ANTH30B1: Anthropology Field Course

• ANTH2231 Anthropological Research Methods in Action

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• To give students practical experience of conducting anthropological fieldwork, including the collection, management and interpretation of qualitative and/or quantitative data.
• To enable students to gain a deep understanding of a particular field context, and use that to apply anthropological methods and theories learned throughout their degree programme.

• Learning about the field context (history, current situation/issues, previous anthropological research).
• Identifying a suitable area of research and developing a programme of anthropological fieldwork to be undertaken as part of a group.
• Residential fieldwork, drawing on methods and theories in one or more sub-field of anthropology (social, evolutionary, health).
• Management and analysis of field data.
• Reflection on ethical issues in anthropological fieldwork.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• An appreciation of the appropriateness of different fieldwork research methods to specific lines of anthropological enquiry.
• A deep understanding of a particular field context.
• Understanding of the relationships between anthropological method and theory.
• Appreciation of ethical issues inherent in anthropological enquiry.

Subject-specific Skills:

• A comprehensive overview and thorough grounding in the use a range of of anthropological field methods.
• A thorough understanding of the ways in which anthropologists collect and interpret field data.

Key Skills:

• Understanding the process of fieldwork and how to draw on an appropriate range of methods.
• Working with others in collaborative activities.
• Maintaining and presenting a detailed record of research through verbal presentations and writing.
• Apply ethical guidelines in research.

• The primary method of teaching is through practical experience of fieldwork.
• Fieldwork will be preceded by two workshops interspersed with directed reading, to enable students to build up a good level of background knowledge about the field site and plan their research activities.
• Fieldwork will be supplemented by on-site presentations and discussions to explore key lessons and concepts related to the intended learning outcomes.
• The assessment is designed to assess the extent of students' understanding and execution of fieldwork skills, and their ability to apply appropriate theory and methods to address a relevant anthropological question in a fieldwork setting.
• Formative assessment is through the completion of a critical literature review prior to the field trip and group presentations after completion of the field trip.
• Summative assessment entails written coursework based on fieldwork conducted.

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