Sociocultural Anthropology

COURSE CONTENT

The consecutive Master programme in Anthropology we offer at the Institute of Anthropology provides a theoretically and empirically well-founded and in-depth training in Social and Cultural Anthropology. In a globalised world, Anthropology plays a special role as a comparative discipline in the humanities that looks at the variety of human ways of life and cultural perspectives. The subject of the programme is the advanced study of cultural processes and dynamics in a globally connected world, without losing sight of the local and emplaced dimensions of everyday life. The programme qualifies students to recognise and understand local, regional and global cultural processes in terms of meanings, values, communications and practices. These cultural processes draw together aspects of economy, religion, politics, health, kinship, aesthetics and other aspects of culture and society. The regional foci lie on Southeast Asia, South Asia and Oceania, but other world regions and Western societies are also covered under the programme’s comparative scope. The Master programme deepens theoretical, methodological and regional knowledge, while it equips students with the tools necessary to conduct independent scientific research, tackle complex problems, and carry out in-depth analyses of socio-cultural issues. Graduates are subsequently able to work independently in various professional settings or carry out PhD work. The main language of instruction is English.

It is mandatory to choose a minor in combination with this Master programme. For further information please refer to the Examination Rules and Regulations.

COURSE STRUCTURE

The degree programme is divided into the following sections:  

• a specialisation in basic cultural and social-anthropological theory (Module 1). An analysis of anthropology classics will be performed to view the relationship of these to current anthropological debates, theories, and methods. 
• a specialisation in one or more theoretical foci or in a particular region (Modules 2 – 3). 
• support for both independent and guided research projects, including fundamental training in methodology. 
• excellent opportunities for acquiring language skills outside of – but also within – the traditional European languages (Module 5). 
• support in the development of interdisciplinary skills, based, in part, upon the close relationships with the Karl Jaspers Center for Advanced Transcultural Studies and the South Asia Institute, along with intensive networking with numerous related disciplines (Module 5).