AANB11061U Legal Anthropology and Human Rights

Volume 2014/2015
Content

It is often argued that legal matters are useful entry points for the study of the larger society and can serve as a way of identifying the major social processes that are under way at the time of observation. But how can we as anthropologist best study the cultural dimensions of law? This seminar provides undergraduate and graduate students an introduction into anthropology of law and also includes a perspective on anthropology of human rights. We will study changing conceptions of law and governance and ask ourselves how anthropologist can address law as an analytical object or as an essential element in the contexts that we work in. We will read classic as well as contemporary texts within the fields of legal anthropology and anthropology of human rights. The course also discusses fieldwork methods useful for capturing the cultural dimensions of law in a fieldwork setting. Some of the questions that we will ask ourselves in this course are: “How are relationships between legal and political realms structured and with what consequences? How does law provide tools for both social struggle and for social control? What happens when transnational human rights concepts are localized at community levels? What does anthropology bring to research on these issues?”

Learning Outcome

Upon completion of this course the students should be able to:

 

  1. Give account of classic and contemporary anthropological approaches to the study of law in society.
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of central theoretical concepts
  3. Critically discuss acquired theoretical insight in relation to selected empirical cases
  4. Formulate a research question of relevance to this topic and critically as well as analytically engage with this question in a final essay.

BSc-, Credit-, Open Education and all international students: 500 pages obligatory literature.
MSc students: 500 pages obligatory literature + 200 pages of literature chosen by students

Literature chosen by students must be relevant to the course’s subject matter.

Course literature will be available in Absalon on the course website

The course will consist of lectures as well as group work. Active participation is required throughout the course in form of student assignments and presentations. Students will receive instructions for and feedback on their assignments and presentations. The course will include guest lectures and selected movie screenings
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 12
  • Exam
  • 1
  • Exam Preparation
  • 48
  • Exercises
  • 4
  • Guidance
  • 2
  • Lectures
  • 6
  • Practical exercises
  • 5
  • Preparation
  • 60
  • Seminar
  • 6
  • Study Groups
  • 24
  • Theory exercises
  • 38
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written examination
Essay.
Length: Min. 21.600 - max. 26.400 keystrokes for an individual essay. For group exams plus an additional min. 6.750 - max. 8.250 keystrokes per extra group member.

The essay assignments can be written individually or in groups of max. 4 people. Read more about the rules for group examinations in the
curriculum 4.3.1.

The examination essay must address a relevant topic from the course and must include literature from the course syllabus.
Exam registration requirements
It is a requirement that the student is present for at least 75% of the lectures as part of their exam for the course. Lecturers will keep an attendance list.
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Re-exam
1. & 2. Re-exam
For written exams:
A new essay/portfolio with a revised problem statement is submitted at the announced date. The student must register for the re-exam.
For oral exams:
A revised synopsis with a new problem statement is submitted at the announced date. The students must hereafter participate in a new oral exam at the announced date. The student must register for the re-exam.
Criteria for exam assesment

See learning outcome