Power in History

The course is an introduction to the study of power and hierarchy from the perspective of political anthropology. Challenging conventional Eurocentric assumptions, this course focuses on the structures, forms, practices and meanings of power relations in different social, cultural and historical contexts in search of answers to fundamental questions of political life. In the course, students explore the trajectory, theoretical foundations and key concepts of political anthropology, and analyse the possibilities, perspectives and limitations of this field of knowledge.

Drawing inspiration from classic texts and recent research, students consider a wide range of political organisations and communities (e.g. hunter-gatherer groups, chiefdoms and pirate societies). Particular attention is paid to critical genealogical analyses of the modern state.