Introduction to Social Anthropology: Who We Are and Where We’re Going

Course Overview

To think like a social anthropologist involves leaving behind what we assume to be true about the world in order to explore the different realities of culture across the globe. In an ever-changing world, understanding what makes us different and what connects us is more important than ever. Anthropology gives us the chance to turn the lens on ourselves and get curious about the human narrative. On this course, students are invited to ask questions about what it means to be human and discover that there have always been plenty of other ways to live. Students on this course will be taken on a journey from humanity’s very beginning to explore some of the most fascinating cultures and civilisations to ever have existed, finishing with a look ahead to the future of our race. From the Mayan worship of the Sun God to Tibetan rules of inheritance, by the end of the course students will have travelled through time and space and will have the tools to think with the open, inquisitive mind of a social anthropologist.