module
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
ANTM102: Anthrozoology: Theory and Method
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
The syllabus will be split into three phases. The first is concerned with introducing students to a wide range of ethnographic case studies which document and explore the many and varied ways in which humans think about and engage with other animals. Specific case studies might include blood sports, pet-keeping, food taboos and dietary preferences, and the place of animals in religious belief and practice. The second will consider key theoretical debates concerning not just human interactions with animals, but also the ways in which these interactions have featured in or impacted on the social sciences, and anthropology in particular. So, topics to be covered could include post-humanism and its relationship to post-colonialism, intersubjectivity and the possibility of 'knowing' how another (human or nonhuman) experiences the world, the question of personhood and what characteristics combine to make a 'person' and the place of nonhumans in a cosmopolitan anthropology. The third phase will explore the methodological limitations and possibilities of an anthropological (ethnographic) approach to inter- and multi-species interactions. Students will also be required to undertake formative study-skills assessments from the start of the module to ensure that they are cognisant of the expectations of academic referencing systems, as well as to help them develop their confidence and critical/synoptic skills.
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | 268 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 10 | 10 x 1 hour podcast audio lectures with accompanying powerpoint presentations |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 10 | 10 x 1 hour discussion/seminar participations |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 10 | 10 x 1 hour contributions to VLE forums |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 2 | 2 x 1 hour assignment preparation tutorials |
| Guided Independent Study | 80 | Weekly preparatory reading for lectures and seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 80 | Preparation for formative assessments |
| Guided Independent Study | 108 | Research and writing of summative assessments |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/
Web based and electronic resources:
Anthrozoos (http://www.bergpublishers.com/?TabId=519)
Humanimalia (http://www.depauw.edu/humanimalia/)
Society & Animals (http://www.societyandanimalsforum.org/sa/index.html)