BA|Undergraduate
Anthropology
Entry year
Academic Year 2023/24
Academic Year 2023/24
Entry requirements
ABB
ABB
Duration
3 years (Full Time)
3 years (Full Time)
UCAS code
L600
L600
Anthropology is the study of human diversity around the world. In studying anthropology, you will learn how different societies live together and think about such topics as family, sex, religion, art, and economics and gain skills increasingly in demand in a globalized and automated world.
The BA in Anthropology at Queen’s will allow you to examine some of the deepest and most pressing questions about human beings. Issues addressed in our modules include:
• Does globalisation mean the end of cultural difference?
• Can a post-conflict society heal?
• How do ritual traditions, musical performances, and art shape cultural identities?
• How do some people become willing to die for a group?
Through classroom modules, optional placements, performance ensembles and your own anthropological fieldwork, you will also gain valuable skills in critical thinking, cross-cultural understanding, researching, interviewing, writing, and presenting.
Anthropology Degree highlights
In the Guardian University Guide 2020, Anthropology was ranked 9th in the UK for Course satisfaction.
Global Opportunities
- As part of their dissertation study in years 2 and 3, students have carried out ethnographic field research around the world, including on orphanages in Kenya, AIDS in southern Africa, education in Ghana, dance in India, NGOs in Guatemala, music in China, marriage in Japan, backpacking in Europe, and whale-watching in Hawaii.
- Students have the opportunity to use practice-based research skills during eight weeks of ethnographic fieldwork in areas of their specialisation, which can entail working with organisations around the globe.
World Class Facilities
- Anthropology at Queen's provides students access to world class facilities including; The Ethnomusicology Performance Room which includes a variety of musical instruments from around the world, a collection that has grown since the 1970s when Ethnomusicology was first established as an International Centre at Queen’s by the late Prof John Blacking. These instruments, together with the sprung performance room floor, facilitate music and dance ensembles, enabling our unit to remain one of the leading departments in Ethnomusicology.
Internationally Renowned Experts
- Anthropology at Queen’s is international renowned in the following areas: Ethnomusicology and performance; Conflict and borders; Religion; Cognition and culture; Migration and diasporas; Irish studies; Material culture and art; Human-animal relations and The cross-cultural study of emotions.
https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/happ/subject-area/anthropology/research/ - Students can also work with world class institutions including; Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice: The Institute of Cognition and Culture; The Institute of Irish Studies ; Two International Summer schools including the Irish Studies Summer School; and the Conflict Transformation and Social Justice Summer School.
Student Experience
- Anthropology combines an understanding of cultural diversity through human behaviour and expression, with a hands-on method of study that focuses on lived experience.
- Queen's offers the only anthropology course in the UK that combines the study of expressivity (through art and music) with thematic strands on conflict, religion, cognition, and business anthropology
- Anthropology at Queen’s offers the opportunity to learn about human and cultural diversity through field research funded by the university.
There is a focus on creativity, performance, religion, the study of conflict, and business anthropology, that sets Queen's apart from other UK universities. - In the Guardian University Guide 2020, Anthropology was ranked 4th in the UK for student:staff ratios.
- Our National Student Survey results have returned 100% student satisfaction with the course consistently since 2019.
"The fieldwork and dissertation have been central to my experience as an Anthropology student. While I am sure it will stand me in good stead in my future search for employment, its central value was as a practice which revealed what Anthropology is really about; through fieldwork, the abstract and theoretical concepts which we had absorbed in two years previous study became immediate and concrete; the subject came alive. Observing and analysing patterns of human action and thought, and later attempting to relay any inferred information (in the form of a dissertation) was a stimulating and challenging process, which seemed to me to be of value in and of itself."
Samuel Ward
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Course content
Course Structure
| Introduction | The BA in Anthropology is constructed around four innovative, engaged themes: 1. What Makes Us Human? Key modules explore core elements of anthropology. They examine social groups, from families to nations, and social dynamics, from village politics to globalisation. In understanding social groups we examine individual life trajectories against the background of diverse social expectations. Modules may include: Being Human: Evolution, Culture and Society; World on the Move; How Society Works. 2. Conflict, Peacebuilding and Identity Modules on this theme deal directly with large-scale Global Challenges such as conflict, security, and peacebuilding. Issues such as migration, ethnic conflict, and globalisation will be covered across all three years of the degree, with specialist modules looking at Ireland and at the role of anthropology in policy. Modules may include: Us & Them: Why We Have Ingroups and Outgroups; Why Are Humans Violent? Understanding Violence, Conflict, and Trauma; Migration, Mobilities and Borders. 3. Arts, Creativity and Music Globally renowned for long-standing research expertise in the area of ethnomusicology and the arts, our modules examine issues of sound and music making; art, aesthetics and emotion; and performance and identity around the world. We explore the production, appropriation and use of material artefacts and images in a world of interconnectedness through migration, trade, and digital communication technology. Modules may include: Being Creative: Music, Media and the Arts; Radical Musics: Understanding Sounds of Defiance across Disciplines. 4. Morality, Religion and Cognition These modules examine a number of important themes in religion and morality, including the origins of religion, apocalyptic movements, sacred values, and the relationship of emotion and religion. We will explore our moral worlds and beliefs through the socio-cultural, psychological, and evolutionary sciences. Modules may include: Apocalypse!: The End of the World; In Gods We Trust: The New Science of Religion; Human Morality; Love, Hate, and Beyond. |
|---|---|
| Stage 1 | • Being Human: Evolution, Culture and Society • A World on the Move: Anthropological and Historical Approaches to Globalisation • Us and Them: Why Do We Have In-groups and Outgroups? • Being Creative: Music, Media and the Arts • Understanding Northern Ireland (Plus two optional courses from other subject areas) |
| Stage 2 | • How Society Works: Key Debates in Anthropology • Skills in the Field: Dissertation Preparation • Hanging out on Street Corners: Public and Applied Anthropology • Business Anthropology in the Digital Age • Why Are Humans Violent? Understanding Violence, Conflict, and Trauma • Human Morality • Radical Musics: Understanding Sounds of Defiance across Disciplines • Apocalypse! The History and Anthropology of the End of the World |
| Stage 3 | • Dissertation in Social Anthropology: Writing-Up • The Politics of Performance: From Negotiation to Display • Human-Animal Relations • In Gods We Trust: The New Science of Religion • Love, Hate and Beyond: Emotions, Culture, Practice • Music and Identity in the Mediterranean • Ireland and Britain: People, Identity, Nations • Remembering the Future: Violent Pasts, Loss, and the Politics of Hope Note that this is not an exclusive list and these options are subject to staff availability. |
People teaching you
Dr Evropi Chatzipanagiotidou
HAPP
Email:e.chatzipanagiotidou@qub.ac.uk
School Office: +44(0)28 9097 5028
Contact Teaching Times
| Personal Study | 10 (hours maximum) Typically 10 hours per module (30 hours per week), revising in your own time |
|---|---|
| Large Group Teaching | 6 (hours maximum) In a typical week you may have up to 6 hours of lectures, depending on the level of study. |
| Small Group Teaching/Personal Tutorial | 6 (hours maximum) In a typical week, you will have 3-6 hours of tutorials (or later, project supervision). |
| Medium Group Teaching | 9 (hours maximum) In a typical week, you may have up to 9 hours of practical classes, workshops or seminars, depending on the level of study. |
Learning and Teaching
Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this course are:
- E-Learning technologies
Information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via the University's own Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree programme through the use of, for example, interactive support materials, podcasts, video-conferencing with researchers, practitioners and universities abroad and web-based learning activities. - Fieldwork
Single-honours anthropology students have the opportunity to study research methods and carry out anthropological fieldwork for an 8-week period. This crucial period of skill-formation and research forms the basis of a dissertation they write up in the first semester of their third year. - Lectures
Lectures introduce foundation information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading. Lectures, which are normally delivered in medium-size groups to all year-group peers, also provide opportunities to ask questions and seek clarification on key issues as well as gain feedback and advice on assessments. - Self-directed study
This is an essential part of life as a Queen’s student. It is during self-directed study when a student completes important private reading, engages with e-learning resources, reflects on feedback, and completes assignment research and preparation. - Seminars/tutorials
A significant amount of teaching is carried out in small groups (typically 10-12 students). These sessions are designed to explore in more depth the information that has been presented in the lectures. They provide students with the opportunity to engage closely with academic staff, to ask questions of them and to assess their own progress and understanding with the support of their peers. During these classes, students will be expected to present their work to academic staff and their peers.
Assessment
A variety of assessment methods are used throughout the programme
- The assessment methods used include:
• coursework essays (submitted during or at the end of the semester)
• oral presentations by individual students
�� video logs
• artwork and performance workshops
• weekly online commentaries on set readings
• written examinations
• dissertations.
Feedback
As students progress through their course at Queen’s, they will receive general and specific feedback about their work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, placement supervisors, personal tutors, advisers of study, external examiners and peers. University students are expected to engage with reflective practice and to use this approach to improve the quality of their work.
Feedback may be provided in a variety of forms including:
- Formal written comments and marks relating to submitted work
- Face to face comments during lecturers’ office hours or by appointment
- Placement employer comments or references
- Online or emailed comments
- General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial
- Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.
Once you have reviewed your feedback, you will be encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of your work.
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Overview
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Modules
Modules
The information below is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study (2022/23). Modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year.
- Year 1
Core Modules
Us And them: Why do we have ingroups and outgroups? (20 credits)Us And them: Why do we have ingroups and outgroups?
Overview
Drawing theoretically on both cognitive and social anthropology and utilizing a wide range of case studies, from personal passions for particular sub-cultures of music and sport to national politics in Northern Ireland to global divides of religion and class, this module will introduce students to social groups.
We will explore what makes human social groups different from those of other animals, psychological explanations of group commitment, and anthropological literature on symbols, rituals, and politics to examine how particular social groups are created and sustained and how some individuals become willing to fight and die for their fellow group members.Learning Outcomes
Be able to describe and consider the implications of:
1) The importance of social groups for individuals.
2) How group identities and traditions are created.
3) How groups continue from generation to generation.
4) The similarities and differences between national, religious, sporting, class, and interest groups.
5) How groups can convince individuals to die for them
6) Why intergroup prejudice and conflict is so common.Skills
The module will help foster the students’:
Ability to consider the findings of multiple disciplines in addressing questions of human society.
Ability to present ideas clearly in both oral and written formats
Ability to research and analyse material from multiple disciplines
Ability to debate and defend arguments
Ability to engage in civil discourse about strongly held convictions
Ability to prepare concise and focused presentationsCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ANT1007
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
A World on the Move:Historical and Anthropological Approaches to Globalization
Overview
This modules provides an anthropological introduction to the study of globalisation, using comparative case studies from the contemporary and the historical record, and outlining links with perspectives in the field of history. Among the issues discussed are: global and local linkages in a world of economic, cultural and political connectivity; cultural convergence and the expression of cultural difference; migration, refugees, trafficked people, tourism; diasporas, the idea of home and national borders; transnational family networks in the contemporary world; global and local regimes of power and resistance.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, student should be aware of the complex ways in which globalising forces have influenced people's everyday experiences in different socio-cultural settings and changing historical contexts.
Skills
Students should develop skills in literacy; oral communication; the organisation of logical arguments; effective presentation of written work; and teamwork.
Coursework
80%
Examination
20%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ANT1003
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Being Human: Evolution Culture and Society (20 credits)Being Human: Evolution Culture and Society
Overview
This course is designed to introduce students to social anthropology through a discussion of the key concepts in the discipline, and a consideration of the principles which underlie family life, kinship, sexuality and gender relations, and gaining a livelihood in different parts of the world.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will have been introduced to social anthropology, and should be aware of how social and cultural differences constitute variations on a number of basic themes. Students should also be aware of the ways in which anthropology is useful for the understanding of their own society as well as for the understanding of others.
Skills
Skills in literacy, oral communication, the organisation of arguments, effective presentation of written work, critical reflection on one's own cultural assumptions and biases.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ANT1001
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Optional Modules
Being Creative: Music Media and the Arts (20 credits)Being Creative: Music Media and the Arts
Overview
Anthropologists have analysed how people with different cultures' express themselves in a variety of ways through sound, text and image. Who is involved in specific expressive practices, who controls these practices, and which media are emphasised by different groups? Can textual, verbal, musical and material forms of expression be communicated across cultural boundaries? How do processes of cultural translation affect their meaning and impact on different lifeworlds? In this module, we will explore performative genres including musical activities and rituals; language-based forms of expression and processes of visual and material expression around artworks, objects and film documentation.
Learning Outcomes
Students should have acquired a basic understanding of key issues relating to the performative dimensions of cultural expression through a comparative analysis of ethnographic studies pertaining to sound, text and image. Students should be able to discuss how anthropology has approached expressive cultures and understand a range of cultural differences between themselves and others in this arena. The module should prepare them for further study in the fields of performative, textual and visual analysis.
Skills
Students should develop skills in literacy; oral communication; the organisation of logical arguments; effective presentation of written work; critical reflection on their own cultural assumptions and biases; and teamwork.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ESA1001
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
'Understanding Northern Ireland: History, Politics and Anthropology'
Overview
This level 1 module will use a variety of historical, political, sociological and anthropological perspectives to look at key issues relating to Northern Ireland. The course will provide an overview of the history and politics of the state of Northern Ireland. It will use anthropological understandings of ethnicity and nationalism to examine how Unionism and Irish Nationalism developed. It will look in detail at the various political solutions which have been applied to ‘the Province’, with a particular focus on the Peace Process. It will examine the realities and legacies of the conflict since the signing of the 1998 Agreement. It will explore the development of cultural and political 'traditions' examining, in particular, change and continuity in Irish society.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should
•be aware of how to utilise a range of disciplinary approaches (historical, political, sociological and anthropological) in helping to develope an understanding of division and conflict within Northern Ireland.
•be aware of how to examine how contemporary political communities use the past to construct traditions, ideologies and identities.
•understand how to explore the role of history in understandings of Northern Ireland.
•To develop a broad understanding of the politics of the state.
•understand and look at key contemporary issues in Northern Irish society.
•be able to assess and highlight various research approaches to Northern Ireland, and to explore how academic work can be applied.Skills
Students will acquire skills in understanding written material, skills in weighing evidence and skills in debating controversial topics. The ability to read material, weigh judgements and engage with the topics being discussed. They should also develop oral presentation skills, essay writing skills and skills in accessing and analysing information, research evaluation. They will also gain experience of coping with controversial topics.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ANT1006
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
- Year 2
Core Modules
Key Debates in Anthropology (20 credits)Key Debates in Anthropology
Overview
This module will examine the theme of culture from an anthropological perspective. Focusing on an assortment of critical thinkers and formative texts, it addresses the relation of culture to race, society, history, practice, embodiment, emotions, power, the politics of identity, the state, and globalization. The course examines some of the foremost anthropologists who have contributed to these topics, drawing on functionalist, structuralist, Marxist, reflexive and other traditions of thought.
Learning Outcomes
One objective of the module is that the students acquire a firm grasp of the key principles and theoretical perspectives of social and cultural anthropology. A second objective is that the students develop an ability to apply these principles and perspectives to a broad range of ethnographic and other materials. In its emphasis on the development of critical thinking, the module will therefore make a larger contribution by equipping students in relation to other anthropology - and non-anthropology - modules to take.
Skills
To develop critical reading skills with respect to anthropological texts, and to develop debating skills in class. To develop the critical faculties of the students with respect to cultural discourses.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
ANT2022
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Skills in the Field: Ethnographic methods (20 credits)Skills in the Field: Ethnographic methods
Overview
Preparing and guiding students for a period of personal research in the long vacation. Includes the selection of a research topic, documentary and bibliographical search, training in quantitative and qualitative research techniques. In addition, students will consider the ethical implications of their research, as well as show awareness of the risk factors involved.
Learning Outcomes
Students should develop the ability to devise an anthropological research topic and plan field research using existing social skills and standard research techniques. Students should also be able to assess the potential risks involved in their chosen research, and assess the ethical implications of their planned work.
Skills
Skills in devising a research proposal and in collecting and sorting information. Students should develop skills in the following areas:
- bibliographical research;
- design a manageable research project;
- assess usefulness of different research techniques
- assess ethical implications of research
- oral and written presentations
- time managementCoursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
ANT2030
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Optional Modules
Human Morality (20 credits)Human Morality
Overview
Being the most complex social species, human beings possess many competencies to deal with social interaction, including the capacity to make moral judgments that evaluate and regulate human behaviour (i.e., judgments on whether an action is right or wrong, and on whether someone deserves reward or punishment). Drawing from the anthropological and psychological literature on the matter, the module introduces the student to the various aspects of human morality, discussing the following types of issues:
- Are moral judgments totally relative to one’s culture or are there universal components of human morality?
- Is human morality based solely on religion?
- Are moral judgments framed by distinct concerns such as care/harm, justice/injustice, loyalty/betrayal, hierarchy/subversion, and purity/impurity or are they always related to a specific concern with basic human rights?
- Can the configuration of different moral concerns shed light on different political attitudes and ideologies, such as conservatism and liberalism, and their disagreement on a variety of topics, such as abortion, homosexuality, and economic equality?
- Although the intentional causation of harm is normally prohibited, why in many situations (e.g., in the punishment of heinous crimes, in the interrogation of suspected terrorists, or in the context of wars and revolutions) people have conflicting intuitions about the boundaries of such prohibition?Learning Outcomes
Be able to describe and consider the implications of:
- current anthropological and psychological approaches to the various aspects of human morality;
- the interplay between cultural learning and basic psychological dispositions in the domain of morality
- moral judgments to politics and the law.Skills
The module will help foster students’:
- Ability to consider the findings of multiple disciplines in addressing the topic of morality.
- Ability to present ideas clearly in both oral and written formats.
- Ability to research and critically analyse material from multiple disciplines.
- Ability to debate and defend arguments.Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
ANT2039
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
The Northern Ireland Conflict and paths to peace (20 credits)The Northern Ireland Conflict and paths to peace
Overview
What caused the Northern Irish conflict? What factors sustained it? What role did world leaders, paramilitaries, clergy and local politicians play in progressing the peace process? And what role does civil society, arts, culture and heritage play in building social cohesion?
This interdisciplinary, team-taught module will draw on expertise from across the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics to explore some of the key themes of the Global Bachelor’s Program. Using Northern Ireland as a case study, it will ask questions about the means through which societies can move from conflict to peace, about the roles that various actors can play in conflict resolution, and about the roles that public representations and explorations of the past can play both in entrenching divisions and in furthering peace and mutual understanding.Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module the successful student should be able to demonstrate in assessed essays, coursework and seminar contributions:
- A familiarity with the major issues and debates around the development of the Northern Ireland conflict, the peace process, and the role of civil society in peace-building. - A sense of the interrelatedness of political, economic, cultural and social forces in shaping the past
- An appreciation of the internal and external forces that contributed to the conflict AND helped build peace
- A heightened sense of the complexity of identity, politics and place in Northern Ireland
- Demonstrable awareness of the role that arts, culture, heritage and public engagement with the past can play in building social integration.Skills
On completion of this module the student should be able to:
- Understand and process complex information
- Engage in sustained and self-directed reading
- Engage in intellectual discussion based on reading and class content
- Communicate complex information effectively and with precision in oral presentation and in writing to an academic audienceCoursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
HAP2001
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Business Anthropology for the Digital Age (20 credits)Business Anthropology for the Digital Age
Overview
Business Anthropology for the Digital Age delivers an introduction to the field of business anthropology as both an applied social science and critical understanding of consumer and organisational cultures, digital contexts and engagements and design processes. The course provides a critical reading of ‘anthropology in business’ in concert with providing practical insights into the role of consumer ethnography/netnography in contemporary business practices. It also engages with the ways in which culture shapes institutional and corporate organisations.
Learning Outcomes
1.Understand where anthropology and ethnography can be usefully applied in business settings, in particular in relation to consumer, design, and organisational processes.
2. Understand how digital contexts are changing both the way in which anthropology is utilised and its role in consumer, design, and organisational processes.
3. Learn to critically engage with the place of anthropology in business/corporate practices as an applied social science. Further, understand anthropology’s critique on how such practices take place.
4. Select and make use of ethnographic case studies of business practices in an applied and critical fashion.
5. Understand and engage questions of ethics and responsibility in business practices. Question the issue of ethical limitations in business contexts.
6. Improve interpersonal and team building skills through in class group exercises.
7. Hone technology skills through dedicated assessments.
8.Learn to critically assess anthropology of business scholarly literature whilst also engaging beyond the disciplinary approach through reading business literature and case studies, thereby understanding the multidisciplinary approach to the role of anthropology in business.
9. Understand the role of collaboration in anthropology in business practices.
10. Understand career pathways for anthropologists in business/corporate spaces.Skills
None.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
ANT2036
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Apocalypse! End of the World. (20 credits)Apocalypse! End of the World.
Overview
The aim of the course is to introduce students to historical and anthropological reflection on millennial / millenarian beliefs and movements across space and time. Taking a long view of historical events and using case studies of present-day groups that attend to ideas about the end of the world, taking advantage of the interdisciplinary character of the School, and using a wide range of primary sources, including novels, film, websites, and ethnographic case studies and film, this course will invite students to consider the ancient roots of millennial theory; its foundational texts, exponents / prophets and movements; examples of well-known failed and successful millennial claims and movements, including the Crusades, radical puritans, Mormons, Jewish Zionists, American evangelicals, new religious movements, including UFO and suicide cults, and radical Islamists; the use of millennial theory as presentist critique; the development of millennial majorities, and the social, cultural and political implications of their dominance; millennialism’s place in utopian theory; and a final consideration of theoretical rejoinders, in which the course leaders encourage students to consider whether millennial claims might be right – for example, in terms of global warming – and whether that might change the way in which historians and anthropologists should approach the subject.
Learning Outcomes
An understanding of the broad history and anthropology of millennial movements across space and time; An ability to discuss millennial ideas and movements using heuristic tools from history and anthropology; An ability to use electronic resources and to develop key research skills; Effective communication skills; An ability to write an informed analysis of historical problems discussed in the module; An ability to work independently.
Skills
Enhanced ability to think critically, reason logically, and evaluate evidence; Further develop communication skills, both written and oral; Critical appraisal of, engagement with, and effective use of a variety of historical and anthropological sources.
Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
HAP2065
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Hanging out on Street Corners: Public and applied Anthropology
Overview
The course is designed to introduce students to qualitative, ethnographic, methodologies and particularly explore their applied use in the social sciences and policy analysis. It will examine the differences between qualitative and quantitative methodologies, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each. This will allow students to be able to argue for the utility of ethnographic methodologies in further modules (dissertation).
The course will then look at the utility of ethnography and anthropology in applied situations. In doing so the course will present an understanding of environments in which ethnography can be used in ‘problem solving’ and as a tool for ‘policy’ understanding a critique. The course will look at the possibility of an anthropology of policy and an approach to organisations. It will look at the strengths and weaknesses of ethnography in rapid problem solving. The course will look at specific case studies and examples and students will be asked to develop their own skills through presentations and analysis of case studies. The course will encourage internships and act as a preparation for dissertation modules in semester 2 (year 2) and semester 1 (year 3).Learning Outcomes
To develop awareness of how qualitative/anthropological methods – ethnography and participant observation - might provide skills that have practical applications away from the academy.
To develop and understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
To develop skills necessary in the utilisation of anthropology such as report & proposal writing, team work, presentation and communication skills.
To develop confidence and ability to work within a team and under pressure of time.
To develop a critical understanding of ethnographic research when applied to areas of policy.
To critically analyse ethical issues related to ethnographic fieldwork.
To analyse the relationship between anthropology and other disciplines and professional areas.
To develop early engagement with dissertation topics, possibly through internships.Skills
The module will help foster the students’:
Ability to consider the findings of multiple disciplines in addressing questions of human society.
Ability to utilise interpersonal skills
Ability to work in teams
Ability to present ideas clearly in both oral and written formats
Ability to research and analyse material from multiple disciplines
Ability to debate and defend arguments
Ability to engage in civil discourse about strongly held convictions
Ability to prepare concise and focused presentationsCoursework
80%
Examination
0%
Practical
20%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
ANT2038
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
- Year 3
Core Modules
Anthropology Dissertation (40 credits)Anthropology Dissertation
Overview
The writing and presentation of a dissertation normally based on first-hand field research.
Learning Outcomes
To organise and analyse research data and to be self-reflexive.
Skills
Students should develop skills in the following areas:
- bibliographical research and documentary analysis;
- organising and retrieving information;
- writing a long piece of work;
- time managementCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
3
Credits
40
Module Code
ANT3099
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Optional Modules
Remembering the Future: Violent Pasts, Loss and the Politics of Hope
Overview
The module will draw on social theory and ethnographic case studies to examine the role of memory in conflict and post-conflict contexts. Most inter-group conflicts involve contestation over competing pasts and losses. Such contestation plays an important role in how and whether societies can move forward, recover from violence, and deal with reparations. Memory therefore is instrumental not only in how the past is mobilized but also how the future is imagined and constructed -as equal or unequal, shared or divided. By looking at relevant concepts such as loss, nostalgia, remembering, forgetting, expectation, and hope, the module will investigate on one hand how memory politics operate in our post-truth era and in phenomena of nationalism, populism, racism, and exclusion. On the other hand, we will look at how social movements, groups, and communities use memory across the world to build sustainable and inclusive futures.
Topics covered in the module will include: The politics of memory and forgetting: ‘Official’ Histories and ‘Voices from the Edge’; Transnational Narratives of Violence and Justice; Nostalgia, Competing Losses, and the Rise of Populism on both sides of the Atlantic; Displacement as Space and Time; On ‘Speaking Out’: Truth Recovery, Transitional Justice and Human Rights; Social Movements, Alternative Futures, and the Politics of Hope.
This is a Faculty-funded international module, bringing together staff and students in HAPP at QUB and in Liberal Arts at Grinnell College to study these issues in ethnographically diverse contexts, including the rise of white supremacy in the US, post-Brexit UK and xenophobia, migrant solidarity movements and environmental protest.
Students will get separate lectures on the weekly topics, but will connect virtually for selected sessions, which will facilitate inter-group discussions and exchanges. The teaching staff will give at least one virtual lecture for both classes and, if possible, spend a week each in the partner institution engaging students and delivering lectures.Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will:
• be familiar with social theory on memory, violence, loss, and futuricity.
• be able to describe and critically engage with ethnographic examples from across the world in relation to these themes.
• understand the role of memory in the construction and mobilization of contested pasts and futures.
• be able to explain some current debates on the role of nostalgia, longing, loss and hope in the construction of collective identities, contestation, and social justice agendas.Skills
By the end of the module, students should have developed the following key skills:
Generic
• Effective presentation of written work at a level appropriate to the year of studies.
• Competency in presenting orally findings from readings and primary research.
• The ability to research both independently and as part of groups.
Module-Specific
• produce written work engaging critically with academic and popular debates on the issues of violence and memory.
• have demonstrated presentational skills both in online and offline learning environments, and learnt how to address different audiences .
• be able to employ fieldwork skills in working in memory sites locally
• have written public engagement pieces for the module’s blog.
• have access to new diverse groups of students in an international context and experience in collaborating within an international learning environment.Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
3
Credits
20
Module Code
ANT3152
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Anthropology and Roma (20 credits)Anthropology and Roma
Overview
The aim of this course is to offer students a comprehensive introduction to key themes and issues emerging from the anthropological study of Roma, Gypsies and Traveller communities. We will start by critically examining some of the main ideas through which Roma communities have been imagined and represented in popular discourse and academia. We will do this by engaging with key anthropological studies of Roma, highlighting the connection between the study of Roma and central anthropological themes: such as kinship, exchange, personhood and cosmology. We will then look at what happens when broader processes of globalisation and Europeanisation take place, with a focus placed on migration and political mobilisation. Finally, we will engage with new approaches to the anthropological study of Roma, with a focus placed on the analysis of representation, misrepresentation and collaboration between anthropologists and Roma communities. Some of the key themes the course will explore are: cosmology and personhood, marginality and identity, migration and borders, politicisation of Roma issues and religious mobilisation, hybridity and collaboration.
Learning Outcomes
The main objectives of this course are to:
* Enable students to familiarise themselves with ethnographic studies of Roma communities * Enable students to engage with some of the main anthropological themes in the study of Roma and other minority groups * Help students draw on different ethnographically informed studies in order to critically challenge homogenising representations * Use ethnographic studies on Roma in order to engage with anthropological theory and debates in the discipline * Consolidate students’ knowledge of anthropological methodology with a focus on minority groups * Familiarise students with the socio-political changes brought about by the process of Europeanisation in relation to minority groups in Europe * Enable students’ comparative analysis of anthropological themes in relation to marginalised communities * Develop basic conceptual tools for approaching the subject and analysis of the assigned textsSkills
Transferable skills: * Ability to critically engage with ethnographic texts * Develop basic conceptual tools for approaching the subject and analysis of the assigned texts * Develop presentation skills * Ability to research critically and analyse material from multiple disciplines * Ability to debate and construct arguments * Ability to present ideas clearly in both oral and written formats
Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
3
Credits
20
Module Code
ANT3153
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
In Gods We Trust: The New Anthropology of Religion (20 credits)In Gods We Trust: The New Anthropology of Religion
Overview
Drawing on new scientific advances, this religion course examines foundational questions about the nature of religious belief and practice.
The course is based on the idea that religion is a naturalistic phenomenon — meaning it can be studied and better understood using the tools of science. Religious belief and practice emerge naturally from the structure of human psychology, and have an important impact on the structure of societies, the way groups relate to each other, and the ability of human beings to cooperate effectively.
Topics to be covered will include traditional and contemporary theories of religion, with a special emphasis on cultural evolutionary models, as well as how scientific and humanistic scholarship can benefit from mutual engagement.
The module will have an emphasis on contemporary issues in the study and practice of religion (e.g. new scientific theories of religion, the current debates between atheists and theists, and the role of religion in violent conflicts).Learning Outcomes
Be able to describe and consider the implications of:
1) Evolutionary and cognitive scientific approaches to the study of religion
2) The origins of religion, and its role in human life
3) How religion relates to morality, spirituality and atheism
4) The role of religion in current events and conflict hotspots around the world
5) The role religion may have played in the origin of civilizationSkills
The module will help foster the students’:
(1) Ability to consider the findings of multiple disciplines in addressing questions of human thought and behaviour.
(2) Ability to present ideas clearly in both oral and written formats
(3) Ability to research and critically analyse material from multiple disciplines
(4) Ability to debate and defend arguments
(5) Ability to engage in civil discourse about strongly held convictions
(6) Ability to prepare concise and focused presentationsCoursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
3
Credits
20
Module Code
ANT3150
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Human-Animal Relations: An Anthropological Perspective
Overview
Anthropology is 'the study of Man', but this module sets out to explore the boundaries of 'humanity'. The focus is on human relationships with animals in different societies and cultures around the world. We shall look at useful animals, at harmful animals, and at symbolic animals. We shall also look at animals as objects (which are exploited in myriad ways) and at animals as persons (with which humans enter into intimate relations). These themes will be examined by means of a number of detailed ethnographic case studies of human-animal relations in different societies.
Learning Outcomes
Students should have developed a critical understanding of the relationship between humans and animals across time and space a sound knowledge of the relevant ethnographic and comparative research in these areas. The module introduces students to theoretical approaches to understanding human-animal relations as a complement to their training in anthropological theory and methodology acquired in their other courses.
Skills
To develop critical analytical skills and presentational skills both oral and written. Bibliographic search skills and the ability to develop written argument.
Coursework
40%
Examination
60%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
3
Credits
20
Module Code
ANT3027
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
The Politics of Performance: From Negotiation to Display
Overview
This module brings together the ecological, sensorial and political relations of performance in comparative analyses of intercultural practices from around the globe. We will explore how human and other-than-human aspects of sound, image and movement generate various modalities of ‘attunement’ between oneself and one’s environment to inform a politics of performance. By attending to the particularities of sound, voice, affect, reaction and resonance, we will analyse differentiated ‘atmospherics’ (Eisenlohr 2011) of negotiation, display and contestation. We will then examine how the politics of sound, image and movement give rise to expressions of resistance, resilience and reconciliation. Central to critically engaged performativity is a diversity of environments, environmental change and the ecological relations that they entail. Taking space, place and the effects of climate change seriously, we will further examine how the politics of being and belonging stem from different ways of knowing, sensing and performing self, other and the ‘other-than-human’ in these environments. Using a series of key settings, the module will reveal the political effects of sound, language, voice, positionality and performativity.
Some case studies that will exemplify this environmental and performative politics include i). an analysis of indigenous protest and resistance in song, theatre and public display, focusing on processes of fragmentation, recombination and reclamation; ii). art as a process of reconciliation, negotiation and spectacle, foregrounding identities, rights and policy agendas; iii). political imagery e.g. street art and graffiti; and iv). improvisatory music-making in refugee camps and conflict zones, addressing tension, liminality and resilience. Finally, the module will take into account the ongoing effects of Covid19 as artists and performers reposition their voices in a digitally interconnected world. We will examine how expanding technologies are transforming the power of performance and reshaping how processes of creativity are politically motivated and communicated.Learning Outcomes
We will be using informal self and group assessment methods during the module to monitor learning outcomes and to reflect on the development of conceptual skills of the following:
• Knowledge of key approaches to the anthropology of the senses, the anthropology of music, arts and performance and music in peacebuilding.
• Ability to discuss critically the importance of multi-sensoriality and performativity in case studies from different cultural contexts.
• Knowledge of the role of performance, poetics in protest, politics, nationalism and expressions of Indigenous rights.
• Ability to work critically with central concepts in the politics of performance.
• Ability to analyse the relationship between different arts/performance genres across distinct performative arenas, e.g. parliamentary, theatrical, ritual and staged events.
• Competence in dealing with issues of cultural diversity in academia.Skills
• Ability to analyse performative issues and their political implications through relevant anthropological and ethnomusicological frameworks.
• Ability to research and critically analyse a range of information sources effectively.
• Demonstrate skills development in conducting music and arts research online.
• Ability to express anthropological ideas clearly and logically.
• Ability to debate and defend arguments.
• Ability to work with other students in groups.
• Experience in musical participation and reflection.Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
3
Credits
20
Module Code
ESA3002
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
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Entry Requirements
Entrance requirements
| A level requirements ABB A maximum of one BTEC/OCR Single Award or AQA Extended Certificate will be accepted as part of an applicant's portfolio of qualifications with a Distinction* being equated to grade A at A-Level and a Distinction being equated to a grade B at A-level. |
| Irish leaving certificate requirements H3H3H3H3H3H3/H2H3H3H3H3 |
| Access Course Successful completion of Access Course with an average of 70%. |
| International Baccalaureate Diploma 33 points overall, including 6,5,5 at Higher Level |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended/National Extended Diploma QCF BTEC Extended Diploma (180 credits at Level 3) with overall grades D*DD RQF BTEC National Extended Diploma (1080 GLH at Level 3) with overall grades D*DD |
| Graduate A minimum of a 2:2 Honours Degree |
| All applicants There are no specific subject requirements to study Anthropology |
Selection Criteria
In addition, to the entrance requirements above, it is essential that you read our guidance below on 'How we choose our students' prior to submitting your UCAS application.
Applications are dealt with centrally by the Admissions and Access Service rather than by individual University Schools. Once your on-line form has been processed by UCAS and forwarded to Queen's, an acknowledgement is normally sent within two weeks of its receipt at the University.
Selection is on the basis of the information provided on your UCAS form. Decisions are made on an ongoing basis and will be notified to you via UCAS.
For entry last year, applicants for this degree offering A-Level/ BTEC Level 3 qualifications or equivalent must have had, or been able to achieve, a minimum of 5 GCSE passes at grade C/4 or better (to include English Language). The Selector will check that any specific entry requirements in terms of GCSE and/or A-level subjects can be fulfilled.
Offers are normally made on the basis of 3 A-levels. Two subjects at A-level plus two at AS would also be considered. The offer for repeat applicants is set in terms of 3 A-levels and may be one grade higher than that asked from first time applicants. Grades may be held from the previous year.
Applicants offering two A-levels and one BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/National Extended Certificate (or equivalent qualification), or one A-level and a BTEC Diploma/National Diploma (or equivalent qualification) will also be considered. Offers will be made in terms of the overall BTEC grade(s) awarded. Please note that a maximum of one BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/National Extended Certificate (or equivalent) will be counted as part of an applicant’s portfolio of qualifications. The normal GCSE profile will be expected.
For applicants offering Irish Leaving Certificate, please note that performance at Irish Junior Certificate is taken into account. Applicants must have a minimum of 5 IJC grades C/ Merit. The Selector also checks that any specific entry requirements in terms of Leaving Certificate subjects can be satisfied.
For applicants offering a HNC, the current requirements are successful completion of the HNC with 2 Distinctions and remainder Merits.
For those offering a Higher National Diploma, some flexibility may be allowed in terms of GCSE profile but, to be eligible for an offer, the grades obtained in the first year of the HND must allow the overall offer to be achievable. The current entrance requirements are successful completion of the HND with 2 Distinctions, 10 Merits and 4 Passes overall. Any consideration would be for Stage 1 entry only.
The information provided in the personal statement section and the academic reference together with predicted grades are noted but, in the case of BA degrees, these are not the final deciding factors in whether or not a conditional offer can be made. However, they may be reconsidered in a tie break situation in August.
A-level General Studies and A-level Critical Thinking would not normally be considered as part of a three A-level offer and, although they may be excluded where an applicant is taking 4 A-level subjects, the grade achieved could be taken into account if necessary in August/September.
Applicants are not normally asked to attend for interview, though there are some exceptions and specific information is provided with the relevant subject areas.
If you are made an offer then you may be invited to a Faculty/School Open Day, which is usually held in the second semester. This will allow you the opportunity to visit the University and to find out more about the degree programme of your choice and the facilities on offer. It also gives you a flavour of the academic and social life at Queen's.
If you cannot find the information you need here, please contact the University Admissions Service (admissions@qub.ac.uk), giving full details of your qualifications and educational background.
International Students
Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region. Use the dropdown list below for specific information for your country/region.
English Language Requirements
An IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component or an equivalent acceptable qualification, details of which are available at: go.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.
- Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
- Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.
International Students - Foundation and International Year One Programmes
INTO Queen's offers a range of academic and English language programmes to help prepare international students for undergraduate study at Queen's University. You will learn from experienced teachers in a dedicated international study centre on campus, and will have full access to the University's world-class facilities.
These programmes are designed for international students who do not meet the required academic and English language requirements for direct entry.
INTO - English Language Course(QSIS ELEMENT IS EMPTY)
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Careers
Career Prospects
Introduction
Studying for an Anthropology degree at Queen‘s will assist you in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are increasingly valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions. Through classroom modules, optional placements and your own anthropological fieldwork, you will gain valuable skills in critical thinking, cross-cultural understanding, researching, interviewing, writing, and presenting.
Employment after the Course
Our graduates have followed careers in a wide variety of areas.
Career pathways typically lead to employment in:
• User Experience
• Consultancy
• Civil Service
• Development, NGO work, International Policy, Public Sector
• Journalism, Human Rights, Conflict Resolution, Community Work
• Arts Administration, Creative Industries, Media, Performance, Heritage, Museums, Tourism
• Market Research
• Public and Private Sector related to: Religious Negotiation, Multiculturalism/Diversity
• Teaching in schools
• Academic Teaching and Research
• Human Rights, Conflict Resolution, Community Work, Journalism
Employment Links
Internships will match dissertation students with organisations and institutions relevant to their career paths by building on local and international staff networks and professional connections.
Current placement partners include
• Operation Wallacea, which works with teams of ecologists, scientists and academics on a variety of bio-geographical projects around the globe.
• Belfast Migration Centre offers students of the module ‘Migration, Displacement and Diasporas’ internship opportunities in their ‘Belonging Project’.
Professional Opportunities
International Travel
As part of undergraduate training, students have the opportunity to use practice-based research skills during eight weeks of ethnographic fieldwork in areas of their specialisation, which can entail working with organisations around the globe.
Additional Awards Gained
Students in the Single Honours are required to take the Anthropology dissertation module. This will involve undertaking fieldwork in the summer vacation period between years 2 and 3. The cost will vary depending on the location of the fieldwork, usually ranging from £100-£500. The School will provide financial support up to a maximum of £300.
Prizes and Awards(QSIS ELEMENT IS EMPTY)
Degree plus award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Degree Plus. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.
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Fees and Funding
Tuition Fees
| Northern Ireland (NI) 1 | £4,710 |
| Republic of Ireland (ROI) 2 | £4,710 |
| England, Scotland or Wales (GB) 1 | £9,250 |
| EU Other 3 | £18,800 |
| International | £18,800 |
1 EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.
2 EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.
3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.
All tuition fees quoted relate to a single year of study and will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Tuition fee rates are calculated based on a student’s tuition fee status and generally increase annually by inflation. How tuition fees are determined is set out in the Student Finance Framework.
Additional course costs
All Students
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.
Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library.
If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. A programme may have up to 6 modules per year, each with a recommended text.
Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.
Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.
If a final year includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.
Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.
There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
Anthropology costs
Students are required to take the Anthropology dissertation module. This will involve undertaking fieldwork in the summer vacation period between years 2 and 3. The cost will vary depending on the location of the fieldwork, ranging from £100-£500. The School will provide financial support up to a maximum of £300.
How do I fund my study?
There are different tuition fee and student financial support arrangements for students from Northern Ireland, those from England, Scotland and Wales (Great Britain), and those from the rest of the European Union.
Information on funding options and financial assistance for undergraduate students is available at www.qub.ac.uk/Study/Undergraduate/Fees-and-scholarships/.
Scholarships
Each year, we offer a range of scholarships and prizes for new students. Information on scholarships available.
International Scholarships
Information on scholarships for international students, is available at www.qub.ac.uk/Study/international-students/international-scholarships/.
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Apply
How and when to Apply
How to Apply
Application for admission to full-time undergraduate and sandwich courses at the University should normally be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Full information can be obtained from the UCAS website at: www.ucas.com/students.
When to Apply
UCAS will start processing applications for entry in autumn 2023 from 1 September 2022.
Advisory closing date: 25 January 2023 (18:00). This is the 'equal consideration' deadline for this course.
Applications from UK and EU (Republic of Ireland) students after this date are, in practice, considered by Queen’s for entry to this course throughout the remainder of the application cycle (30 June 2023) subject to the availability of places.
Applications from International and EU (Other) students are normally considered by Queen’s for entry to this course until 30 June 2023. If you apply for 2023 entry after this deadline, you will automatically be entered into Clearing.
Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as is consistent with having made a careful and considered choice of institutions and courses.
The Institution code name for Queen's is QBELF and the institution code is Q75.
Further information on applying to study at Queen's is available at: www.qub.ac.uk/Study/Undergraduate/How-to-apply/
Terms and Conditions
The terms and conditions that apply when you accept an offer of a place at the University on a taught programme of study. Queen's University Belfast Terms and Conditions.
Additional Information for International (non-EU) Students
- Applying through UCAS
Most students make their applications through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) for full-time undergraduate degree programmes at Queen's. The UCAS application deadline for international students is 30 June 2023. - Applying direct
The Direct Entry Application form is to be used by international applicants who wish to apply directly, and only, to Queen's or who have been asked to provide information in advance of submitting a formal UCAS application. Find out more. - Applying through agents and partners
The University’s in-country representatives can assist you to submit a UCAS application or a direct application. Please consult the Agent List to find an agent in your country who will help you with your application to Queen’s University.
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Fees and Funding