Life, Culture and Society

Why Study Social and Cultural Anthropology in Hamburg?

In the age of globalization, it is now more necessary than ever that cultural practices and representation is understood and communicated in all it's uniqueness and diversity. Culture, one of the most complex and topical concepts of Social and Cultural Anthropology, is understood as the knowledge and behaviour that a group of people share and impart. The scope of ethnographic interest is exceptionally diverse, ranging from nomadic pastoralists to rural farming communities, indigenous minorities, political refugees living in the diaspora, and urban subcultures. There are no regional limitations. Hamburg's Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology has a comparative global perspective, proven by the Institute's high diversity of regional foci (Africa, Asia, Latin America, Middle East, Europe).

Because of the Institute's focus on ethnographic field research and global comparative methods, the B.A. program in Social and Cultural Anthropology at UHH is characterized by the comprehensive combination of local and global perspectives in instruction and research.

This shows itself in the profile of the program's content, in which two core competencies are conveyed: first, a facet unique to our Institute, is the focus on teaching how ethnological research (at home or abroad) is carried out. Second is the understanding of how people in different regions of the world organize their lives, and how they solve the fundamental challenges of human existence in very different ways. For this, economic, political, social and religious aspects of human culture are comparatively handled.

In the further progression of the program, students have the opportunity to use this foundation for examining topics that are the centre of many debates, such as gender, migration, diaspora, religious dynamics, urban and rural transformation, consumption, governance, resource management, sustainability and climate change, and gain specific expertise in these fields.

Has your interest been piqued? Please feel free to contact our BA-Advisor, Dr. Michael Pröpper, for more information.