Persian and Social Anthropology

Persian and social anthropology is an unusual and intellectually rich combination that pairs the linguistic and cultural study of one of the world's great classical and modern language traditions with the analytical methods of a discipline concerned with how human societies are organised, how meaning is made, and how culture shapes experience. Persian, spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, carries a literary heritage of extraordinary depth, including Rumi, Hafez, Ferdowsi, and Khayyam, and is central to understanding a region of major geopolitical importance. Social anthropology examines human societies through fieldwork, ethnography, and comparative analysis, asking questions about kinship, religion, economy, and power from the ground up.

The University of Edinburgh's four-year full-time programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to immerse yourself in a Persian-speaking environment or to study at an international institution where your anthropological and linguistic work can be extended. Edinburgh has strong traditions in both Persian studies and social anthropology, and the programme benefits from research expertise in the Middle East and Central Asia alongside theoretical strengths in ethnographic method and social theory. You will study Persian language and literature at an advanced level alongside anthropological theory, ethnographic methods, and substantive topics in the anthropology of the Middle East and beyond, developing the ability to engage with societies on their own terms.

Graduates from Persian and social anthropology programmes go on to work in diplomacy, intelligence, international development, journalism, policy, humanitarian organisations, academia, and any field requiring deep knowledge of Iran, Afghanistan, or the wider Persian-speaking world. The combination of linguistic competence, regional expertise, and anthropological method is genuinely distinctive and highly valued in roles that require nuanced understanding of complex societies. Many graduates continue to postgraduate or doctoral study in area studies, anthropology, or international relations.