Qualification aims and objectives

Social and cultural anthropology is the comparative study of culture and human societies and the exploration of the general principles of social and cultural life. The course places emphasis on comparative perspectives that make cultural assumptions explicit, and contributes to an understanding of contemporary real-world issues such as war and conflict, the environment, poverty, injustice, and human rights.

 The aims of the social and cultural anthropology course are to enable students to:

1. explore the characteristics and complexities of social and cultural life
2. develop new ways of thinking about the world that demonstrate the interconnectedness of local, regional and global processes and issues 
3. foster an awareness of how cultural and social contexts inform the production of anthropological knowledge 
4. develop as critical thinkers who are open-minded, reflective and ethically sensitive
5. apply anthropological understanding in order to reflect on their own lives and experiences, as well as those of others, transforming their actions in the world.

Course outline

Component 1:

Engaging with anthropology 

• The language of anthropology 
• The practice of anthropology 
• Anthropological thinking 

Component 2 Topic Choices:

Group 1 : Classifying the world, Health, Illness and healing, The body

Group 2 : Belonging, Communication, Expression and technology, Movement, Time and space 

Group 3: Conflict, Development, Production, Exchange and consumption

Component 3:

Internal assessment Engaging in anthropological practice HL: Individual Fieldwork, research

What could I do with this course and possible careers

Studying social and cultural anthropology opens up a wide array of career opportunities in fields that value and understanding of human behaviour, cultural diversity and societal structures, examples of potential career opportunities are listed below:

• Academia and research, Cultural resource management and heritage management, International development, Humanitarian work, Media and communication, Education, Policy and government, Non-governmental organisations,Business and corporate roles