Anthropology (with Foundation Year)

You will build on your knowledge from Becoming an Anthropologist 1, where you focused on key academic skills. In this module you will further enhance your abilities. You'll have a chance to engage with creative methods and ways of presenting anthropological material from theatre, art and photography, conservation techniques, 3d printing, and virtual reality.

We'll help you to progress your 'outside the box' thinking to illustrate that there are many ways of working within anthropology beyond the standard approach.

You will build a creative foundation of knowledge that you'll be able to use on other modules, including your higher level studies.

How did humans emerge as a species? Why do human societies vary across time and space? How can we understand the diversity of human experience today? In this module you'll address these questions by exploring anthropology as a discipline.

You’ll take an integrated approach, covering social and biological anthropology. You will also study other living primates and archaeology. You will also engage with a range of research taking place at Oxford Brookes University to build your anthropological skills.

You'll explore the application of anthropology to contemporary life and examine how anthropological approaches offer solutions to issues facing humanity today.

What does it mean to be human? How do humans interact with each other and with the world around them? In this module you'll tackle these questions. You'll consider how anthropology provides an important understanding of the relationships humans have with their past, present and future.

Your studies will include social and biological anthropology. You will also study other living primates and archaeology. You will develop a keen analytical knowledge of the range of anthropological research.

You'll explore how we can use anthropology to understand what it means to ‘be human’. You’ll consider how anthropological approaches can address issues across the span of humanity as well as challenges in the contemporary context.

How do people in different societies conceptualise, organise and negotiate social relationships? In this module, you’ll examine human relatedness and kinship. You’ll draw on studies from a range of historical and contemporary contexts to explore households and kinship networks. Your studies will reveal the often complex, ambiguous, and unequal relationships between men, women and children. As this module progresses, you’ll examine the impact that wider economic and political transformations have on shaping personal lives and the relationship between these intimate social relations across the contemporary world.

What’s the difference between humans and the 600 other species of primates? In this module, you’ll explore humans through the diverse social behaviour of other primates. You’ll observe how primate societies interact and compromise to survive, looking at primate populations through time. You’ll gain the key analytical skills to succeed in your Anthropology degree, as you identify patterns of social interaction in primates in terms of:

• ecology
• energetic
• demography
• tradition
• phylogeny (the evolution of genetically related groups).

In this module, you’ll be introduced to selective themes and topics in physical geography. Using climate change science as a disciplinary grounding, you’ll explore recent and future developments, as well as other areas that are inherently linked with climate change in physical geography (including environmental processes, systems and management).

In this module, you’ll investigate the changing face of society. You’ll explore how markets and welfare states have transformed over time. You’ll discover how states, economies and societies interact with each other. And you’ll dig into key questions on politics and power, exploring different political systems.

We’ll explore pressing global topics, including

• international migration patterns
• the formation of ethnic minorities
• religion in modern society
• the challenges of climate change

You’ll explore a wide range of social issues, taking place all over the world. And you’ll develop a strong understanding of how these issues impact individuals and groups.

Explore the study and understanding of Culture and Society by looking at relevant Customs, Icons and Symbols with a particular emphasis on communicative practice of reading and written language in contexts.

How is political opinion, authority and democracy shaped and influenced? In this module, you’ll explore foundational issues in political philosophy through exploring the main political ideologies. You’ll start your journey with Liberalism as the default position in the West since the English, American and French Revolutions. Your focus then shifts to the ideologies that arose in response to Liberalism, including:

• Conservatism
• Communism
• Fascism
• Communitarianism
• Anarchism
• and Feminism.

You’ll also consider questions linked to the theory of knowledge, such as can any ideology be rationally justified?

In these modules, you’ll gain the practical language skills to succeed in your French degree. As someone with a beginner’s knowledge of French, you’ll develop strong skills in French speaking and writing, translating and interpreting. You’ll be able to express yourself effectively in French, and gain a critical sensitivity to the intercultural differences between France and other countries.

In these modules, you’ll gain the practical language skills to succeed in your Spanish degree. As someone with a beginner’s knowledge of Spanish, you’ll develop strong skills in Spanish speaking and writing, translating and interpreting. You’ll be able to express yourself effectively in Spanish, and gain a critical sensitivity to the intercultural differences between Spain and other countries.

How has humanity changed the environment — and how has the environment changed us?

You'll explore six centuries of environmental change through the history of sustainability, conservation and resource use, from the Columbian Exchange of the late fifteenth century to the Great Acceleration of the mid-twentieth. You'll examine how environmental change has been experienced and contested at local, national and global levels, and examine the political, economic, social and cultural forces shaping the consumption of energy, food and natural resources — while also considering what history can teach us about future policy solutions.

You'll also work with diverse historical sources, from demographic and institutional records to maps and plans, and develop practical digital history skills through designing your own digital map of environmental change.

On this module, you'll build your sense of a criminology community through collaborating and planning a criminology newsletter. This will help you take ownership of your criminology studies.

You'll build on the skills and knowledge you gained on Creating Criminology 1, where you will have interacted with guest speakers from careers and with recent alumni. You'll get to use alumni as interviewees for your Criminology newsletter. You'll also engage with discussions for your future after university, and where you can make a positive impact with your Criminology degree.

You'll start an exploration of how educators can support and encourage curiosity and exploration in children, through the use of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM).

You'll focus on understanding and developing teaching methods that can enhance childrens' learning. Incorporating STEAM concepts into each of these areas. You will have the chance to

• investigate
• observe
• and create opportunities for hands-on experiments and problem-based learning.

You'll also join discussions on the challenges and difficulties that may arise when implementing STEAM in different educational settings.

In this module, you’ll dive into art and artists through the century. You’ll explore the Camden Town Group of painters. You’ll examine the abstract sculptures of Barbara Hepworth. And you’ll analyse the collages of Pop artists like Peter Blake. You’ll scrutinise paintings, sculptures and films. You’ll discuss how British artists tried to create modern forms of expression. And you’ll investigate the ways they promoted their work, like:

• exhibitions
• manifestos
• books
• little magazines.

You’ll participate in on-site visits, where you’ll examine works of art firsthand. You’ll also attend exciting lectures and seminars where you’ll explore your ideas and enrich your understanding of modern British art.

In this module, you’ll dive into human evolution. You’ll explore how the biological stages of human evolution link to changes in society and behaviour. You’ll gain specialist knowledge of the palaeoenvironmental (environment of a past age) and palaeogeographical (geographical features of a past age) context of human evolution.

In this module you’ll explore theoretical developments in social anthropology. ‘Theory’ may seem opaque and intimidating, but through creative teaching and embodied learning you will gain a strong knowledge of how social theory helps us to understand the world.

From social structures and forms of transformation, to gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and identity, you will consider fascinating debates and approaches.

You will be challenged to explore concepts such as:

• functionalism
• symbolic anthropology
• structuralism
• post-structuralism
• postcolonialism
• marxism.

You will also explore emerging ideas grounded in materiality, embodiment, ontology, critical race theory and decolonising theory.

This module will provide you with the core methodological skills you need to take your research interests in exciting directions. You'll have the support to gain the skills you'll need for your disseration and other work, including:

• planning
• research
• analytical techniques

From ethnographic fieldwork to surveying and data analysis, the module provides a great platform from which to launch into your own projects.

This module links to ‘Anthropology in Action’, where your focus is on the applications of anthropology. This ensures you will be able to take the practice based approaches developed in this module and put them ‘into action’ as you progress.

In this module you’ll start to cultivate your career skills by exploring practical and applicable outputs that have potential for 'real-world' impact. You'll gain insight into the applications of anthropology beyond academia and have the opportunity to put knowledge gained in the parallel module, 'Anthropology in Practice', into action.

You will also find out about the wide range of career options open to Anthropology graduates. Using the skills you’ve gained in your degree, you’ll learn how anthropology contributes to areas such as:

• international development
• business
• conservation
• human health
• urban planning.
• activism
• social and political change.

In this module, you’ll get to grips with the diversity of India as a nation. You will explore politics, society, economy and culture. You will consider the fascinating history of India, shifting imaginaries of the country over time, and its changing relationship with the global context today. You will use a strong engagement with ethnographic material to understand the everyday lives of India’s citizens and wider diaspora through explorations of work, labour, migration, religion, politics and sociality.

At the interpersonal level, you will gain a deep understanding surrounding questions of:

• intimacy
• gender
• sexuality
• ethnicity
• caste
• class
• identity.

At a structural level, you will tackle issues of social, cultural and economic transformation in the context of:

• cultural practices
• religious influences
• capitalist development
• political change
• neoliberalism
• postcolonialism
• forms of protest or conflict.

What are rituals, and why do we perform them? In this module, you’ll explore the key role of rituals in society. You’ll look at various human communities as you consider the origins of ritual, and its different definitions. You’ll gain valuable critical skills as you explore key anthropological concepts, including:

• rites of passage
• liminality
• anti-structure
• communities.

We often stereotype ritual as exotic, and about religion. However, you’ll enrich your perspective as you explore ritual in non-religious contexts. You’ll look at ritual within:

• politics and power relations
• social identities
• social traditions.

On this module, you will build skills that are attractive to employers. You will gain an understanding and awareness of work and your future employability.

You will be supported to participate in work, community and extra curricular settings. You will develop and engage with self-directed learning and structure reflection. Learning from your experience and personal advancement, you will gain insight and direction for possible future professional roles.

The module covers two main areas in the study of interactions between humans and their biological and social environments, past and present.

Throughout the module your focus will be to build a deep understanding of the principles of human ecology, with a particular focus on the relationship between human health and environmental sustainability.

In this module, you’ll look at gender and its central role in society. You’ll explore the social processes that affect the lives and roles of men and women in society. We’ll consider the centrality of gender in everyday life, and how society reflects and reproduces gender relations.

Why do we exclude some ethnic groups from society? In this module, you’ll explore race, ethnicity and racism through:

• employment
• education
• housing
• migration
• policing
• the impact of anti-discrimination legislation.

You’ll engage with pressing debates on race, ethnicity and racism. You’ll explore the experiences of minority ethnic groups and you’ll explore the factors which exclude them from mainstream society. You’ll focus on the UK, but also consider ethnic minorities in other cultures. You'll highlight the complexities of social constructions of race and other social inequalities.

Are humans any different from other primates? In this module, you’ll dig into the relationship between humans and other primates. You’ll investigate:

• structure
• physiology
• molecular biology
• evolutionary history.

You’ll discover what marks us as human against other species. You’ll gain a detailed knowledge of other species as you trace our inheritance and explore the reasons for our unique characteristics.

In this module, you’ll explore heritage landscapes, and their identity as places of cultural or community value. You’ll study some of the world’s most magnificent heritage as you consider how heritage landscapes have evolved over time. You’ll look at their conservation and management, and the physical and human impact upon them. You’ll get to grips with the core concepts and themes of environmental conservation, heritage management and sustainable development. You’ll understand the rules and regulations, as well as the roles of advisors, in how we protect sites. You’ll also build up knowledge of different ecosystems, their origins and how human interactions impact their development.

Sea levels are rising; glaciers are melting; Arctic sea ice is thinning and weather events are becoming more extreme. We are in the grip of global warming. But how do these changes compare with the environmental changes that have occurred in the past? What does the past teach us about how natural and human factors may interact to change our climate and environment in the future?

In this module you’ll examine changes to the physical environment throughout the Quaternary: the last 2.6 million years of geological history and time during which humans have evolved and spread across the earth. You’ll examine the causes of climatic and environmental change over different timescales and the complex interactions between human impacts and natural processes, gaining perspective on current environmental and climatic concerns.

This module gives you the chance to research a topic that fascinates you. With support from a supervisor, you’ll choose, plan and carry out your independent research, gaining in-depth knowledge of your subject. Student projects have included subjects like:

• Is democracy failing in Eastern Europe?
• Did Putin solve Russia’s governance problems?
• Authoritarianism and political stability in North Korea

You’ll build great project management and research skills, which will help you in your future career.

This module offers the opportunity to study abroad, experience a new culture, and apply your skills in different contexts to enhance your employability. It will help you develop self-management, cross-cultural communication, and interpersonal skills.

You’ll receive support to secure a place at a partner institution abroad, where you can choose modules related to your degree or explore new areas that complement your studies.

Studying at an international university will help you enhance your interpersonal skills through cross-cultural communication with students and tutors, allowing you to build lasting relationships. You'll also improve your study skills by focusing on your chosen areas of interest, gaining valuable international experience that will strengthen your CV.

This year abroad module lasts for one academic year and is taken after the conclusion of your second year of study, once you’ve completed all your level 5 studies. Your year abroad is not credit-bearing.

This module gives you the chance to do research on a topic that fascinates you. You’ll have the support of expert tutors, and it is an opportunity for you to showcase your passions, expertise and advanced learning in Anthropology.

By studying this module, you will develop a detailed understanding of theoretical and ethnographic approaches to culture, capitalism and global transformation.

Your study will focus on ethnographic material that engages with the everyday lives of people and communities from around the world. Through this focus, you will gain insight into the complex relationships between cultural practice and capitalist development, and you will build your understanding of the world around you.

In this module, you’ll explore the changing relationship between anthropology, and international development (the idea that different countries have different levels of development). You’ll gain a strong grounding in international development. You’ll gain key analytical skills as you dive into debates on the relationship between anthropology and development. You’ll explore key issues for anthropologists working in international development, including:

• gender relations
• environmental issues
• health
• youth
• religion.

You’ll compare ideas and practices in international development. You’ll look at approaches to social policy, inequality and well-being in the UK. And you disrupt the lines we draw between North and South, developed and underdeveloped, or advanced and emerging economies and societies.

In this module, you’ll dive into human intelligence and its evolution. You’ll gain fantastic research skills as you evaluate the evidence for the development of cognitive traits such as:

• language
• culture
• tool use
• symbolism.

You’ll uncover fossil and archeological records for evidence of human intelligence and its development. You'll also draw on:

• evolutionary psychology
• cognitive science
• philosophy
• linguistics
• primatology (the study of intelligent mammals).

How do our brains make us care for children, the elderly and the vulnerable? How do different cultures encourage people to nurture others? In this module, you’ll look at the evolutionary and ecological reasons for care, nurturance and social support. You’ll dive into the care practices of other cultures, as you look at how they approach:

• religion
• healing
• child care
• elder care.

You’ll also look at how we care for non-human living things and the planet as a whole. You’ll gain key analytical knowledge as you apply what you learn to yourself, your community and pressing social issues.

How did the modern world come to be? The answer to this question lies in an understanding of the relationships between climate, landscape and society in Southwest Asia between 20,000 and 5,000 years ago. At the beginning of this period, during the height of the ice age, human communities existed as nomadic hunter gatherers. But by the end of this time, during the warmer Holocene period, many inhabitants of the region were living in the world’s first cities, engaging in agriculture, long distance trade and warfare.

In this module, you’ll examine the archaeological and palaeoclimatic evidence for these complex transformations. You’ll look at how, when and where they took place, focusing on the role of climate change and landscape on social, technological and economic processes. You’ll develop key skills in evaluating evidence, theories, methods and analytical techniques.

In this module, you’ll explore key themes in African cultures - from the colonial era to today. You’ll reflect on core economic arguments, asking how far theories of modernisation can shed light on African social and economic transformation. You’ll dig into detailed, ethnographic (the study of people and their cultures) accounts of people’s everyday lives, reflecting on:

• the shifting nature of kinship
• gender issues
• intergenerational tensions
• economic morality.

Through these intimate stories, you’ll explore broader issues of vulnerability and marginalisation. You’ll discuss what anthropology can tell us about global impoverishment, as well as how men and women navigate fragile livelihoods in shaky economies.

This module closely examines the complex history, contested present and potential futures of one of the most important and consequential geographic devices in today’s world: borders. You'll trace the historical development of territorial and sovereign practices that have led to the concept of borders as we know them today. You'll address debates about the continuing relevance of borders in today’s world, and you'll look ahead to the future of borders as they intersect with pressing concerns such as climate change, migration and identitarian movements.

In this module, you’ll analyse human bones from archaeological sites. You’ll get to know the ancient diseases that we can understand through human and animal bones. You’ll gain key practical skills through lab-based sessions and through researching primary material. You’ll also learn how forensic anthropology can help us understand different populations.

As humans, we’ve lived closely with other animals since the dawn of time and we have a long history of interacting with each other. In this module, you’ll examine the complex and contradictory elements in people-animal relations, including:

• animals as food
• companion animals
• animals as nature.

From forest loss to climate change, living primates (including humans) are facing huge threats to their environment and conservation. In this module, you’ll get to know the impact of humans on non-human primates, from hunting for trade to the issues of co-existence. You’ll discover why our non-human primate relatives are at greater risk of extinction now than ever before. You’ll understand the major challenges facing primates, how international legislation protects them, and how we can help the world’s most threatened species.

The Independent Study Module gives you the opportunity to explore a legal topic in greater depth, working closely with an academic whose research interests align with your chosen area. It allows you to investigate issues that go beyond the taught curriculum and develop expertise in a subject that reflects your interests and future ambitions.

You'll build advanced research, analysis and academic writing skills as you engage with legal scholarship, case law and contemporary debates. Students on our named pathways complete their project within their area of specialism, providing an opportunity to deepen their knowledge and showcase their expertise.

Whether you're considering postgraduate study, legal practice or another professional path, the module enables you to pursue an area you're passionate about while developing the independent learning skills valued by employers and researchers alike.

This module is compulsory if studying one of the named pathways.