
Credits:
Semester:
Programme(s):
Description:
15.0
2
Compulsory module for MRes in Social Anthropology
This module offers both a theoretical and practical introduction
to qualitative research. The diversity of the approaches to qualitative research will
be addressed but the focus of the module is primarily practical, necessitating the
active participation of students.
To be arranged
Two hour, weekly
Continuous Assessment = 100%
Class Hour:
Teaching:
Assessment:
[please refer to SS5103 module handbook for further details on assessment, the course structure and
suggested readings]
SS5104:
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCE
Credits:
Semester:
Programme(s):
Description:
15.0
1
Compulsory module for MRes in Social Anthropology
This module will cover basic concepts and approaches to
quantitative research in the social sciences in order to provide students with the
basic quantitative tools for collecting, organising and analysing data.
To be arranged
Two hours weekly
Continuous Assessment = 100%
Class Hour:
Teaching:
Assessment:
[please refer to SS5104 module handbook for further details on assessment, the course structure and
suggested readings]
SA5010
RESEARCH METHODS IN SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY
Credits:
Semester:
Programme(s):
30.0
1
M.Res. Postgraduate Taught Programmes in Social Anthropology, Social
Anthropology (including
Amerindian Studies), Philosophy and Social
Anthropology. M.Phil. Postgraduate Taught Programmes in Social Anthropology
and Social Anthropology (including Amerindian Studies). Co-requisites: SA5011,
SA5099
This module aims to do three things i) introduce students to the philosophies of
social scientific research as particular practices; ii) introduce students to the range of
research methodologies which pertain particularly to social and cultural
anthropology; iii) lay the foundations for students progressing to higher research
degrees, in particular the Ph.D.
To be arranged.
Four hours a week [lectures, seminars, supervision].
Continuous Assessment = 100% (2 essays, 3,500 words each)
Description:
Class Hour:
Teaching:
Assessment:
[please refer to SA5010 module handbook for further details on assessment, the course structure and
suggested readings]
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
SA5011
THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF CONNECTIONS: INTERDISCIPLINARITY
AS METHODOLOGY
Credits:
Semester:
Programme(s):
30.0
2
M.Res. Postgraduate Taught Programmes in Social Anthropology, Social
Anthropology (including Amerindian Studies), Philosophy and Social
Anthropology. M.Phil. Postgraduate Taught Programmes in Social Anthropology
and Social Anthropology (including Amerindian Studies). Co-requisites: SA5010,
SA5099
This module builds on SA5010 by examining the relevance of other disciplines for
Social Anthropology. Through lectures and seminars, students are shown how
Anthropology can be extended and illuminated by working with methodologies and
concepts drawn from History, Social Science, Philosophy, Language and the Arts. It
shows how anthropologists must invoke other specialist disciplines during their
work. It invites students to think of societies and anthropological theories as
informed by internal and external constraints, dialogues and reinterpretations, which
unfold in time. It will show the role of anthropology in articulating different
disciplines.
To be arranged.
Four hours a week [lectures, seminars, supervision].
Continuous Assessment = 100% (2 essays, 3,500 words each)
Description:
Class Hour:
Teaching:
Assessment:
[please refer to SA5011 module handbook for further details on assessment, the course structure and
suggested readings]
ALL OPTIONAL MODULES ARE DEPENDENT ON STAFF AVAILABLE IN ANY YEAR TO TEACH THEM, AND
MAY NOT BE OFFERED EVERY YEAR.
SA5001-Optional
THEORY AND METHOD IN SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY
Credits:
Semester:
Programme(s):
30.0
Whole Year
Compulsory module for the Conversion Diploma Taught Programme in Social
Anthropology. Optional module for the M.Res. Taught Programmes in Philosophy
& Social Anthropology, Social Anthropology (including Amerindian Studies),
Social Anthropology.
The module will cover classical social theory and key concepts in social thought. It
will review the basic assumptions and methodological implications of a variety of
theoretical perspectives (ranging from structural-functionalism to postmodernism),
and will examine in detail the logic of different modes of explanation. The
paradigmatic positions of key social thinkers will also be considered.
To be arranged.
Two Hours (seminar, lectures, or tutorials).
Continuous Assessment = 100% (2 essays, 3,500 words each)
Description:
Class Hour:
Teaching:
Assessment:
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
SA5002-Optional
CURRENT ISSUES IN SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY
Credits:
Semester:
Programme(s):
Class Hour:
Teaching:
Assessment:
30.0
Whole Year
Compulsory module for the Conversion Diploma Taught Programme in Social
Anthropology. Optional module for the M.Res. Taught Programmes in Philosophy &
Social Anthropology, Social Anthropology (including Amerindian Studies), Social
Anthropology.
The module focuses on recent developments within the discipline, and aims to challenge
the student’s existing presumptions and preoccupations. It will cover both theoretical
and substantive issues. Focus will lie with the most up-to-date areas of anthropological
inquiry and contention; but also students will be lead to engage with crucial turningpoint debates in history of the discipline. Most particularly, the Writing Culture debates
of the late 1980s that has been so influential in present anthropological theory and
ethnographic writing.
To be arranged.
Two Hours (seminar, lectures or tutorials).
Continuous Assessment = 100% (2 essays, 3,500 words each)
SA5003-Optional
SOCIAL ORGANISATION AND CULTURE
Credits:
Semester:
Programme(s):
Class Hour:
Teaching:
Assessment:
30.0
Whole Year
Compulsory module for the Conversion Diploma Taught Programme in Social
Anthropology. Optional module for the M.Res. Taught Programme in Philosophy &
Social Anthropology, Social Anthropology (including Amerindian Studies), Social
Anthropology.
The module discusses the description of human society and culture, focusing on both
theoretical and empirical issues by reference to selected ethnographic material. It will
consider such matters as relativism, deconstructionism and the modelling of social forms
and, at a more specific level, the main concepts for describing the institutional features
of the full variety of human societies.
Wednesdays 10am – 12 noon
Two Hours (seminar, lectures or tutorials).
Continuous Assessment = 100% (2 essays, 3,500 words each)
SA5099
DISSERTATION
Credits:
Prerequisite:
Programme(s):
60.0
M.Res. Social Anthropology – SA5010, SA5011 to an average grade of 13.5 or above.
M.Res. Postgraduate Taught Programmes in Social Anthropology, or Social
Anthropology (including Amerindian Studies), Philosophy and Social Anthropology.
M.Phil. Postgraduate Taught Programmes in Social Anthropology and Social
Anthropology (including Amerindian Studies).
Student dissertations will be supervised by members of the teaching staff who will
advise on the choice of subject and provide guidance throughout the research process.
The completed dissertation of not more than 15,000 words must be submitted by the end
of August. Dissertations can be submitted as a Research Proposal for PhD, after
consultation with supervisor. Any envisaged fieldwork needs to comply with university
and departmental regulations on risk assessment, safety and ethics [a departmental ethics
form needs to be filled out and approved before any research is carried out].
At times to be arranged with the supervisor
Individual Supervision
Dissertation = 100%
Description:
Description:
Description:
Class Hour:
Teaching:
Assessment:
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
Amerindian Studies Modules
SA 5201 - AMERINDIAN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
Credits: 30
Semester: 2
Description: This course introduces students to different forms of oral and written expression in Amerindian
Societies, with Quechua and Spanish as the commonest languages taught. The course also prepares students
to confront problems of linguistic and textual interpretation, as well as introducing them to more recent
issues in intercultural and literacy studies. Themes to be considered include: linguistic and cultural history;
testimonies, sources and indigenous writings; orality, performance and literacy; writing systems, khipus and
textile studies; histories and historicities; concepts of temporality and the spatialization of memory.
Class Hour: To be arranged.
Teaching: Four hours a week [lectures, seminars, supervision]
Assessment: Continuous Assessment = 100%.
SA 5202 - AMERINDIAN HISTORY AND ETHNOGRAPHY
Credits: 30
Semester: 1
Description: This course examines the South American continent in time and space, with emphasis on the
evidential and methodological bases of specialized and comparative knowledge. Using sample texts and
sources, it introduces students to the problems of interpreting information collected in "the field" and in "the
archive", as well as preparing them to explore the published and unpublished sources on the region. Themes
to be considered include: social organization and political structures; cosmology, myth and ritual; religious
conversion; sacred geographies, cultural ecologies and climate change; technology; agropastoral and mining
systems; population movements, migration and mestizaje.
Class Hour: To be arranged.
Teaching: Four hours a week [lectures, seminars, supervision]
Assessment: Continuous Assessment = 100%.
SA 5203 - SPECIAL SUBJECT (AMERINDIAN STUDIES)
Credits: 30
Semester: Whole year
Description: This is chosen in discussion with the supervisor, and is available for students with a wellthought-out and specific research interest in a particular topic. It can substitute for one of the preceding two
modules.
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
SA5301 ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE PACIFIC I
Credits:
30.0
Semester:
1
Programme(s):
Compulsory module for Social Anthropology with Pacific Studies Postgraduate Taught
Programme.
Description:
This module examines traditional issues and historical trends in the anthropology of the
Pacific, with special reference to selected regions. It will cover both theoretical and substantive issues in
Pacific ethnography.
Class Hour:
To be arranged.
Teaching:
Two seminars and one tutorial.
Assessment:
Continuous Assessment = 100%%
SA5302 ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE PACIFIC II
Credits:
30.0
Semester:
2
Programme(s):
Compulsory module for Social Anthropology with Pacific Studies Postgraduate Taught
Programme.
Description:
This module looks at the challenges facing social anthropology and Pacific Studies in the
twenty-first century. Students are invited to engage with current issues in the region through attention to
contemporary and emerging debates within Pacific anthropology.
Class Hour:
To be arranged.
Teaching:
Two seminars and one tutorial.
Assessment:
Continuous Assessment = 100%%
OTHER TRAINING AND RESEARCH ACTIVTIES
Postgraduate Training Workshops in Social Anthropology
MRes students participate in annual training workshops organised by the Department, jointly with the
Anthropology Department of the Universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh & Glasgow. These workshops provide
opportunities for informal presentations of research proposals, discussions relevant to students’ fieldwork
preparations (e.g. ethics, data collection, writing field notes), and the exploration of creative ways of
learning, in a relaxed yet focused environment, together with members of staff and PhD students from each
of the universities. They last for 2-3 days, act as complementary elements of the postgraduate training
programme, and are organised in consultation with postgraduate students themselves, according to their
perceived needs and wishes. Three such workshop meetings take place every academic year, one at The Burn
(a beautifully situated countryside mansion belonging to the Goodenough Trust) involving the University of
Aberdeen, and two later in the year with all four Universities participating.
Departmental Research Seminars
All postgraduate students are strongly encouraged to attend the weekly departmental research seminars
(Thurdays, 5-7pm, Seminar Room), where invited researchers of national and international reputation present
their research.
Research Centres
The Department houses two research centres which also offer research seminars, workshops, and other
activities: CAS (The Centre for Amerindian Studies) and CCS (The St Andrews Centre for Cosmopolitan
Studies (CCS). All postgraduate students are welcome to explore possibilities of attaching themselves to
these centres, to enhance their own research perspectives.
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
Teaching Staff & Interests
Dr Stephanie Bunn
Areas of Interest:
Area Speciality:
Room:
Tel:
Email:
Dr Tony Crook
Areas of interest:
Area Speciality:
Room:
Tel:
Email:
Prof Roy Dilley
Areas of interest:
Teaching Fellow in Social Anthropology
Pastoral nomadism; material culture; human environment relationships;
learning and skill; childhood; space and perception; vernacular architecture
Post Socialist Eurasia
Room 48
46 2997
sjb20
Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology
Research on Melanesian and anthropological knowledge practices, ritual,
gardens, mining, machine-thinking, and property rights
Papua New Guinea
2nd floor, 71 North Street
46 2818
tc23
Area speciality:
Room:
Tel:
Email:
Professor of Social Anthropology
Economic anthropology, cosmology & religion, anthropological theory &
method, Islam, history, politics and power, colonialism
West Africa, Northern Ireland and Scotland
21
46 2984
rmd
Dr Stan Frankland
Areas of interest:
Area speciality:
Room:
Tel:
Email:
Lecturer in Social Anthropology
Hunter Gatherers, Tourism and Development; visual anthropology
East Africa and Uganda
47
46 2979
mcf1
Dr Paloma Gay y Blasco
Areas of interest:
Area speciality:
Room:
Tel:
Email:
Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology
Feminist Anthropology, sex and gender, Gypsies, memory, marginality
Europe
57
46 2950
pgyb
Professor Peter Gow
Areas of interest:
Area speciality:
Room:
Tel:
Email:
Professor of Social Anthropology
research on myth, history, kinship, aesthetics
Amazonia
2nd floor, 71 North Street
46 2817
pgg2
Dr Mark Harris
Areas of interest:
Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology
Identity, ecological anthropology, the anthropology of embodiment and
experience, social science methodology
Brazilian Amazon and South America
2nd floor, 71 North Street
46 2981
mh25
Area speciality:
Room:
Tel:
Email:
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
Mr Tristan Platt
Areas of interest:
Area speciality:
Room:
Tel:
Email:
Reader in Social Anthropology
History, orality, literacy, colonialism, ethnicity, nationalism
Bolivia and the Andes
1st floor, 71 North Street
46 2983
tp
Professor Nigel Rapport
Areas of interest:
Professor of Social Anthropology
Individuality, globalism, semantics, literary anthropology, humanism,
science, consciousness and narrative, and the ethnography of the Yorkshire
Dales, Newfoundland,Israel and Scotland.
Area speciality:
Room:
Tel:
Email:
Dr Adam Reed
Areas of interest:
Area speciality:
Room:
Tel:
Email:
Dr Will Rollason
Areas of Interest:
Room:
Tel:
Email:
Professor Christina Toren
Areas of Interest:
Room:
Tel :
Email:
Dr Huon Wardle
Areas of interest:
Area speciality:
Room:
Tel:
Email:
3
46 2978
njr2
Lecturer in Social Anthropology
cultures of punishment, postcolonial institutions, literature and literary
cultures, urban anthropology, new media, history of anthropology
Papua New Guinea, Britain
56
46 2974
ader
Teaching Fellow.
Papua New Guinea, especially Milne Bay Province; globalization and socioeconomic change; intergenerational relations; ethnographic methods; football.
57
46 1961
wr21
Professor of Social Anthropology
Fiji and the Pacific, and Melanesia. Theoretical interests include: exchange
processes; spatio-temporality as a dimension of human being; sociality,
kinship and ideas of the person; the analysis of ritual; epistemology;
ontogeny as an historical process.
1st Floor, 71 North Street
2973
christina.toren
Lecturer in Social Anthropology
Modernity, creolisation, comedy and mischief, imagination and perception,
Kantian and post-Kantian anthropology.
Kingston, Jamaica
20
46 2982
hobw
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
APPENDIX 1
THE RATIONALE UNDERLYING THE PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
Graduate Programme Specification
University of St Andrews
1.
Programme:
MRES, Social Anthropology (with region-specific options)
2.
Programme duration:
1 Year
3.
Qualification aim:
MRES
4.
School/department
Philosophical, Anthropological & Film Studies/ Social Anthropology
5.
Faculty:
Arts
6.
Programme contact:
[email protected]
Programme aims:
Social Anthropology is concerned with the social organisation and culture of various societies. By focusing
on the similarities and differences between these societies it aims to give interpretations and explanations
of the vast numbers of customs and institutions which influence human social behaviour. The
anthropologist’s special skills are in the study of society at the level of everyday interactions and ritualised
events, which is achieved through prolonged terms of residence in specific locations with local
communities. These communities include, for example, peoples from small-scale agrarian and huntergatherer societies and those living and working in industrial, metropolitan and trans-national environments.
The department has a forward-looking and diverse, Humanities-based outlook. A scientific approach to the
study of society is complemented by attempts to understand the experience and knowledge of the people
who live in radically different cultures. A wide range of areas are studied, including the anthropology of
Amazonia; the Andes; Africa; Britain & Europe; Caribbean; and Melanesia. Specialist interests include
visual anthropology, anthropology & philosophy, anthropology & literature, political & economic
anthropology, anthropology of knowledge, feminist anthropology, history & anthropology.
The structure of this programme and its pathways aims to combine a general higher education in Social
Anthropology with guidance on a range of research-based skills that prepare the student for independent
research. In addition, students will participate in a broader social science learning environment, interacting
with graduate students from other related faculty disciplines. By the end of the course, the students will
have acquired the following competences:
1) An understanding of the ways in which social anthropologist grasp and engage with a diverse array of
cultural worlds.
2) A range of quantitative and qualitative research methods and tools for data collection and analysis
3) Sophisticated understanding of the relations between theory and method, including the ethical, political
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
and epistemological bases of choices between alternative research strategies.
4) Independent research skills.
5) Anthropology-specific skills such as ethnographic methods and writing, modes of participant
observation, practical guidance on fieldwork preparation, appreciation of relevant regional literatures and
theoretical issues, oral and written dissemination of work.
6) Inter-disciplinary awareness and communication skills.
Intended Learning Outcomes of Programme:
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and
understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:
Knowledge and Understanding
1) Familiarity with a wide range of cultures and societies and with anthropological modes of analysis.
2) Familiarity with a range of methodological approaches for understanding cultural life and social
organisation, including strategies specific to social anthropology and those deployed in other social
sciences.
3) Familiarity with the connections anthropology has made with other subject areas, including disciplines
such as literature, visual arts, gender studies, development, philosophy and history.
Learning and Teaching Methods
Assessment
(1) & (3) are gained through subject-specific taught
lectures and seminars, supervisions and reading
groups. Support material is provided through
reading lists and booklets and WebCT. In seminars
and reading groups students are required to make
presentations where feedback is formative, and to
engage in discussions of key issues. Guidelines on
study skills and essay writing are provided in
school and module booklets.
(1) and (3) are judged through assessed essays worth
100% of the mark; students must write 2 essays for
each of the two subject-specific (SA5010 &
SA5011) taught modules. Likewise, they must
produce two essays for each region-specific module
(SA5201,SA5202,SA5203,SA5301,SA5302). The
dissertation (SA5099) also assesses these skills.
(2) is gained through subject-specific and generic
taught lectures and seminars. Students are
encouraged to deploy these approaches through
small-group exercises and individual dissertation
research exercises. In addition, advice on
methodologies and peer-led discussion takes place
in Postgraduate Training Workshops and weekend
retreats.
(2) is judged through assessed essays, worth 100%
of the mark in all modules except SS5104, where
skills are assessed through in-class exercises and
tests. Students must produce 2 assessed essays for
subject-specific modules SA5010 & SA5011, and 1
assessed essay for generic modules SS5101, SS5102
& SS5103.
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
Intellectual skills
1) Acquisition, at a high level, of the range of analytical, critical and communicative skills, in both written
and spoken English, which are associated with the study of a subject in the social sciences; students will
thus be able to write lucidly and express themselves verbally with confidence and clarity as social
scientists.
2) Intercultural competences, including a critical understanding of various cultures and practices other than
the students’ own, and an appreciation of the defining features of both their own and the foreign cultures.
Learning and Teaching Methods
Assessment
Skill 1 is instilled as in (1) and (3) under
Knowledge and Understanding above, i.e. through
lectures, seminars and formative assessment work,
with the support of reading guides, booklets and
WebCT. Guidelines and advice on study skills,
essay and dissertation writing are provided.
As above, assessment is through assessed essays,
dissertation, and in the case of SS5104, in-class
exercises and tests. Subject-specific and regionspecific taught modules (e.g. SA5010, SA5301)
require two assessed essays each, and generic taught
courses (SS5101, SS5102 & SS5103) one assessed
essay.
Skill 2 follows from the core concerns of the
programme, at both subject-specific and generic
levels. The dissertation is a crucial element of this
development.
Subject-specific/practical skills
1) Selecting, synthesising and critically evaluating information gathered from a variety of sources (lecture
notes, books, films, Internet);
2) Reading, using and writing ethnography.
3) Applying key methods (modes of ethnographic analysis) and concepts of anthropological analysis.
Learning and Teaching Methods
Assessment
These skills are acquired as a necessary part of the
processes of knowledge and understanding
described above.
(1) is gained through preparation for essays across
subject-specific and generic modules and by
dissertation. Students obtain advice from lectures,
seminars and supervisions and from course
literature.
These skills are assessed through essay and
dissertation work. Each subject-specific and/or
region-specific module (e.g. SA5010 & SA5201)
requires two assessed essays from students.
(2) is achieved through subject-specific lectures
and seminars, readings groups and supervisions.
Again the dissertation is the place where these
skills become condensed.
(3) is the natural outcome of (1) and (2).
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Department of Social Anthropology – MRes Handbook
Transferable/key skills
1) interpretive and analytical strategies & methodologies applicable to new areas and topics.
2) communication and presentation skills.
3) self-reliance through learning independent research, initiative, adaptability and flexibility.
4) prioritisation and time-management skills;
5) collaboration and team-work; mediating skills; qualities of empathy.
6) management of inter-personal and inter-cultural relations.
7) information technology skills for learning and finding information & conducting research.
Learning and Teaching Methods
(1) is the outcome of the knowledge and
understanding, and intellectual and subject skills,
already described, which once acquired can be
applied to other areas.
(2) is fostered through oral presentations in lectures
and seminars and on Postgraduate Training
Workshops.
(3) & (4) follow from the experience of keeping up
with a fairly strict set of deadlines for assignments
and from feedback on work done. The dissertation
is a particularly important part of the development
of independent research skills.
(5) is encouraged through group work, conducted
as part of generic and subject specific modules, and
on Postgraduate Training Workshops.
(6) follows from subject specific taught courses,
supervisions and Postgraduate Training
Workshops.
(7) is fostered by the requirement that all work
handed in must be word processed, and by the
widespread use of WebCT in most courses; also by
statistical skills taught in generic courses and by
discussions of IT skills in fieldwork at
Postgraduate Training Workshops.
Assessment
(1) is assessed through written work, especially
dissertation and group in-class projects.
(2) not formally assessed but fostered by
presentations in lectures and seminars, and also by
oral presentation in dissertation viva.
(3), (4), (5) & (6) are not formally assessed, but are
fostered through the assessment of other skills,
notably (1).
(7) relates to the requirements for the presentation of
material, which contributes to the overall
assessment.
Relevant QAA Subject Benchmarking statements and other external or internal reference points:
The QAA Benchmark statement for Anthropology can be found at:
http://www.qaa.ac.uk
34