BA, 4 years, UCAS: RL96
Typical A level offer: AAB-ABB
Subject overview
Why anthropology?
Anthropologists study cultural and social diversity. Historically, they studied so-called ‘small-scale’ and ‘traditional’ societies. Today, anthropologists are concerned with towns and cities in a modern and changing world, as well as rural locations.
Anthropologists collect information through participant observation – living in the societies they are studying for lengthy periods of time and learning their languages. This attention to close, detailed accounts of particular cases (known as ethnography) enables anthropologists to analyse and explain aspects of social change that may not be visible at the larger, or macro, level.
Although anthropology depends on the detailed study of specific cases, the issues we investigate are much broader and are concerned with understanding humans both as being created by, and as the creators of, culture and society.
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Why anthropology at Sussex?
Anthropology at Sussex was ranked 4th (90 per cent) in the overall satisfaction category and scored 93 per cent in the teaching category of the 2012 National Student Survey (NSS).
Sussex is ranked among the top 10 universities in the UK for anthropology in The Times Good University Guide 2013 and The Complete University Guide 2014, and 16th in the UK in The Guardian University Guide 2014.
Rated 5th in the UK for research into social anthropology in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). 90 per cent of our research was rated as recognised internationally or higher, with over half rated as internationally excellent or higher, and one-quarter rated as world leading.
By encouraging intellectual curiosity and cultural agility, the School of Global Studies, in which you will be based, enhances your employability (British Council and Think Global: Survey of Senior Business Leaders, 2011).
Sussex has one of the largest anthropology departments in the UK, covering anthropology across the globe, and attracts applicants from around the world.
Our research interests include religion and modernity; the impact of globalisation in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America; migration, development and social change; science and technology; and the politics of human rights.
The Department of Anthropology is young and dynamic, and all members of faculty are research active. All teaching is research led and benefits from faculty’s ongoing research on contemporary issues in anthropology.
In your second year, there are opportunities to study overseas through our study abroad programme and the Erasmus exchange scheme, or to go on a professional placement.
For more information, visit the Department of Anthropology.
Why languages?
The study of languages enables you to acquire excellent communication skills and enhance your understanding of your own and other cultures. Knowledge of a foreign language gives you access to the intellectual achievements and social developments of the countries where the target languages are spoken. In addition, the ability to speak a second language and the experience of having spent time studying or working abroad are major assets in the employment market. To quote Nelson Mandela: ‘If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.’
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Why languages at Sussex?
Intellectually stimulating courses with relevant practical applications.
Start post-A level and/or from beginner’s level at the appropriate standard.
Reach a high level of proficiency with the expert tuition of experienced language tutors.
Enjoy all the academic, social, personal and, ultimately, professional benefits of the year abroad, whether working, teaching or studying at a partner university.
Profit from studying alongside visiting and exchange students from continental Europe and beyond.
Sussex offers different ways to study languages:
- courses: we offer a single-honours course (two languages) and, in some subject areas, joint courses including a language with the choice of French, Italian or Spanish. All these courses are four years long and incorporate a third year abroad, studying or working in a foreign-language setting
- other opportunities to study a language: students on a wide range of non-language courses can gain proficiency in a variety of languages as one of the electives available within their course.
Other opportunities to study a language
Electives
The University is enhancing the opportunities it provides for you to broaden and enrich your studies through a new system of electives in single-honours subjects. Most subjects across the arts, sciences and social sciences are offering electives, the exceptions being where professional-body requirements do not provide sufficient space within the curriculum (eg law, accountancy, engineering). Under the electives system, you will be able to choose to spend 25 per cent of your time in your first and second year on a range of subjects.
Electives will either be offered as stand-alone modules you choose to broaden or enrich your studies, or as a specific named pathway over Years 1 and 2 (refer to Language as an elective below). Students successfully completing a named pathway will have this recorded on their degree certificate.
We are also developing new ‘pathways’ of electives, which will allow you to choose a series of electives that together make up a coherent strand of learning. We already have these in place for languages and teaching English as a foreign language, as explained on the right. We will be looking to create other pathways from the range of electives we offer for 2014. If you choose a pathway from the start of your course and complete the electives, you will be able to have this recorded as part of your final degree and transcript – giving added value to your studies and showing the skills and knowledge you have developed at Sussex. For the latest information on these elective pathways, visit Undergraduate courses 2014.
Language as an elective
As part of the electives system, we have developed a flexible language programme, allowing students on a wide range of single-honours courses to opt for the award of ‘... with proficiency in (a specific language)’ at intermediate or advanced level. This is recorded on your degree certificate, as a named part of your degree.
You take language electives as part of your course for two years. Depending on your prior level of study of your chosen language, you start at beginner’s level and progress to intermediate level, or start at intermediate level and progress to advanced level. To qualify for the ‘... with proficiency in (a specific language)’ award, you need to successfully complete the two-year programme in one language at intermediate or advanced level. As we offer languages from beginner’s level, there are no language entry requirements for this scheme.
For 2014 entry, the range of languages will include French, German, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese and Mandarin Chinese.
English Language Teaching as an elective
As well as modern foreign languages, we are also offering English Language Teaching as an elective, taken over Years 1 and 2. Students successfully completing this elective may obtain a professional qualification in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). This qualification will significantly enhance your employability and future opportunities as a graduate.
Open language courses
If you are interested in learning a new language or improving your existing foreign-language skills outside the context of your chosen course, Sussex offers the opportunity to study a language on a weekly basis with other students, members of the University staff and the local community. You can choose from Arabic, British Sign Language, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Spanish classes. The majority of classes take place in the early evening.
All of our open language courses offer the opportunity to develop language skills and to learn about the country and customs concerned.
Independent language learning
The Language Learning Centre provides state-of-the-art technology that supports self-access language learning. Foreign-language newspapers and magazines are also available. Further information about these courses and tuition fees is available from the Open Course Office (email opencourses@sussex.ac.uk) or at the Sussex Centre for Language Studies.
Programme content
This degree is an excellent choice for those wishing to obtain a thorough understanding of anthropology. This understanding, together with an in-depth knowledge of a language, is particularly attractive to international employers.
In Year 1 and 2, you study anthropology core modules along with your chosen language. You spend your third year studying at a university in mainland Europe, and in the final year you pursue an in-depth study of options, as well as continuing with your language studies.
We continue to develop and update our modules for 2014 entry to ensure you have the best student experience. In addition to the course structure below, you may find it helpful to refer to the 2012 modules tab.
Core content
Year 1
You are introduced to the unique ways through which anthropologists understand humans. How can we make sense of the diverse social and cultural practices across different contexts and time? You gain knowledge about the theory, methodology and applications of anthropology, as well as of key issues emerging from regional ethnographies
Year 2
You receive training in research methods, techniques and skills frequently used by anthropologists in the field. You learn about areas such as political anthropology, and find out about a central concept in the discipline: forms of power. In addition, you examine themes such as religion and ritual, and have the opportunity to spend part of this year on a placement or study abroad
Also refer to Department of Anthropology: Study abroad.
Final year
You expand your knowledge acquired in Years 1 and 2, and gain an understanding of advanced theory in anthropology. You have the opportunity to pursue intensive study of specialised fields in anthropology such as the anthropology of South Asia, Africa or Latin America • human rights • anthropology of development • medicine and culture • the anthropology of the body
How will I learn?
We emphasise interactive forms of teaching such as seminars, workshops and tutorials, though there are also lectures. You will develop your ability to work independently and to communicate ideas through essays and other forms of presentation. Assessment includes exams and coursework, as well as end-of-module essays and dissertations.
For more information, visit Studying at Sussex.
What will I achieve?
- a wide understanding of contemporary cultures and societies and an ability to understand processes of change in the modern world
- the ability to relate anthropology to a broad range of practical context
- an understanding of the nature of cultural and social differences and how to approach these differences in the contemporary world
- competence and confidence in presenting your own ideas as well as those of others
- analytical skills, useful in a wide range of contexts.
We continue to develop and update our modules for 2014 entry to ensure you have the best student experience. In addition to the course structure below, you may find it helpful to refer to the 2012 modules tab.
Core content
Year 1
You study your target language(s), with the focus on accuracy and fluency in both speaking and writing. You can explore study skills that allow you to make the best of our well-equipped Language Learning Centre
Alongside language study you follow modules giving you an insight into the ideas and events that underpin modern society in the countries of Europe and beyond. What is it like to live and work in France, Italy and Spain today? What place does Europe have within the wider international context and what are the attitudes of Europeans towards their own countries, Britain, the rest of Europe and the world beyond?
You are also introduced to aspects of cultural difference. What is culture? What part does cultural competence play in communication between speakers of different mother tongues?
Year 2
Your language study becomes more demanding, with the focus on high levels of competence in tasks such as giving oral presentations, writing reports, summarising spoken and written texts, writing book and film reviews, and holding meetings and discussions. The advanced study of your language prepares you for your third year abroad. In addition to your language study, you explore cultural, political, historical, literary and social aspects of countries in and beyond Europe where French, Italian or Spanish are spoken. You also learn about language in use and consider ways in which language is affected by differing social contexts. How does language reflect culture? How do we signal politeness, formality, irony, etc in English? How does this compare with other languages? What issues do such questions raise for translation and mediation between cultures? You have the opportunity to investigate these and other related areas
Year 3
Your third year is spent abroad, studying at one of our partner universities, on a work placement or as a teaching assistant in a school
Year 4
You take language modules including an introduction to the vocational skills of translation and interpreting. You will also develop and deepen your knowledge of relevant social or cultural issues through the study of special subjects
How will I learn?
Learning and teaching are focused around language classes, complemented by lectures and seminars both on broad European issues of modern and contemporary importance, and on specific topics relevant to the target language(s). Subjects range widely from popular culture and current affairs to philosophy, politics, history, information technology, art and photography, film and theatre.
There will be ample opportunity for group work, as well as for individual research and self-directed study. Materials include texts from literary and journalistic sources, as well as input from audiovisual and internet media. Assessment methods include coursework, learning journals, essay writing, spoken presentations, oral and aural examining, written examinations, extended essays, projects, reports and dissertations.
For more information, visit Studying at Sussex.
What will I achieve?
- advanced language and communication skills, as well as an introduction to skills in intercultural mediation such as translation and interpreting
- intellectual skills including the ability to acquire appropriate knowledge, to analyse and evaluate cultural products of various kinds, to make comparisons between different areas of intellectual and cultural concern and the approaches that characterise them, and to express arguments and ideas effectively in both English and your target language(s)
- knowledge and understanding of significant aspects of the culture, developments, artefacts and achievements of Europe and of countries in other continents where French, Italian or Spanish are spoken
- informed and sympathetic comprehension and appreciation of the diversity, but also the inter-relatedness, of different cultures
- through the crosscultural experience of a year spent studying or working abroad, skills and adaptability that give you excellent preparation for your future professional life.
Please note that these are the modules running in 2012.
Year 1
Core modules
- Europe 1900-45
- France 1900-45
- French 1A
- French 1B
- Key Concepts in Anthropology
- The Anthropological Imagination
- The Anthropology of Exchange, Money and Markets
- The Anthropology of Kinship and Relatedness
Options
Year 2
Core modules
Options
Year 4
Core modules
Options
- Anthropology of Fertility, Reproduction and Health
- Anthropology of the Body
- Conflict, Violence and Peace: Critical perspectives
- Conflict, Violence and Peace: Critical perspectives
- Current Themes in the Anthropology of Latin America
- Environmental Anthropology
- French Special Subject 1
- French Special Subject 2
- Genres in European Literature
- Medicine and Culture
- Modern Languages Dissertation
- Race, Ethnicity and Identity
- The Anthropology of Africa
Europe 1900-45
15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1
This module focuses on the development of essential study skills such as textual analysis, note-taking, the planning and writing of essays and summaries. You will normally work with texts written in (one of) your foreign language(s).
France 1900-45
15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1
This module develops and extends the ideas and themes introduced in the module History and Culture in the 20th Century. Relevant works of literature, film, theatre and the press are studied in the target language, wherever possible. Written and oral material is drawn from a wide range of sources to make you aware of the context in which the country whose language you study has progressed towards its current situation. You will develop essential skills of note-taking, discussing, summarising, analysing and essay writing (including documentation).
French 1A
15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1
French 1B
15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1
Key Concepts in Anthropology
15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1
This module provides an overview of the big questions that anthropologists have contributed to and the different theoretical paradigms and concepts that they have developed or adopted. The aim is to provide you with a rapid overview of the discipline. It begins with two weeks examining the concepts of Society and Culture and their varied conceptualisations, followed by weeks that take in turn the key characteristics and assumptions of
- British structural functionalism
- methodological individualism and agency
- French structuralism
- British structuralism
- marxism, ideology and hegemony
- poststructuralism
- discourse and power/knowledge
- poststructuralism
- 'practice' and phenomenology.
The Anthropological Imagination
15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1
The module aims to convey a sense of anthropology as an exciting, 'living' subject, alive to the concerns of different communities and
populations living across the globe, and as cutting edge in terms of the research conducted by anthropologists at Sussex as they
actively engage with issues of social, cultural and global transformation. This is accomplished through a module structure which
revolves around 5 core themes considered central to the subject which capture anthropological thinking on the subjects of culture,
identity and representation:
- kinship, self and body
- economy as culture
- religion and politics
- and work on the global-local interface.
The Anthropology of Exchange, Money and Markets
15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1
The purpose of this module is to introduce you to how anthropologists have conceptualised, researched, and generated new understandings of the human activities that comprise economic life. Studying economic life from an anthropological view requires us to rethink such concepts as work and leisure, poverty and wealth, gifts and commodities, money and markets, and the term 'economy' itself. Therefore, economic anthropology enables us to critique some of the universalisms of mainstream economics through which capitalism has become naturalised. Traditionally, economic anthropology has been concerned with systems of exchange, non-industrial economies, and livelihood systems. In addition to covering these topics, we will examine issues of contemporary concern such as class, money, debt, shopping, factories, fair trade, globalisation, bioeconomies, and new strategies and practices of resistance.
The Anthropology of Kinship and Relatedness
15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1
The study of human relatedness and kinship has been central to the history of British social anthropology. This module introduces you to classic and new debates in kinship studies drawing upon material from a wide range of ethnographic contexts to examine the ways in which societies organise and conceptualise human relationships. It is concerned with the transformation of social structures and processes as well as the connections between kin organisations and power in developing and post-industrial societies. The module considers both accepted and more novel ways in thinking about human kinship: how we become related through 'substance', emotion, place and technology, for example. It covers both historical ground as well as the contemporary debates in the study of human relatedness.
French For Bilinguals A
15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1
This is an entry-level module in translation theory and practice. You will submit a fortnightly translation. Weekly, you will work with a tutor on a pre-distributed text and derive a translation in class. Focused attention is given to the problematics of translation, eg basic theories and strategies available, difficulties of untranslatability, cultural/linguistic matters, and the register/genre/style demands of translation. Working is in both directions, eg theme and version. In addition to exploring the relationships between, eg accuracy, fluency and appropriacy in translation, the teaching prepares you for more comparative translation, oral-aural working, and commentary activities in French Translation Theory and Practice 1B.
French For Bilinguals B
15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1
Ethnographic Methods
15 credits
Autumn & spring teaching, Year 2
This module introduces you to practical, theoretical and ethical issues surrounding ethnographic research in anthropology and the social sciences more generally. Methodological concerns around research design and implementation will be explored through a series of workshops on epistemology, methodology, and ethics.
It introduces you to a range of qualitative research methods, including the research interview, participant-observation and various participatory research methods. The module also introduces you to the analysis of qualitative data and to key issues of writing and representation. It is assessed by a group research project that you conduct by yourself. This project will give you the opportunity to design and conduct an independent piece of ethnographic research around a key anthropological theme, while allowing you to reflect on and apply the theoretical and practical insights gained over the course of the module.
France 1945-date
15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2
Relevant works of literature, film, theatre and the press are studied in French, wherever possible. Written and oral material is drawn from a wide range of sources to make you aware of the context in which France has progressed towards its current situation. You will develop essential skills of note-taking, discussing, summarising, analysing and essay writing (including documentation). The module will allow you to progress towards independent study.
French 2A
15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2
Your knowledge of syntax will be revised and progressed and active knowledge of lexis increased. Speaking, listening, reading and written skills will be raised to a higher level through the study of authentic texts taken from a variety of media. The study of relevant current affairs will be an important element of the module.
French 2B
15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2
Anthropology Fieldtrips
15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2
This module introduces you to anthropological research in the field through a series of short UK and European based fieldtrips. Each topic is first introduced through a preparatory seminar during which relevant theoretical literature and approaches are discussed. You then meet with tutors at the chosen field-sites in order to conduct your own ethnographic observations and research. Topics may include:
- a consideration of human rights at the International Criminal Courts at the Hague
- a study of urban regeneration and gentrification in East London
- the ethnography of non-place and consumption in a shopping centre.
Culture and Performance
15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2
The module focuses on the anthropological master trope of "culture" and on the political dimensions of representing culture or "cultures". We consider how anthropological understandings of "culture", as well as anthropologists' modes of analysing and representing it in anthropological work, developed over the 20th century, partially in conversation with other disciplines. We also examine how "culture" operates as a key idea in the public domain, used by politicians, community and human rights activists, artists, scientists, museum curators and others in relation to a wide range of issues and debates when distinctions between "ourselves" and "others" are at stake. Finally, we look at some activities within the cultural domain (such as music, dance, theatre, verbal artistry) which have a performative dimension, and consider how anthropologists have approached these activities to address questions about structure and agency, embodiment, experience, art and aesthetics, creativity, power and protest.
Europe 1945-date
15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2
The module provides you with an overview of important historical and cultural developments in the second part of the 20th century, focussing on the period from the 1940s through to the present day. Movements and trends in the political, historical and social area and their impact on the arts and literature are addressed in the lectures. For all these topics, various national settings (France, Germany, Italy and Spain) are examined and discussed. The lecture series seeks to establish a comparative perspective on the relevant issues.
Language and Nation
15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2
Following a short introduction, the module falls into two parts. The first looks at how we discover the links between Language, Thought and Nation, and try to identify and analyse covert as well as overt associations between these. Who are the guardians and gatekeepers of our 'native' languages, and what are the pressures to have English in England, French in France but Castillian in Spain and Post-Florentine in Italy? Are some languages more equal than others, conferring more status to their users? And why do languages still change despite 'Academies'? The second part looks at instances of how expressions of the relationship between a nation and its language emerge as various literary and other genres (with particular reference to the novel), and how these feed back into the collective identity (with particular reference to representations in the cinema of various countries).
Politics and Power
15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2
This module draws on political anthropology and social theory to explore what is for many anthropologists the central concept in the discipline: forms of power. In Western societies the term 'politics' tends to connote a quite narrow range of activities and institutions, typically those focused around parties, government and the state. We shall be using the term 'political' in a much wider sense, and linking it to the operations of power. Power is not a thing, but an aspect of a vast range of relationships from the most local to the global. There can be no neat boundaries around this field of study. Instead our intention is to explore the way the analysis of power has widened and deepened over the last fifty years, and to suggest continuity with economic and cultural processes that you are studying in other modules.
Religion and Ritual
15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2
This module is concerned with the explanation of religious and ritual phenomena. It explores the key theoretical issues by examining ethnographic material that deals with - among other things - initiation, myth, witchcraft, symbolism and religious experience. There is also some treatment of more 'secular' rituals such as carnival and Christmas. The focus is as much on how people believe as on what they believe; on why they perform rituals as much as what these rituals look like. It explores both classic texts and more recent accounts, to give you a sense of where particular arguments have come from and where they are going.
Visual Anthropology
15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2
This module will familiarise you with theories and applications of visual anthropology. You will have the opportunity to study complex legacies of visual representation in anthropology as well as contemporary, activist visual work. Crossovers between anthropological and other relevant visual epistemologies in the social sciences will be explored. You will also undertake visual research projects.
Europe Mandatory Year Abroad - Modern Languages
120 credits
Autumn & spring teaching, Year 3
French 3A
15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4
The two hours per week classroom contact throughout this 25-week module are devoted, on the one hand, to oral and interpreting work and, on the other, to translation and composition. There is therefore an emphasis upon oral proficiency, both in everyday conversation and in more formal contexts, such as presentations and mediation between speakers of French and English. There is a similar emphasis upon written proficiency, whether writing French 'freely' within the framework of a discursive essay, translating from English into French or, indeed, from French into English. Roughly equal contact time is devoted to these three written skills and the same weighting is accorded to each of them in assessments.
French 3B
15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4
Anthropology of Fertility, Reproduction and Health
30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4
The module uses social and cultural perspectives to examine academic and policy work in the area of reproduction, sexuality and health. It draws on the insights of medical anthropology, especially in relation to the body, gender and power, to critically reflect on reproduction, sexuality and health issues across the global North and South. A particular concern is with the existence and experience of sexual and reproductive inequalities in diverse social and cultural settings. Contrary to popular belief, reproduction is a process which is as much about men as it is about women, and is studied in the context of, for example, male fertility/infertility, masculinity, fatherhood and male sexual health. The module builds upon the theoretical perspectives introduced in the second year on kinship, procreation, social reproduction, sexuality, personhood, reproductive technologies, human rights and applied anthropology.
Anthropology of the Body
30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4
This module explores the body from an anthropological perspective, and considers how different societies and cultures conceptualise and experience the human body. In recent years, anthropologists and other academics have become increasingly interested in the body, including authors such as Foucault and Bourdieu. Some draw upon Merleau-Ponty's phenomenological approach with its emphasis on the senses, while others attempted to resolve the tensions between experience and agency. The module asks how the body represents a challenge for anthropological research, and explores recent ethnographic contributions to this field. We consider the body as a site on which social and cultural processes are inscribed, where power relations converge and are articulated, and as a site where agency is performed. Materials are drawn from both non-Western and Western societies.
Conflict, Violence and Peace: Critical perspectives
30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4
In recent years, there has been increased focus on conflict, violence and peace-building in the media, popular literature and aid programmes raising important questions about how these processes are understood and represented and what implications this has for the local and international response and in turn the transformation of conflict and violence. This module will offer critical perspectives on mainstream approaches to the study of conflict, violence and peace drawing on both anthropology and development studies.
Conflict, Violence and Peace: Critical perspectives
30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4
In recent years, there has been increased focus on conflict, violence and peace-building in the media, popular literature and aid programmes raising important questions about how these processes are understood and represented and what implications this has for the local and international response and in turn the transformation of conflict and violence. This module will offer critical perspectives on mainstream approaches to the study of conflict, violence and peace drawing on both anthropology and development studies.
Current Themes in the Anthropology of Latin America
30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4
The aim of this module is to provide a framework for understanding current anthropological issues in the Latin American region, as well as how Latin American anthropology (both anthropology on Latin America and anthropology by Latin Americans) has contributed to the development of the wider anthropological discipline. Some of the themes covered will engage with anthropological understandings of indigeneity, race, gender, colonialism, nation states and environmentalism. The module will be mostly focused on the Amazonian and Andean regions but will also link to other parts of Latin America. Each week will be centred on ethnographic pieces that offer interesting reflections for contemporary issues as well as anthropological theory.
Environmental Anthropology
30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4
This module considers the cross-cultural study of relations between people and their environment. Like the focus of many environmental movements, much recent work in ecological anthropology has been crisis-driven. Whilst covering this literature, the focus of this module will be broader, taking a wider perspective, including the context in which the research itself is being done. Current work on the human dimensions of deforestation, or global climate change, for example, can be informed and strengthened by an understanding of the century-old intellectual lineage of the underlying issues.
The module will therefore cover the evolution of environmental anthropology, using ethnographic exemplars that relate to contemporary environmental issues, whilst at the same time probing debates such as:
- the Nature-Culture trap, and beyond
- Ecology and Social Organisation
- the Politics of Natural Resources and the Environment (including environmental anthropological contributions to mining, resource conflict etc.)
- knowing (and the limits to knowing) and researching the environment
French Special Subject 1
15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4
This module, delivered in French to all single-honours and joint-major students studying French as part of their degree, will address some key works by two of the most significant writers in 20th-century French literature, namely Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone deBeauvoir. The texts themselves may vary from year to year, but they will normally include at least one notable exemplar of the theatre, prose fiction, biography and/or autobiography, and the discursive or polemical essay (whether literary, political, philosophical or sociological in theme). A prime focus of analysis will be the manner in which this famous existentialist couple transposed their lived experience – and, to an extent, their own relationship – into a plethora of literary forms.
French Special Subject 2
15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4
Genres in European Literature
15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4
This weekly lecture plus fortnightly seminar module, delivered in English to all Single Honours linguists (one or two languages) will consider key genres or styles in 20th-century European prose literature. These will vary from year to year, but will typically include some of the following: the novel and narrative theory, the short story, women's writing, biography, autobiography, fantasy, juvenilia and writing about youth. Equally, the authors and works selected for study (in English translation) will vary, but will normally include at least one prominent writer in each of the four European languages offered at this level, namely French, German, Italian and Spanish.
Medicine and Culture
30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4
Drawing from ethnographic and cross-cultural research, the module will explore the relationships between medicine, culture, and society. After an introduction to some of the classical social anthropological approaches to affliction and healing, we will read a series of medical anthropology ethnographies selected for their different theoretical and analytical approaches to understanding medicine and culture. We will consider interpretative, symbolic, psychoanalytic, 'ethnopsychiatric', and cultural phenomenological approaches for understanding such phenomena as sorcery, possession, exorcism, shamanism, and charismatic healing. We conclude by examining recent approaches to medicine that can be characterised as cultural criticism.
Modern Languages Dissertation
15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4
This module is available as an option both to single-honours and joint-major modern linguists. It provides the opportunity to conduct a self-assigned piece of research and to write it up in the target language, as an alternative to working in English in "Genres" (R9033). Each student will be allocated a supervisor in the relevant language, with whom s/he will agree the topic of her/his research and the title of the dissertation. However, that research will be essentially self-directed under the light-touch guidance of the supervisor, provided initially through shared workshops and, later on, through one-to-one tutorials. The student will be required to produce two excerpts of work in progress, at mutually agreed points in TB1, so that the supervisor can check that s/he is on the right lines and offer helpful formative feedback. For illustrative purposes, research topics might include: modern French authors, especially Sartre and the existentialists; post-war German literature; cinema adaptations of European literary works; Golden Age Spanish drama.
Race, Ethnicity and Identity
30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4
This module focuses on theories of race, ethnicity and identity. It applies diverse theoretical approaches to race, ethnicity and identity to historical and contemporary ethnographic contexts. As well as examining the way in which racial and ethnic identities have been constructed across time and space, the module interrogates these constructions with specific reference to:
- the development of anthropology
- slavery and colonialialism
- scientific racism
- postcolonial political regimes
- postcolonial feminism
- conflict and genocide
- identity-based mass violence
- diaspora, transnationalism and the Black Atlantic
- contemporary understandings of race and racism in its myriad forms
- multicultural lives and hybridity.
The Anthropology of Africa
30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4
This module introduces you to contemporary anthropological approaches in culture and society in Africa. The guiding thread is an exploration of the relationship between macro and micro levels of analysis in understanding of African society through a selection of thematic lenses (economy, politics, religion, health, gender, conflict, power etc.).
Entry requirements
Sussex welcomes applications from students of all ages who show evidence of the academic maturity and broad educational background that suggests readiness to study at degree level. For most students, this will mean formal public examinations; details of some of the most common qualifications we accept are shown below. If you are an overseas student, refer to Applicants from outside the UK.
All teaching at Sussex is in the English language. If your first language is not English, you will also need to demonstrate that you meet our English language requirements.
- A level
Typical offer: AAB-ABB
Specific entry requirements: A levels must include French, at least grade B
- International Baccalaureate
Typical offer: 34 points overall
Specific entry requirements: Successful applicants will need Higher Level French, with at least grade 5
For more information refer to International Baccalaureate.
- Access to HE Diploma
Typical offer: Pass the Access to HE Diploma with at least 45 credits at Level 3, of which 30 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher.
Specific entry requirements: The Access to HE Diploma should be in the humanities or social sciences. Successful applicants will normally also need A level French, at least grade B (or other evidence of A level standard French)
For more information refer to Access to HE Diploma.
- Advanced Diploma
Typical offer: Pass with at least grade B in the Diploma and A in the Additional and Specialist Learning
Specific entry requirements: The Additional and Specialist Learning must be an A-level in French
For more information refer to Advanced Diploma.
- BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma
Typical offer: DDD-DDM
Specific entry requirements: Successful applicants will also need A level French, grade B, in addition to the BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma
For more information refer to BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma.
- European Baccalaureate
Typical offer: Overall result of at least 77%
Specific entry requirements: Evidence of existing academic ability in French is essential
For more information refer to European Baccalaureate.
- Finnish Ylioppilastutkinto
Typical offer: Overall average result in the final matriculation examinations of at least 6.0
Specific entry requirements: Evidence of existing academic ability in French is essential
- French Baccalauréat
Typical offer: Overall final result of at least 13/20
- German Abitur
Typical offer: Overall result of 1.8 or better
Specific entry requirements: Evidence of existing academic ability in French is essential
- Irish Leaving Certificate (Higher level)
Typical offer: AAAABB-AABBBB
Specific entry requirements: Evidence of existing academic ability in French is essential
- Italian Diploma di Maturità or Diploma Pass di Esame di Stato
Typical offer: Final Diploma mark of at least 90/100
Specific entry requirements: Evidence of existing academic ability in French is essential
- Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers
Typical offer: AAABB-AABBB
Specific entry requirements: Highers must include French, with at least grade B. Ideally, applicants will have French at Advanced Higher, also grade B
For more information refer to Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers.
- Spanish Titulo de Bachillerato (LOGSE)
Typical offer: Overall average result of at least 8.0
Specific entry requirements: Evidence of existing academic ability in French is essential
- Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma
Typical offer: Pass the Core plus AB in two A-levels
Specific entry requirements: A levels must include French
For more information refer to Welsh Baccalaureate.
English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall, with not less than 6.0 in each section. Internet-based TOEFL with 88 overall, with at least 20 in Listening, 19 in Reading, 21 in Speaking and 23 in Writing.
For more information, refer to alternative English language requirements.
For more information about the admissions process at Sussex:
Undergraduate Admissions,
Sussex House,
University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
T +44 (0)1273 678416
F +44 (0)1273 678545
E ug.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk
Related subjects
Fees and funding
Fees
Home/EU students: £9,0001
Channel Island and Isle of Man students: £9,0002
Overseas students: £13,0003
1 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
2 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
3 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
To find out about your fee status, living expenses and other costs, visit further financial information.
Funding
The funding sources listed below are for the subject area you are viewing and may not apply to all degrees listed within it. Please check the description of the individual funding source to make sure it is relevant to your chosen degree.
To find out more about funding and part-time work, visit further financial information.
Care Leavers Award (2014)
Region: UK
Level: UG
Application deadline: 31 July 2015
For students have been in council care before starting at Sussex.
First-Generation Scholars Scheme (2014)
Region: UK
Level: UG
Application deadline: 12 June 2015
The scheme is targeted to help students from relatively low income families – ie those whose family income is up to £42,622.
First-Generation Scholars Scheme EU Student Award (2014)
Region: Europe (Non UK)
Level: UG
Application deadline: 12 June 2015
£3,000 fee waiver for UG Non-UK EU students whose family income is below £25,000
Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust for Undergraduate Study (2014)
Region: UK
Level: UG
Application deadline: 1 March 2014
The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust are offering bursaries to Undergraduate students following an undergraduate degree courses in any subject.
Careers and profiles
Anthropology tends to attract students with creative minds. Given this, and the central interests of anthropologists in cultural diversity in a changing world, this course leads to a wide range of career opportunities. These include:
- development work in agencies such as the Department for International Development (DFID) or UN organisations, international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as Oxfam or Amnesty International, and charities
- civil service, including local government, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the Environment Agency
- community development work in the UK and overseas
- British Council, journalism and the world of business
- further study to gain professional or postgraduate qualifications.
Our recent graduates have taken up a wide range of posts including: junior publicist at Franklin Rose • project administrator at AD-Action • motivational speaker at Free the Children • runner at Deep Blue Sea • welfare officer at the University of Sussex • contracts co-ordinator at Pearson Education • researcher at Institute of Children’s Health, University College London • intern at Oxfam • associate tutor in education at the University of Sussex • intern at Peace Child India • project consultant at ICP search • sales executive at William Reid Business Media • consultant at Corendon Airlines.
Specific employer destinations listed are taken from recent Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education surveys, which are produced annually by the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
Employers will value your communication and language skills, not to mention the maturity and life experience gained during your year abroad. More than 80 per cent of employers surveyed said they actively sought graduates who had studied abroad (QS Global Employer Survey Report 2011).
Careers that are open to our graduates include: arts and the media • journalism and publishing • business and marketing • commerce and finance • civil and diplomatic services • the institutions of the European Union • public service and politics • teaching and academia.
Recent destinations of our graduates include: Amnesty International • Red Cross • Sony • Headstar • DeHavilland News • Imperial College, London • Keble College, Oxford.
Careers and employability
For employers, it’s not so much what you know, but what you can do with your knowledge that counts. The experience and skills you’ll acquire during and beyond your studies will make you an attractive prospect. Initiatives such as SussexPlus, delivered by the Careers and Employability Centre, help you turn your skills to your career advantage. It’s good to know that 94 per cent of our graduates are in work or further study (Which? University).
For more information on the full range of initiatives that make up our career and employability plan for students, visit Careers and alumni.
Contact our School
School of Global Studies
The School of Global Studies aims to provide one of the UK's premier venues for understanding how the world is changing. It offers a broad range of perspectives on global issues, and staff and students are actively engaged with a wide range of international and local partners, contributing a distinctive perspective on global affairs.
How do I find out more?
For more information, contact the admissions tutor:
Anthropology,
University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9SJ, UK
E anthoffice@sussex.ac.uk
T +44 (0)1273 877185
F +44 (0)1273 623572
Department of Anthropology
Sussex Centre for Language Studies
The Sussex Centre for Language Studies has a digital language laboratory and multimedia workstations for private study of over sixty world languages, and its highly qualified and experienced staff will make your learning experience relaxed but structured.
How do I find out more?
For more information, contact the admissions tutor:
Sussex Centre for Language Studies,
University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9SH, UK
E languages@sussex.ac.uk
T +44 (0)1273 877258
F +44 (0)1273 678476
Sussex Centre for Language Studies
Visit us
Sussex Open Day
Saturday 5 October 2013
Open Days offer you the chance to speak one to one with our world-leading academic staff, find out more about our courses, tour specialist facilities, explore campus, visit student accommodation, and much more. Booking is required. Go to Visit us and Open Days to book onto one of our tours.
Campus tours
Not able to attend one of our Open Days? Then book on to one of our weekly guided campus tours.
Mature-student information session
If you are 21 or over, and thinking about starting an undergraduate degree at Sussex, you may want to attend one of our mature student information sessions. Running between October and December, they include guidance on how to approach your application, finance and welfare advice, plus a guided campus tour with one of our current mature students.
Self-guided visits
If you are unable to make any of the visit opportunities listed, drop in Monday to Friday year round and collect a self-guided tour pack from Sussex House reception.
Jonathan's staff perspective
‘Sussex provides world-leading teaching and excellent academic facilities, with a vibrant student life in a fantastic location. All of this meant that I left Sussex with a unique set of experiences and a degree that has prepared me for my future.
‘Joining Student Recruitment Services at the University has enabled me to share my experiences of Sussex with others. Coming to an Open Day gives you the opportunity to meet our research-active academics and our current students, while exploring our beautiful campus. But don’t worry if you can’t make an Open Day, there’s plenty of other opportunities to visit Sussex. Check out our Visit us and Open Days pages or our Facebook page to find out more.
‘I’ve loved every moment of my time at Sussex – these have been the best years of my life.’
Jonathan Bridges
Graduate Intern, Student Recruitment Services