SANTH4100 – Core Themes in Contemporary Anthropology, transitional course

The course expands and strengthens students’ grounding in contemporary anthropological theorization. In addition to familiarizing students with key theoretical discussions and approaches in the discipline, it presents them with a set of analytical tools and frameworks for theorizing the present moment and for constructing their own research agendas.

Themes covered in the course are:

• Gender, Sexuality and Kinship

• Religion in a Secular Age

• Anthropology and History

• The State

• The Environment and the Anthropocene

• Beyond the Human

Knowledge

• Expanded overview of central issues and perspectives in contemporary anthropology.

• Extended understanding of ongoing theoretical debates in social anthropology and related disciplines

• Deepened understanding of their relevance for contemporary academic and public policy debates.

Skills

• Improved ability to understand and reflect on a variety of theoretical positions in anthropology and touse this understanding to contribute to the construction of a unique research agenda.

• Expanded ability to construct an academic argument.

• Enhanced ability to write academic texts.

Competencies

• Enhanced oral presentation skills.

• Expanded team-work capability through group discussions and group-presentations.

• Strengthened ability to express arguments in solid academic writing.

Students must be enrolled in the master’s programme in Social Anthropology.

This transitional course is available only to students enrolled in the master’s program in Social Anthropology prior to autumn 2025, and who have already completed ANTH4010, but not ANTH4100. Please contact the administration to apply: info-master@sai.uio.no

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

Also see Grading guidelines in social anthropology