About the Programme

The basic premise of this MA is that work in and understanding of the societies of the 'developing' world requires in-depth study of different aspects of social life and its transformations, rooted in rigorous methodological and theoretical work. Acquaintance with the debates over method and theory in anthropology and with the detailed monographs and thematic studies that have emerged from the lengthy field research traditionally conducted by anthropologists, provide the basic tools for addressing practical issues in poorer societies, as well as critiquing processes of 'development'. In particular, the programme addresses the ways in which anthropologists have theorised social and economic change, as well as the history and ethical implications of their practical engagement with development intervention. Through examination of detailed ethnographies it seeks to demonstrate the links between economic and political processes, changing identities and development intervention in a range of geographical contexts; the relationship between power, knowledge and resistance in discourses of development is another key theme.

The degree aims to provide the basic tools for addressing practical issues in poorer societies, as well as critiquing processes of 'development', by linking method and theory in anthropology with the detailed case material and thematic studies that have emerged from the lengthy field research traditionally conducted by anthropologists.

What You Will Achieve:

• A firm grounding in advanced anthropological theory and method, in particular as these are applied to the understanding of social transformation in the post-colonial world.
• Skills in critical analysis and reflection that enable you to identify the biases and assumptions that underlie representation - including your own - of "development"
• Awareness of the major problems and difficulties encountered in attempting to apply these methods and theories to actual situations.
• The ability to present findings orally from reading and research to peers in seminars and to write both term papers and longer dissertations that explore in-depth the analytic and theoretical issues involved in a particular topic.

The Programme consists of 7 or 8 units:

Either four core courses, a supervised dissertation of 20,000 words, and two compulsory units concerned with research methods training
or four core courses, an additional optional course, a supervised dissertation of 10,000 words, and two compulsory units concerned with research methods training.

All course units (which are each formally assessed by 5,000 word term papers) are taught by a mix of seminars and workshops, with some individual tutorials. The dissertation is supervised.

All students taking the MA programme in Anthropology of Development and Social Transformation attend a series of Research Support Workshops.

The course units are designed to provide both complementarity and progression: unit 1 in the Autumn Term provides the basic grounding in anthropological study of transformation, with focus on theories of development, modernity and globalisation, whilst unit 2 examines the practical engagement of anthropologists in development intervention and 'applied' work. Both of these units are compulsory. In the spring term, students are required to take at least one unit. If they wish they may substitute one of the spring term units for a course on a related M.A programme. From the grounding in theories and practices of development acquired in the Autumn, students progress to examining processes of change within households and livehihoods within the context of the broader power relations implied by development. This course is based around detailed ethnographic examples from a range of geographical settings. In the course, Knowledge, Power and Resistance, theoretical perspectives on modernity, colonialism and development gained in the first term will be built upon to gain an understanding of how development may be understood as 'discourse'; the course will also be concerned with the relationship between knowledge and power within rapidly changing societies, focussing upon notions of 'indigenous knowledge', as well as upon the knowledges and practices of the developers.

Those who wish to pursue a more applied agenda may take the option Evaluation and Appraisal in the Summer Term, whilst those who wish to deepen and develop their understanding through personal research and writing, move directly to the dissertation under supervision by an appropriate supervisor decided in consultation with the programme convenor. The four main courses are assessed in the same compulsory manner, in order to ensure that students have got to grips with the fundamental material of the course. The Summer option allows for a choice both of course and of assessment; by this stage it is expected that students are in a position to decide which form of writing and of course work best suits their aims, in discussion with supervisors and the programme convenor, Dr Pamela Kea.

In addition to the course units listed above, and described in greater detail below, which are taught through seminars and tutorials, there is:

• a weekly research in progress seminar for all students and faculty at which visiting anthropologists present papers;
• a fortnightly series of skills workshops for students from all anthropology M.A programmes
• a series of ancillary workshops, put on by the Graduate School of Social and Cultural Studies which engage with practical and skills issues.
• A variety of weekly research seminars in which visiting researchers give papers, which include : the South Asia Seminar, The Migration Seminar, the Development Lectures etc.

Individual course descriptions:

1. Understanding Processes of Social Change (Autumn)
This course provides a general theoretical background to the ways in which different disciplines in the social sciences have theorised social change and development. The course uses empirical material as well as more theoretical texts, and is taught through lectures as well as seminars. The course not only to highlight more contemporary issues and debates (such as those surrounding modernity and post-colonialism) but also provides an introduction to anthropological debates and perspectives.

2. Anthropologists in Development (Autumn)
This course covers the ways in which anthropologists have worked in 'applied', institutional settings, and their practical contribution to development. It does not claim to 'teach' students how to be applied anthropologists, but rather, deals with the theoretical, methodological, ethical and political problems that are encountered by anthropologists in development. There is an emphasis on case material exemplifying practice and its problems.

3. Households, Livelihoods and Development Intervention (Spring)
This course covers aspects of economic and political processes, changing identities and development intervention in a range of geographical contexts. It incorporates detailed ethnographic examination of changes in households and livelihoods with analysis of the broader power relations implied by development

4. Knowledge, Power and Resistance (Spring)
This course reflects the various ways in which power and knowledge interact within contexts of development and economic change. Whilst providing students with the conceptual apparatus to theorise notions of discourse, power and resistance, much of the course deals with the historically and culturally contingent nature of the various meanings given to 'development', modernity and 'tradition', and how these in turn are linked to different forms of knowledge. As the course shows, narratives and counter narratives of development are not only produced by the developers and developees, but also by those studying them. They are also inextricable from relations of power.

5. Evaluation and Appraisal
This course involves theoretical and practical approaches to project appraisal, monitoring and evaluation, discussed through detailed case studies.

6. Dissertation
In discussion with faculty, students locate a topic, register a title and work through the Summer Term with the support of a supervisor. By the end of the Summer Term, they are expected to present a substantial draft of the work to the supervisor who reads and discusses it with them. Work continues during the summer vacation up to the submission date (normally the beginning of September).

7. Research Skills Workshops (Autumn and Spring)
Research support will be provided in eight workshops (each of 3-4 hours), over the Autumn and Spring terms covering:

• A General Introduction to Anthropology at Sussex
• History of Anthropology theory and method
• Writing Skills for Term Papers
• Fieldwork, the 'field' and participant observation in social anthropology
• Careers in Social Anthropology
• Critical perspectives on fieldwork in a post-modern climate
• The Ethics and Politics of Anthropological Research
• 'Genres of writing': Thinking towards an MA anthropology dissertation

These workshops are compulsory, and will require some reading preparation. They will not involve coursework and its evaluation.

Selected reading list:

Croll, E. and Parkin, D. J. eds. (1992). Bush base, forest farm: culture, environment and development. London: Routledge.
Crewe, E, and Harrison, Ed. Whose Development? London : Zed 1998
Escobar, A. (1995). Encountering development: the making and unmaking of the Third World. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Ferguson, J. (1994). The anti-politics machine: 'Development', depoliticization, and bureaucratic power in Lesotho. London: University of Minnesota Press.
Foweraker, J. (1995). Theorising Social Movements. London: Pluto Press.
Gardner, K. and Lewis, D. (1996). Anthropology, development and the post-modern challenge. London: Pluto Press.
Gledhill, J. (1994). Power and Its Disguises. London: Pluto Press.
Grillo, R.D. and Stirrat, R.L. (eds.) (1997). Discourses of development: anthropological perspectives. Oxford: Berg.
Hobart, M. ed. (1993). An anthropological critique of development. London: Routledge.
Long, N., and Long, A. (eds.). (1992). Battlefields of knowledge: the interlocking of theory and practice in social research and development. London: Routledge.
Lukes, S. (1974) Power: A Radical View. London: Macmillan
Pottier, J. ed. (1993). Practising Development. London: Routledge.
Schech, Susan; Haggis, Jane, 2000, Culture, and development: a critical introduction. Oxford: Blackwell
Vincent, J. (1990). Anthropology and Politics. Tucson: U. of Arizona Press.