Introduction to Social Anthropology at St Andrews

Dr Paloma Gay y Blasco
Introduction to Social Anthropology
at St Andrews
1 What is Social Anthropology?
2 Careers in Social Anthropology
3 Learning Social Anthropology
What is Social
Anthropology?
Comparative study of society and
culture
Participant observation
Small scale groups
“From the native’s point of view”
Gives centrality to non-Western
societies
Contextualises Western ways of
thinking
Five overlapping areas of study:
How people…
… obtain a livelihood under different conditions (economics)
… allocate power and resist its exercise (politics)
… organise and think about relatedness (kinship)
… organise relations between men and women (gender)
… set up and challenge systems of belief (religion)
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Anthropology research at
St Andrews:
Spanish Gypsies: minorities and the
State; gender relations
Papua New Guinea: mining
companies
Central Asia: art; nomadism; postsocialism
The Amazon: deforestation;
conversion to Christianity
What an anthropology degree has to offer:
•key discipline for 21st century society
•translation and communication: mediation in multi-ethnic
and multi-cultural world
•Learn to see the world from other people’s perspectives
•Embed these perspectives in their social, political and
economic contexts
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Employers value
anthropology graduates
because of their…
Sensitivity to cross-cultural issues
Ability to communicate in crosscultural contexts
Ability to analyse interpersonal
relations
Ability to understand social and
cultural micro-dynamics
Knowledge of the developing
world
Some careers where an
anthropology degree is
particularly valuable:
Aid organisations
NGO work
Agency and charity work
Journalism and media
Personnel management
Civil service (including foreign office)
Social work
Local government agencies
Museum and library
Consultancy and research
Law
Education
Politics
The Department at St Andrews
5A rated at last RAE
11 permanent staff members - Wide range of
expertise
All teaching is research-led
Teacher training: Institute of Learning and
Teaching in Higher Education - PCHET
Undergraduates encouraged to participate in the
intellectual and social life of the dept.
Weekly seminars with visiting speakers
Weekends away
Degree Options
Single Honours: Social Anthropology
Joint Honours: Social Anthropology
and
Arabic, Art History, Classical Studies,
Economics, English, Film Studies,
French, Geography, International
Relations, Italian, Medieval History,
Philosophy, Psychology, Russian,
Scottish History, Spanish, Theology
With Geography or Linguistics
Economics or Geography with Social
Anthropology
Anthropology at St Andrews
Sub-Honours Year 1
2 semester-long modules
3 lectures/week; 250 – 300 students
Fortnightly tutorials: 8-10 students
Introduction to key issues
Some topics:
The impact of colonialism on the
economics of the developing world
Cloning and the future of persons
Deforestation and life in the Amazon
Globalisation and migration
Ritual initiations in PNG
Anthropology at St Andrews
Sub-Honours Year 2
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2 semester-long modules
3 lectures/week: 80-90 students
Fortnightly tutorials: 8-10 students
Introduction to anthropological theory
Some topics:
The emergence of Social Anthropology
First encounters: the West meets ‘the
Rest’
Was anthropology the handmaiden of
colonialism?
The role of anthropology in the
contemporary world
Social Anthropology Years 3 -4
Honours
Graffitti
Core and optional courses
Regional and topical courses
Dissertation and skills training:
one-year-long, independent project
Class size: up to 40
Individual supervision
Some courses:
Critical Thinkers and Classical Texts
Sex and Gender
Anthropology and Philosophy
Production, Consumption and Exchange
Art and material culture
Development
Amazonian peoples
The Black Atlantic
Papua New Guinea
Gypsies in Contemporary Europe