Type of course

Course content

This course will teach students how to develop a Masters project proposal and tie it to contemporary anthropological theory. You will develop research questions, conduct literature review of previous research in your field, and develop methodological tools that enable you to produce data that can answer your research questions.

The course ends with students submitting a research proposal with a successfully integrated theoretical perspective.

Students then undertake their individual fieldwork.

Objectives of the course

Students who successfully complete this course should have achieved the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge - the candidate:

• knows central issues and perspectives in contemporary anthropology.
• is able to discuss how theory and methodology is related to one another in specific anthropological projects.
• knows the basic conventions of veracity in ethnographic research, including correct use of sources.
• knows how to prepare, present and conduct a camera-based social scientific research project
• has solid knowledge of literature relevant to their Master’s project, thematically.

• knows what differentiates a research problematic from everyday issues

Skills - the candidate:

• is able to think critically and construct an academic argument
• is able to distinguish between empirical material and analytic conceptualizations
• is able to apply anthropological theoretical and methodological approaches to specific situations and cases

• is able to develop manageable research questions, and methodological and theoretical approaches for their Master’s project, and the chosen field of research.
• is able to demonstrate how the camera is going to be used in the discovery of the cultural conventions of their research partners

• is able to demonstrate how they are going to create a film narrative rooted in their overall project

General competence - the candidate:

• is able to make use of anthropological methods and perspectives in the analysis of our contemporary world.
• is able to give an independent account of different theoretical approaches in contemporary anthropology

• is able to demonstrate how they are going to pursue their objectives and research questions through the choices of research partners and research settings.
• is able to demonstrate how the textual and filmic representations are going to be related to each other.

• is able to identify and discuss the relevance of their project to research partners, discussions of cultural diversity in a global context, and the development of methodological and theoretical refinement.

Language of instruction and examination

Teaching methods

The course consists of approximately 8 hours with lectures (4 lectures) and approximately 16 hours with seminars.

Consists of two parts; the practical and theoretical preparations and the practical fieldwork. The course runs for 6 weeks and also includes the fieldwork for the Master's Thesis.