Social and Cultural Anthropology
Social and Cultural Anthropology
Head of department: Miss J Vincent
Aims of the course
To explore the characteristics and complexities of social and cultural life
To develop new ways of thinking about the world that demonstrates the interconnectedness of local, regional and global processes and issues
To foster an awareness of how cultural and social contexts inform the production of anthropological knowledge
Course outline
The course is organised into three parts:
Part 1: Engaging with anthropology through the exploration of concepts such as belief, change, materiality, power, social relations and symbolism
Part 2: Engaging with ethnography through nine areas of inquiry which may include classifying the world, conflict, development, production, exchange and consumption
Part 3: Engaging in anthropological practice involving internal assessment with SL students conducting an observation and critique exercise whilst HL students carry out their own fieldwork
Assessment outline
Paper 1
Questions on an unseen text relating to part 1
‘engaging with anthropology’:
Standard level - 1hr 30 mins (40%)
Three compulsory questions based on an unseen text
and one compulsory question on one of the six “big” anthropological questions from part 1 of the course
Higher level - 2hrs (30%)
Section A: Three compulsory questions based on an unseen text
and one compulsory question on one of the six “big” anthropological questions from part 1 of the course
Section B: HL extension—anthropological ethics. One compulsory question based on one of two stimuli (visual and written)
Paper 2
Questions based on part 2
‘engaging with ethnography’
Standard level - 1hr 30 mins (40%)
Section A: one compulsory question requiring students to make connections between a key concept, area of inquiry and real-world issue
Section B: nine areas of inquiry, each containing two questions; students choose one question which must not be the same area of inquiry used in section A
Higher level - 2hrs 30 mins (45%)
Section A: one compulsory question requiring students to make connections between a key concept, area of inquiry and real-world issue
Section B: nine areas of inquiry, each containing two questions; students choose two questions from two different areas of inquiry which must be the same as the area of inquiry used in section A
Internal assessment
Tasks based on part 3
‘engaging in anthropological practice’
Standard level - 20hrs (30%)
Four compulsory activities:
Observation report
Methodological and conceptual extension of initial fieldwork
Second fieldwork data collection and analysis
Critical reflection
Higher level - 60 hrs (25%)
Three compulsory activities:
Fieldwork proposal form
Critical reflection
Research report and reflection
University opportunities:
Entry requirements to study Anthropology degrees tend to be quite flexible, depending on the type of Anthropology studied. For Forensic Anthropology, you might need to have good grades in Mathematics and science subjects, particularly Biology but for the Sociocultural type there may just be a preference for good grades in English Language, the Humanities or Social Sciences
Apprenticeship opportunities:
Anthropology can open up apprenticeship opportunities in fields as diverse as advertising, central or local government and politics, conservation, counselling, human resources, nursing, social work, sales and marketing
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