Location: Florence, Italy.

Dates: 26 June to 3 July 2010

Participants: The International Political Anthropology Summer School, a newly established education forum, provides an intensive interdisciplinary course in theories, concepts, and ideas designed for the needs of students and researchers interested in developing theoretical and interpretive paradigms approaches. Applicants should already be enrolled in a graduate or postgraduate programme or be seriously thinking of doing graduate or postgraduate studies in the social sciences and humanities (such as Anthropology, Politics, Sociology, Philosophy, History, Archaeology, or Classics).

• To optimize the students’ learning experience the School will be limited to 30 participants.
• Classes will be conducted in English.

ECTS: 5 or 10 (see below)

Fees: 750 euro

Applications: Applicants should send a ‘Statement of Interest (app.500 words) and a CV to: ipa.amf@gmail.com
Application deadline: May 15 2010

The IPA Summer School in International Political Anthropology is organized in association with the School of Philosophy and Sociology, UCC.

Description & Objectives: The International Political Anthropology Summer School aims to enable interdisciplinary and comparative scholarship in addressing problems and concerns of the contemporary social & political scene through the prism of anthropologically based approaches. Building on classical and contemporary thought in anthropology, politics & sociology, the International Political Anthropology Summer School is strongly interdisciplinary. Drawing from theories, methods and perspectives across a wide spectrum of the social sciences, philosophy, arts and humanities, we use ‘anthropology’ in the open sense of a discourse interested in addressing forms and types that are fundamental or highly generalizable across the diversity of civilizations and collective forms of life: language, communication and representations; interpretation and the construction of meanings; realms and rituals of the sacred, the profane and the everyday; reciprocity, exchange and commerce; ideals, beliefs and sentiments; norms, order and violations; home, dwelling and domesticity; art, music and dramatic performances; sexuality, reproduction and family life; power, leadership, and legitimation; recreation, play and creativity. The International Political Anthropology Summer School emphasizes and supports conceptual and methodological creativity. We therefore invite applications from students whose work seeks to link contemporary problems of politics to comparative analysis of civilisations, mythology, archaeology, history of the longue durée, religion, symbolism, violence, or political spirituality. We are interested in contributions that thematise the pre-political links between human beings and authority and that connect the analysis of historical crises with the interpretation of meaning as a central aspect of political consciousness and social cohesion.

Teaching Staff: The IPA Summer School will be taught by staff from several universities. Amongst the teaching team are:
1. Dr Agnes Horvath, Catholic University, Milan www.unicatt.it,
2. Dr Bjorn Thomassen, American University, Rome www.aur.edu.it,
3. Prof Arpad Szakolczai, National University of Ireland, UCC www.ucc.ie,
4. Dr Kieran Keohane, National University of Ireland, UCC www.ucc.ie,
5. Dr, Harald Wydra, St Catharine’s College, Cambridge University, UK www.cam.ac.uk,
6. Dr. Carmen Kuhling, University of Limerick, Ireland, www.ul.ie,
7. Prof. Richard Sakwa, University of Kent, Canterbury, www.kent.ac.uk,
8. Prof. Michael Urban, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA, www.ucsc.edu.
Journal: The teaching staff of the IPA Summer School are associated with the academic journal of International Political Anthropology www.IPA3.com a major new scholarly journal that provides a forum for interdisciplinary and comparative scholarship addressing problems of contemporary politics through anthropologically based approaches.
Papers developed by participants at the IPA Summer School will be considered for publication in the journal.

Venues: The School will be held in the historic city of Florence, centre of the Renaissance The School will commence in Florence www.firenzeturismo.it with introductions and orientations, as well as an opportunity to visit and enjoy the city’s famous attractions; The Summer School activities, including all lectures & seminars, will be held inthe University of Florence. . The lecture theatres are fully equipped, including facilities for recording, There is also a library with quiet study space immediately adjacent to the university, as well as several cafes, bars and small restaurants nearby.

IPA Summer School Fees

Total inclusive fee: 750euro

The package includes:
• Seven nights B&B accommodation at the Hotel Medici in Florence from Saturday 26th June to Saturday 3rd July.
• Reception & orientation at Palazzo Guidi on June 27th
• School dinners, including table wine, in restaurant, for five days
• Light lunch and coffee on the school site, for five days
• School excursion, including wine tasting
• All lectures, seminars, readings and course materials
• End of School Dinner on Friday July 2rd

IPA Summer School Programme

• Students will receive a bibliography of background recommended readings and a detailed schedule two weeks prior to the IPA Summer School.

• On arrival in Florence on Saturday June 26th, students will go to their accommodations at the Hotel Medici.

• On Sunday June 27th there will be an ‘Introduction & Orientation’ reception for students and staff at the Palazzo Guidi in the centre of Florence at 11.00am. Reading materials and orienting assignments will be distributed in preparation for classes on Monday, as well as self-guided walking tours of Florence. Professors Horvath and Szakolczai have lived in Florence for many years, and as the Renaissance is amongst Prof. Szakolczai’s fields of specialization, they are ideal guides to the city.

• On Monday June 28th students will start the classes at 9am.

• On Friday afternoon July 2nd there will be a Farewell Reception at 5pm, in the Gardens of the Museum of Natural History, followed by a Summer School Celebration Dinner at Bene Vobis, Via de’ Serragli, 78r, at 8.00pm.

• Saturday July 3rd students depart.

Programme outline

First Day: Landscapes of Theory: The Political Anthropology of Ek-stasis

Second Day: Liminality, experience, crisis

Third Day: Wars and revolutions: modernity as a difference

Fourth Day: Schismogenesis and the Trickster

Fifth Day: Doing Political Anthropology

Daily schedule of the School

Monday June 28th: Landscapes of Theory: The Political Anthropology of Ek-stasis

8.00am Breakfast at Hotel
9.10am -9.30am AH, BT & HW “Welcoming Address”
9.30am -11.00am AH, AS & BT “What Kind of Political Anthropology?”
11.00am -11.30am Coffee at Bar Bianchi
11.30am -1.00pm AS & BT “Theorising Ek-stasis”
1.00pm-2.00pm Lunch at Bar Bianchi
2.00pm-3.30pm HW & KK “The Out-of-Ordinary in Politics”
4.00pm-5.30pm Groups session I: Seminar discussion
6.00pm-7.30 MU Masterclass Michael Urban
8.00pm Dinner at Bene Vobis, Via de’ Serragli, 78r

Tuesday June 29th Liminality, experience, crisis

8.00am Breakfast at Hotel
9.30am-11.00am AS & BT Liminality
11.00am-11.30am Coffee
11.30am-1.00pm AH & AS Experience
1.00pm-2.00pm Lunch at Bar Bianchi
2.00pm-3.30pm KK & HW Crisis
4.00pm-5.30pm Groups session II: Seminar discussion
6.00pm-7.30pm Masterclass Carmen Kuhling
8.00pm Dinner at Bene Vobis, Via de’ Serragli, 78r

Wednesday June 30 Wars and Revolutions and modernity

8.00am Breakfast at Hotel
9.30am-11.00am HW & MU “On Revolution I”
11.00am-11.30am Coffee
11.30am-1.00pm AS & RS “On Revolution II”
1.00pm-2.00pm Lunch at Bar Bianchi
2.00pm-3.30pm AS & HW “On War”
3.30pm-7pm: School Excursion: Renaissance Walk in the hills around Florence
8.00pm Dinner at Bene Vobis, Via de’ Serragli, 78r

Thursday 1st July Schismogenesis and the Trickster

8.00am Breakfast at Hotel
9.30am-11.00am AH & BT Schismogenesis
11.00am-11.30am Coffee
11.30am-1.00pm AH & KK Trickster
1.00pm-2.00pm Lunch at Bar Bianchi
2.00pm – 3.30pm AS & HW Mimetic transformation
4.00pm-5.30pm Groups session III: Seminar discussion
6.00pm-7.30pm Masterclass Richard Sakwa
8.00pm Dinner at Bene Vobis, Via de’ Serragli, 78r

Friday, July 2nd Doing Political Anthropology

8.00am Breakfast at Hotel
9.30am-11.00am BT & HW Writing Political Anthropology
11.00am-11.30am Coffee
11.30am-1.00pm Groups session IV: Seminar discussion
1.00pm-2.00pm Lunch at Bar Bianchi
2.00pm-5.00pm Plenary discussion forum: Chair AH
8.00pm Summer School Celebration Dinner at Bene Vobis, Via de’ Serragli, 78r

Credits: ECTS (and American)

The IPA Summer School is structured in accordance with the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) wherein 1 ECTS = 20-25 hours work.

5 ECTS corresponds with 3 American credits.

The School’s activities may be calculated as follows:

Classroom contact hours: 4 x 6hrs; 24
Masterclasses: 2 x 1.5 hrs; 3
Symposium: 1 x 3hrs; 3
Total classroom contact hours: 30

Directed reading:
Advance preparatory work from assigned bibliography, and directed reading during summer school: 70hrs
Total: 100hours = 5 ECTS (or 3 American credits)

Students who attend the full Summer School, including all classes, and do all preparatory readings and assignments, participate in classroom discussions and symposium may earn 5 ECTS (or 3 American credits)

In addition, students who complete and submit a major essay (5,000 – 8,000 words) on a topic agreed with by the Summer School team, within one month i.e. by Friday, August 7th 2009, representing an additional 100 hours of independent self-directed work, may earn a further 5 ECTS (or 3 American credits).

NB: Students must clarify with the offices of the University where they registered for their doctoral studies – i.e. their own Department / Programme / Registrar / Examinations offices-that the work done at the IPA Summer School will be accepted as ECTS towards their degree.

IPASS gratefully acknowledges support from the Graduate School, College of Arts, Celtic Studies & Social Sciences, UCC