Anthropology

Making Sense of Humanity: Key Concepts in Anthropology

Module code: L6067
Level 4
15 credits in autumn semester
Teaching method: Lecture, Seminar
Assessment modes: Essay, Coursework

Anthropology’s contribution to knowledge is more than documenting the way people live in different societies. Anthropologists also theorise, interpret, analyse and explain different ways of life.

They do this to:

• make these approcahes understandable to outsiders
• inform policy and development
• build a broader picture of the nature, capacity and variation of humankind.

On this module, you’ll learn the different ways anthropologists have done this. You’ll also critically examine the limitations and assumptions of each approach.

Module learning outcomes

• A basic grasp of the development of Social Anthropology in the twentieth century
• A constructively critical approach to key terms of social analysis, especially society, culture, individual
• A basic grasp of some of the major paradigms of anthropological thought, including functionalism, structuralism, marxism
• Practice in using key concepts in discussion and writing