Master Courses Cultural Anthropology
Advanced Study of Anthropological Theory (7.5 credits)
Theory is always an abstraction of reality, an idea that helps us to direct our look and explain phenomena. This course approaches anthropological theories from three perspectives: historically, thematically, and through contemporary anthropological research.
Historically, the course explores some of the key problems to which modern social and cultural anthropology emerged as a response. Thematically, we focus on major theories and debates that have informed anthropological inquiry. Finally, the course exemplifies how anthropologists revisit and remediate classical theoretical discussions in their analytical work today.
Anthropology and Ethnology in Practice (7.5 credits)
The course focuses on how anthropological and ethnological knowledge can be applied to working life outside academia and in the activities of private and public organisations. The course draws attention to the practical uses of anthropology and ethnology and the various careers that a Master's degree in cultural anthropology or ethnology can lead to. It also addresses how anthropological and ethnological knowledge and analytical tools can be used in various professional contexts, for example, to analyse and improve the work of companies and organisations. As anthropology and ethnology are both politically and socially engaged disciplines, time will be devoted to discussions of the subjects' roles in the public arena.
The course will be based on lectures by academics and professionals with experience in applying anthropology and ethnology in private and public settings and in the work of government agencies, consulting firms and non-governmental organisations. This is combined with practical assignments such as writing professional presentations, writing and evaluating policy documents and reports, and preparing terms of reference.
Contemporary Issues in Medical Anthropology (7,5 credits)
Medical anthropology faces today novel and productive challenges in its relation to biomedicine, public health and international health policy, whether as fields of investigation or collaboration. What are the specific contributions of a medical anthropological approach to carrying out research within a biomedical context, in the global north and the global south? Health, illness and medicine are ubiquitous in contemporary public debates, but are rarely investigated critically. We will examine the challenges medical anthropologists face in research collaborations with public health, international health organisations, and medical professionals.
This course takes you to examine issues such as ‘the body’, digital health, mental health, hospital ethnography, pharmaceuticals, anatomy, and assisted reproductive technologies.
Ethnography and Multiculturalism (7,5 credits)
Contemporary anthropology has the capacity to enter new productive spaces. At the same time, it has been quite slow engaging in dialogues with policy makers and practitioners. Using anthropological tools, how can we help the fight against ethnic segregation, social exclusion and outright racism? How do we discover and improve methods while contributing perspectives that strengthen a culturally diverse society? How can we best make use of anthropological positions to challenge a hardened political climate with careless debates on migrants and attacks on a “multicultural society”?
Ethnography (7,5 credits)
Ethnography is a qualitative method with origins in cultural and social anthropology, although in recent years it is becoming increasingly popular amongst scholars in many other disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. The aim of this course is to discuss and practice ethnography and other anthropological methods. During this ten week course we combine practical exercises with reading texts about research methodology.
After the course you will in a comprehensive way know how to do ethnography and appreciate its endless possibilities.
Political Ecology (7.5 credits)
Ecology is inherently political. In this course the 'eco-cosmologies' of indigenous peoples are compared to the ecological paradigms of Western science. Contemporary case studies serve to illustrate ongoing contests for stewardship over resources, and as background to discussing modern buzzwords such as 'sustainable development' and to debating the Tragedy of the Commons model.
Political Ecology, is a rapidly growing cross-disciplinary field of study which merges human ecology, political economy, critical geography, philosophy of science, and anthropology in order to grasp the interactions between society and nature in all their complexity. The course will introduce you to the foundations and the latest theoretical perspectives and research methods of this broad field of scholarly practice.