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Anthropology at Adelaide University
Alison DundonHead, Discipline of Anthropology & Development Studies
Have you ever wondered..
..If romantic love is universal & present in all societies?
..Whether people everywhere experience & understand birth and death in the same or similar ways?
..Why finding a toenail in your soup is so disgusting?
What is Anthropology?
1. The study of human beings and their societies..
2. The study of both the diversity and the similarity of these societies and cultures ..
What Makes Anthropology Distinctive?
1. It is holistic – looks at the ‘big picture’ not just one aspect of human experience
2. It is comparative - seeks to make comparisons between human societies, in terms of behaviour, beliefs and practices
3. It is based on field-work – research ‘on the ground’
Anthropology (often) teaches us about other people, and in the
process it teaches us about ourselves.
Balimo Town, Papua New Guinea 2011.
Making the Strange Familiar and the Familiar Strange..
Why Study Anthropology?
Aids cross-cultural understanding through:
1. Developing an understanding of the great variety of human societies, behaviour and beliefs
2. Encouraging an examination of your own cultural beliefs, assumptions and behaviours
3. Providing an opportunity to travel and/or learn about different ways of living ..
Cultivate Skills Like...
1. Critical thinking skills and the ability to evaluate different ideas and concepts
2. The capacity to write, about culture, society and human behaviour but also more generally in a critical and analytical way.
3. The ability to conduct anthropological research, either short projects or long-term fieldwork..
Which can lead to careers in.. Federal and State Government Departments Native Title and cultural heritage management Politics and Policy (research and planning) Law (reform, Native Title, International) Foreign Aid and International development
programs; AusAID, World Bank, UNAIDS, NGOs. Museums and Art Galleries; cultural heritage Medical or Health sector jobs Media and communication Teaching and careers in the education sector…
Anthropology at Adelaide 2014 Popular culture Media & art Religion and spirituality Health, medicine & psychology Emotion and the mind Development, poverty & conflict Native Title and cultural heritage Communities and social change Gender and sexuality Environment and space Food and consumption Life and death
First Year Courses in AnthropologySemester One ANTH1105 Anthropology of
Everyday Life
An introduction to anthropology as the study of everyday life for understanding social life, whether in our own or other cultural worlds.
Introduces major themes in anthropology: the concept of culture, how we get along with other people, the way our everyday lives are made meaningful and the everyday dimensions of social life.
First Year Courses Cont’dSemester Two ANTH 1104 Culture and Society
Examines essential aspects of human social life from a cross-cultural perspective, one of the defining characteristics of anthropology.
Provides an introduction to the historical emergence of anthropology as a distinctive discipline & way of studying the world.
Advanced Level Courses
Anthropology of Conflict and Crisis
Ethnography: Engaged Social Research
Popular Culture: Passion, Style, Vibe
Consuming Passions: Anthropology of Food and Drink
Emotion, Mind and Person
Advanced Level Courses Continued
Life, Death and CultureThe Sexual Body: The
Anthropology of Sexuality Native Title Anthropology:
Society, Law and PracticeAnthropology Today:
Experience, Power, Practice
