Social Anthropology and World Religions
This Michaelmas term (as well as offering well over 60 courses you have had a chance to study already) we launch two totally new courses, Social Anthropology: an introduction and Introduction to World Religions.
Boys taking part in a ritual to mark the transition to manhood, Malawi
Licensed by Steve Evans under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic licence
The titles of the units in the social anthropology course alone are enough to make anyone with an enquiring mind consider studying it. Among them – “Kinship: given or made?” “Witchcraft: is a belief in science any more rational than a belief in witches?” “Gift exchange: is there such a thing as a free gift?” “Ethnicity and globalisation: understanding hyperdiversity”. I am not sure you will ever see the world in the same way again once you have been exposed to thinking anthropologically.
Our world religions course introduces you to a subject where even the term “world religions” can be controversial. Looking at the major faiths of both the east and west it will help you understand both insider and outsider perspectives and the ways that religions have adapted and changed to meet the challenges of the modern world.
Both courses have some great resources and activities which will really stimulate you, challenging you to work out what you believe and why – if from very different perspectives!