Knowledge, Power and Resistance (822L6)

30 credits, Level 7 (Masters)

Spring teaching

“Knowledge is Power”, but how do we understand knowledge and its relation to power and resistance?

On this module, you’ll explore domination, resistance and adaptation in global hierarchies across cultures and history. You’ll cover anthropology’s key paradigms to analyse:

• colonialism
• imperialism
• subaltern studies
• postcolonial critique
• decolonisation efforts.

Using ethnographic texts and case studies, you’ll evaluate different ways of knowing, including:

• indigenous groups
• ‘Global South’ intellectuals
• embodied approaches often seen as objects rather than creators of understanding.

You’ll gain analysis skills and recognise ways of knowing rooted in the body and environment.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 300 hours of work. This breaks down into about 33 hours of contact time and about 267 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2025/26. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.