https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2026-2027/S_TOSCAThe principal objective of this course is to help you learn about a wide range of theoretical perspectives and research approaches in anthropology. These can help you further develop your own research project, connect your theoretical frameworks with distinct research approaches and strategies and building a coherent research proposal. You will learn:to appraise the potentials and limitations of assorted theoretical concepts when applied to topical issues;to review anthropological texts which are written from various theoretical perspectives;to compose a clear and creative, theoretically grounded, written argument;to develop a critical and curious attitude, that is, an eagerness to question both accepted, scientific explanations and prevalent assumptions about phenomena that have been defined as ‘societal problems’ by some actors.In this course six members of the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology will present theoretical perspectives that they use in their research, or that they find inspiring. Each staff member will be responsible for one week, and thus give two lectures. In the lectures they will demonstrate why they have chosen particular theoretical approaches for their research and how theoretical choices have impacted the analysis of fieldwork data. They will also show how the different readings of that particular week relate to each other. There will be ample time for discussions about the contents of the lectures and literature. The assignments will be designed in such a way that they help you with developing the theoretical frameworks of your own research plans.Lectures, tutorials.Written assignments.Students need to have attended Diversity, (In)equality and Power (S_DIEP), but they do not need to have passed it.