Ethical Worlds (L6308S)
Ethical Worlds
Module L6308S
Module details for 2025/26.
30 credits
FHEQ Level 6
Module Outline
Ethics has become an increasingly important area of anthropological theory and practice and is not
currently significantly covered in our offering. Given the influence of, inter alia, Laidlaw, Zigon, Keane,
Das etc., and the significant expertise in this area across our department and school (e.g. Buzz
Harrison on discourse of corruption, Paul Boyce on ethics of intimacies, Jon Mitchell on religion and
morality, Magnus Marsden on ethics and trade, Margaret Sleeboom-Faulkner on professional ethics),
this module offers an opportunity both to introduce students to an important area of scholarly debate
and aims to inculcate critical reflection on ethics which is an important skill in many careers that
anthropology graduates go on to. It also accords with the department and university’s reputation for critical and radical engagement with real world issues.
Module learning outcomes
Understanding Ethical Theories and Anthropological Approaches:
Students will critically engage with key ethical theories (e.g., deontology,
virtue ethics) and anthropological frameworks such as everyday ethics,
Foucauldian ethics, and ethics as freedom, applying them to cross-
cultural contexts.
Analysing Ethnographic Case Studies: Students will evaluate how moral
systems operate within different societies, drawing on ethnographic
examples to explore concepts like ethical freedom and everyday ethical
practices.
Engaging with Critical Perspectives: Students will apply decolonial,
feminist, and Marxist critiques alongside anthropological approaches to
challenge universalist assumptions and explore contemporary ethical
debates.
Reflexive Ethical Practice: Students will reflect on their own ethical
assumptions and understand how anthropological approaches—such as
DIS
everyday ethics and Foucault’s ideas on freedom—shape their research
and interactions with the people they study.
Extended Research and Critical Argument Development:
Students will be able to demonstrate a capacity for extended, in-depth
research and long form essay writing.
| Type | Timing | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Dissertation (7000 words) | Semester 2 Assessment Week 1 Mon 16:00 | 100.00% |
Timing
Submission deadlines may vary for different types of assignment/groups of students.
Weighting
Coursework components (if listed) total 100% of the overall coursework weighting value.
| Term | Method | Duration | Week pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Semester | Seminar | 3 hours | 11111111111 |
How to read the week pattern
The numbers indicate the weeks of the term and how many events take place each week.
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