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SA-130 Anthropology of religion, ritual and symbolic systems

SA-130 Anthropology of religion, ritual and symbolic systems

COURSE INFORMATION

The course offers a comprehensive introduction to the anthropology of religion, ritual and symbolic systems. We will explore the historical, social and cultural context of world religions and examine some of the most important anthropological theories on religion, spirituality and religiosity, with the aim of gaining a deeper understanding of the various approaches. At the same time, we will actively reflect on what is and/or what we consider to be “religion” and how we can, through an anthropological perspective, free ourselves from certain stereotypical perceptions and think differently and more openly and comparatively about the concept of “religion”. We will study the multiple conceptualizations of ritual, its therapeutic and gendered dimensions, symbols and symbolic systems, somatization, senses and emotions, as well as discuss and reflect upon key concepts such as faith, sacred and profane, magic and science, the supernatural, vernacular and lived religion, religious pluralism, transreligiosity, digital religiosity. Drawing from diverse ethnographic examples from around the world, we will critically examine what religion, ritual and symbolic systems mean in different cultural, socio-economic and political contexts, with comparative reference to both the so-called “organized religions” and “contemporary forms of spirituality”.

Course structure:

  1. Main Anthropological Concepts of “Religion”
  2. From the Anthropology of Religion to the Anthropology of World Religions I
  3. From the Anthropology of Religion to the Anthropology of World Religions II
  4. Anthropology and Ethnography of Vernacular and Lived Religion.
  5. Magic, Religion, Science
  6. Syncretism, Pluralism, Transreligiosity
  7. Main Anthropological Concepts of “Ritual”
  8. Ritual, Gender, Resistance, Healing
  9. Symbols, Sacredness, Purity and Danger
  10. Symbolic Systems and Cross-cultural Perspectives
  11. Contemporary Forms of Spirituality
  12. Religion, Technology, Digital Religiosity
  13. Exploring Religion Ethnographically: Conclusions, Challenges, Reflections

School:

Social Sciences

Academic Unit:

Social Anthropology and History

Level of studies:

Undergraduate

Course code:

SA-130

Semester:

Independent teaching activities

Lectures:

Weekly teaching hours

3

Credits

5

Course type:

Prerequisite courses:

None

Language of instruction and examinations:

Greek

Teacher:

Roussou Εugenia

Is the course offered to erasmus students:

Yes

Course website (URL):

ΔΙΔΑΚΤΙΚΕΣ και ΜΑΘΗΣΙΑΚΕΣ ΜΕΘΟΔΟΙ – ΑΞΙΟΛΟΓΗΣΗ

Τρόπος Παράδοσης:

Πρόσωπο με πρόσωπο

Χρήση Τεχνολογιών, Πληροφορίας & Επικοινωνιών:

Παρουσιάσεις σε Power Point, προβολή σύντομων βίντεο μέσω διαδικτύου, επικοινωνία μέσω eclass

Οργάνωση Διδασκαλίας: 

Δραστηριότητα Φόρτος Εργασίας Εξαμήνου
Σύνολο Μαθήματος 140
Διαλέξεις 40
Ασκήσεις στην τάξη 15
Εκπαιδευτική εκδρομή 10
Αυτόνομη μελέτη στην διάρκεια του εξαμήνου 45
Μελέτη προετοιμασίας για τις εξετάσεις 30

Αξιολόγηση Φοιτητών:

Η αξιολόγηση των φοιτητών/ριών γίνεται μέσω εξετάσεων με ερωτήσεις ανάπτυξης και αποκλειστικά στην ελληνική γλώσσα. Τα κριτήρια είναι προσβάσιμα για τους φοιτητές/ριες στην ηλεκτρονική πλατφόρμα του μαθήματος (e-class).