This document is a lecture outline on poststructuralism and discourse analysis in anthropology. It discusses moving beyond structuralism to understand how meaning emerges through ongoing cultural exchange and interpretation, rather than being fixed by analytical structures. Examples are provided of poststructuralist analyses of Bedouin poetry, Malaysian rock music, Ju/hoansi complaints, and debates around authenticity and change in Singaporean culture. The key ideas are that culture and meaning are dynamic processes, not static structures, and that humans play an active role in shaping cultures through discourse and practice over time.

1. SC2218: Anthropology and the Human Condition Lecture 11: The Poetry of Culture (Poststructuralism & Discourse) Eric C. Thompson Semester 1, 2011/2012

7. Post-structuralism and Agency How do we move beyond analytical structures, categories, and stereotypes that limit our ability to see an understand contemporary realities? How do we account for human agency – the potential of people to affect and change their social conditions of life? POST-STRUCTURALISM : an attempt to move anthropological analysis beyond the analytical confines of structures and categories.

19. What “Structures” are found in Jabberwocky?

24. INTERMISSION…

30. 1st Generation Cultural Structures (Grammars, Words, Styles, Signifiers) 1st Generation Agents (Subjects/Individuals) (Drawing on the Structures to relate to others , influence action , interpret meanings – their own and others ) Culture as an Iterative Process Agents are “Subjects” of (“subject to”) cultural structures – they cannot operate meaningfully outside of the structure. Cultural Structures are emergent structures, dependent on the agents for their existence.

31. 1st Generation Cultural Structures 1st Generation Agents (Subjects) 2nd Generation Agents (Subjects) 2nd Generation Cultural Structures Culture always changes, because agents never reproduce it “perfectly”

34. What is “authentic Chinese culture”? What is “authentic Singapore culture”? Royston Tan – director of “15” and other films. Li Po (701-762) ; T’ang Dynasty Poet

37. Yesterday’s Innovation Tomorrow’s Tradition Today’s Innovation Culture always changes, Yesterday’s Innovation is Today’s Tradition; Today’s Innovation is Tomorrow’s Tradition Today’s Tradition