Students preparing for their graduation ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral

Cultural Studies and Social Anthropology - BA (Hons)

UCAS code LV69

This is an archived page and for reference purposes only

2017

Combine Cultural Studies with Social Anthropology, and you study all forms of present day culture while examining how and why we do the things we do.

Overview

Cultural Studies

What do we mean by ‘culture’ and why are its many forms so hotly contested? Why is it so important to our sense of identity and belonging? Cultural Studies at Kent is an innovative subject with distinctive perspectives on all forms of present day culture. We explore connections between popular culture, the arts and everyday life by crossing social sciences/humanities boundaries.

Analysing culture

You cannot be part of contemporary society without being affected by the stream of ads and images of all kinds, in various media. We are all caught up in the network of communications, whether in face-to-face encounters, on Facebook or by way of email. All this is both 'modern' and 'cultural' and it is something we all do, cope with, and make sense of. Cultural Studies addresses culture in more theoretical, analytical and critical ways seeing it in a broader context and evaluating its impact on the way we experience our lives and organise and govern our societies.

Social Anthropology

Anthropology addresses the big question – what makes us human?

Within the Social Anthropology element of your degree, you will study how and why we do the things we do, for example, how we work, use technologies, and negotiate conflicts, relationships and change.

The programme reflects staff research interests, which include: political struggle and resistance, post-conflict reconstruction, mental illness, environmental politics, rural social transformation, science and technology, public anthropology and advocacy.

An anthropology degree gives you a thorough understanding of the history and behaviour of our species and a different perspective on the world. Our anthropology department offers an integration between social and biological anthropology, an excellent student-to-staff ratio and state-of-the-art computing facilities.

Think Kent video series

In this lecture, Professor Julia Twigg, Professor of Social Policy and Sociology at the University of Kent, explores how clothing and dress are highly relevant to the analysis of age, and how they intersect with some central issues in relation to later life and its cultural formation, opening up the complex ways in which ageing is both a bodily and a cultural phenomenon.

Independent rankings

In the National Student Survey 2016, Anthropology at Kent was ranked 7th and Sociology* 14th for overall satisfaction.  Sociology at Kent was ranked 7th in The Times Good University Guide 2017.

For graduate prospects, Anthropology at Kent was ranked 5th in The Guardian University Guide 2017, whilst Sociology at Kent was ranked 11th in The Complete University Guide 2017.

Of Sociology students who graduated from Kent in 2015, 90% were in work or further study within six months (Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey). Anthropology and Conservation students who graduated from Kent in 2015 were the most successful in the UK at finding work or further study opportunities (DLHE).

*Cultural Studies is included in Sociology for the purposes of the National Student Survey.

Course structure

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.  

On most programmes, you study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.

Teaching and assessment

Cultural Studies

We use a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, case study analysis, group projects and presentations, and individual and group tutorials. Many module convenors also offer additional ‘clinic’ hours to help with the preparation of coursework and for exams.

Social Anthropology

Teaching is through seminars and lectures and, where appropriate, lab and field work. Assessment varies from 100% coursework to a combination of examinations and coursework.

For assessment details for individual modules click the 'read more' link within each module listed in the course structure.

Programme aims

The programme aims to:

  • Develop students’ capacities to learn and undertake critical analysis of western culture and the social anthropology of other cultures.
  • Provide teaching which is informed by current research and scholarship in the field of cultural studies and social anthropology.
  • Provide a flexible and progressive curriculum which includes options from a wide range of disciplinary areas with an intellectual investment in the study of culture.
  • Promote an understanding of cultural identities, differences and transitions and the historical, political and economic contexts of their emergence and change.
  • Provide a broad knowledge of relevant concepts, debates and theoretical approaches in the study of culture and social anthropology.
  • Meet the needs of the local and national community for a critical understanding of culture and media and their role in society.
  • Facilitate the personal development of students as independent, lifelong learners capable of collating and analysing information and producing new knowledge.
  • Provide opportunities for the development of personal, communication, research and other key skills appropriate to graduate employment in a range of cultural, media, education and arts-related spheres and for further research in the fields of Cultural Studies and Social Anthropology.
  • Produce graduates who have an informed, critical and analytical approach to understanding culture society and the arts.
  • Enhance students’ awareness of sensitivity to the context of the production and reception of the cultural forms over a range of historical periods.
  • Develop a critical and analytical approach to interpreting art and contexts of artistic production and consumption.
  • Provide students with an informed knowledge of the cultural traditions of modern times.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

You gain knowledge and understanding of:

  • social anthropology as the comparative study of human societies
  • specific themes in social anthropology, for example, religion, politics, kinship, nationalism and ethnicity
  • human diversity and an appreciation of its scope
  • several ethnographic regions of the world including Central Asia, the Mediterranean, Amazonia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific
  • the history of the development of anthropology as a discipline
  • the variety of theoretical approaches contained within the discipline
  • the process of historical and social change
  • the application of anthropology to understanding issues of social and economic development throughout the world
  • the relevance of anthropology to understanding everyday processes of social life anywhere in the world.

Intellectual skills

You develop the following intellectual skills:

  • Ability to analyse a wide range of cultural forms 
  • Critical evaluation of scholarship and ideas, both classical and contemporary
  • Representation in language of the views and ideas of others
  • Application of cultural theory to both familiar and unfamiliar cultural material, phenomena and contexts 
  • Expression of own ideas in oral and written communication 
  • Ability to identify, evaluate and to construct arguments 

Subject-specific skills

You gain the following subject-specific skills:

  • Conception and application of cross-disciplinary strategies of investigation of cultural issues, themes and topics
  • The ability to identify and analyse ethical and political subject matters represented in media culture of all kinds
  • The ability to account for and criticise the interrelation of aesthetic cultural practices and forms and the social and political contexts of their emergence and affect
  • The ability to evaluate theoretical models and paradigms of cultural production, consumption and reception
  • Ability to integrate diverse sources of cultural information and produce new disciplinary knowledge
  • The effective deployment of terms and concepts and techniques specific to the study of social anthropology, with particular reference to beliefs and rituals, national or ethnically based culture and cultural identities and practices.

Transferable skills

You gain the following transferable skills:

  • Graduates will be skilled at gathering and collating, retrieving and synthesising information drawn from a variety of sources (eg library, IT, CD-ROM, press) textual, visual, popular and academic, in traditional formats as well as electronic.
  • Graduates will be able to work independently on the design and execution of research projects.
  • Graduates will have the ability to reflect on and understand the accumulation of knowledge about cultural practices diversely understood 
  • Graduates will be adaptable, creative and self-reflexive in producing output for a variety of audiences 
  • Graduates will be skilled at self-directed project planning, development and execution of work to deadlines. 
  • Graduates will possess skills of expression in written and oral forms; be adept at representing both the ideas of others as well as their own and will be able to argue for and justify their views.

Careers

Anthropology and Conservation students who graduated from Kent in 2015
were the most successful in the UK at finding work or further study
opportunities (Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey). The same survey found that, of Sociology students who graduated from Kent in 2015, 90% of were in work or further study within six months.

Cultural Studies

Our graduates take up careers in advertising and design, journalism, broadcasting, teaching, arts administration, publishing, public relations, research, information services, leisure industry management, tourism and heritage, personnel, local government, and the organisation of social and community projects.

Cultural Studies provides a useful background for a wide range of careers. The skills you acquire, such as improved communication skills, the ability to work as part of a team and independently, the ability to analyse complex ideas and the confidence to offer your own innovative solutions, are all considered essential attributes by graduate employers. 

The programmes are especially good preparation for professional or postgraduate training in the media and cultural industries.

Social Anthropology

Recent graduates have gone into areas such as overseas development and aid work, further research in social anthropology, social sciences research, media research or production (TV and radio), journalism, advertising, social work, education, international consultancy and work with community groups.

Anthropology graduates develop expertise in understanding, interpreting and responding to human behaviour and enter a wide range of fields. We ensure that our conservation students gain practical and theoretical knowledge so that they are well-placed to take advantage of this expanding area for employment. 

Through your studies, you learn how to analyse complex data and work independently, skills valued by employers.



Entry requirements

Home/EU students

The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. Students offering alternative qualifications should contact us for further advice. 

It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.

New GCSE grades

If you’ve taken exams under the new GCSE grading system, please see our conversion table to convert your GCSE grades.

Qualification Typical offer/minimum requirement
A level

ABB

Access to HE Diploma

The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. 

If we make you an offer, you will need to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma)

BTEC National Diploma: Distinction, Distinction, Merit. 

International Baccalaureate

34 points overall or 16 points at HL

International students

The University welcomes applications from international students. Our international recruitment team can guide you on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country.

If you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes.

Meet our staff in your country

For more advise about applying to Kent, you can meet our staff at a range of international events. 

English Language Requirements

Please see our English language entry requirements web page.

Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of 'pre-sessional' courses in English for Academic Purposes. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme. 

General entry requirements

Please also see our general entry requirements.

Fees

The 2017/18 tuition fees for this programme are:

UK/EU Overseas
Full-time
Part-time

For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.

UK/EU fee paying students

The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.

In accordance with changes announced by the UK Government, we are increasing our 2017/18 regulated full-time tuition fees for new and returning UK/EU fee paying undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses will also rise from £4,500 to £4,625. This was subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. This fee will ensure the continued provision of high-quality education.

For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* 

The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.

General additional costs

Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.

Funding

University funding

Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details. 

Government funding

You may be eligible for government finance to help pay for the costs of studying. See the Government's student finance website.

The Government has confirmed that EU students applying for university places in the 2017 to 2018 academic year will still have access to student funding support for the duration of their course.

Scholarships

General scholarships

Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.

The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence

At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.

The scholarship is also extended to those who achieve AAB at A level (or specified equivalents) where one of the subjects is either Mathematics or a Modern Foreign Language. Please review the eligibility criteria.

Full-time

Part-time

The Key Information Set (KIS) data is compiled by UNISTATS and draws from a variety of sources which includes the National Student Survey and the Higher Education Statistical Agency. The data for assessment and contact hours is compiled from the most populous modules (to the total of 120 credits for an academic session) for this particular degree programme. Depending on module selection, there may be some variation between the KIS data and an individual's experience. For further information on how the KIS data is compiled please see the UNISTATS website.

If you have any queries about a particular programme, please contact information@kent.ac.uk.