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Social Anthropology is no longer accepting new applications.
Teaching
The taught element of this course consists of these compulsory streams:
- The Pre-Fieldwork Seminar
- The Ethnographic Methods course, Parts I (Michaelmas) and II (Lent)
- Statistics for Social Anthropologists (workshop in Michaelmas term)
- The Social Sciences Research Methods Centre's courses on Reading and Understanding Statistics and Survey Research and Design (the exact title of the courses may change).
Students are also strongly encouraged to attend other optional elements:
- The "Experiences from the Field" seminar, run by writing-up students recently returned from the field.
- Ad hoc sessions in transferable skills or anthropological method, such as journal publication, technologies of research and data management, film-making and research with children.
- The Senior Research Seminar, scheduled for Fridays during term time. This is the place where the department really gets together, and we usually attract very good speakers from across the UK and overseas.
| One to one supervision | A least 4 hours per term in a pattern to be arranged with your supervisor. The University of Cambridge publishes an annual Code of Practice which sets out the University’s expectations regarding supervision. |
|---|---|
| Seminars & classes | 3-4 hours per week of compulsory seminars, plus the weekly Senior Research seminar. |
| Lectures | MRes students are encouraged to attend lectures relevant to their research topic. |
Feedback
Students receive written feedback on their three assessed essays and thesis. In addition, students receive termly progress reports online from their Supervisor. Students will also receive regular informal feedback from their Supervisors, throughout the period of the course.
Assessment
Thesis
A thesis of not more than 15,000 words, including footnotes, but excluding tables, appendices, and bibliography, on a subject approved by the Archaeology, Anthropology and Sociology Degree Committee. An oral examination on the thesis and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls may be held at the discretion of the examiners.
The primary aim of the thesis should be the theoretical analysis of ethnographic material; it may also be a new synthesis of data, or new interpretation of existing material.
The mark awarded for the thesis will comprise 60 per cent of the total.
Essays
- One essay of not more than 4,000 words ( including footnotes, but excluding tables, appendices, and bibliography), relating to anthropology and social theory chosen by the candidate from a list of questions announced by the Degree Committee for the Faculty of Human, Social and Political Science by the division of Michaelmas term.
- One essay of not more than 4,000 words ( including footnotes, but excluding tables, appendices, and bibliography), relating to professional research practice chosen by the candidate from a list of questions announced by the Degree Committee for the Faculty of Human, Social and Political Science by the division of Michaelmas term.
- One essay of not more than 4,000 words (including footnotes, but excluding tables, appendices, and bibliography), relating to ethnographic research methods. This is the individual report on the extended case study prepared for the Ethnographic Methods course.
Each essay will count for ten per cent of the total marks.
Other
Assessments for the Social Science Research Methods Centre modules (in the form of online tests and/or written assignment) will be administered on a pass/fail basis as part of the relevant modules and will comprise ten per cent of the total.