Course - Perspectives: how to think like an anthropologist - SANT1024
Perspectives: how to think like an anthropologist
New from the academic year 2025/2026
About
About the course
Course content
Through this course you will get an understanding of what characterizes anthropological ways of thinking and seeing the world. The course will demonstrate some ways of thinking as an anthropologist as well as some concepts to think with.
Anthropological analysis is often characterized by an attempt to understand people’s lives on their own terms, often by suspending ones own cultural biases and assumptions and seeing practices within their own social and cultural context. Additionally, anthropologists will often study locally specific cases and practices in order to shed light on larger questions concerning humans and society. We often use comparison to highlight how things we might take for granted are different elsewhere and therefore not natural and inevitable. A common form of anthropological critique aims to uncover how something people think about as natural is in fact historically and culturally constructed and that its seeming naturalness can contribute to maintaining relations of inequality. Anthropologists are also often concerned with highlighting the worldviews and experiences of people who live on the fringes of global structures and people who are not in positions of power.
This course will also challenge you to take actively use the anthropological ways of thinking in practical observation and writing assignments.
Learning outcome
A student who has completed this course should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:
Knowledge
Knowledge about what characterized anthropological perspectives
Knowledge of a selection of central concepts
Skills
Ability to use anthropological perspectives to look at concrete real world examples
Ability to use anthropological concepts and terms
Ability to discuss different perspectives in relation to each other and in terms of what each can highlight or miss
General competence
Ability to make observations and discuss them in light of academic literature
Ability to communicate academic material through presentations and in writing
Learning methods and activities
Lectures and seminars. Some of the lectures may be given in English.
Please note that mandatory activities and lectures may start prior to the registration deadline.
Compulsory assignments
- Excursion and Report
Further on evaluation
Further information about compulsory assignments will be available on Blackboard at the beginning of the semester. The compulsory assignments must be completed and approved in order to be eligible to take the exam. The examination is a 6 hour written exam (worth 100% of the final grade). Same form of examination is given when re-sitting for the exam or improving the grade. The written exam is offered both in the autumn and spring semester.
Please note that compulsory assignments and lectures may begin before the registration deadline.
Course materials
The reading list will be available at the beginning of the semester.
Credit reductions
Course code | Reduction | From |
---|---|---|
SANT1021 | 5 sp | Autumn 2025 |
Subject areas
- Social Sciences
- Social Anthropology
Contact information
Course coordinator
Department with academic responsibility
Examination
Examination
Ordinary examination - Autumn 2025
School exam
The specified room can be changed and the final location will be ready no later than 3 days before the exam. You can find your room location on Studentweb.