Course summary

Our world is experiencing humanitarian and environmental challenges of disturbing dimensions. This programme addresses these challenges from a human and ethical angle, exploring the social, political, economic and technological aspects of the crises that mark our contemporary world. Overview This unique programme of study focuses on contemporary planetary emergencies and conflicts that have a humanitarian or environmental impact. We explore how to study such crises from an anthropological point of view using a variety of ethnographic research methods, such as interviewing, participant observation, and localised surveys. You assess key challenges emerging from humanitarian initiatives that respond to: the global climate emergency environmental movements in national contexts migration, diaspora and refugee crises racism, xenophobia and national politics war and conflict new forms of economic oppression the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences for vulnerable communities We analyse such pressing issues from an ethical and non-ethnocentric perspective. The programme is particularly suited to students who want to make a difference in today’s complex world by understanding the roots of global challenges and human suffering. The programme provides excellent preparation for people who aspire to enter fields in which anthropological training and cultural expertise is integral, such as: non-governmental organisations aimed at humanitarian and/or environmental issues state initiatives designed to provide aid as a response to conflict or planetary emergency organisations involved in dealing with migration, racism and multicultural education research degrees in the social sciences