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Money and Sweat: Economic Anthropology (ANTH30024)

Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

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Semester 1
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Why do we work? Who decides how we should be compensated for our efforts? And why, for many of us, money does not seem to last long enough? By exploring the relationship between labour and money, this course aims at offering insights into the social processes that compose “the economy.” The course will explore the hierarchies, practices, and cultural formations that turn efforts into value(s). We will use a comparative, ethnographic, and historical approach, exploring topics such as: the making of the working class; capitalism(s) and its alternatives; debt and power; barter and multiple currencies; bitcoin and crypto worlds.

 

 

Intended learning outcomes

 Upon successful completion of this subject, a student should be able to:

  • Demonstrate a thorough understanding of different theoretical approaches within anthropology to analysing economic behaviour, processes, and perspectives
  • Critically analyse ethnographic literature on the dynamics of money and labour as well ethnographic studies of capitalism and finance
  • Articulate key debates in economic anthropology regarding processes that are seen as central to transnational economic connections such as liberalisation and commodification
  • Apply critical and comparative analytical skills in order to understand some of the social and cultural implications of recent developments in economies worldwide on peoples' lives
  • Systematically evaluate a body of empirical data and identify its theoretical context; Communicate effectively in a variety of oral and written formats.

Last updated: 14 March 2025