121-057 Ethnic Nationalism and the Modern World

Formerly available as 136-272/372/007. Students who have completed 136-272/372/007 are not eligible to enrol in this subject.

Ethnicity is of special concern to anthropologists, especially in instances where anthropology becomes part of nationalist discourse. This subject considers ethnicity in a variety of contexts from Africa, Europe and Australia to the Americas, Asia and the Pacific. Students will examine different approaches to nationalism, the formation and reproduction of ethnic boundaries, nationalist myths and historiography, colonialism and postcolonialism and the relationship between individual, state and nation in the modern world economy. On completion of the subject students should have engaged in a critical comparison of ethnicity in major culture complexes of the world and be well acquainted with anthropological approaches to the study of colonialism, dependency, and ethnic identity.

Written work totalling 4000 words.