Spring 2006

Utfyllende informasjon
The aim of the course is twofold. Firstly, to provide an introduction to some of the most influential anthropological works on violence in the contexts of militant nationalism, ethnic conflicts, war and genocide. We will examine some of the earlier anthropological texts on violence and discuss these in relation to later developments within the field. An important part of these discussions will be to assess critically how different scholars choose to define and theorise violence and the ethical predicament behind such definitions and theories.

Secondly, to consider challenges the study of violence poses to the anthropological method of participant observation. Some of these challenges are common to this method in general, while others are more specific to situations of violent conflict. This part of the course will place particular emphasis on recent ethical debates in relation to doing fieldwork in such contexts.

The language of instruction will be english. The course coordinator will be Tormod Sund. Sund is a PhD students and has done research concentrating on the violence in the realm of the Basque conflict.

The teaching starts January 12 2006 at 13:15 pm to 15:00 pm, room 5.404 (house 5, forth floor in Teorifagbygget) and consist of 10 lectures (of 2 hours each) and ends with one home examination with a writing periode from February 20 to February 27 2006.


More Information about SOA-3005