2019/20 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

LUBS2125 Anthropology for Business

10 creditsClass Size: 100

Module manager: Dr Jennie Robinson
Email: j.e.robinson@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2019/20

This module is mutually exclusive with

SLSP2050	The Sociology of Gender
SLSP3930	Sociology of Consumerism

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module offers you the chance to study the diversity of human societies, habits, cultures and conflicts, and apply that knowledge to your own life and interactions. The module examines the diversity of human groups in order to increase our understanding of how people work, including ourselves. Themes include societal structure, power, conflict, co-operation, diversity, consumption and wealth, exemplified with the widest range of case studies from groups both exotic and familiar.The immediate attractions of the module are in the content: anyone who finds it fascinating to see how other people do things, and realise the strangeness of our own habits, will be well rewarded by this module. Not only is the content interesting in itself, but you will find it stimulating and relevant when you are studying other modules. An exploratory, enthusiastic approach is adopted throughout the teaching and coursework. Longer term, gaining an appreciation of why people behave as they do, how groups work and what our own preconceptions are, can be a powerful skill in any workplace, social group or place where different groups need to work together. Interpersonal skills such as managing team members, motivating others, avoiding in-group and between-group tension, and empathising with others' needs, are greatly enhanced by an understanding of anthropological methods and theories. This module presents a unique perspective, and combines academically interesting material with genuinely useful skill development for the real world. The module involves high level reading and criticality in anthropological journals, and the design of a practical study.

Objectives

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a knowledge of what anthropology and its sub-disciplines are;
2. Understand relevant terms and concepts in the context of anthropology, such as society, evolution, gender and ethnography;
3. Contribute to debate on anthropological themes;
4. Demonstrate a knowledge of a range of anthropological themes and apply them to business scenarios;
5. Demonstrate an understanding of human variability and sensitivity to cultural mores; and
6. Understand the interaction between environment, learning and genetics, and be able to discuss how these influence individuals, groups and societies.

Learning outcomes
Anthropology is the study of people: physically, culturally, and historically. Although anthropology is frequently name-checked in management and business contexts, it is actually poorly understood. This module's objectives are to stimulate students to:

- Consider the role of culture in their interactions;
- Develop their awareness of different cultures;
- Articulate their understanding of people as groups and individuals;
- Develop their knowledge of humans as a biological entity; and
- Apply their learning in anthropology to their own lives and environments.

Skills outcomes
Techniques of ethnographic observation and recording
Understanding of the gap between reported and real histories
Reflexive practice (how to change one's practice in response to results or feedback and how the new practice affects the next outcomes, etc).

Syllabus

This module offers you the chance to study the diversity of human societies, habits, cultures and conflicts, and apply that knowledge to your own life and interactions. The module examines the diversity of human groups in order to increase our understanding of how people, including ourselves, work. Themes include societal structure, co-operation, diversity, consumption and wealth, exemplified with the widest range of case studies from groups both exotic and familiar.

The immediate benefit of the module is the content: anyone who finds it fascinating to see how other people do things, and realise the strangeness of our own habits, will be well rewarded by this module. Not only is the content interesting in itself, but you will find it stimulating and relevant when you are studying other modules. An exploratory, enthusiastic approach is adopted throughout the teaching and coursework. The module will be useful to you if you are studying a business related degree, or are interested in entering a workplace where different groups of people interact, such as engineering or computing. The module would also enhance studies in related topics such as history or sociology.

There are strong links to business themes: gaining an appreciation of why people behave as they do, how groups work and what our own preconceptions are, can be a powerful skill in any workplace, social group or place where different groups need to work together. Interpersonal skills such as managing team members, motivating others, being culturally sensitive, avoiding in-group and between-group tension, and empathising with others' needs, are greatly enhanced by an understanding of anthropological methods and theories. These skills can make working lives more pleasant but can also increase productivity and profitability; for example, the module will demonstrate how an appreciation of local priorities has boosted production in many case studies. This module presents a unique perspective, and combines academically interesting material with genuinely useful skill development for the real world.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Workshop	11	2.00	22.00
Private study hours			78.00
Total Contact hours			22.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			100.00

Private study

Students will be asked to read around the subject as much as possible to support their learning. There will be references in the weekly workshops to follow up. The coursework involves reading a number of journal articles for both pieces.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

The discussion section of the weekly workshop class will enable to the tutor to gauge which students are engaged and which may be less so. This will be the main source of progress monitoring, with the tutor asking questions and requiring participation. However, there are some additional elements which will support the monitoring of student progress, namely:
- An open door approach to teaching will be adopted, with specified office hours, encouraging students to ask questions and iron out any misunderstanding
- One class will be given over to a live critical review session, allowing students to gauge how their critical abilities are developing

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Research Proposal	2,500 words	100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

The resit for this module will be 100% by 2,500 word coursework.

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 30/04/2019

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