Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology
Course code
HIA6020.HT
old course code
Course title in Estonian
Sissejuhatus sotsiaal- ja kultuurantropoloogiasse
Course title in English
Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology
ECTS credits
6.0
Assessment form
Examination
lecturer of 2026/2027 Autumn semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
lecturer of 2026/2027 Spring semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
Brief description of the course
The course introduces central concepts, research questions, and approaches of social and cultural anthropology and provides an initial overview of anthropology as a discipline concerned with the study of cultural and social diversity. The course addresses the distinctive features of anthropological thinking, concepts of culture and society, ethnography, and key anthropological themes and fields of research. Through lectures, readings, and discussions, students learn to use anthropological concepts to describe and interpret cultural and social phenomena.
Learning outcomes in the course
Upon completing the course the student:
- explains central concepts and research questions of social and cultural anthropology, relating them to the study of human societies and cultural diversity;
- describes main research perspectives and distinctive features of anthropology in comparison with other humanities and social science disciplines;
- interprets introductory ethnographic and theoretical texts, distinguishing between description, interpretation, and argumentation;
- applies anthropological concepts and examples in the description and discussion of some cultural and social phenomena.
- explains central concepts and research questions of social and cultural anthropology, relating them to the study of human societies and cultural diversity;
- describes main research perspectives and distinctive features of anthropology in comparison with other humanities and social science disciplines;
- interprets introductory ethnographic and theoretical texts, distinguishing between description, interpretation, and argumentation;
- applies anthropological concepts and examples in the description and discussion of some cultural and social phenomena.
Teacher
Maarja Kaaristo
Study programmes containing that course