ANTH40T15: Advanced Studies in Applied Anthropology

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• To introduce students to the field of applied anthropology and to gain an understanding of the multiple applications of anthropological insight, methods, and knowledge to real-world situations in a range of professional domains
• To provide a historical overview of the field of applied anthropology and its future direction in different sectors (tech, design, healthcare, business, policy, international development, conservation, heritage and the arts)
• To apply anthropological theory and methods to solve problems through a range of case-studies drawn from real-world situations and examples
• To introduce students to the diversity of career opportunities in anthropological practice and to gain a broad understanding of the changing dynamics of anthropological knowledge production in the 21st century
• To consider the methodological, ethical and professional challenges of applied anthropology in different sectors/situations

• Each week will explore the application of anthropology to a different professional domain through a set of case-studies, methods and theory which may include:
• Policy, public institutions, and governance;
• Technology,UX design, digital anthropology;
• NGOs and development work, charities, foreign aid;
• Public health, community engagement and intervention, mental health;
• Business, consultancy, organisation anthropology;
• Heritage and conservation work, museum curation, cultural property;
• Engaged anthropology, activism;
• Ethical challenges in applied anthropology

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Gain a broad understanding of the relevance, history, and potential of anthropology for non-academic contexts and audiences
• Gain knowledge of key case-studies in applied anthropology, key figures in the field, theory and concepts, and methods for applied anthropology
• Consider the ethical challenges of applied anthropology
• Understand the changing dynamics and sites of anthropological knowledge production in the 21st century

Subject-specific Skills:

• Problem-solving skills and creative thinking: capacity to apply anthropological perspectives, theory, methodology and knowledge to diverse professional domains and case-studies, and to think outside the box about a social situation or problem.
• Research design skills: capacity to design a research project based on a research project outline.
• Communication skills for non-academic audience e.g. evaluation report, recommendation or policy brief, public report.

Key Skills:

• Using anthropological insights to address real-world problems
• Knowledge translation from anthropology into policy/practice guidance
• Critical assessment of the validity, effectiveness, and efficacy of anthropological knowledge for policy/practice guidance

• Modes of teaching and learning include lectures, seminars, reading and preparation, and group work
• Lectures will provide students with an overview of the range of applications and impact of anthropological insights to different professional domains, will introduce key literature, figures and concepts in applied anthropology, and will survey a range of practical case-studies of anthropological practice in nine different professional domains (including, but not limited to: business, policy, development, health, heritage & the arts).
• Seminars will explore lecture material in greater depth through group discussion and analysis of the case-studies. Seminar discussions will deepen understanding and critical reflection on the material seen in the lecture through reading preparation, and prepare students for their summative assignment. Seminars will include some group work and interactive exercises to provide practical applications of theory to contemporary case-studies and encourage problem-solving through simulated case-studies and learning applications.
• Student preparation and reading time will allow informed engagement with the material in advance of tutorials and lectures, and are essential to attend lectures/seminars and to prepare students for the written assignment.
• The formative assessment will be a groupwork exercise of drawing a research design plan for their assigned case study, and will be presented and evaluated in-class through seminar presentation. This formative assessment will prepare students to think about the methodological, ethical, and analytical aspects necessary to carry out the necessary work for their summative assessment.
• The summative assessment, an applied case-study, will enable students to apply the theoretical and methodological insights gained in the course to a simulated case-study, and to practice their problem-solving skills and writing skills for a non-academic audience.

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