Anthropology and Sociology

Anthropology and sociology together provide two of the most powerful frameworks for understanding human social life. Anthropology, in its social and cultural forms, asks what it means to be human across the full diversity of cultures, societies, and historical periods, drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, the study of kinship and ritual, and the analysis of how people make meaning in different contexts. Sociology is concerned with the structures, institutions, and processes that organise modern societies, examining inequality, power, identity, culture, and social change.

Together they develop a capacity for social analysis that is both broad in its cultural range and rigorous in its application to contemporary questions.

At Goldsmiths, this three-year full-time programme reflects the college's distinctive intellectual identity: theoretically engaged, politically aware, and committed to understanding culture and society in their full complexity. Goldsmiths has been one of the most influential institutions in British social science and cultural studies, and its anthropology and sociology department sits within this tradition, offering a critical and creative approach to both disciplines. You will study social theory and the history of sociological thought, engage with ethnographic methods and the ethical challenges of field-based research, and examine topics ranging from race, class, and gender to globalisation, urban life, migration, and cultural production.

The college's location in south-east London places you in one of the most ethnically diverse and socially complex urban environments in the world, which provides both a context and a resource for social inquiry throughout your studies.

Graduates of anthropology and sociology programmes move into careers in social research, community development, international development and NGO work, public policy, journalism, education, human resources, health and social care, and the arts and cultural sector. The analytical and communication skills developed through the degree are valued across a wide range of professional contexts.