Course summary
Our MA programme in the Anthropology of Food offers you the opportunity to explore historically and culturally variable foodways, from foraging to industrial agriculture, from Europe and North America to Africa, Asia and South America. You will study the passage of food from plant to palate, and examine who benefits, and who suffers, from contemporary modes of food production, exchange, preparation, and consumption. You will also explore the role of food in human migrations and investigate the formation of regional and national cuisines. As well as examine food fears and food safety and concerns over ‘nutrition transition’. Debates over the impact of agricultural biotechnology on agrarian livelihoods and knowledge systems, as well as on the natural environment, are assessed. Movements toward organic agriculture, veganism and vegetarianism, fair trade, and slow food are also analysed. An anthropological approach to the study of food draws upon and challenges the perspectives of other disciplines, whether agronomy or nutritional science, economics or law, history or literature.This programme has a first-rate graduate employability record, with graduates moving on to find employment in food-related government ministries, international organisations, development agencies, or non-governmental associations.
Modules
Core courses: the anthropology of food; dissertation in anthropology and sociology. Foundation course: theoretical approaches to social anthropology. Option courses: African and Asian cultures in Britain; African and Asian diasporas in the modern world; anthropological approaches to agriculture, food and nutrition; anthropology of globalisation; anthropology of human rights (pg); anthropology of law; anthropology of urban space, place and architecture; comparative media theory; comparative study of Islam: anthropological perspectives a (Master’s); comparative study of Islam: anthropological perspectives A and B (Master’s); culture and society of China; culture and society of Japan; culture and society of South Asia; culture and society of south East Asia; culture and society of the near and Middle East; culture and society of East Africa; culture and society of west Africa; directed practical study in the anthropology of food; issues in the anthropology of film; media production skills; perspectives on development; therapy and culture; tourism and travel: a global perspective.
Entry requirements
We will consider all applications with 2:ii (or international equivalent) or higher. In addition to degree classification we take into account other elements of the application including supporting statement and references.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
https://www.soas.ac.uk/study/fees-funding-and-finance/tuition-fees/postgraduate-fees
Provider information
SOAS University of London
Thornhaugh Street
Russell Square
Camden
WC1H 0XG