In Anthropology, you will explore what it means to be human, learn about human cultural diversity, compare societies and cultures from around the world and understand how conflict arises and how resolutions are found.
Students on this course will receive intensive tuition in the Irish language and culture. Language modules examine core aspects of written and spoken Irish, covering subjects such as syntax, phonetics and semantics. A range of optional modules provide you with a broad understanding of diverse aspects of Irish culture, society and identity. These include film studies, studies in Irish translation, language and rights, modern poetry, Irish linguistics, and the short story. The growth of Gaelic identity is also explored and insight into the country’s wider heritage is developed through the study of mythology, folklore and Scottish Gaelic. All our students spend an extended period in the Gaeltacht each summer as part of our residential course. Final-year students can also avail of work internships in an Irish-language setting.
Through classroom modules, optional placements, and your own anthropological fieldwork, you will also gain valuable skills in critical thinking, cross-cultural understanding, researching, interviewing, writing, and presenting.
In The Guardian University Guide 2021, Queen's Anthropology was ranked 2nd in the UK. Irish at QUB is ranked 1st for Celtic Studies in the UK. It is also ranked 1st for Research (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022).
Anthropology and Irish highlights
Career Development
Anthropology combines an understanding of cultural diversity through human behaviour and expression, with a hands-on method of study that focuses on lived experience. Queen's offers the only anthropology course in the UK that combines the study of expressivity (through art and music) with thematic strands on conflict, religion, cognition, and applied anthropology.
Global Opportunities
Undergraduate anthropology students, as part of their training, have carried out ethnographic field research around the world. Projects have focused on cultural identity in the Irish diaspora in the USA; orphanages in Kenya; AIDS in southern Africa, education in Ghana; dance in India, NGOs in Guatemala, music in China, marriage in Japan, backpacking in Europe, and whale-watching in Hawaii.
Industry Links
We have former students in senior positions in most Irish language sectors and we maintain good links with media production companies, the translation sector and language promotion agencies.
Internationally Renowned Experts
Queen’s has world-leading experts in the history of the Irish language and literature, Irish linguistics and Gaelic names.
Anthropology study at Queen's also connects with the following research centres: the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice; the Institute of Cognition and Culture; and the Institute of Irish Studies. https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/happ/subject-area/anthropology/research/
World Class Facilities
The Performance Room includes a variety of musical instruments from around the world, a collection that has grown since the 1970s when Ethnomusicology was first established as an International Centre at Queen’s by the late Prof John Blacking. These instruments, together with the sprung performance room floor, facilitate music and dance ensembles, enabling our unit to remain one of the leading departments in Ethnomusicology.
Queen’s has an excellent library for Irish materials and an outstanding collection of resources relating to Ireland.
Student Experience
The National Student Survey results have shown a teaching score of 100% in 2021.
Strong emphasis on Irish language and culture. Students complete 4 hours of language per week (interactive classes based on the national syllabus for Irish). Teaching on core and most optional modules is conducted through the medium of Irish.
Irish has a bespoke online platform for language learning called Learning Branch (this contains a range of subject-specific language tasks and mirrors content in language modules).
The Irish student society, An Cumann Gaelach, is one of the biggest in QUB. The society is extremely active and holds a range of events and activities each year (annual festival, Irish classes, concerts, annual dinner-dance, etc.).
Further Study Opportunities
Further study is also an option (eg MA Anthropology, MA Conflict Transformation and Social Justice, MA in Irish Studies, MA in Arts Management, MA in Translation, and MA in Linguistics); see the school website for details.
Student Experience
In the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021, Anthropology was ranked:
2nd in the UK for: Teaching Quality
5th in the UK for: Student Experience
3rd in the UK for: Research
Career Development
In the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023, Anthropology was ranked 10th in the UK for graduate prospects.
Internationally Renowned Experts
Anthropology at Queen’s has international renown in the following areas: Ethnomusicology and performance; Conflict and borders; Religion; Cognition and culture; Migration and diasporas; Irish studies; Material culture and art; Human-animal relations; The cross-cultural study of emotions.
Student Experience
Gaeltacht: Students have a unique opportunity to engage with native speakers through attendance at an annual Gaeltacht residential in Rannafast, Donegal. The course lasts 3 weeks and takes place at the end of Stage 1 and Stage 2.
Career Development
Employability: The Level 3 module ‘Gairmeacha le Gaeilge’ enables students to undertake an internship (minimum of 50 hours across one semester) in an Irish-language organisation, public body, company, or educational service, where work is conducted through Irish.
The School of HAPP provide financial support up to a maximum of £400 for the Anthropology dissertation fieldwork research.
Anne Maguire Memorial Prize
The prize is awarded to an Anthropology student who, in the judgement of the Board of Examiners for Social Anthropology, produces the best dissertation for this module in any year.
Improved Performance Undergraduate Prize
The Improved Performance Undergraduate prize is awarded by the Board of Examiners of the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics to the student, registered on any HAPP UG programme with the most improved performance between Level 2 and Level 3.
The Joint Honours Undergraduate Prize
The Joint Honours Undergraduate Prize is awarded to the student with the highest final degree mark in a School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics - owning Joint Degree programme, excluding any combination with History or Politics.
Global Opportunities
In addition, through the different stages of the dissertation module (preparation and research design, fieldwork itself, and post-fieldwork writing-up), students develop a range of skills (organisational skills, interpersonal skills, information-handling skills, and project management skills) that prepare them for later employment. Many of our students work with NGOs and other organisations as part of their fieldwork.
Industry Links
Current placement partners include Operation Wallacea, which works with teams of ecologists, scientists and academics on a variety of bio-geographical projects around the globe, the Belfast Migration Centre and Heavy Sound (Edinburgh).
In Anthropology, a growing number of internship opportunities will match dissertation students with organisations and institutions relevant to their career paths by building on local and international staff networks and professional connections.
Student Testimonials
"The fieldwork and dissertation have been central to my experience as a Anthropology student. While I am sure it will stand me in good stead in my future search for employment, its central value was as a practice which revealed what Anthropology is really about; through fieldwork, the abstract and theoretical concepts which we had absorbed in two years previous study became immediate and concrete; the subject came alive. Observing and analysing patterns of human action and thought, and later attempting to relay any inferred information (in the form of a dissertation) was a stimulating and challenging process, which seemed to me to be of value in and of itself."
Samuel Ward
‘’Doing an anthropology dissertation is great for allowing you to use your own creativity and actually apply your knowledge rather than simply learning from others. It is a fantastic way of building confidence for any future career as it gives you the opportunity to expand on something independently and looks great on the CV!’'
Genevieve Bigger
‘’Recently the dissertation experience has been really useful in my job search. Because it involves different research methods and demonstrates good written and verbal communication skills, it's great for the CV and even better for coming up with examples for competency questions in interviews. It's also brilliant for networking because it provides easy conversation and an awareness of social issues etc.”
Lucy Proudlock
Anthropology is constructed around four innovative, engaged themes:
What Makes Us Human?
Key modules explore core elements of anthropology. They examine social groups, from families to nations, and social dynamics, from village politics to globalisation. In understanding social groups we examine individual life trajectories against the background of diverse social expectations.
Conflict, Peacebuilding and Identity
Modules on this theme deal directly with large-scale Global Challenges such as conflict, security, and peacebuilding. Issues such as migration, ethnic conflict, and globalisation will be covered across all three years of the degree, with specialist modules looking at Ireland and at the role of anthropology in policy.
Arts, Creativity and Music
Globally renowned for long-standing research expertise in the area of ethnomusicology and the arts, our modules examine issues of sound and music making; art, aesthetics and emotion; and performance and identity around the world. We explore the production, appropriation and use of material artefacts and images in a world of interconnectedness through migration, trade, and digital communication technology.
Morality, Religion and Cognition
These modules examine a number of important themes in religion and morality, including the origins of religion, apocalyptic movements, sacred values, and the relationship of emotion and religion. We will explore our moral worlds and beliefs through the socio-cultural, psychological, and evolutionary sciences.
Stage 1
Irish optional modules (if available in a given year)
• Béaloideas na hÉireann
• Celtic Mythology
• Introduction to Modern Irish Literature
• Language, Politics and Conflict
Stage 2
Irish optional modules (if available in a given year)
• An Gearrscéal sa Ghaeilge
• Cearta an Duine agus Nualitríocht na Gaeilge
• Dúchas na Gaeilge
• Kings and Warriors
• Scannánaíocht na Gaeilge
• Scottish Gaelic
Stage 3
Irish optional modules (if available in a given year)
• An Béal Beo
• Gairmeacha le Gaeilge
• Language and Literature in the Gaelic World
• Language, Identity, and the Emergence of Modern Irish Literature
• Modern Irish Poetry
• Scéal na hImirce
Note that this is not an exclusive list, and these options are subject to staff availability.
9 (hours maximum) In a typical week, you may have up to 9 hours of practical classes, workshops or seminars, depending on the level of study
Small Group Teaching/Personal Tutorial
6 (hours maximum) In a typical week, you will have 3-6 hours of tutorials (or later, project supervision).
Large Group Teaching
6 (hours maximum) In a typical week you may have up to 6 hours of lectures, depending on the level of study.
Personal Study
10 (hours maximum) Typically 10 hours per module (30 hours per week), revising in your own time
Learning and Teaching
Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this course are:
E-Learning technologies
Information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Queen’s Online. A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree programme through the use of, for example, interactive support materials, podcasts and web-based learning activities.
Fieldwork
Students who take anthropology as part of their joint degrees have the opportunity to study research methods and carry out anthropological fieldwork for an 8-week period. This crucial period of skill-formation and research forms the basis of the dissertation they write up in the first semester of their third year.
Gaeltacht Course
Students spend a total of six weeks on a dedicated summer course in Rann na Feirste in Donegal. Here students engage with native speakers while staying in accommodation with a host family. Intensive, structured tuition is provided by qualified native Irish speakers during the course involving approximately 60 hours of placement learning during each course. In addition to the benefits for oral competence in Irish, the residence course provides a unique opportunity for immersion in Gaeltacht culture and establishes a tremendous camaraderie among students.
Language enrichment classes
Intensive 2-hour language enrichment classes provide students with opportunities to develop oral skills and develop their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary in real-life, practical contexts. These classes are taught in very small groups (typically 12-15 students). Students will also be expected to attend one class per week on language accuracy.
Lectures
Lectures introduce foundation information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading. Lectures, which are normally delivered in large groups to all year-group peers, also provide opportunities to ask questions and seek clarification on key issues as well as gain feedback and advice on assessments.
Self-directed study
This is an essential part of life as a Queen’s student. It is during self-directed study when a student completes important private reading, engages with e-learning resources, reflects on feedback, and completes assignment research and preparation.
Seminars/tutorials
A significant amount of teaching is carried out in small groups (typically 10-12 students). These sessions are designed to explore in more depth the information that has been presented in the lectures. They provide students with the opportunity to engage closely with academic staff, to ask questions of them and to assess their own progress and understanding with the support of their peers. During these classes, students will be expected to present their work to academic staff and their peers.
Assessment
A variety of assessment methods are used throughout the programme. These include:
Coursework essays (submitted during or at the end of the semester)
Oral presentations by individual students
Video logs
Artwork and performance workshops
Weekly online commentaries on set readings
Written examinations
Dissertations
Feedback
As students progress through their course at Queen’s, they will receive general and specific feedback about their work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, placement supervisors, personal tutors, advisers of study, external examiners and peers. University students are expected to engage with reflective practice and to use this approach to improve the quality of their work. Feedback may be provided in a variety of forms including:
Face to face comment. This may include occasions when you make use of the lecturers’ advertised “office hours” to help you to address a specific query.
Placement employer comments or references.
Online or emailed comment.
General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial.
Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid. In some instances, this may be provided in the form of model answers or exemplars which you can review in your own time.
Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.
Once you have reviewed your feedback, you will be encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of your work.
The information below is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study (2024/25). Modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year.
This course is designed to introduce students to social anthropology through a discussion of the key concepts in the discipline, and a consideration of the principles which underlie family life, kinship, sexuality and gender relations, and gaining a livelihood in different parts of the world.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will have been introduced to social anthropology, and should be aware of how social and cultural differences constitute variations on a number of basic themes. Students should also be aware of the ways in which anthropology is useful for the understanding of their own society as well as for the understanding of others.
Skills
Skills in literacy, oral communication, the organisation of arguments, effective presentation of written work, critical reflection on one's own cultural assumptions and biases.
Course contents: This module aims to consolidate and develop the students’ existing written and oral language skills as well as their knowledge of Irish society and culture. It consists of three elements: a) a two-hour language enrichment session based on the National Syllabus for Irish Language Teaching at 3rd Level; b) a one-hour interactive class on grammatical accuracy, and c) a one-hour skills-based language workshop.
1. Language Enrichment (2hrs per week)
The ability to discuss a range of topics in Irish related to the student experience forms the core of this element. Topics include university life, careers, the Gaeltacht and language learning. Vocabulary and linguistic competence will be developed through a range of methods that may include: group discussion, oral presentation, creative writing, critical review, essay and report. A wide range of multimedia resources will be used to facilitate learning.
2. Language Accuracy (1hr per week)
The weekly class will focus on various aspects of Irish grammar with the aim of reinforcing knowledge gained at A-Level and providing a solid foundation for the future study of the language. Topics covered will include grammatical cases and nominal inflections, the verbal system, and sentence structure.
3. Language Workshop (1hr per week)
This weekly workshop will focus on the development of core linguistic skills required for negotiating a degree pathway in Irish (essay writing / referencing / study skills / presentation and communication skills / exam preparation / use and application of technology for academic purposes). These skills will be developed through interaction with a variety of guest speakers from the Irish language sector.
Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this module should:
1. be able to demonstrate a level of fluency and accuracy in speech and writing, and a range of vocabulary and expression, so as to be able to discuss a range of issues related to their current lives with some variation in usage.
2. be able to read a wide variety of Standard Irish texts related to the course and identify specific information and ideas within them.
3. be able to demonstrate a good grasp of structures of the language covered in the module and their broader linguistic context and the ability to use appropriate reference works including dictionaries and grammars.
4. be able to organise and present a reasonably coherent argument in Irish relating to topics covered in the course, and present their knowledge and ideas in a range of formats and registers such as letters, essays, reports, blogs, etc.
Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills:
Oral and written communication; IT and multimedia; improving own learning and performance; time management.
This module will explore the evidence for the mythology of the Celtic-speaking peoples from the earliest times as found in ancient and medieval sources in Ireland, Britain and the Continent with particular focus on Ireland. We will examine the evidence for early Irish ideologies, the native gods and the Otherworld. You will also study the nature of the surviving sources to enable you to assess their reliability and determine how they can be properly used for the study of early Irish and Celtic history and belief.
Learning Outcomes
A knowledge and understanding of the mythology and beliefs of Celtic-speaking peoples
Skills
Critical and analytical thinking; research; independent learning; time management.
This module will provide an introduction to modern literature in Irish. It will explore the cultural, political and social backdrop against which contemporary literature in Irish is being produced, and will focus on a selection of key themes and texts.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will have acquired knowledge and understanding of modern literature in Irish and its cultural context.
Skills
Analytical and evaluative skills; development of ability in synthesis and analysis of diverse information, and construction of arguments in written form using appropriate sources.
This module will examine the role of language in politics and conflict in the broad historical context of Ireland and Scotland (and with particular reference to contemporary Northern Ireland). It will consider the many dynamics at play including the connections between language, power, and identity. Attitudes to monolingualism and multilingualism globally will be examined, as will the relationship between language and dialect, and the role of identity in the emergence, creation and maintenance of a language and distinct communities of speakers. The module will consider especially two major linguistic traditions: Irish and Scottish Gaelic, on the one hand, and Scots and Ulster Scots on the other. The primary emphasis will be on Irish and there will be a particular focus on debates and tensions around the role and importance of indigenous languages in contemporary society.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will:
1. Appreciate the relationship between language and power, and the role of this in politics and conflict in a global context.
2. Understand the nature and extent of bilingualism and multilingualism in an international context and the impact of monolingualism on language maintenance.
3. Relate their understanding to the historical context of Ireland and Scotland.
4. Apply their knowledge to the question of language and conflict in Northern Ireland.
5. Understand the relationship between language and dialect, and the role of identity and human agency in the creation of ‘language’.
Skills
1. Possess key transferable key skills, particularly the ability to reflect deeply and communicate effectively (in writing).
2. Work with information, handle diverse data, and draw conclusions (analysis, attention to detail, judgment).
3. Demonstrate an ability to prioritise tasks and work to deadlines.
4. Improve confidence in written communication.
5. Develop self-awareness, and the ability to reflect on and evaluate feedback on written work.
Us And them: Why do we have ingroups and outgroups?
Overview
Drawing theoretically on both cognitive and social anthropology and utilizing a wide range of case studies, from personal passions for particular sub-cultures of music and sport to national politics in Northern Ireland to global divides of religion and class, this module will introduce students to social groups.
We will explore what makes human social groups different from those of other animals, psychological explanations of group commitment, and anthropological literature on symbols, rituals, and politics to examine how particular social groups are created and sustained and how some individuals become willing to fight and die for their fellow group members.
Learning Outcomes
Be able to describe and consider the implications of:
1) The importance of social groups for individuals.
2) How group identities and traditions are created.
3) How groups continue from generation to generation.
4) The similarities and differences between national, religious, sporting, class, and interest groups.
5) How groups can convince individuals to die for them
6) Why intergroup prejudice and conflict is so common.
Skills
The module will help foster the students’:
Ability to consider the findings of multiple disciplines in addressing questions of human society.
Ability to present ideas clearly in both oral and written formats
Ability to research and analyse material from multiple disciplines
Ability to debate and defend arguments
Ability to engage in civil discourse about strongly held convictions
Ability to prepare concise and focused presentations
A World on the Move:Historical and Anthropological Approaches to Globalization
Overview
This modules provides an anthropological introduction to the study of globalisation, using comparative case studies from the contemporary and the historical record, and outlining links with perspectives in the field of history. Among the issues discussed are: global and local linkages in a world of economic, cultural and political connectivity; cultural convergence and the expression of cultural difference; migration, refugees, trafficked people, tourism; diasporas, the idea of home and national borders; transnational family networks in the contemporary world; global and local regimes of power and resistance.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, student should be aware of the complex ways in which globalising forces have influenced people's everyday experiences in different socio-cultural settings and changing historical contexts.
Skills
Students should develop skills in literacy; oral communication; the organisation of logical arguments; effective presentation of written work; and teamwork.
Anthropologists have analysed how people with different cultures' express themselves in a variety of ways through sound, text and image. Who is involved in specific expressive practices, who controls these practices, and which media are emphasised by different groups? Can textual, verbal, musical and material forms of expression be communicated across cultural boundaries? How do processes of cultural translation affect their meaning and impact on different lifeworlds? In this module, we will explore performative genres including musical activities and rituals; language-based forms of expression and processes of visual and material expression around artworks, objects and film documentation.
Learning Outcomes
Students should have acquired a basic understanding of key issues relating to the performative dimensions of cultural expression through a comparative analysis of ethnographic studies pertaining to sound, text and image. Students should be able to discuss how anthropology has approached expressive cultures and understand a range of cultural differences between themselves and others in this arena. The module should prepare them for further study in the fields of performative, textual and visual analysis.
Skills
Students should develop skills in literacy; oral communication; the organisation of logical arguments; effective presentation of written work; critical reflection on their own cultural assumptions and biases; and teamwork.
'Understanding Northern Ireland: History, Politics and Anthropology'
Overview
This level 1 module will use a variety of historical, political, sociological and anthropological perspectives to look at key issues relating to Northern Ireland. The course will provide an overview of the history and politics of the state of Northern Ireland. It will use anthropological understandings of ethnicity and nationalism to examine how Unionism and Irish Nationalism developed. It will look in detail at the various political solutions which have been applied to ‘the Province’, with a particular focus on the Peace Process. It will examine the realities and legacies of the conflict since the signing of the 1998 Agreement. It will explore the development of cultural and political 'traditions' examining, in particular, change and continuity in Irish society.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should
•be aware of how to utilise a range of disciplinary approaches (historical, political, sociological and anthropological) in helping to develope an understanding of division and conflict within Northern Ireland.
•be aware of how to examine how contemporary political communities use the past to construct traditions, ideologies and identities.
•understand how to explore the role of history in understandings of Northern Ireland.
•To develop a broad understanding of the politics of the state.
•understand and look at key contemporary issues in Northern Irish society.
•be able to assess and highlight various research approaches to Northern Ireland, and to explore how academic work can be applied.
Skills
Students will acquire skills in understanding written material, skills in weighing evidence and skills in debating controversial topics. The ability to read material, weigh judgements and engage with the topics being discussed. They should also develop oral presentation skills, essay writing skills and skills in accessing and analysing information, research evaluation. They will also gain experience of coping with controversial topics.
This module will examine the theme of culture from an anthropological perspective. Focusing on an assortment of critical thinkers and formative texts, it addresses the relation of culture to race, society, history, practice, embodiment, emotions, power, the politics of identity, the state, and globalization. The course examines some of the foremost anthropologists who have contributed to these topics, drawing on functionalist, structuralist, Marxist, reflexive and other traditions of thought.
Learning Outcomes
One objective of the module is that the students acquire a firm grasp of the key principles and theoretical perspectives of social and cultural anthropology. A second objective is that the students develop an ability to apply these principles and perspectives to a broad range of ethnographic and other materials. In its emphasis on the development of critical thinking, the module will therefore make a larger contribution by equipping students in relation to other anthropology - and non-anthropology - modules to take.
Skills
To develop critical reading skills with respect to anthropological texts, and to develop debating skills in class. To develop the critical faculties of the students with respect to cultural discourses.
Building on skills acquired at Level 1, this module aims to develop further competence in spoken and written language using a broad range of tasks and assessment methods in keeping with the National Syllabus for Irish Language Teaching at 3rd Level. In addition, students will engage with contextual study to develop cultural and linguistic awareness. The module will contain the following elements:
1. Language Enrichment (2hrs per week)
This component will focus on enhancing oral and written ability through engagement with a range of multimedia texts (at appropriate level) based on a variety of topics introduced and discussed on a weekly basis. Topics will deal with current themes in society and the student experience, and will be chosen to facilitate a range of teaching methods to include group discussion, individual/group oral presentations, reviews, reports and synopsis writing.
2. Language Accuracy (1hr per week)
This component will reinforce and develop to a more advanced level the written competence and grammatical accuracy gained by students at level 1. Topics covered will include verbal nouns and infinitive structures, syntax of the copula and the genitive case.
3. Contextual Study (1hr per week)
This component will raise awareness of cultural and linguistic issues in Irish and allow students to deepen their perspective of the field. Issues introduced and discussed will be earlier forms of the Irish language, and Irish phonetics.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the modules students should:
1) be able to demonstrate a level of fluency, accuracy and spontaneity in speech and writing, and a broad range of vocabulary and expression, so as to be able to discuss a range of complex issues.
2) be able to read a wide variety of Irish texts and identify important information and ideas within them.
3) be able to demonstrate a good grasp of structures of the language covered in the module and their broader linguistic context and identify and use appropriate reference works including dictionaries and grammars.
4) be able to organise and present a coherent argument in Irish relating to topics covered in the course, and present their knowledge and ideas in a range of formats and registers such as reports, presentations, synopses and blogs.
5) be able to display knowledge of earlier periods of the language and the phonology of Irish.
Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills: Oral and written communication; IT and multimedia use; time-management; independent learning and critical reflection.
Hanging out on Street Corners: Creative, Public and applied Anthropology
Overview
The module is designed to introduce students to qualitative, ethnographic, methodologies, explore creative methods, and examine the applied use of ethnographic methods in the social sciences and policy analysis. It will discuss the differences between qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and the strengths and weaknesses of each. This will enable students to argue for the utility of ethnographic methodologies in further modules (dissertation).
Introducing the students to a range of ways of engaging with and understanding the social world, the module will look at the utility of ethnography and anthropology in applied situations. In doing so it will present an understanding of environments in which ethnography can be used in ‘problem solving’ and as a critical tool for ‘policy’ understanding.
Students will be exposed to specific case studies and examples and asked to develop their own skills through presentations, analysis of case studies, and workshops. The course will encourage internships and act as a preparation for dissertation modules in semester 2 (year 2) and semester 1 (year 3).
Students should develop an awareness of how qualitative/anthropological methods – ethnography and participant observation - might provide skills that have practical applications away from the academy.
Learning Outcomes
• To develop and understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
• To engage with creative methods
• To develop skills necessary in the utilisation of anthropology such as report & proposal writing, team work, presentation and communication skills.
• To develop confidence and ability to work within a team and under pressure of time.
• To develop a critical understanding of ethnographic research when applied to areas of policy.
• To critically analyse ethical issues related to ethnographic fieldwork.
• To analyse the relationship between anthropology and other disciplines and professional areas.
• To develop early engagement with dissertation topics, possibly through internships.
Skills
• Ability to consider the findings of multiple disciplines in addressing questions of human society.
• Ability to utilise interpersonal skills
• Ability to work in teams
• Ability to present ideas clearly in both oral and written formats
• Ability to research and analyse material from multiple disciplines
• Ability to debate and defend arguments
• Ability to engage in civil discourse about strongly held convictions
• Ability to prepare concise and focused presentations
This module will bring together staff from a range of disciplinary fields including anthropology, film studies, and museum studies, in an examination of media, visual, and digital anthropology. The aim of the module is to offer students analytical skills to engage with the notion of the ‘visual’ and ‘media’ in research practice. A key focus will be placed on visual ethnographic methods, from ethnographic film, to photography, museum display and performance, as well as an examination of digital/social media and their anthropological significance. Some additional key themes will be those of the crisis of representation in anthropology, globalization and the dominion of the ‘visual’, sensorial and digital methods in the field, media and the social, the ethics of visual/digital anthropology and virtual/collaborative practices in ethnographic fieldwork.
Learning Outcomes
On completion, students will:
· be familiar with key issues in the study of the ‘visual’ and media in anthropology
· be able to recognize and critically assess the role of visual and other media in different cultures
· understand how visual methods can be utilized in ethnographic fieldwork
· understands the ethics and responsibilities involved in the use of visual and virtual/digital methods in ethnographic fieldwork
· be able to historicise the development of visual and media anthropology
· be able to employ different visual media (photography, ethnographic film, visual blogs, visual material) in interactive critical discussions with peers and employ visual methods in the practice of ethnographic fieldwork.
Skills
Academic reading and writing
Oral communication of theoretical and ethnographic data
Media literacy and criticism
Effective presentation of written work
Critical reflection on ethnographic films, museum displays and photography in anthropology
Creative work with electronic audio/visual media.
In this module, you will read and analyse a selection of key, early medieval Irish myths and sagas including The Cattle-Raid of Cooley and the Tale of Mac Dathó’s Pig. You will be taught how to properly contextualise and critically analyse selected tales and explore recurrent themes such as love, gender, kingship, greed and war. We will see how medieval authors projected their own lives and beliefs back onto the ancient past, created their own history and sought to influence society around them.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the module, the students should possess knowledge and understanding of:
• a selection of tales from early Ireland
• the early Irish ideology of kingship and its reflection in the literature,
• issues of masculinity and femininity in saga literature
Skills
This module will develop students’ capacity to
• analyse historical literary texts and situate those texts within their historical and cultural context
• identify contemporary concerns within medieval texts
• identify suitable resources from a reading list
• plan their own study and learn independently
• communicate ideas fluently in an appropriate register
Northern Ireland’s peace process, the legacy of conflict and enduring divisions present a range of ongoing challenges for politics and society. Drawing on expertise from across the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics – combined with that of relevant practitioners, where possible – this interdisciplinary, team-taught module will examine a range of thematic challenges with respect to conflict, conflict transformation, peacebuilding, community relations, public representations of the past, and democratic governance. Rooted in the case of Northern Ireland, the module will also routinely consider broader comparisons with other cases and possible generalisation to other cases. It will be structured into three main parts. First, it will critically engage with Northern Ireland’s past. What were the underlying sources of division, and what can we learn about the complexities and nuances of identity over time? Second, it will explore how the past continues to interact with contemporary Northern Ireland. How is this past represented and understood in today’s public history landscape? Is it possible for Northern Ireland’s contested past to be publicly represented in ways that promote mutual understanding? Can Northern Ireland now be characterised as a ‘post-conflict’ region? Finally, the module will look ahead. Does the current political settlement represent a sustainable form of governance for the region? What do internal developments, such as demographic change, and external challenges, such as climate change, mean for Northern Ireland’s future? By critically engaging with these interrelated themes through relevant disciplinary perspectives, this module ultimately seeks to better understand contemporary Northern Ireland, the history that has shaped it, and the future directions that are possible.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module the successful student should be able to demonstrate in assessed essays, coursework and tutorial contributions:
- A familiarity with a range of topical issues and debates in Northern Ireland, including their historical roots, their contemporary political significance, and their relevance for the region’s future;
- An understanding of the Northern Ireland conflict and the peace process, including the factors that contributed to both;
- A critical appreciation of the challenges associated with conflict transformation, peacebuilding, community relations, public representations of the past, and democratic governance in a divided society from a variety of disciplinary perspectives in the humanities and social sciences;
- Awareness of the role that arts, culture, heritage and public engagement with the past can play in reducing political and social divisions;
- A heightened sense of the complexity of identity, politics and place in Northern Ireland.
Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge; manage such information in an independent manner;
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments;
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field.
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing;
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning;
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment;
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development;
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance .
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT.
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines;
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information;
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear argument; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way;
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways.
The module is designed for beginners and aims to teach all four key language skills, namely listening, speaking, reading and writing. The text book is supplemented by aural and oral exercises accessible on all the student workstations in the Language Centre. Regular written assignments are required to reinforce the grammar taught in class, particularly language drills which are marked and returned with feedback.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the module, the student should be able to demonstrate an ability to translate simple passages from English into Scottish Gaelic and from Scottish Gaelic into English, using basic sentence structures and a limited vocabulary.
Skills
Linguistic analysis and comparison; translation; communication; IT; independent learning; time management.
Apocalypse: Cultures, communities, and the end of the world
Overview
The aim of the course is to introduce students to historical and anthropological reflection on millennial / millenarian beliefs and movements across space and time. Taking a long view of historical events and using case studies of present-day groups that attend to ideas about the end of the world, taking advantage of the interdisciplinary character of the School, and using a wide range of primary sources, including novels, film, websites, and ethnographic case studies and film, this course will invite students to consider the ancient roots of millennial theory; its foundational texts, exponents / prophets and movements; examples of well-known failed and successful millennial claims and movements, including the Crusades, radical puritans, Mormons, Jewish Zionists, American evangelicals, new religious movements, including UFO and suicide cults, and radical Islamists; the use of millennial theory as presentist critique; the development of millennial majorities, and the social, cultural and political implications of their dominance; millennialism’s place in utopian theory; and a final consideration of theoretical rejoinders, in which the course leaders encourage students to consider whether millennial claims might be right – for example, in terms of global warming – and whether that might change the way in which historians and anthropologists should approach the subject.
Learning Outcomes
An understanding of the broad history and anthropology of millennial movements across space and time; An ability to discuss millennial ideas and movements using heuristic tools from history and anthropology; An ability to use electronic resources and to develop key research skills; Effective communication skills; An ability to write an informed analysis of historical problems discussed in the module; An ability to work independently.
Skills
Enhanced ability to think critically, reason logically, and evaluate evidence; Further develop communication skills, both written and oral; Critical appraisal of, engagement with, and effective use of a variety of historical and anthropological sources.
Being the most complex social species, human beings possess many competencies to deal with social interaction, including the capacity to make moral judgments that evaluate and regulate human behaviour (i.e., judgments on whether an action is right or wrong, and on whether someone deserves reward or punishment). Drawing from the anthropological and psychological literature on the matter, the module introduces the student to the various aspects of human morality, discussing the following types of issues:
- Are moral judgments totally relative to one’s culture or are there universal components of human morality?
- Is human morality based solely on religion?
- Are moral judgments framed by distinct concerns such as care/harm, justice/injustice, loyalty/betrayal, hierarchy/subversion, and purity/impurity or are they always related to a specific concern with basic human rights?
- Can the configuration of different moral concerns shed light on different political attitudes and ideologies, such as conservatism and liberalism, and their disagreement on a variety of topics, such as abortion, homosexuality, and economic equality?
- Although the intentional causation of harm is normally prohibited, why in many situations (e.g., in the punishment of heinous crimes, in the interrogation of suspected terrorists, or in the context of wars and revolutions) people have conflicting intuitions about the boundaries of such prohibition?
Learning Outcomes
Be able to describe and consider the implications of:
- current anthropological and psychological approaches to the various aspects of human morality;
- the interplay between cultural learning and basic psychological dispositions in the domain of morality
- moral judgments to politics and the law.
Skills
The module will help foster students’:
- Ability to consider the findings of multiple disciplines in addressing the topic of morality.
- Ability to present ideas clearly in both oral and written formats.
- Ability to research and critically analyse material from multiple disciplines.
- Ability to debate and defend arguments.
Since the 1990s, literature about international conflicts has ‘emerged as a significant sub-genre in Irish-language writing’ (Máirín Nic Eoin, 2018). This interest in global conflicts and crises is in contrast to the observed focus on ‘Irishness’ in much Irish writing in English.
This interdisciplinary module critically engages with the theoretical frameworks of human rights and considers how human rights discourses since the Second World War have informed writing in Irish. Taking a thematic approach, the lectures will address how Irish writers have grappled with catastrophic global events, such as the Holocaust, Hiroshima, Chernobyl, the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, the Iraqi War, 9/11, the climate crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Particular attention will be afforded to the ethical and aesthetic challenges posed by such ‘secondary witnessing’ given that the writers did not experience the events themselves.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, learners will be able to:
- demonstrate a critical understanding of the development of human rights legislation and the aesthetic and political challenges of representing of human rights violations in literature
- engage with secondary literature on human lights and minority language literature
- critically examine a selection of literary representations of conflict
- formulate research essays
Skills
This module will enable students to
• analyse and critique forms of various forms of representations of conflict, in poetry and fiction
• articulate points of view through informal discussion and class presentations
• demonstrate presentation, reading and writing skills (in Irish)
This module will examine the short story as a distinct genre within the Irish-language literary canon. We will analyse the development of the short story from the early 20th Century to the present day using a selection of representative texts from authors such as Pádraig Mac Piarais, Pádraig Ó Conaire, Seosamh Mac Grianna, Máirtín Ó Cadhain, Liam Ó Flaithearta, Máire Mhac an tSaoi, Síle Ní Chéileachair, Alan Titley, Angela Bourke, Biddy Jenkinson, and numerous others. Students will investigate the historical and cultural factors that effected the ‘introduction’ of the short story in Irish-language writing, and analyse how opposing theories dealt with the modernist question. The formal aspects of the short story will be examined in detail– including plot, narrative progression and characterisation– and this analysis brought to bear on the intricate relationship between structure, style and subject matter.
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
• demonstrate a knowledge of the cultural and historical background of the short story
• provide a critical overview of the main developments associated with the genre in the 20th century
• show an in-depth understanding of the formal aspects of the short story
• apply relevant literary and stylistic theories to short story texts
Skills
This module will equip students with the capacity to
• analyse and reflect critically on literary texts
• conduct directed research on a chosen subject
• write a substantial essay piece
• plan their own study and learn independently
• manage their time effectively
Preparing and guiding students for a period of personal research in the long vacation. Includes the selection of a research topic, documentary and bibliographical search, training in quantitative and qualitative research techniques. In addition, students will consider the ethical implications of their research, as well as show awareness of the risk factors involved.
Learning Outcomes
Students should develop the ability to devise an anthropological research topic and plan field research using existing social skills and standard research techniques. Students should also be able to assess the potential risks involved in their chosen research, and assess the ethical implications of their planned work.
Skills
Skills in devising a research proposal and in collecting and sorting information. Students should develop skills in the following areas:
- bibliographical research;
- design a manageable research project;
- assess usefulness of different research techniques
- assess ethical implications of research
- oral and written presentations
- time management
Building on skills acquired at level 2, this module aims to develop the skills and understanding that will be required to deal with a broader variety of language tasks. Linguistic, sociolinguistic and cultural awareness will be consolidated and deepened.
The module will contain the following elements:
1. Language Enrichment (2 hours per week)
This session will form the core of the module and will revolve around a set topic (at an appropriate level) each week. A variety of language acquisition and development methods will be employed: group discussion, oral presentation, reading and critical analysis, synopsis and independent writing.
2. Language Accuracy (1 hour per week)
This class will focus on particular aspects of the target language appropriate to this level (e.g. deeper structures involving copular and relative clause constructions, some of which will be further complicated by elements of regional variation).
3.Contextual Study (1hr per week).
This component, which will vary across the two semesters, will deepen and contextualise the other elements of the module by placing them in a broader sociolinguistic and/or historical linguistic context, for example, Dialectology (Sem. 1); The Irish Novel (Sem. 2).
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the modules students should:
1) be able to demonstrate a high level of fluency, accuracy and spontaneity in oral and written communication, including the use of a broad variety of linguistic structures and vocabulary, congruent with carrying out activities in Irish in a professional environment;
2) be able to deal with a broad variety of material in the target language, including material which is complex and abstract, and which involves a variety of genres, dialects and registers;
3) be able to demonstrate an advanced knowledge of the structures of the language and their broader linguistic context and the ability to use appropriate reference works effectively;
4) be able to synthesise knowledge, identify key points, and structure and present arguments at a high level in a range of formats and registers;
5) be able to demonstrate understanding of core dialectal differences in Irish.
Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills: The module will advance the skills acquired in Levels 1 and 2. Key skills which will be developed to a high level will be independent thinking and learning, self-reflection, and self-management.
This course will explore the phraseology of Irish. We will examine what phraseology is–the study of the structure, meaning and use of word combinations–and analyse types of multi-word expressions (MWEs) in the language. These phraseological units include proverbs and proverbial expressions, idioms, phrasal verbs, complex nominals, irreversible binomials, catch phrases, and memes. We will consider the difficulties associated with defining multi-word prefabricated expressions, examine the various criteria by which they may be identified, explore usage across a range of media, and find out why they are so important to linguistic knowledge. We will also learn how phraseological units can be studied in real texts.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
• demonstrate understanding of the concept of phraseology and its significance
• illustrate different types of phraseological units
• discuss issues related to the definition and identification of phraseological units
• identify phraseological units in texts and explain usage
• explain how phraseology is important in a range of applied areas of everyday life
• research, plan and complete a textual analysis and linguistic commentary using appropriate
referencing conventions
Skills
This module will enable students to:
• critically evaluate ideas and arguments
• present information and ideas clearly and coherently in Irish, including in discussion for a
• articulate points of view through informal discussion and class presentations
• analyse language samples qualitatively and quantitatively using a range of methods.
An introduction to the classical literary language and culture of Gaelic Ireland and Scotland in the early modern period, c. 1200-1650, involving close reading of a selection of texts.
Learning Outcomes
Students will acquire knowledge and understanding of the common literary language employed in Ireland and Scotland in the period c. 1200-1650, of its associated literature and of its cultural background.
Skills
Linguistic analysis; translation; critical and analytical thinking; independent learning; time management
The work internship module will provide students with a practical exposure to working in an Irish-language setting. Students will undertake an internship (minumum of 50 hours across one semester) in an Irish-language organisation, public body, company, or educational service, where work is conducted through Irish. Students will be required to arrange this internship in consulation and in agreement with the module coordinator, and to complete relevant paperwork in advance of placemment.
The module will provide students with a breadth of practical experience in a professional Irish-language environment and the opportunity to apply and build on the skills attained from modules taken at level 1 and 2 (particularly professional oral and written language skills).
Students will be required to (i) maintain a weekly log book or diary which will describe their activities and what they have learned from these, (ii) complete a minimum of 50 hours work across one semester, (iii) prepare and present an oral presentation on their activities (20%), and (iv) complete a final essay piece (80%).
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
• apply their academic experience and knowledge of Irish language in a professional setting
• appreciate and understand how Irish language businesses/organisations operate
• reflect on, evaluate, and report their own practice
• identify existing and new work-related skills
• report on enhanced knowledge of career pathways in the Irish language sector
• communicate professionally through the medium of Irish in a variety of modes (digitally,
verbally: written and oral)
• produce a professional report describing the details and experiences of their work placement and the details of the particular project on which they worked.
Skills
This module will enable students to:
• demonstrate a capacity for independent work in a professional setting
• demonstrate an understanding of what the placement organisation does, how it is managed, and the culture within the organisation
• identify the skills needed in relation to particular job/career opportunities
• analyse their own personal skills, identifying ways to improve through personal development planning
• demonstrate high-level presentation, reading and writing skills (in Irish)
The aim of this course is to offer students a comprehensive introduction to key themes and issues emerging from the anthropological study of Roma, Gypsies and Traveller communities.
We will start by critically examining some of the main ideas through which Roma communities have been imagined and represented in popular discourse and academia.
We will do this by engaging with key anthropological studies of Roma, highlighting the connection between the study of Roma and central anthropological themes: such as kinship, exchange, personhood and cosmology.
We will then look at what happens when broader processes of globalisation and Europeanisation take place, with a focus placed on migration and political mobilisation.
Finally, we will engage with new approaches to the anthropological study of Roma, with a focus placed on the analysis of representation, misrepresentation and collaboration between anthropologists and Roma communities.
Some of the key themes the course will explore are: cosmology and personhood, marginality and identity, migration and borders, politicisation of Roma issues and religious mobilisation, hybridity and collaboration.
Learning Outcomes
The main objectives of this course are to:
- Enable students to familiarise themselves with ethnographic studies of Roma communities
- Enable students to engage with some of the main anthropological themes in the study of Roma and other minority groups
- Help students draw on different ethnographically informed studies in order to critically challenge homogenising representations
- Use ethnographic studies on Roma in order to engage with anthropological theory and debates in the discipline
- Consolidate students’ knowledge of anthropological methodology with a focus on minority groups
- Familiarise students with the socio-political changes brought about by the process of Europeanisation in relation to minority groups in Europe
- Enable students’ comparative analysis of anthropological themes in relation to marginalised communities
- Develop basic conceptual tools for approaching the subject and analysis of the assigned texts
Skills
Transferable skills:
- Ability to critically engage with ethnographic texts
- Develop basic conceptual tools for approaching the subject and analysis of the assigned texts
- Develop presentation skills
- Ability to research critically and analyse material from multiple disciplines
- Ability to debate and construct arguments
- Ability to present ideas clearly in both oral and written formats
This module examines the evolution of modern Irish poetry from 1940 to the present day, including the major poets of the period such as Seán Ó Ríordáin, Máire Mhac an tSaoi, Máirtín Ó Direáin, Cathal Ó Searcaigh, and Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill. It will explore themes such as language, displacement, nationhood, existence, sexuality and religion in their works and locate them within their contemporary social and political context.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• identify major developments in Irish-language poetry in the period 1940-present
• analyse the thematic concerns of major poets of this period and relate them to each other and current social/political developments
• show a detailed understanding of selected poems.
Skills
This module will develop students’ capacity to
• analyse and reflect critically on literary texts
• situate literary texts in their historical and cultural context
• identify suitable resources from a reading list
• plan their own study and learn independently
• communicate ideas fluently in an appropriate register in Irish.
From national anthems to Hip-Hop, and from K-Pop to the Proms, music is a means of performing and contesting power. Drawing on perspectives from ethnomusicology, sound studies, and the anthropology of music, this module provides students with the opportunity to work intensively on a series of topics related to music, power, and conflict in both historical and contemporary contexts. We will explore a range of key themes, including sounds of protest and resistance; music, conflict, and reconciliation; and the performance of race and gender. This will be carried out through interactive class sessions and innovative assignments, as well as listening to and reflecting upon music itself. As anthropologists, we are less concerned about the ‘notes on the page’. Instead, we will focus on music as a social and cultural practice, as a site of contestation, and a source for ways of (re)imagining, (re)conceptualising and (re)organising society.
In this module, we will use music as a window into the lives of others (and ourselves), which will help us understand different social, cultural, and political agendas and the issues that matter most to people in society. In so doing, we will grapple with a range of questions, including: how does music reflect the cultures that produce it? How is music used to represent a nation or group of people? Can music play a role in conflict transformation? How does musical performance intersect with identity? Can music be used as a tool for social justice? Should some music be banned? Does music need to be decolonised? Our classes will engage with diverse case studies such as: western classical music and the legacy of white supremacy; musical populism in Latin America; nationalism and identity politics in the Eurovision song contest; soundscapes of torture and detainment; and rap, drill, and moral panic.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will:
• understand anthropological and ethnomusicological theory associated with the study of music and humanly organised sound(s)
• be able to identify and critically assess a variety of music and sound cultures
• understand how performance and aesthetics impacts the construction of sociocultural identities and political circumstances
• have written critical texts engaging with academic and popular debates about diverse music and sound scenes
present work in a variety of formats, including a synthesis of class readings and discussions, oral presentations, and a well-crafted research paper that demonstrates a firm understanding of the connections between music, power, and conflict.
Skills
By the end of the module, students should have developed the following key skills:
Generic
• Effective presentation of written work at a level appropriate to the year of studies.
• Competency in presenting orally findings from readings and primary research.
• The ability to research both independently and as part of groups.
Module-Specific
• have created and curated a digital playlist on a topic related to music, power, and conflict
• have written an ethnographic vignette on the use of sound as a creative practice
• have written critical texts engaging with academic and popular debates about diverse music and sound scenes
In Gods We Trust: The New Anthropology of Religion
Overview
Drawing on new scientific advances, this religion course examines foundational questions about the nature of religious belief and practice.
The course is based on the idea that religion is a naturalistic phenomenon — meaning it can be studied and better understood using the tools of science. Religious belief and practice emerge naturally from the structure of human psychology, and have an important impact on the structure of societies, the way groups relate to each other, and the ability of human beings to cooperate effectively.
Topics to be covered will include traditional and contemporary theories of religion, with a special emphasis on cultural evolutionary models, as well as how scientific and humanistic scholarship can benefit from mutual engagement.
The module will have an emphasis on contemporary issues in the study and practice of religion (e.g. new scientific theories of religion, the current debates between atheists and theists, and the role of religion in violent conflicts).
Learning Outcomes
Be able to describe and consider the implications of:
1) Evolutionary and cognitive scientific approaches to the study of religion
2) The origins of religion, and its role in human life
3) How religion relates to morality, spirituality and atheism
4) The role of religion in current events and conflict hotspots around the world
5) The role religion may have played in the origin of civilization
Skills
The module will help foster the students’:
(1) Ability to consider the findings of multiple disciplines in addressing questions of human thought and behaviour.
(2) Ability to present ideas clearly in both oral and written formats
(3) Ability to research and critically analyse material from multiple disciplines
(4) Ability to debate and defend arguments
(5) Ability to engage in civil discourse about strongly held convictions
(6) Ability to prepare concise and focused presentations
The Politics of Performance: From Negotiation to Display
Overview
This module brings together the ecological, sensorial and political relations of performance in comparative analyses of intercultural practices from around the globe. We will explore how human and other-than-human aspects of sound, image and movement generate various modalities of ‘attunement’ between oneself and one’s environment to inform a politics of performance. By attending to the particularities of sound, voice, affect, reaction and resonance, we will analyse differentiated ‘atmospherics’ (Eisenlohr 2011) of negotiation, display and contestation. We will then examine how the politics of sound, image and movement give rise to expressions of resistance, resilience and reconciliation. Central to critically engaged performativity is a diversity of environments, environmental change and the ecological relations that they entail. Taking space, place and the effects of climate change seriously, we will further examine how the politics of being and belonging stem from different ways of knowing, sensing and performing self, other and the ‘other-than-human’ in these environments. Using a series of key settings, the module will reveal the political effects of sound, language, voice, positionality and performativity.
Some case studies that will exemplify this environmental and performative politics include i). an analysis of indigenous protest and resistance in song, theatre and public display, focusing on processes of fragmentation, recombination and reclamation; ii). art as a process of reconciliation, negotiation and spectacle, foregrounding identities, rights and policy agendas; iii). political imagery e.g. street art and graffiti; and iv). improvisatory music-making in refugee camps and conflict zones, addressing tension, liminality and resilience. Finally, the module will take into account the ongoing effects of Covid19 as artists and performers reposition their voices in a digitally interconnected world. We will examine how expanding technologies are transforming the power of performance and reshaping how processes of creativity are politically motivated and communicated.
Learning Outcomes
We will be using informal self and group assessment methods during the module to monitor learning outcomes and to reflect on the development of conceptual skills of the following:
• Knowledge of key approaches to the anthropology of the senses, the anthropology of music, arts and performance and music in peacebuilding.
• Ability to discuss critically the importance of multi-sensoriality and performativity in case studies from different cultural contexts.
• Knowledge of the role of performance, poetics in protest, politics, nationalism and expressions of Indigenous rights.
• Ability to work critically with central concepts in the politics of performance.
• Ability to analyse the relationship between different arts/performance genres across distinct performative arenas, e.g. parliamentary, theatrical, ritual and staged events.
• Competence in dealing with issues of cultural diversity in academia.
Skills
• Ability to analyse performative issues and their political implications through relevant anthropological and ethnomusicological frameworks.
• Ability to research and critically analyse a range of information sources effectively.
• Demonstrate skills development in conducting music and arts research online.
• Ability to express anthropological ideas clearly and logically.
• Ability to debate and defend arguments.
• Ability to work with other students in groups.
• Experience in musical participation and reflection.
Remembering the Future: Violent Pasts, Loss and the Politics of Hope
Overview
The module will draw on social theory and ethnographic case studies to examine the role of memory in conflict and post-conflict contexts. Most inter-group conflicts involve contestation over competing pasts and losses. Such contestation plays an important role in how and whether societies can move forward, recover from violence, and deal with reparations. Memory therefore is instrumental not only in how the past is mobilized but also how the future is imagined and constructed -as equal or unequal, shared or divided. By looking at relevant concepts such as loss, nostalgia, remembering, forgetting, expectation, and hope, the module will investigate on one hand how memory politics operate in our post-truth era and in phenomena of nationalism, populism, racism, and exclusion. On the other hand, we will look at how social movements, groups, and communities use memory across the world to build sustainable and inclusive futures.
Topics covered in the module will include: The politics of memory and forgetting: ‘Official’ Histories and ‘Voices from the Edge’; Transnational Narratives of Violence and Justice; Nostalgia, Competing Losses, and the Rise of Populism on both sides of the Atlantic; Displacement as Space and Time; On ‘Speaking Out’: Truth Recovery, Transitional Justice and Human Rights; Social Movements, Alternative Futures, and the Politics of Hope.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will:
• be familiar with social theory on memory, violence, loss, and futuricity.
• be able to describe and critically engage with ethnographic examples from across the world in relation to these themes.
• understand the role of memory in the construction and mobilization of contested pasts and futures.
• be able to explain some current debates on the role of nostalgia, longing, loss and hope in the construction of collective identities, contestation, and social justice agendas.
Skills
By the end of the module, students should have developed the following key skills:
Generic
• Effective presentation of written work at a level appropriate to the year of studies.
• Competency in presenting orally findings from readings and primary research.
• The ability to research both independently and as part of groups.
Module-Specific
• produce written work engaging critically with academic and popular debates on the issues of violence and memory.
• have demonstrated presentational skills both in online and offline learning environments, and learnt how to address different audiences .
• be able to employ fieldwork skills in working in memory sites locally
• have written public engagement pieces for the module’s blog.
The writing and presentation of a dissertation normally based on first-hand field research.
Learning Outcomes
To organise and analyse research data and to be self-reflexive.
Skills
Students should develop skills in the following areas:
- bibliographical research and documentary analysis;
- organising and retrieving information;
- writing a long piece of work;
- time management
The dissertation (4000 words) will demonstrate a capacity for independent research, thought, judgment, and writing. Students will investigate and research a well-defined topic that has been negotiated with a member of staff and approved by the Irish and Celtic Staff Board. Students are supported throughout the process of researching and writing with guidance from a relevant academic supervisor. The dissertation is designed as an introduction to the skills that will be involved in postgraduate research and will comply with the substantive and formal requirements/conventions of an extended argumentative essay
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
(i) identify and refine an appropriate research question;
(ii) demonstrate a detailed knowledge of primary sources and the secondary literature relating to their chosen topic;
(iii) show knowledge and a critical understanding of the appropriate theoretical, textual and analytical techniques that are required to examine and evaluate their chosen subject;
(iv) develop and present a cogent and sustained argument across the dissertation;
(v) demonstrate an ability to draw conclusions based on valid research methods, analysis and arguments.
Skills
Students will acquire skills in:
(i) formulating appropriate research questions;
(ii) identifying, locating, and gathering information from a variety of sources;
(iii) analysing evidence and formulating reasoned conclusions; and
(iv) presenting the results of research and analysis in an appropriate format.
A maximum of one BTEC/OCR Single Award or AQA Extended Certificate will be accepted as part of an applicant's portfolio of qualifications with a Distinction* being equated to grade A at A-Level and a Distinction being equated to a grade B at A-level.
Irish leaving certificate requirements
H3H3H3H3H3H3/H2H3H3H3H3 including Higher Level grade H3 in Irish
Graduate
A minimum of a 2:2 Honours Degree, provided any subject requirement is also met
Note
All applicants must have GCSE English Language grade C/4 or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University.
How we choose our students
Applications are dealt with centrally by the Admissions and Access Service rather than by individual University Schools. Once your on-line form has been processed by UCAS and forwarded to Queen's, an acknowledgement is normally sent within two weeks of its receipt at the University.
Selection is on the basis of the information provided on your UCAS form, which is considered by the Selector for that particular subject or degree programme along with a member of administrative staff from the Admissions Service. Decisions are made on an ongoing basis and will be notified to you via UCAS.
For entry last year, applicants for this BA programme must have had, or been able to achieve, a minimum of 5 GCSE passes at grade C/4 or better (to include English Language). Performance in any A-level examinations already completed would also have been taken into account and the Selector will check that any specific entry requirements in terms of GCSE and/or A-level subjects (in this case A-Level Irish) can be fulfilled.
Offers are normally made on the basis of 3 A-levels. Two subjects at A-level plus two at AS would also be considered. The offer for repeat applicants is set in terms of 3 A-levels. Grades may be held from the previous year.
Applicants offering two A-levels and one BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/National Extended Certificate (or equivalent qualification), or one A-level and a BTEC Diploma/National Diploma (or equivalent qualification) will also be considered. Offers will be made in terms of the overall BTEC grade(s) awarded. Please note that a maximum of one BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/National Extended Certificate (or equivalent) will be counted as part of an applicant’s portfolio of qualifications. The normal GCSE profile will be expected.
For applicants offering the Irish Leaving Certificate, please note that performance at Junior Certificate is taken into account and applicants must hold a minimum of 5 IJC grades C/Merit. The Selector also checks that any specific entry requirements in terms of Leaving Certificate subjects can be satisfied.
BTEC Extended Diplomas / National Extended Diplomas (or equivalent), Higher National Certificates, and Higher National Diplomas can be considered, provided the subject requirements for entry to Irish are also fulfilled.
Applicants offering Access/Certificate in Foundation Studies courses will be considered individually on their own merits and the standard required is an overall average of 70% in Level 3 modules. Applicants must also have the appropriate qualification to fulfil the entry requirements for Irish.
The information provided in the personal statement section and the academic reference together with predicted grades are noted but, in the case of BA degrees, these are not the final deciding factors in whether or not a conditional offer can be made. However, they may be reconsidered in a tie break situation in August.
A-level General Studies and A-level Critical Thinking would not normally be considered as part of a three A-level offer and, although they may be excluded where an applicant is taking 4 A-level subjects, the grade achieved could be taken into account if necessary in August/September.
Applicants are not normally asked to attend for interview, though there are some exceptions and specific information is provided with the relevant subject areas.
If you are made an offer then you may be invited to an Open Day, which is usually held in the second semester. This will allow you the opportunity to visit the University and to find out more about the degree programme of your choice and the facilities on offer. It also gives you a flavour of the academic and social life at Queen's.
If you cannot find the information you need here, please contact the University Admissions Service (admissions@qub.ac.uk), giving full details of your qualifications and educational background.
International Students
Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region. Use the dropdown list below for specific information for your country/region.
English Language Requirements
An IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component or an equivalent acceptable qualification, details of which are available at: go.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.
Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.
International Students - Foundation and International Year One Programmes
INTO Queen's offers a range of academic and English language programmes to help prepare international students for undergraduate study at Queen's University. You will learn from experienced teachers in a dedicated international study centre on campus, and will have full access to the University's world-class facilities.
These programmes are designed for international students who do not meet the required academic and English language requirements for direct entry.
Skills to enhance employability
Studying for an Anthropology and Irish degree at Queen‘s will assist you in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are increasingly valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions. Through classroom modules, optional placements, your own anthropological fieldwork, and Gaeltacht residency, you will gain valuable skills in critical thinking, cross-cultural understanding, researching, interviewing, writing, and presenting.
Employment after the Course
Career pathways typically lead to employment in:
• User Experience
• Consultancy
• Civil Service
• Development, NGO work, International Policy, Public Sector
• Journalism, Human Rights, Conflict Resolution, Community Work
• Arts Administration, Creative Industries, Media, Performance, Heritage, Museums, Tourism
• Market Research
• Public and Private Sector related to: Religious Negotiation, Multiculturalism/Diversity
• Teaching in schools
• Academic Teaching and Research
• Human Rights, Conflict Resolution, Community Work, Journalism
• Language development and promotion
Employment Links
A growing number of Internship opportunities will match dissertation students with organisations and institutions relevant to their career paths by building on local and international staff networks and professional connections.
Current placement partners include:
• Operation Wallacea, which works with teams of ecologists, scientists and academics on a variety of bio-geographical projects around the globe.
• Belfast Migration Centre offers students of the module ‘Migration, Displacement and Diasporas’ internship opportunities in their ‘Belonging Project’.
Queen’s has strong links with a number of employers including the Department for Communities, the BBC, Irish Language Broadcast Fund and other media companies, and employers are routinely invited to address the Irish students. Our Level 3 module ‘Gairmeacha le Gaeilge’ enables students to undertake an internship (minimum of 50 hours across one semester) in an Irish-language organisation, public body, company, or educational service, where work is conducted through Irish. Many of our students work in primary and secondary schools as classroom assistants and language assistants while studying for their degree. Other opportunities to gain employment experience are provided by media companies located in the area and theatre and community groups in Belfast.
Professional Opportunities
International Travel
As part of undergraduate training, students have the opportunity to use practice-based research skills during eight weeks of ethnographic fieldwork in areas of their specialisation, which can entail working with organisations around the globe.
Prizes and Awards
Students receive a certificate of distinction for first class performance in the Stage 3 oral.
There are a number of undergraduate prizes available to top-performing students in Irish.
Degree Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Degree Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.
1EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.
2 EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.
3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.
The tuition fees quoted above for NI and ROI are the 2024/25 fees and will be updated when the new fees are known. In addition, all tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase in each year of the course. Fees quoted relate to a single year of study unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Tuition fee rates are calculated based on a student’s tuition fee status and generally increase annually by inflation. How tuition fees are determined is set out in the Student Finance Framework.
Additional course costs
Students have the option to take the Social Anthropology dissertation module. This will involve undertaking fieldwork in the summer vacation period between years 2 and 3. The cost will vary depending on the location of the fieldwork, ranging from £100-£500. The School will provide financial support up to a maximum of £300.
Joint honours Irish students are required to spend 2 periods of residence in the Gaeltacht between Years 1 and 2 and between Years 2 and 3. The trips are subsidised by the School but each student is required to pay a contribution per residency (currently £180, i.e. £360 in total).
All Students
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.
Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.
Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.
If a programme includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.
Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.
There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
How do I fund my study?
There are different tuition fee and student financial support arrangements for students from Northern Ireland, those from England, Scotland and Wales (Great Britain), and those from the rest of the European Union.
Application for admission to full-time undergraduate and sandwich courses at the University should normally be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Full information can be obtained from the UCAS website at: www.ucas.com/students.
When to Apply
UCAS will start processing applications for entry in autumn 2025 from early September 2024.
The advisory closing date for the receipt of applications for entry in 2025 is still to be confirmed by UCAS but is normally in late January (18:00). This is the 'equal consideration' deadline for this course.
Applications from UK and EU (Republic of Ireland) students after this date are, in practice, considered by Queen’s for entry to this course throughout the remainder of the application cycle (30 June 2025) subject to the availability of places. If you apply for 2025 entry after this deadline, you will automatically be entered into Clearing.
Applications from International and EU (Other) students are normally considered by Queen's for entry to this course until 30 June 2025. If you apply for 2025 entry after this deadline, you will automatically be entered into Clearing.
Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as is consistent with having made a careful and considered choice of institutions and courses.
The Institution code name for Queen's is QBELF and the institution code is Q75.
Additional Information for International (non-EU) Students
Applying through UCAS
Most students make their applications through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) for full-time undergraduate degree programmes at Queen's. The UCAS application deadline for international students is 30 June 2025.
Applying direct
The Direct Entry Application form is to be used by international applicants who wish to apply directly, and only, to Queen's or who have been asked to provide information in advance of submitting a formal UCAS application. Find out more.
Applying through agents and partners
The University’s in-country representatives can assist you to submit a UCAS application or a direct application. Please consult the Agent List to find an agent in your country who will help you with your application to Queen’s University.
