Cultural and Social Anthropology

• Master

  Degree

• English

  Language of instructions

• 2 years

  Years of study

• Full-time

  Study mode

• Latvia, Riga

  Location

The programme offers an outstanding opportunity to acquire analytical tools with which to approach contemporary global and local social processes and trends. These include issues such as migration with its corollaries of increasing cross-cultural contact and new diaspora politics, financial crises and advancement of neo-liberal (and other) policies, both internationally and locally, transformation of political subjectivities in the context of shifting ideas about development, state-building and nation. The programme provides students with a solid theoretical and methodological basis with which to critically explore a variety of pressing issues in (post)modern society. Through lectures, seminars and independent reading, students gain knowledge in social, and specifically anthropological, theory. A variety of compulsory and optional courses help students to develop a thoroughly anthropological approach to the themes of self and agency, gender, state and power, borders/migration, consumerism, art/performance. Working with texts is accompanied by ethnographic fieldwork whereby students not only advance their skills of data gathering but also learn to test and creatively develop their theoretical frameworks. The MHum programme builds upon the 3-year BHum programme in Cultural and Social Anthropology, but it is open to graduates from other fields, seeing their previous academic and professional experience as a potential for productive interdisciplinary work. Our programme staff hold doctoral degrees from world’s best ranking universities. They apply high standards both in teaching and public discussions, thus encouraging critical analysis beyond the academic realm. The programme is mostly orientated towards public anthropology and the Baltic region, but students are encouraged to develop and explore their own research topics with the support of experienced supervisors within our department. The programme uses its ERASMUS exchange agreements to send students to other European universities and welcomes students from abroad to Latvia. Career opportunities: The programme graduates can pursue academic career in Latvia and abroad (several graduates teach at the University of Latvia) or continue professional career in public, business or NGO sectors.