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MA Anthropology of Food and Intensive Language (African Languages)

MA Anthropology of Food and Intensive Language (African Languages)

Different course options

Full time | SOAS, University of London | 2 years | SEP-25

Study mode

Full time

Duration

2 years

Start date

SEP-25

Key information
DATA SOURCE : IDP Connect

Qualification type

MA - Master of Arts

Subject areas

Africa: Languages Anthropology Cookery Of Specific Cultures

Course type

Taught

Course Summary

The MA Anthropology of Food with a 2-year intensive language pathway is directed at students who wish to combine knowledge of the anthropology of food with expertise in a regional language.

It prepares students to apply their anthropological knowledge in a specific region by achieving proficiency in a language. 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, the formation of regional and national cuisines, and 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.

Why study MA Anthropology of Food and Intensive Language at SOAS?

  • We are ranked 5th in the UK and 12th in the world for Anthropology (QS World University Rankings 2023)
  • We are ranked 6th in the UK for employability (QS World University Rankings 2023)
  • Exceptional regional expertise of our academics in Asian, African, and Middle Eastern languages and politics, many of whom have joined us with a practical working knowledge of their disciplines
  • Flexibly structure your programme using our optional modules and/or optional modules from other departments, including the opportunity to learn a regional language
  • We are specialists in the delivery of languages; your command of a second language at SOAS will set you apart from graduates of other universities
  • 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.

This 2-year intensive language pathway is directed at students who want to engage with a country academically and/or professionally, as the intensive language courses will enable them to reach near proficiency in the language.

Modules

Food and eating are fundamental to human life and health and play profound roles in the construction of social bodies, from families and kinship groups to religious groups and states. Further, food mediates our relationships with non-human beings and surroundings. In this module, we emphasise that our reliance on food for nutritional sustenance is inseparable from food's social, cultural and ecological dimensions. As such, the transformation of food habits and food systems are a central part of human experiences and world histories. We explore cultural diversities and historical change in food production and distribution, eating, cooking and sharing, recycling and wasting, and the classifying, celebrating and prohibiting of food and drink. In the first four weeks we explore classic anthropological approaches to food classification, sharing and provisioning and the relationship between diet and adaptation, highlighting the relevance of these classic topics for contemporary debates and contexts. In the following six weeks, we trace the emergence of the global food system and its implications for dietary health, nutritional inequalities, food safety and environment. Through this module, students will acquire a critical understanding of anthropological perspectives on food, diets and the global food system.
Intensive Intermediate Turkish (Summer) abroad
Dissertation (60 Credits)

Tuition fees

UK fees
Course fees for UK students

For this course (per year)

£12,220

International fees
Course fees for EU and international students

For this course (per year)

£25,320

Entry requirements

Applicants with bachelor’s degree equivalent to 2:ii: CGPA: 55-60% or 5.5/10 - 6.0/10 from a good university will be considered for entry. We will consider all applications with a 2:2 (or international equivalent) or higher in a social science or humanities subject. In addition to degree classification we take into account other elements of the application such as supporting statement. References are optional, but can help build a stronger application if you fall below the 2:2 requirement or have non-traditional qualifications.

University information

At SOAS University of London, postgraduate students are encouraged to challenge the status quo and think globally. SOAS is the leading higher education institution in Europe specialising in the study of Africa, Asia and the Near and Middle East. Postgraduate courses are taught by respected academics engaged in ground-breaking fieldwork and research. The work of researchers at SOAS influences both government policy and the lives of individuals...more