Anthropology Postgraduate Programmes at the University of Kent

AnthropologyPostgraduate programmes atthe School of Anthropology and Conservation

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Anthropologywww.kent.ac.uk/sac

The School of Anthropology and Conservation is unique in the UK. We recognise thathumans and the natural world are interconnected, and this is reflected by the widerange and integration of our intellectual interests. As a species, humans are bothcultural and biological creatures, and an effective understanding of ‘us’ requires anappreciation of humans and how human activity has been key in both fostering andthreatening biodiversity and our environment.

The School houses the internationally renowned Durrell Institute for Conservation andEcology (DICE), whose mission is, in part, to train the next generation of conservationprofessionals from biodiversity rich developing nations. This adds to the dynamicatmosphere within the School with students coming from all over the world to studywith us.

In this leaflet, you will see that our postgraduate programmes cover a broad range oftopics in social and biological anthropology, ethnobiology, and biodiversity conservation.You will discover the extent of our international reach, the quality and reputation ofour research, and the outstanding facilities we are able to offer. We also outline thefunding opportunities that are offered by the School.

The School of Anthropology and Conservation is a most exciting place in which to learnand conduct research and our stimulating intellectual climate is matched by excellentfacilities for both studying, teaching and research.

We look forward to seeing you here!

Professor Douglas MacMillanHead of [email protected]

Welcome

World-leading research

The research at Kent’s

School of Anthropology

and Conservation was

rated as ‘internationally

excellent’ in both the 2001

and 2008 Research

Assessment Exercises.

Did you know?

We have trainedpostgraduate students from

over 80 countries, many of

whom are now making

significant contributions to

academia and society in

their home countries.

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Centre of excellence

Our innovative Centre for

Social Anthropology and

Computing hosts both the

Anthropological Index

Online and Experience

Rich Anthropology

projects.

Research seminars

The School hosts a number

of annual public lectures

including the Stirling

Lecture and the DICE

Lecture which contribute to

our cross-cutting and

leading edge research

culture.



Excellence in teachingand research

Areas of expertiseOur regional expertise coversEurope, the Middle East, SouthEast and Southern Asia(especially Indonesia), Amazonia,New Guinea, and Polynesia.Specialisation in biologicalanthropology includes forensicsand paleopathology, evolutionarypsychology and the evolutionaryecology and behaviour of greatapes.

The School’s research centresinclude the Centre for SocialAnthropology and Computing (seedetails p5) and the Centre forBiocultural Diversity, which was setup in 2007 and has a mission toundertake research, educationand community outreach on thelinks between cultural and

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Kent is an excellentenvironment in which toundertake postgraduatestudy within the fields ofAnthropology andConservation, offeringprogrammes that exposestudents to uniqueexperiences andopportunities.

Anthropology prides itself on itsinclusive and interdisciplinaryfocus. It takes a holistic approachto human society, combiningbiological and social perspectives.It maintains an active researchculture, with staff working in manydifferent parts of the world.

Field-leading researchThe School has a long tradition ofhigh-quality research among itsstaff which makes for a strongresearch culture supportingpostgraduates pursuing researchdegrees. The breadth of expertisewithin the School enables us toprovide research supervision ona very wide range of topics acrossthe full spectrum of the disciplinesof social, biological, visual andenvironmental anthropology,ethnobotany, conservation biology,biodiversity management,biodiversity law, sustainabletourism and sustainable resourceuse.

Our research groups present bi-weekly research seminars as wellas annual lectures by renownedpractitioners.

biological diversity. The Schoolalso houses Kent OsteologicalResearch and Analysis (KORA),which offers osteological analysesof human skeletal remains. Allanalyses follow the guidelines setforth by the British Association forBiological Anthropology andOsteoarchaeology, the Institute ofField Archaeologists, and EnglishHeritage.

External relationshipsWe have affiliations with contactsaround the world including theInternational Union forConservation of Nature, theDurrell Wildlife Conservation Trust,the Global Diversity Foundation,the Royal Botanical Gardens atKew, the Horniman Trust Fund forAnthropology and the nearbyPowell-Cotton Museum.

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“The primary reason forcontinuing my educationat Kent was theavailability of mysupervisor. I had workedwith her previously andknew that she wouldsupport me, as would therest of the School staff.”Melanie DembinskyPhD in Anthropology

The Powell-Cotton Museum hasone of the largest ethnographiccollections in the British Isles andis particularly strong in sub-Saharan African material. It alsohouses an extensive comparativecollection of primate material.Human skeletal material is housedat the University itself.

First-class resourcesThe School houses research labsfor genetics, ecology, biologicalanthropology, osteology, visualanthropology, anthropologicalcomputing, botany andethnobiology as well as a fieldstation on the Amazon. All of ourlaboratories are equipped withexcellent resources.

Visual anthropology laboratoryThe visual anthropology laboratoryis stocked with digital editingprogrammes and other facilitiesfor digital video and photographicwork, and has a photographicdarkroom for analogue developingand printing.

Biological anthropologylaboratoryThe biological anthropologylaboratory is equipped forosteoarchaeological and forensicwork. It curates the Powell-CottonMuseum collection of humanremains, together with Anglo-Saxon skeletons fromBishopstone, Sussex.

Botany laboratoryThe Botany laboratory providesequipment and specimens forteaching research skills, andserves as a transit station forreceiving, examining andredirecting field material. It alsohouses the Powell-Cotton Museumcollection of plant-based materialculture from South-east Asia, anda small reference and teachingcollection of herbarium and spiritspecimens (1,000 items) arisingfrom recent research projects.

Information technologyKent has pioneered the socialanthropological study of Europeand the Mediterranean, the use ofcomputers in anthropologicalresearch, and environmentalanthropology in its widest sense(including ethnobiology andethnobotany). In addition, Kenthas outstanding anthropologyinformation technology facilities.Over the last decade, the Centrefor Social Anthropology andComputing has been associatedwith many innovatory projects,particularly in the field of cognitiveanthropology. The Centre providesan electronic informationservice to other anthropologydepartments, for example byhosting both the AnthropologicalIndex Online and ExperienceRich Anthropology project. Weencourage all students to use theCentre’s facilities (no previousexperience or training isnecessary). The Centre has itsown website: lucy.kent.ac.uk,which was the world’s firstanthropology website.


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Jessica Lucas is studying foran MA in Visual Anthropology

Why did you choose Kent?As an undergraduate I studied atAustin College in Sherman, Texas.My degree was a double major inphotography and anthropologyand for my Master’s I wanted tocombine the two, which the MA invisual anthropology at Kentallowed me to do. I was alsoattracted to Kent by the School’scommitment to makinganthropology more accessible tothe wider public.

How is your course going?My favourite part was theseminars, as the diversity of thestudents meant there were manydifferent views which created aplatform for discussion with ourprofessors and peers. Theprogramme is a combination oftheoretical and practical modules,and includes a placement with alocal organisation, which is a greatopportunity to put into practicewhat you have learnt. Myplacement was with the KentChildren’s Fund Network (KCFN) inAshford. I worked with youngpeople between the ages of 13 to19 in support of the Ashford Gofor Play initiative. KCFN waslooking for areas where they couldengage with the communitythrough play days, so I scoutedout areas for these activities byinterviewing local teenagers.

One of the great things about thevisual anthropology programme isthat practitioners from external

Student profile

organisations are invited to givelectures. These visits fromcommercial photographers andfilmmakers proved very useful tomy training, and networking withthem adds a new dimension to theprogramme. It really supports theprogramme’s focus on publicanthropology and the belief thatwe can apply our skills in manydifferent areas.

What have you decided to do foryour dissertation?My dissertation also links with thisfocus on an applied, publicanthropology. I am collectingnarratives from refugee andasylum-seeking individuals insouth-east England and studyinghow structural and other forms ofeveryday violence are representedin these narratives. I amparticularly looking at how currentsocial policies contribute tokeeping asylum seekers on thefringes of areas such as socialservices, housing and health care.

My work in the field is basedaround participant observation,which means that I spend timeliving with the people I amstudying, interacting with themand seeing how their daily liveswork. As well as my writtendissertation, I am also working ona multimedia project using audio,photography, and film, which Iplan to publish on the web. To thisend, I am working collaborativelywith the Dover Detainee VisitorGroup to apply my skills to createa project that benefits theirpublicity and advocacy aims.

Do you enjoy the fieldwork?I do, but as with all fieldwork, whatyou expect to happen neverhappens! Before you go into thefield, you produce a proposal thatis peer-reviewed, so you have astrong outline before you start. Aspart of this proposal you establisha support network outside of theSchool as well as within it, so thatwhen things change, as theyalways do, the relationships youhave established with yourresearch partners help you to dealwith the new circumstances.

What do you plan to do next?I plan to return to the States andapply for a PresidentialManagement Fellowship, as Iwould like to pursue work with thefederal government, throughwhich I will apply what I havelearnt at Kent, hopefully within aposition at the Department ofState. After working for a fewyears, I would eventually like topursue my PhD.

What will be your lastingimpression of Kent?The School of Anthropology andConservation is a very diverse, buttight-knit community, and we enjoyspending time together in andoutside of class. This type ofsupport network, along with thefaculty supervision offered forpostgraduate students,particularly at Master’s level, iswhat has made the biggestimpression on me at Kent.


Excellent careerprospects

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Kent has an excellentrecord for postgraduateemployment: 96.6% of ourpostgraduate studentswho graduated in 2009found a job or furtherstudy opportunity withinsix months.

Exciting career optionsHigher degrees in anthropologyopen doors into a wide range offields ranging from academia, thecivil service and non-governmental organisationsthrough work in areas such asinternational development ofhuman rights to journalism,documentary filmmaking, andinternational finance. Ananthropology degree provides keyskills including accessing andanalysing data drawn from libraryand archival research, academicwriting, public speaking andcomputer use which areappropriate to training in a numberof research fields. It also developsinterpersonal and interculturalskills which make anthropologygraduates highly desirable in anyprofession that involves workingwith people from diversebackgrounds and cultures.

Key transferable skillsEmployers are looking for highlyadvanced skills that will enablepostgraduate students to operateeffectively at a senior level and goon to successful careers ingovernment, business, industryand academia. As well asenhancing your subjectknowledge and expertise,postgraduate study at Kentenables you to engage withcomplex issues and questions; tothink critically and independentlyabout your object of study; todevelop learning, research andorganisational skills; and tocommunicate your knowledge andinsights to peers, academicsupervisors and those withoutspecialised knowledge.

Career in the spotlight

James Wong (MSc in

Ethnobotany, 2005) has

his own TV series Grow

Your Own Drugs and has

also designed RHS

award-winning gardens.

AAnnggeellaa SScchhlleennkkhhooffff ggrraadduuaatteeddwwiitthh aa BBAA iinn SSoocciiaallAAnntthhrrooppoollooggyy aanndd ssttaayyeedd oonnaatt KKeenntt ttoo ssttuuddyy ffoorr aa PPhhDD..

Why did you choose Kent?I visited the University before Iapplied and immediately liked theatmosphere and that the campuswas almost a town in itself. As a19 year old leaving home for thefirst time, it felt secure and staffmembers were very friendly. Ithoroughly enjoyed myundergraduate experience at Kentand returned for my PhD for afurther four years!

What attracted you to thecourse?The School of Anthropology andConservation felt very lively andmany different interests wererepresented which I felt wouldgive me the widest possibleexposure to the subject beforespecialising in one particular area.I also enjoyed the wide range ofthematic and regional interestsrepresented. The rating of theSchool also convinced me that Iwould receive a good degree.When I returned for my PhD, Ialready knew that staff memberswere available to discuss myinterests and provide advice andsupport. The resources were verygood and there was a sense ofcommunity within the School.

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How did your course lay thefoundations for your chosencareer path?My course gave me the insightsinto the charity sector as well as,to a certain extent, the workexperience that I needed to findemployment. It provided me withthe specialist knowledge thatparticular organisations wereseeking in order to further theirprojects or to reach a betterunderstanding of communityneeds they were seeking toaddress.

What social activities/extra-curricular activities did you getinvolved with during your time atKent?I was a regular user of the gymand various sports classes andalso often saw theatre plays andmovies on campus. I also taughtundergraduate courses in theSchool of Anthropology andConservation which I enjoyed alot. While studying for my BA, Iwas a member of the UniversityChoir.

Could you describe your careerpath since leaving Kent?Since finishing my PhD, I haveworked in different roles withinrefugee community organisations.One of those roles also enabledme to organise an internationalconference about Afghanistan atthe School of Oriental and AfricanStudies, held by the Centre ofContemporary Central Asia andthe Caucasus. I subsequently

Graduate profile


found a publisher, Hurst & Co.,who was interested in publishingthe presentations and workshopdiscussions. The book, which I co-edited with Dr Ceri Oeppen, willbe published shortly. I amcurrently working as a ProjectManager in the EmployeeVolunteering Department atCommunity Service Volunteers(CSV) and am enjoying the jobtremendously.

Could you describe a typical dayin your current role?There is no typical day in my role! Iam responsible for severalcontracts with corporate clientswhich involves financialmanagement, line-management,meeting existing and new clients totalk about projects, developing newprogrammes and liaising with otherdepartments within CSV. Whilethere are tasks that I complete on aregular basis, there is a fair amountof ad hoc tasks, such as setting upand leading working groups,becoming involved in policy work.

What are your future plans?I would like to stay within mycurrent position for a while to makesure I have learnt everything thereis to learn and to see the deliveryof certain programmes throughfrom start to finish. Ultimately, as along-term goal, I would like tobecome a director of a charity, tobecome more involved in thesteering of an organisation or anorganisational department.

There is a range of taughtprogrammes on offer, soyou can choose the degreethat best reflects yourinterests. Below is anexplanation of each degreeprogramme.

The following programmes arerecognised by the Economic andSocial Research Council as havingresearch training status, so thatsuccessful completion of thesecourses is sufficient preparationfor research in the various fieldsof social anthropology. Many ofour students do, in fact, go on todo MPhil and PhD research.Others use their Master’squalification in employmentranging from research ingovernment departments throughteaching to consultancy workoverseas.

AssessmentAll programmes are assessed onthe coursework for each module,plus the dissertation. You mustcomplete the courseworkelements before going on to thedissertation.

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MA in Anthropology ofEthnicity, Nationalism andIdentity Location: Canterbury.Attendance: One year full-time,two years part-time.Start: September.

The current world scene is shapedby identity politics that generatestruggles between groupsconstituted around ethnic,religious, national and otherclaims. This MA examines howanthropology and associatedsocial sciences contribute to ourunderstanding of issues arisingfrom the formation, expression andenactment of collective identities.

Course content• Anthropology of Ethnicity,

Nationalism and Identity I (20 credits)

• Theory and Ethnography inSocial Anthropology I and II (40 credits)

• Research Methods in SocialAnthropology II (20 credits)

• Two options chosen from arange of modules offered withinAnthropology, Politics,International Relations orHistory (40 credits)

• Dissertation of 15,000 words

Taught programmes


MA/MSc in EnvironmentalAnthropologyLocation: Canterbury.Attendance: One year full-time,two years part-time.Start: September.

Kent has conducted pioneeringresearch into human ecology,ethnoecology and anthropologicalapproaches to the environment formany years. We put specialemphasis on understandingbiological knowledge in its socialand cultural context. Members ofstaff have particular expertise inethnobiological classification,historical ecology, computingapplications, the human ecologyof tropical subsistence systems,wildlife conservation, biodiversitymanagement, agricultural changeand sustainable development.

Course content• Environmental Anthropology (20

credits)• Ethnobiology (20 credits)• Theory & Ethnography in Social

Anthropology I (20 credits)• Anthropological Research

Methods I (20 credits)• Two optional modules chosen

from those on offer in theSchool (including ecology andconservation modules offeredby the Durrell Institute ofConservation and Ecology),one of which may be a specialtutorial topic (40 credits)


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The programme is taughtcollaboratively with the RoyalBotanic Gardens at Kew (recentlycreated a World Heritage Site) andthe Durrell Institute ofConservation and Ecology (DICE).

Course content• Anthropological Research

Methods I (20 credits)• Botanical Foundations of

Ethnobotany (20 credits)• Contemporary Issues in

Ethnobotany (20 credits)• Environmental Anthropology

(20 credits)• Ethnobiological Knowledge

Systems (20 credits)• Plant Resources and their

Conservation (20 credits)• Special project and a

dissertation of 15,000 words


MSc in Evolution and HumanBehaviour (programme runjointly with the School ofPsychology)Location: Canterbury.Attendance: One year full-time,two years part-time.Start: September.

Taught by expert researchers, thisunique and innovative MSccombines evolutionaryanthropology, focusing on thebehaviour of human and non-human primates, with evolutionary,social and cognitive psychology.You gain an interdisciplinaryunderstanding of the origins andfunctions of human behaviour,select modules from a range ofadvanced topics such asevolutionary anthropology,

MSc in EthnobotanyLocation: Canterbury and KewGardens, London.Attendance: One year full-time,two years part-time.Start: September.

Ethnobotany is an increasinglyimportant subject. It is essentiallyinterdisciplinary, involvingknowledge of plants and theirecology in the context of theircultural, social and economicsignificance. This programmecombines anthropological studiesof human-environment interactionand socio-cultural knowledge ofplants in different parts of theworld with ecology, conservationscience, environmental law andbiodiversity management. It alsocovers plant conservation andsustainable managementpractices, taxonomy, andeconomic botany. Members ofstaff have particular expertise inethnobiological classification,historical ecology, medicalanthropology, computingapplications, indigenousknowledge, ethnographic researchmethods, the human ecology oftropical subsistence systems,wildlife conservation, biodiversitymanagement, agricultural change,sustainable development,economic botany and planttaxonomy.

primatology, human behaviour,cognitive psychology, andcognitive neuroscience. Theprogramme places a strongemphasis on critical thinking andunderstanding of both the broadfield and the specialisms within it.Core to the programme is thedevelopment of researchmethods, culminating in a piece oforiginal research, written up in theform of a publication-ready journalarticle.

Course contentCore modules:• Advanced Topics in Intergroup

Relations (20 credits)• Advanced Topics in Human

Behaviour (20 credits)• Advanced Topics in Primate

Behaviour(20 credits)• Advanced Statistics and

Methodology (20 credits)• Research Project – resulting in

a publication ready journalarticle of approximately 3-5,000words.

Optional modules (any two of the following 20 creditmodules):• Advanced Topics in Cognition

and Emotion• Advanced Topics in

Electrophysiology of Mind andBrain

• Advanced Topics inEvolutionary Anthropology

• Cognitive Neural Networks

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• The Cognitive Neuroscience ofLearning and Memory

• Language Production – Modelsand Modalities.

Appropriate units may also bechosen from other departmentaland faculty programmes afterconsultation with the programmeconvenor.

Non-credit seminars andworkshops:• Evolution in Social Sciences

workshops• Departmental research

seminars.

Taught programmes


MA in Social AnthropologyLocation: Canterbury.Attendance: One year full-time,two years part-time.Start: September.

This programme is designed as anadvanced course in socialanthropology and is for studentswho have already studiedanthropology either as a degreecourse or as a major part of adegree course at undergraduatelevel.

Course content• Theory and Ethnography in

Social Anthropology I and II (40credits)


visual analysis. The programmeintroduces you to still photographyand digital film-makingtechniques. You have access tothe photographic darkroom, aswell as extensive postgraduatecomputing equipment in theSchool, including professionalphotographic and video-editingsoftware.

The MA is taught byanthropologists with long-standingexperience in visual methods. Itincludes linked modules in currentanthropological theory andempirical research methods,combining specific techniques ofvisual analysis and documentationwith general social anthropologicalresearch.

Course content• Participatory (Audio-Visual)

Ethnography (40 credits)• Visual Anthropology Theory

(20 Credits)• Theory and Ethnography in

Social Anthropology I and II (40 credits)


• Dissertation incorporating visualelements


• Two modules (40 credits) drawnfrom Social Anthropology,usually Research Methods andone other module relating toyour interests. If you have astrong computing backgroundyou can exchange one modulebetween computing and socialanthropology, and/or take moreadvanced modules incomputing than those ordinarilyoffered.

• Computing application andshort dissertation

MA in Visual AnthropologyLocation: Canterbury.Attendance: One year full-time,two years part-time.Start: September.

The MA in Visual Anthropologyexplores both traditional andexperimental means of usingvisual images to produce andrepresent anthropologicalknowledge, furthering the Kenttradition of pioneering the usesof multimedia in anthropology.It enables you to develop bothcritical and practical skills of

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• Three options chosen from arange of modules offered withinAnthropology MA programmes(60 credits)


MA in Social Anthropologyand Computing Location: Canterbury.Attendance: One year full-time,two years part-time.Start: September.

This programme appliescomputer-based methods toanthropological research at arelatively advanced and creativelevel. You develop the basics ofresearch in social anthropology –the design, planning,implementation and analysis ofanthropological research – andlearn to apply specialisedcomputing methods toanthropological research andanalysis.

Course contentStudents with no background inJava programming must take aspecial three-week module beforethe beginning of the academicyear in September.

• Design and Implementation ofComputer Applications inAnthropology (20 credits)

• Pascal Programming 1 and 2(20 credits)

• Two modules drawn from theSchool of Computing (40credits)

“This programme is anenlivening audio-visualjourney between theislands of ethnography,collaborative outreach and personal creativity.”Dr Mike PoltorakProgramme Convenor for MA inVisual Anthropology

Below is a list of modulescurrently offered on thetaught postgraduateprogrammes.

Theory and Ethnography inSocial Anthropology I and IIModule code: SE801 and SE805

You engage in intensivediscussion of ethnographic andtheoretical readings related toparticular topics. Possible topicsinclude: the field; Levi Strauss onMauss; categorisation; languageand location; culture; rationality;history in Polynesia; indigeneityand environment; ritual; religion;individual, agency; kinship andmarriage; exchange; kula;witchcraft; violence; identity andidentification; big men and socialtransformations; object relations;capitalism and world culture.

Research Methods in SocialAnthropology IModule code: SE802

This module consists of shortintroductions to weekly topicsfollowed by practical exercisesusing several key methods andtools used in anthropologicalfieldwork. Seminar topics mayinclude: introduction to research inthe natural and social sciences;participant observation, choosinginformants, interviewing, processinginterview data, analysis andpresentation of qualitative data,questionnaire design and analysis,developing an integrated researchdesign, running workshops andfocus groups, ethics and consent.

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Taught modules


Anthropology of Ethnicity,Nationalism and Identity IModule code: SE803

This module introduces you tosignal concepts in theanthropological study of ethnicity,nationalism and identity, examiningthe evolution of anthropology’sapproach to these and relatedconcepts. The module includes anumber of case studies throughwhich these concepts can bechallenged and critiqued. Theemergence of national modes ofidentification out of various pre-national social and culturalformations are investigated as arecontemporary modes ofidentification such as religiousfundamentalisms, diasporicidentities, and cultural hybridities.

Research Methods in SocialAnthropology IIModule code: SE806

Fieldwork is the hallmark ofanthropological research. Its styleand delivery, as well as thediscourses surrounding it, havechanged alongside the discipline.The ways in which anthropologistsstrive to interact with people whilemaintaining objectivity makeresearch ethics andmethodological choicesparticularly important since theirpresence in the field hasimplications on the people whomthey study.

Environmental AnthropologyModule code: SE831

You are introduced to some of themain theoretical approaches andpractical applications of the studyof environmental anthropology. Inparticular, you look at the culturalecology of Steward, the conceptsof carrying capacity and limitingfactors as used in eco-systematicmodels, historical and politicalecology, and new approachesderiving from post-modernanthropology. You consider someof the main cultural and socialaspects of human interaction withthe environment, such as therelationship between socialorganisation and ecology;alternative forms of land use andmanagement; the impact ofprocesses of globalisation in anumber of non-Western societies;and the cultural dimension ofhuman adaptation to theenvironment.

Ethnobiological KnowledgeSystemsModule code: SE832

This module enables you todiscuss critically the relationshipbetween people and other organicspecies, in terms of the social andknowledge systems of which theyare part, and introduces you to theways in which anthropologistshave approached the study oflocal systems of classification andknowledge, and people’smanagement and use of plantsand animals. Topics coveredinclude: ethnobiology,anthropology and indigenous

knowledge; the structure ofethnobiological categories;ethnobiological classifications;variation, change and theevolution of ethnobiologicalcategories; plants in the evolutionof human health and healing.

Introduction to BotanicalEthnobotanyModule code: SE836

This module incorporates a rangeof activities; practical workcollecting, identifying andprocessing plant specimens;student presentations of plantprofiles; a combination of a shortlecture with in-depth discussion oflecture materials with reference toclass readings and to assignedcase studies. Topics coveredinclude: plant resource pools; useof plant keys for identification;plant collecting for voucherspecimens; processing andmounting plant specimens; how towrite a plant profile.

Plant Resources and theirConservationModule code: SE837

In this module, you discusscritically the relationship betweenplant species, groups or plantsand the uses to which they areput, from the perspective ofeconomic botany and discoverhow effective conservation candeal with the plants under threat.You are also introduced to theways in which botanists haveapproached the study of plantspecimen collection and

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taxonomy, and the role of thebotanic garden in plantconservation and ethnobotanicalresearch. Topics covered include:botanical information resources;basic taxonomy; collecting plantspecimens under tropicalconditions; ethnobotanicalresearch at Kew.

Contemporary Issues inEthnobotanyModule code: SE840

This module introduces studentsto biocultural, co-evolutionary andhistorical frameworks for studyingethnobotany. There is a focus onthe theories and concepts thatresearchers have developed tocharacterise various aspects ofthe relationships people have withtheir environment, including theclassification, exchange,management, sustainability, useand valuation of botanicalresources. A series of specialtopics are covered, includingmolecular approaches toethnobotany, in situ conservationof plant genetic resources, andthe impact of genetically modifiedorganisms on local biodiversity.

Participatory (Audio-Visual)EthnographyModule code: SE842

This core course integrates theoryand practice in parallel with thecollaborative media practicegained in a placement. Keythemes examined and traininginclude: local visual history,reflexive video practice; integratedlogging and fieldwork diaries;


sound recording and reception;digital camera use andPhotoshop; advanced digital videocamera; intensive editingworkshop; copyright andcontracts; narrative andstoryboarding; exhibition anddistribution; internet and bloggingadvocacy; feedback. Some weekswill be dedicated to particulartraining requested by students.Students also organise dedicatedknowledge sharing seminarswhere they present and sharetheir own areas of previoustechnical and academic expertise.

IT Skills for AnthropologistsModule code: SE844

This module consists of a series ofpractical sessions where you gainhands on experience in the useand application of basic andadvanced IT techniques andanalyses commonly used bysocial and environmentalanthropologists. Sessions include:endnote and bibliographicmanagement; advancedbibliographic searching usingonline databases; managinggenealogies and analysing kinshipstructures.

Cultural Dimensions of theStudy of Drugs and AddictionModule code: SE846

You explore the role of drug use inreligion, ritual, and social settings,and look for contrasts betweenmodels of integrated andfunctional, and alienated anddysfunctional drug use. You also

learn about the introduction ofdifferent substances, theassociation with economicexpansion, political domination,social stratification and theemergence of a culture ofconsumption. The module alignsthe popularity of particular sets ofpsychotropic substances with theascendancy of ethical values, andtheir embodiment in social class.The importance of drug use, andthe social mechanisms of control indifferent cultures, will impress onstudents that society and cultureare more significant in determiningthe quality of a drug takingexperience than pharmacologicalfactors.

Gender and Interdisciplinarityin AnthropologyModule code: SE851

You investigate how socialanthropology has drawn on otherdisciplines (such as sociology,psychoanalytic theory, philosophy,and the history of science) to aid itsunderstanding of gender as a basisfor human social organisation andread a series of ethnographic andtheoretical texts demonstratingthese relations. Each readingaddresses a particular problem inthe impact of gender studies onanthropological thought, such asacademic and political feminisms,sexuality, kinship, economics, andthe distinction between what is‘natural’ and what is ‘artificial’ in thehuman experience.

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Theory and Practice inDevelopment AnthropologyModule code: SE853

As we move into the 21st century,global poverty, the environmentalcrisis, and the failures ofinternational developmentassistance continue to challengeour faith in development andprogress. Primarily intended to offera critical analysis of the concept ofdevelopment, particularly as it isused to talk about economic andsocial change in the developingworld, weekly lectures andseminars shows howanthropological knowledge andunderstanding can illuminate'development issues' such as ruralpoverty, environmental degradation,international aid and humanitarianassistance, and the globalisation oftrade.

Lowland South AmericanAnthropologyModule code: SE854

Throughout the 500 years ofcontact between Europe and theAmericas, Amazonia has captivatedthe political, scientific and popularimagination of industrialisednations. This module employsseveral classic ethnographicstudies of South America toexamine how the Amazon hasinscribed itself on the imaginationof anthropologists, as well as howanthropologists have used theirexperiences in non-Westernsocieties to contribute to broaddebates in Western philosophy.

Taught modules (cont)


Visual Anthropology TheoryModule code: SE859

This module is a generalintroduction to visual anthropology.It includes treatment of cross-cultural cognition and symbolicanalysis, the contextualisation of thevisual within the wider sensorium,the social history of stillphotography and film relating toethnographic subjects, the processof ethnographic filmmaking interms of wider debates related tointersubjectivity, the study ofnational and regional cinematictraditions (outside Europe andAmerica), the politics and efficacyof indigenous media, the contextsof visual advocacy and activistfilmmaking, the nexus of the visualand medical and the comparativeethnography of television andbroader consideration of issues ofsocial representation and politicalideology in visual imagery.

Ethnography of the SouthernMediterraneanModule code: SE860

You are introduced to what mightmore traditionally be called 'theAnthropology of the Middle East',and look at anthropologicalapproaches to the cultures ofLebanon, Syria, Israel, Jordan,Palestine, Iraq, Egypt, Morocco,Tunisia, Libya, and Algeria. First,you consider how cultures linkedphysically and/or culturally with theSouthern Mediterranean have beentheorised in both popular andacademic culture. You then study anumber of themes with dualreference to anthropological

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literature and specific ethnographicstudies. You also look at core issuesof contemporary political andcultural concern. Finally, we askhow we, as anthropologists, canwrite ethnographies of the MiddleEast today without succumbing tothe orientalisation and othering ofthe region which has characterisedmuch of the earlier work.

The Ethnography of CentralAsian SocietiesModule code: SE861

The course covers ethnographiesof western Asian societies rangingfrom Pakistan through Central Asia(Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, and ex-Soviet Central Asian nations suchas Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, andKazakhstan) to the Caucasus. Itintroduces the history of civilizationand Turco-Persian cultures in thisregion, its history of orientalist(philological) scholarship, andmodern fieldwork. Thematic topicsinclude tribe and state, peasantand urban economies, family andmarriage, codes of prestige andetiquette, sexuality and seclusion,religion and experience. A primaryfocus is on Central Asian Islamicreligion and civilisation andstudents are encouraged to studymodern cinema films and narrativeliterature from this region.

The Anthropology of EatingModule code: SE862

Students will learn about thesignificance of food production,trade and consumption in relationto cultural evolution, globalisation,

identity and health. The modulewill cover different modes of foodproduction, the domestication ofanimals and the cultivation ofstaple crops in the course ofsocial development. It will look atdifferent theories about theimportance of food production forthe rise of urban cultures andorganised religion, and therelationship of food productionsystems to trade, colonialexpansion and the process ofglobalisation. Moving fromproduction and distribution toeating itself, the module will covernotions of food identity atcollective and individual levels, bylooking at food preparation andconsumption and abstinence indifferent cultural countries.

Advanced Topics in MedicinalPlantsModule code: SE863

This module is an introduction toethnopharmacology, amultidisciplinary field of study thatemploys ethnobotany, chemistry,ecology, biology, pharmacologyand anthropology to evaluate andunderstand the use of plants (andother substances) as medicines.While students will be introducedto all of the disciplines involved inethnopharmacological research,this module will have a heavyethnobotanical andanthropological focus.

Analysis of Quantitative DataModule code: SO819

The module provides anintroduction to the use ofstatistical analysis within theresearch process. You areintroduced to different types ofmeasurement and the practicalproblems of data entry in SPSSW.After discussing basic datadescription and transformation,the focus shifts to exploratory dataanalysis and the need to examinedata carefully. Simple approachesto summarising data anddistributions are also examined.You discuss the principles behindsampling data and are introducedto hypothesis-testing. Finally, youlook at various standard methodsof testing data before beingintroduced to multivariatemethods, which are usedextensively in the Social Sciences.

Design, Philosophy and Ethicsof Social InquiryModule code: SO833

This module introduces you to thelogic, methods and controversiesof social research. You look atcentral topics in research design,the philosophy of social sciencesand the ethics of social research.The module is innovative in that ittakes seriously both positivist andcritical/interpretive approaches.You are fully versed in mainstreamapproaches to social research,but you are also exposed to avariety of alternative approachesfrom hermeneutics to criticalrealism.

The School has a longtradition of high-qualityresearch among its staff.The strong researchculture provides excellentopportunities for study fora postgraduate researchdegree. The breadth ofexpertise within theSchool enables us toprovide researchsupervision on a verywide range of topics.

Postgraduate research can takeplace in any subject area whichqualified members of the Schoolare able to supervise. For furtherinformation, please refer to staffdetails on our web pages:www.kent.ac.uk/sac

We offer the following researchdegrees:

• Anthropology MA, MSc, MPhil,PhD

• Ethnobiology MSc, MPhil, PhD

Master of Science/Arts byResearch (MSc/MA)These courses are one-year fulltime or two-year part-timeprogrammes. You research andwrite a thesis under thesupervision of one or twoacademic staff.

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Master of Philosophy (MPhil)The MPhil is a two-year full-time orthree-year part-time programme.You research and write a thesis of50,000 – 60,000 words under thesupervision of academic staff.MPhil students normally upgradeto PhD candidature after thesubmission and approval of anupgrading document.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)The PhD is a three-year full-timeand five-year part-timeprogramme. You research andwrite a thesis of a maximum of100,000 words under thesupervision of an academic team.Most students intending to studyfor a PhD will initially be registered

Research degrees


as an MPhil student and upgradedduring their second year of study,subject to satisfactory progress.

The first year includes coursework,especially methods modules forstudents who need this additionaltraining. In general, you workclosely with one supervisorthroughout your research,although you have a committeeof three (including your primarysupervisor) overseeing yourprogress.

Research strengths

Social and Cultural AnthropologyThe related themes of ethnicity,nationalism, identity, conflict, andmulticulturalism form a major focusof our current work in the MiddleEast, the Balkans, South Asia,sub-Saharan Africa, the UnitedKingdom, Oceania and South EastAsia. We have a continuinginterest in post-socialist states andalso work on national identity inthe Middle East, and on Europeanregionalism and identity. Ourresearch extends to inter-communal violence, mental health,diasporas, pilgrimage, inter-communal trade, urbanethnogenesis and the study ofcontemporary religions and theirglobal connections.

We also research issues infieldwork and methodology moregenerally, with a strong andexpanding interest in the field ofvisual anthropology. Our work onidentity and locality links withgrowing strengths in customarylaw, kinship and parenthood. Thereconstituted topic of ‘kinship’ ispresently a growth area for theSchool, with work on adoption,fosterage, partible parentage,arranged and non-arrangedmarriages, polygamy and female-centred property transmission, aswell as in evolutionary approachesto early motherhood. This iscomplemented by work on thelanguage of relatedness, childhealth and on the cognitive basesof kinship terminologies.

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In general, the study of languageand of forms of representationconstitutes a major area of focus,exemplified by our work ondiscourse analysis and speechethnography, ethnopsychiatricdiagnosis, social etiquette andself-presentation, dreams andpersonhood, autobiography andliterary texts, endangeredlanguages and theinterconnections betweenlanguage history, diaspora identity,visual media and ethnogenesis. Italso features in our criticalassessments of social descriptionand representations of culture.

A final strand of our researchfocuses on policy and advocacyissues and examines theconnections between morality andlaw, legitimacy and corruption,public health policy and localhealing strategies, legal pluralismand property rights and theregulation of marine resources.

Environmental Anthropology andEthnobiologyWork in these areas is focused inthe Centre for Biocultural Diversity.We conduct research onethnobiological knowledgesystems and other systems ofenvironmental knowledge. Weresearch local responses todeforestation, climate change,natural resource management,medical ethnobotany, the impactsof mobility and displacement, andthe interface betweenconservation and development.


Current projects includeknowledge and germplasmexchange in British homegardens,trade in materia medica in Ladakhand Bolivia, food systems andtaste perception, ethno-ornithology, the development ofbuffer zones for protected areas,and phytopharmacy amongstmigrant diasporas.

Digital Anthropology: CulturalInformatics, Social Invention andComputational Methods Since 1985 we have beenexploring and applying newapproaches to research problemsin anthropology – often, as in thecase of hypermedia, electronicand internet publishing, digitalmedia, expert systems and large-scale textual and historicaldatabases – up to a decadebefore other anthropologists. Weconduct IT projects in conjunctionwith conventional ethnographic orarchival research, and stressadapting computationaltechniques and resources toanthropology, rather than the otherway round.

Looking for funding?

For information on other

postgraduate funding and

scholarships available at

Kent, see www.kent.ac.uk/

scholarships/postgraduate

Since 1995, our majordevelopments have includedadvances in kinship theory andanalysis supported by newcomputational methods withinfield-based studies and as appliedto detailed historical records;qualitative analysis of textual andethnographic materials; computer-assisted approaches to visualethnography; modelling, simulationand research based on artificialsocieties; and methods of user-friendly dissemination, particularlyof field data. We are extending ourrange to quantitative approachesfor assessing qualitative materials,analysing social and culturalinvention, the active representationof meaning, and the applicationsand implications of mobilecomputing, sensing andcommunications platforms and thetransformation of virtual intoconcrete objects, institutions andstructures.

Biological AnthropologyBiological Anthropology is thenewest of the University of Kentanthropology research groups. Weare interested in a diverse rangeof research topics withinbiological and evolutionaryanthropology. These includebioarchaeology, humanreproductive strategies, homininevolution, primate behaviour and

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ecology, modern human variation,cultural evolution, and Palaeolithicarchaeology. This work takes us tomany different regions of theworld (Asia, Africa, Europe, theUnited States) and involvescollaboration with internationalcolleagues from a number oforganisations. We have adedicated research laboratory andup-to-date computing facilities toallow research in many areas ofbiological anthropology.

Currently work is beingundertaken in a number of theseareas, and research links havebeen forged with colleagues atKent in archaeology andbiosciences, as well as with thoseat the Powell-Cotton Museum, theBudongo Forest Project (Uganda),and University College London.

The Kent Osteological Researchand Analysis (KORA) offers avariety of osteological services forhuman remains fromarchaeological contexts.

Research degrees (cont)


Research environment andresourcesIn anthropology we prideourselves on having a closely knitgroup of research students whoknow and can approach anymember of staff for help andassistance. We have a variedprogramme of seminars forstudents and staff, given bymembers of the School andvisitors.

There is a special seminar run forresearch students in whichadvanced training is provided andstudents practise upgradepresentations and later presentchapters of their draft thesis.Research students areencouraged to audit courses fromthe taught Master’s (eg in fieldmethods) and sometimes from theundergraduate programme.

There are also special trainingcourses for research students runby the Graduate School,Information Services and the Unitfor the Enhancement of Learningand Teaching (UELT). The Schoolhas an IT officer who can provideassistance and advice on ITmatters and a statistics helpdeskis available.

Choosing a research topicAlthough sometimes we havespecific PhD research projectssuch as Economic and SocialResearch Council (ESRC)-fundedCASE awards in which the PhDproject has already beenspecified, most of our researchstudents chose their own researchtopics. Once you have decided onthe nature of your project, youshould then contact the memberof staff in the School whoseexpertise and interests mostclosely match your area ofresearch and ask them if they willact as your supervisor. You thenwork with your proposedsupervisor on refining yourresearch proposal which providesthe starting point for yoursubsequent research. Usuallyeach student has one supervisorbut occasionally particularprojects require two supervisors.Sometimes co-supervision isprovided by a lecturer in anotherdiscipline, such as Film Studies,Sociology, or InternationalRelations, but usually the co-supervisor is another member ofthe School of Anthropology andConservation.

SupervisionStudents meet (or, while in thefield, make contact) with theirsupervisor(s) several times overthe course of each term. Thesemeetings involve intensivediscussion of the way your projectis developing, the readings thathave been done and that need tobe done, and the way fieldresearch and writing-up is

21

progressing. There is, in additionto your supervisors(s), asupervisory committee that, whilenot intensively involved in theroutine development of theresearch, provides backup,ensures appropriate progress, andhandles some of theadministration.

Registration and upgradingDoctoral research students areinitially registered for an MPhil.Before the registration for this iscompleted the student undergoesan upgrading to PhD status; thisnormally occurs at any timebetween six and 24 months afterinitial registration. Usually studentsin anthropology upgrade beforestarting fieldwork.


What next?If you are interested in registeringfor a research degree, you shouldcontact the member of staffwhose research is the mostrelevant to your interests. You willneed to include a curriculum vitaeplus a short (1,000 word) researchproposal, and potential fundingsources with all enquiries. If youwant to research in the area ofapplied computing in socialanthropology, you also need asupervisor based in the School ofComputing.

Staff profile


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Glenn Bowman isAcademic Head ofAnthropology and SeniorLecturer in SocialAnthropology at Kent.Here, he talks about hisresearch interests andthe rewards of workingwith postgraduatestudents.

When did you come to Kent?I have been at Kent for 25 years,having previously taughtAnthropology at UniversityCollege London. I came to Kentto join a new interdisciplinaryprogramme, Communication andImage Studies. The intention ofthat programme was to look atrepresentation in the widestsense. More recently I have beeninvolved in establishing visualanthropology programmes in theSchool. Today we are all verymuch part of an image culture,and our engagement with theworld, its ideologies, politics andconsumerism is mediatedthrough our relationship to visualrepresentations. It is important foranthropologists to recognise thisfact and move to embrace it.

I am also Academic Head ofAnthropology and see my role asmaking sure that the Schoolhas an atmosphere whichencourages good interactionbetween research students,taught postgraduates andacademics. The School aims tooffer appropriate training, to givesupport and guidance, and alsoto set up events, involving bothinternal and external speakers,which give our students exposureto as broad a range of ideas andopinions as possible.

What attracted you toanthropology?I moved into anthropology fromcomparative literature and theorybecause I realised that context isall-important when reading andunderstanding literature. Thatinsight is clearly easilyextendable to understanding allforms of culture and practice.

Can you tell us about yourresearch?I am a social anthropologist. Iwork on a series of questionsaround ethnic, political andreligious identity as well asconflicts and relations betweengroups with different identities.My focal points of fieldwork areJerusalem and West BankPalestine where I have looked atissues such as politicalmobilisation and the intifada, andMuslim and Christianinterrelations. I have also workedin the former Yugoslavia, and wasin fact there looking at politicalmobilisation and identity whenwar broke out in 1991. I amcurrently studying shrine-sharing– where Muslims, Christians andJews share the same holy places– and undertaking a comparativestudy of such practices inMacedonia and Palestine.

Another key research interest ofmine is a comparative study of‘walling’, or the enforcedseparation of populations. I look atareas where walling exists andcompare those with areas wherepopulations that are different areable to interact productively witheach other. In addition to theobvious case of Israel/Palestine, Ihave done field research inCyprus, looking at the GREENLINE between North and SouthCyprus, and am initiating work inMorocco, looking at the Spanishenclaves of Ceuta and Mellila. Ofcourse, I realise that there aresituations that make it difficult forpeoples to live together, but storiesin the media make it sound as if itis impossible to bridge thosedifferences. I think it is vital for ananthropologist to share his or herknowledge about how inter-communal relations can work andto suggest that ‘tearing downwalls’ may be a viable alternativeto separation, caging andenclavement.

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Anthropology at Kent is part ofthe School of Anthropology andConservation, why do you thinkthat is an important link?Our School addresses the veryimportant issue of how humanbeings interact with each otherand with the environment. TheSchool is a very good place foranyone interested in studying orpursuing research into thatquestion. There are solidconnections between academicsand students working in the twoareas and the interaction in theSchool is excellent. I would notethough that both areas are alsocomplete academic disciplines intheir own right.

What do you enjoy about workingwith postgraduate students?Working with postgraduatestudents gives me immensestimulation. Seeing people opentheir minds, develop their ownideas, and experience new thingsgives me great satisfaction. Ourgraduate students bring newenthusiasm into the School and itis a real pleasure to watch themdevelop and grow.

At the moment, I havepostgraduate students workingwith me on political anthropologyas well as ethnic relations in areasincluding the Middle East,Macedonia and Bangladesh.


Students who study anthropologyhave many avenues open to themwhen they graduate; they can goon to work in any of the manyfields that involve interculturaltranslation because they havebeen trained to move into otherpeoples’ spaces and to makesense of them . This equips themto work not only in academia butalso in the commercial sector, inpolitics or in non-governmentalorganisations.

The School ofAnthropology andConservation comprises30 members of academicstaff. Our anthropologystaff range frominternationally renownedand high-profile figures toyounger colleagues withrising academicreputations.

Academic Staff

Dr Judith BovensiepenLecturer in Social Anthropology

Core expertiseAnthropology of South East Asia;East Timor; place and landscape;kinship and reciprocity; colonialhistory; conflict; conspiracy talk;post-conflict healing andreconstruction.www.kent.ac.uk/sac/department/staff/bovensiepen.html

Glenn BowmanSenior Lecturer in SocialAnthropology

Core expertiseWest Bank Palestine and FormerYugoslavia; shrines,monumentalisation, pilgrimage,intercommunal relations, identitypolitics, nationalism, walling;

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Orthodox and heterodoxChristianity, Sufism;anthropological andpsychoanalytic approaches toidentity; fieldwork theory.www.kent.ac.uk/sac/department/staff/bowman.html

Dr Melissa DemianLecturer in Social Anthropology

Core expertiseThe Suau Coast of south-easternPapua New Guinea; theanthropology of law and legalpluralism; property theory; theconcepts of cultural patrimonyand ‘culture loss’; ‘culturaldefence’ in American and Britishcourtrooms.www.kent.ac.uk/sac/department/staff/demian.html

Professor Roy EllenProfessor of Anthropology andHuman Ecology

Core expertiseEastern Indonesia; ethnobiologicalknowledge systems; knowledgetransmission and the reproductionof systems of practices; inter-island trade; environmentalanthropology; culture andcognition.www.kent.ac.uk/sac/department/staff/ellen.html

Academic staff


Professor Michael FischerProfessor of AnthropologicalSciences

Core expertiseThe representation and structureof indigenous knowledge; culturalinformatics; the interrelationshipsbetween ideation and the materialcontexts within which ideation isexpressed.www.kent.ac.uk/sac/department/staff/mikeF.html

Dr Sarah JohnsLecturer in BiologicalAnthropology

Core expertiseEvolutionary psychology andbehavioural ecology; timing oflife-history events; humanreproduction, especially variationof the age at first birth and theevolved psychology ofreproductive decision making.www.kent.ac.uk/sac/department/staff/sarahJ.html

Dr Stephen LycettLecturer in BiologicalAnthropology

Core expertisePalaeoanthropology; BiologicalAnthropology and PalaeolithicArchaeology, especially culturalevolution; cultural transmissiontheory and material culture;morphometrics; lithic analysis;hominin dispersals; hominidphylogenetics; speciesidentification in the fossil record.www.kent.ac.uk/sac/department/staff/lycett.html

Dr Patrick MahoneyLecturer in BiologicalAnthropology

Core expertiseEvolutionary developmentalbiology of hominoid dentition;bioarchaeology, especiallyprehistoric human diet;palaeopathology.www.kent.ac.uk/sac/department/staff/mahoney.html

Dr Nicholas Newton-FisherLecturer in BiologicalAnthropology

Core expertiseEvolutionary ecology andbehaviour of mammals, with anemphasis on primates, inparticular chimpanzees (Pantroglodytes), including male-female aggression and sexualcoercion, hunting behaviour, socialbehaviour, feeding ecology,ranging patterns.www.kent.ac.uk/sac/department/staff/newtonfisher.html

Dr Daniela PelusoLecturer in Social Anthropology,Amazonia

Core expertiseGender; exchange theory; kinship;development; indigenousurbanisation; medicalanthropology; indigenismo;hybridity; personhood and identity;anthropology of business.www.kent.ac.uk/sac/department/staff/danielaP.html

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Dr Dimitrios TheodossopoulosSenior Lecturer in SocialAnthropology

Core expertisePolitical and environmentalanthropology; Panama; Greece;ethnic relations and stereotyping;globalisation and indigeneity;sustainability.www.kent.ac.uk/sac/department/staff/theodossopoulos.html


Dr Noreen von Cramon-TaubadelLecturer in BiologicalAnthropology

Core expertiseEvolutionary anthropology; pasthominin dispersal; geometricmorphometrics; comparativeshape analysis of Palaeolithicstone tools; microevolutionaryanalysis of carniometric variationwithin modern humans.www.kent.ac.uk/sac/department/staff/von_cramon-taubadel.html

Dr Anna WaldsteinLecturer in Medical Anthropologyand Ethnobotany

Core expertiseMedical anthropology;ethnopharmacology; Mesoamericaand migration; the effects ofmigration and acculturation onhealth; the use of traditionalmedical knowledge as anadaptive strategy among migrants;the nutritional consequences ofmass-produced food; bioculturalconstructions of addiction.www.kent.ac.uk/sac/department/staff/waldstein.html

“This programme affordsstudents the opportunityto explore, in small gropscomplemented by one-to-one instruction from their supervisors, theoverarching questions ofthe human life experience:what are the relationshipsthat constitute who weare, what is the good lifeand what do we owe eachother?Dr Melissa DemianLecturer in Social Anthropology

General entry requirements Entry requirements for individualprogrammes are outlined below.For international students, we look for an equivalent level ofattainment in the examinations in the countries concerned.

MA in Anthropology of Ethnicity,Nationalism and Identity A good honours degree (2.1 orabove) in anthropology orassociated fields such associology, history, politics, orpostcolonial studies.

MA/MSc in EnvironmentalAnthropologyA good honours degree (2.1 orabove) in anthropology or otherassociated fields, such as biology,environmental studies, ecologyand related subjects.

MSc in EthnobotanyA good honours degree (2.1 orabove) in anthropology or otherassociated fields.

MSc in Evolution and HumanBehaviour (programme runjointly with the School ofPsychology)A good honours degree (2.1 orabove) in anthropology,psychology, biology, or a relateddiscipline. In certaincircumstances we will considerstudents who have not followed aconventional education path.These cases are assessedindividually by the Director ofGraduate Studies and theprogramme convenor.

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MA in Social AnthropologyA 2.1 honours degree or majorpart of a degree in anthropology.

MA in Social Anthropology andComputing A good honours degree (2.1 orabove) in anthropology orassociated fields.

MA in Visual AnthropologyA good honours degree (2.1 orabove) in anthropology or fieldsassociated with images and socialanalysis.

Master of Science/Arts byResearch (MSc/MA)A good honours degree (2.1 orabove) in anthropology or otherassociated fields. We welcomestudents with the appropriatebackground for research. If youwish to study for a single year, youcan do the MA or MSc byresearch, a 12-month independentresearch project.

Master of Philosophy (MPhil)Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)A good honours degree (2.1 orabove) in anthropology or otherassociated fields. We welcomestudents with the appropriatebackground for research. Studentsinterested in doctoral researchusually register initially for anMPhil, which upgrades to PhDsubject to satisfactory progress.

Applying to Kentand funding


English languagequalificationsAll students from non-Englishspeaking countries must showevidence of competence in anEnglish language test at anappropriate level. Minimumstandard IELTS – 6.5, incl 6.0 inreading and writing; TOEFL – 600,incl 4 in written English; internet-based TOEFL 90, incl 20 inreading and writing; CambridgeCertificate of Proficiency inEnglish C; Cambridge AdvancedCertificate in English B; PearsonTest of English (PTE) 62 incl 60 inall four subtests.

How to applyYou can apply via the University’swebsite at www.kent.ac.uk/studying/postgrad/apply/apply.html. If you do not haveaccess to the web, please contactInformation, Recruitment andAdmissions at the address on p27for a paper copy of the applicationform.

All applications should include:

• application form• official transcript: this must be

certified as an original copy by the issuing institution and sentto the University of Kent directlyfrom the issuing institution. Itmust show the class of thedegree for UK students, thefinal GPA for students in the USsystem or the final examinationresults for students in othersystems.

• two letters of reference:references must be originalsand they must be in English. They can now be submittedonline via the web addressabove. The references should normally be from teachers whoare familiar with your academicachievement and suitability forpostgraduate studies. In somecircumstances, such as mid-career professionals, referencesfrom your line manager can alsobe accepted.

• evidence of proficiency inEnglish, as specified above,where applicable. Forapplicants whose level ofEnglish is not at this level, theUniversity offers pre-sessionallanguage courses.

If you are applying for a researchdegree, you are required tocontact your potential supervisorand submit an outline ofapproximately 1,500 words of theresearch project you wish toundertake.

DeadlinesYou can apply for ourpostgraduate programmes at anytime. However, if you are applyingfor a programme that begins inSeptember we recommend yousubmit your application by the endof July.

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Submitting your applicationApply online atwww.kent.ac.uk/studying/postgrad/apply/apply.html. All supportingapplication materials must be sentto the Recruitment andAdmissions Office.

You can send this information by fax to: +44 (0)1227 827077, by scanned attachment to:[email protected] or by post to: Information, Recruitment andAdmissions Office, The Registry,University of Kent, Canterbury,Kent CT2 7NZ, UK

All applications are reviewed by amember of academic staff withinthe School. Once a decision hasbeen reached, they make arecommendation to the University.Only the Admissions Office canmake the formal offer of a place,though School of Anthropologyand Conservation staff may informyou of their recommendation.

FundingEvery department at Kent offersone or two University of Kentpostgraduate researchstudentships, each available forthree years and covering fees atthe home rate and a stipend up tothe UK Research Councils’ level of£13,290 (2009/10 rate).

Two University studentships areavailable to the School ofAnthropology and Conservation,one of which will go to anAnthropology candidate. The


studentship competition is open toall applicants for a PhD (initiallyMPhil) wishing to pursue researchin one of three broad fields: socialanthropology, biologicalanthropology or biodiversityconservation.

Research student teachingscholarshipsThe School is offering teachingscholarships to studentsregistered for research degrees inthe school, encompassing work insocial anthropology, biologicalanthropology or biodiversityconservation.

The School of Anthropology andConservation has been highlysuccessful in the past in attractingESRC student fellowships and iscurrently engaged in bidding, withthe Social Science Faculty at Kentand a consortium of otherresearch universities, to becomean ESRC doctoral training centre.

The School is also recognised bythe ESRC for CASE awards forcollaborative research withindustry. Through DICE we havelinks to NERC studentships.

For more information about thescholarships on offer at Kentplease see the GraduateProspectus or visitwww.kent.ac.uk/scholarships/postgraduate

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The University of KentStudying at Kent offers you first-class teaching and researchopportunities, access to fantasticfacilities, excellent employmentprospects and the chance to learn in one of our great locations.

We have a diverse, cosmopolitanpopulation with 129 nationalitiesrepresented. We also have stronglinks with universities in Europe,and from Kent, you are onlyaround two hours away from Parisand Brussels by train.

The Canterbury campus is set in a stunning location, with plenty of green and tranquil spaces.Canterbury itself is a lovely citywith medieval buildings, livelybars, atmospheric pubs and awide range of shops. London isonly 60 minutes away by high-speed train.

Active postgraduatecommunityAt Kent, you will be part of a lively and thriving postgraduatecommunity. All postgraduatestudents, wherever they arebased, become members of WoolfCollege, our postgraduate-onlycollege. Woolf College is based

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on the Canterbury campus andcombines residentialaccommodation and academicand social space. As apostgraduate student, you alsohave the support of the GraduateSchool, which provides specialistacademic and personal adviceand guidance throughout yourstudies, and facilitates cross-disciplinary interaction and socialnetworking.

General information


Academic resources and support servicesThe Templeman Library is locatedin the centre of the Canterburycampus. It stocks over a millionbooks, periodicals and pamphlets.The University of Kent has been apioneer in the UK in the use ofelectronic resources in teachingand research. The TemplemanLibrary website gives access tothe full text of over 10,000 journalsand newspapers.

There are over 500 open-accessnetworked PCs on campus, inaddition to the networkconnections in the postgraduatestudy bedrooms and resourcesprovided within the School.

Continued overleaf

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The campus has excellentsupport, health and welfareservices, including a medicalcentre and sick bay, a counsellingservice, a student learningadvisory service, amultidenominational chaplaincy, a day nursery, and the students’union. The International Office is a source of support forinternational students on campus.

Campus facilitiesFacilities on campus include awell-equipped sports centre, witha fitness suite, dance studio,squash courts and sports halls.The Gulbenkian Theatre hosts avariety of performances includingmany well-known comedians,actors and musicians. There is a cinema on campus, regularconcerts are staged by visitingmusicians or the University Chorusand Symphony Orchestra, andevery summer the University runsan arts festival on campus. Thecampus also contains a purpose-built nightclub, run by thestudents’ union, with a capacity of 1,300. There is a range of barsand eating places that providefood ranging from full meals tosandwiches and coffee.

Further informationFor information about applying to Kent, or to order a copy of theprospectus, please contact theInformation and Guidance Unit:Tel: +44 (0)1227 827272 Freephone (UK only): 0800 975 3777 Email: [email protected]

The University also holds Open Days and postgraduaterecruitment events. Please seewww.kent.ac.uk/opendays forfurther details.

Come and visit us

We run Open Days and

postgraduate recruitment

events throughout the

year. For more details,

see www.kent.ac.uk/

opendays

General information (cont)


Photographs by Calum Blaikie, GlennBowman, Melissa Demian, Alison Hollis,Simon Jarratt, Roy Ellen, ArunKanagavel, Scott Legge, Jessica Lucas,Patrick Mahoney, Douglas MacMillan,Marieke Martin, Helen Newing, MikePoltorak, Dave Roberts, Inanc Tekguc,Andrew Wilson.

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Terms and conditions The University reserves the right to make variations to the content and delivery of courses and otherservices, or to discontinue courses and other services, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. If the Universitydiscontinues any course it will endeavour to provide a suitable alternative. To register for a programme of study, all students mustagree to abide by the University Regulations (available online at www.kent.ac.uk/regulations/).

Data protection For administrative, academic and health and safety reasons, the University needs to process information about itsstudents. Full registration as a student of the University is subject to your consent to process such information.

LocationCanterbury

SchoolSchool of Anthropology andConservation

Research unitsCentre for Social Anthropology

and ComputingKent Osteological Research and

Analysis

FeesThe tuition fees quoted below are for full-time students for theacademic year 2010/2011. Feesfor 2011/2012 and beyond will be listed on www.kent.ac.uk/economics/ once they have beenconfirmed.

Home and EU studentsMA in Anthropology of Ethnicity,Nationalism and Identity: £3,950 (year)

MSc in Evolution and Human Behaviour (programmerun jointly with the School ofPsychology): £3,950 (year)

MA in Social Anthropology: £3,950 (year)

MA in Social Anthropology and Computing: £3,950 (year)

MA in Visual Anthropology: £4,700 (year)

MA/MSc in EnvironmentalAnthropology: MA £3,950 (year)

MSc £7,095 (year)

MSc in Ethnobotany: £7,095 (year)

MPhil/PhD Anthropology: £3,800 (year)

MPhil/PhD Ethnobotany: £3,800 (year)

International studentsMA in Anthropology of Ethnicity,Nationalism and Identity: £10,850 (year)

MSc in Evolution and Human Behaviour (programmerun jointly with the School ofPsychology): £10,850 (year)

MA in Social Anthropology: £10,850 (year)

MA in Social Anthropology andComputing: £10,850 (year)

MA/MSc in EnvironmentalAnthropology: MA £10,850 (year)

MSc £12,950 (year)

MSc in Ethnobotany:£10,850 (year)

MA in Visual Anthropology: £11,600 (year)

MPhil/PhD Anthropology: £10,850 (year)

MPhil/PhD Ethnobotany: £10,850 (year)

Admissions enquiriesT: +44 (0)1227 827272E: [email protected]

School enquiriesSchool of Anthropology andConservationMarlowe BuildingUniversity of KentCanterburyKent CT2 7NR

Shelley MalekiaT: +44 (0)1227 827928E: [email protected]

ApplicationsOnline atwww.kent.ac.uk/studying/postgrad/gradapply.html orcontact the Recruitment andAdmissions Office for a papercopy of the application form

Application facts

University of KentThe Registry, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NZT: +44 (0)1227 764000E: [email protected]

www.kent.ac.uk

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Anthropology Postgraduate Programmes at the University of Kent