Introduction to Social Anthropology

Pre-requisites for enrolment

No prior knowledge is required

Content of Course

This course provides a friendly introduction to social anthropology, beginning with unpacking core principles and terms such as ‘participant observation’. How do anthropology students go ‘into the field’? Why does the discipline ask its apprentices to live with the people they want to learn from? The course progresses to a thematic journey through important practical examples (classic and contemporary), drawing on a range of different societies. Working as a group, we examine the meaning of cultural practices and ideas, weighing our discussions against some of the discipline’s core debates.

Teaching method(s)

Each session will combine lecture and tutorial discussion. You will be encouraged to engage critically with the course reading, introducing you to key debates and methods within social anthropology and to reflect on the literature through the lenses of your own experience. The course as a whole will invite you to reflect on the role of anthropology in colonialism and its role in challenging this legacy. Practical tasks and group discussions will enable you to expand and refine your understanding of key concepts, debates and case studies. Feedback provided during class will enhance your ability to draw comparisons and contrasts between your own and other societies.

Learning outcomes

On completion of this course, you will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of key anthropological concepts and debates.
2. Employ critical, analytical and reflective skills in understanding one’s own culture and that of other societies.
3. Demonstrate an awareness of how an anthropological approach can be beneficial in developing an informed and critical understanding of the contemporary world.
4. Critically assess ethnographic evidence.

Sources

Core Readings

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.