Description of the course:
The seminar will introduce students to a wide array of topics related to economic practices in capitalism and other socio-economic systems, such as working, buying, selling and relating to other humans and the environment. The aim is to show that ‘the economy’ is not something abstract, distant and complex but something that we experience in our everyday interactions and that is tightly intertwined with local social and cultural practices even in a globalised world. Environmental issues have become pressing topics for economic analysis, so we ask if land and the earth can be bought and sold, how global consumption and commodity chains impact and interact with the environment, what effects fossil fuel production and consumption have on the economy and the environment, and whether working less effectively reduces our carbon footprint. By the end of the course, you will have acquired the theoretical, conceptual, methodological and ethical toolkit to analyse and study “all things economic”; you will be looking at your everyday interactions and existing social structures and norms critically and be inspired by ethnographic examples and alternative practices to think of novel social solutions.
Course assignments and evaluation
1) Participation and attendance 10%:
The target group are students of Anthropology, Central European and Balkan Studies. Since our sessions will be based on an interactive method of teaching, every student is expected to participate actively in working groups and discussions. Regular preparation of the required readings is mandatory. Additional readings are voluntary and especially directed to those students seeking to write an essay on the topic. I recommend that you print out the readings and your presentations. If you decide to bring these materials on an electronic device, make sure it is put on flight mode before the class begins.
The course consists of a 90-minute session. If you have missed more than three classes, you will need to write analytical summaries for texts of every next missed class. All summaries have to be submitted by 15 May 2025.
2) A mini-essay (400 words) 20%
in the following format:
1) Concisely summarise the main arguments of the reading
2) Analyse the significance of given texts to economic anthropology and society at large
3) Compare and contrast the readings with other texts on the same topic that you are familiar with
4) Draw parallels from your own experience/a society that you are familiar with regarding the topic of the presentation
5) Raise questions related to the topic that can be discussed in class
The essay should be uploaded by Thursday 9 am before the class when your topic is due
Sign up for the text and topic by February 28 (the earlier the better because 3 people max can choose one text)
3) Socialism/Post-socialism group assignment due 03.04. 20%
This is a group assignment in groups of three. If you have grown up in the Czech Republic or another post-socialist country, you might consider certain things socialist: be it your mothers’ talks about shortage of food or acquiring things through exchange networks, particular styles of architecture, literature, institutions or clothing. If you come from another cultural context, socialism might mean a political ideal, a Cold War movie or be a trope for an overly protective state. Furthermore, even though socialism, as we know it in the 20th century, seems to be transforming globally, some still find post-socialism a useful concept.
The aim of this assignment is to acquaint yourself with some theoretical or ethnographic approaches to understanding socialism or post-socialism and then apply them in the analysis of social practice, cultural/historical phenomenon, an artefact or an institution. Your analysis can be based on an interview, visual material, cultural production, political discourse, tradition, idea or ideology - be creative. The assignment should result in a short collaborative text (around 1000 words), which can be accompanied by photos, film, poetry, and music.
When doing the exercise, try to answer the questions:
What is socialism?
How is it manifested in the particular object or phenomenon that your group chose to analyse?
4) In-Class Presentation 20%
Students will each give an in-class presentation (8-10 minutes) to hone their skills in oral academic conversation. This is also a service to the community, as it reminds us of the texts we prepared for the class and opens up discussion. Similarly to the mini-essay, you are expected to:
1) Concisely summarise the main arguments of the reading
2) Analyse the significance of given texts to economic anthropology and society at large
3) Compare and contrast the readings with other texts on the same topic that you are familiar with
4) Draw parallels from your own experience/a society that you are familiar with regarding the topic of the presentation
5) Raise questions related to the topic that can be discussed in class
5) Oral Exam 30%
After the course, you will pass an oral exam of 20-25 minutes per person. The exam date will be arranged in one of the last two weeks of May. I will prepare in advance several topics for the examination, based on the readings and in-class discussion. Students pick one topic and discuss it. It is important to refer to relevant literature used in class to show what you’ve learned during the semester and texts beyond the mandatory reading list, which will mean extra points.
Note on academic dishonesty:
plagiarism is a severe crime. In my experience, it mostly comes from students’ insecurity with academic writing that they are relatively new to. Rather than copying someone else’s text and helping AI rephrase it (which makes it much less easily detectable than it was a couple of years ago), I suggest to write your own thoughts in simple words and it will get easier over time.
Note on using AI tools:
if you are using AI tools, highlight the part of the text where you have used AI and add a footnote explaining which AI tool and which query you used. You are still required to read, understand, critique and interpret ethnographic texts on your own and form coherent arguments based on your readings. At the same time, I see no issues asking AI tools to help you rephrase your thought. You should still have a go at trying to rephrase the ideas in the text we read in your own words. It can be challenging, especially if you are not a native speaker, but for the next few years, it is still considered a useful skill to have. Free grammar tools such as Grammarly are recommended for use to improve the legibility of your work.
The seminar will introduce students to a wide array of topics related to economic practices in capitalism and other socio-economic systems, such as working, buying, selling and relating to other humans and the environment. The aim is to show that ‘the economy’ is not something abstract, distant and complex but something that we experience in our everyday interactions and that is tightly intertwined with local social and cultural practices even in a globalised world. Environmental issues have become pressing topics for economic analysis, so we ask if land and the earth can be bought and sold, how global consumption and commodity chains impact and interact with the environment, what effects fossil fuel production and consumption have on the economy and the environment, and whether working less effectively reduces our carbon footprint. By the end of the course, you will have acquired the theoretical, conceptual, methodological and ethical toolkit to analyse and study “all things economic”; you will be looking at your everyday interactions and existing social structures and norms critically and be inspired by ethnographic examples and alternative practices to think of novel social solutions.
Course assignments and evaluation
1) Participation and attendance 10%:
The target group are students of Anthropology, Central European and Balkan Studies. Since our sessions will be based on an interactive method of teaching, every student is expected to participate actively in working groups and discussions. Regular preparation of the required readings is mandatory. Additional readings are voluntary and especially directed to those students seeking to write an essay on the topic. I recommend that you print out the readings and your presentations. If you decide to bring these materials on an electronic device, make sure it is put on flight mode before the class begins.
The course consists of a 90-minute session. If you have missed more than three classes, you will need to write analytical summaries for texts of every next missed class. All summaries have to be submitted by 15 May 2025.
2) A mini-essay (400 words) 20%
in the following format:
1) Concisely summarise the main arguments of the reading
2) Analyse the significance of given texts to economic anthropology and society at large
3) Compare and contrast the readings with other texts on the same topic that you are familiar with
4) Draw parallels from your own experience/a society that you are familiar with regarding the topic of the presentation
5) Raise questions related to the topic that can be discussed in class
The essay should be uploaded by Thursday 9 am before the class when your topic is due
Sign up for the text and topic by February 28 (the earlier the better because 3 people max can choose one text)
3) Socialism/Post-socialism group assignment due 03.04. 20%
This is a group assignment in groups of three. If you have grown up in the Czech Republic or another post-socialist country, you might consider certain things socialist: be it your mothers’ talks about shortage of food or acquiring things through exchange networks, particular styles of architecture, literature, institutions or clothing. If you come from another cultural context, socialism might mean a political ideal, a Cold War movie or be a trope for an overly protective state. Furthermore, even though socialism, as we know it in the 20th century, seems to be transforming globally, some still find post-socialism a useful concept.
The aim of this assignment is to acquaint yourself with some theoretical or ethnographic approaches to understanding socialism or post-socialism and then apply them in the analysis of social practice, cultural/historical phenomenon, an artefact or an institution. Your analysis can be based on an interview, visual material, cultural production, political discourse, tradition, idea or ideology - be creative. The assignment should result in a short collaborative text (around 1000 words), which can be accompanied by photos, film, poetry, and music.
When doing the exercise, try to answer the questions:
What is socialism?
How is it manifested in the particular object or phenomenon that your group chose to analyse?
4) In-Class Presentation 20%
Students will each give an in-class presentation (8-10 minutes) to hone their skills in oral academic conversation. This is also a service to the community, as it reminds us of the texts we prepared for the class and opens up discussion. Similarly to the mini-essay, you are expected to:
1) Concisely summarise the main arguments of the reading
2) Analyse the significance of given texts to economic anthropology and society at large
3) Compare and contrast the readings with other texts on the same topic that you are familiar with
4) Draw parallels from your own experience/a society that you are familiar with regarding the topic of the presentation
5) Raise questions related to the topic that can be discussed in class
5) Oral Exam 30%
After the course, you will pass an oral exam of 20-25 minutes per person. The exam date will be arranged in one of the last two weeks of May. I will prepare in advance several topics for the examination, based on the readings and in-class discussion. Students pick one topic and discuss it. It is important to refer to relevant literature used in class to show what you’ve learned during the semester and texts beyond the mandatory reading list, which will mean extra points.
Note on academic dishonesty:
plagiarism is a severe crime. In my experience, it mostly comes from students’ insecurity with academic writing that they are relatively new to. Rather than copying someone else’s text and helping AI rephrase it (which makes it much less easily detectable than it was a couple of years ago), I suggest to write your own thoughts in simple words and it will get easier over time.
Note on using AI tools:
if you are using AI tools, highlight the part of the text where you have used AI and add a footnote explaining which AI tool and which query you used. You are still required to read, understand, critique and interpret ethnographic texts on your own and form coherent arguments based on your readings. At the same time, I see no issues asking AI tools to help you rephrase your thought. You should still have a go at trying to rephrase the ideas in the text we read in your own words. It can be challenging, especially if you are not a native speaker, but for the next few years, it is still considered a useful skill to have. Free grammar tools such as Grammarly are recommended for use to improve the legibility of your work.
- Teacher: André Thiemann