Arts and anthropology

Teacher(s)

Mazzocchetti Jacinthe;

Language

French

Main themes

First part: As an introduction, the first sessions of the seminar are devoted to a kind of propaedeutics initiation about the history of the discipline, its schools and its concepts (structuralism, functionalism, symbolism, cul-turalism, néo-Marxism, constructivism, perspectivism...) and on its relationship with close disciplines (such as sociology, biology, the ethology, the history, psychology, hermeneutics...). Second part: Each year a relatively circumscribed field is chosen and introduced by the two persons in charge for the seminar (and possibly by invited specialists); then the students prepare, starting from the provided bibli-ographies, their own contributions (either on a purely individual basis, or in group). This choice of a concrete topic - such as the gift, the capacity, the system of belief, social change -, allows at the same time empirical thickening by the case study and the interpretative interpellation or the compared contextualisation and theoreti-cal engagement.

Content

The seminar offers an immersive exploration of the dialogues between artistic creation and the production of anthropological knowledge. At the crossroads of ethnography, literature and the performing arts, it examines the ways in which narratives, bodies, voices, images and emotions contribute to our understanding of the social world. Drawing on examples from research-creation, ethno-poetry and situated writing, the seminar invites participants to reflect on the plurality of knowledge systems, the conditions under which they are legitimised, and the power relations that underpin all knowledge production. Particular attention will be paid to the capacity of artistic approaches to bring to light experiences, memories and perspectives that are often marginalised, thereby opening up spaces for ‘narrative subversion’ and decentring. 
 

Teaching methods

Face-to-face course 

Evaluation methods

In addition to active participation in the two-day seminar, assessment will take the form of writing an ethno-fiction piece based on the students’ ethnographic fieldwork. This exercise will aim to explore the heuristic, sensory and political potential of creative writing, whilst developing a critical reflection on the epistemological, ethical and methodological issues linked to the different ways of knowing, narrating and shaping the world. 

Other information

The use of artificial intelligence is prohibited, whether as a language assistant, a tool for exploration and ideation, or a writing aid.
The only possible exception is for strictly spelling-related corrections (preferably non-generative), which must be mentioned in the foreword to the submitted text.

Online resources

A bibliography and some texts will be uploaded to Moodle.

Faculty or entity

> PSAD