SOAS, University of London (The School of Oriental and African Studies)

Structure

Course Detail

A total of four units must be taken over the duration of the degree.  They will be:

Two compulsory half-unit core courses

• Anthropology of travel and tourism A - 15PANH051 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Anthropology of travel and tourism B - 15PANH052 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

One full unit dissertation

• Dissertation in Anthropology and Sociology - 15PANC999 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Two units of option courses from the following lists

Department of Anthropology

• African and Asian Cultures in Britain - 15PANH009 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• African and Asian Diasporas in the Modern World - 15PANH010 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Anthropology of Urban Space, Place and Architecture - 15PANH029 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not Running 2013/2014
• Approaches to the Other in Horror and Science Fiction Films - 15PANH043 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2013/2014
• Comparative Media Theory - 15PANH028 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Culture and Society of China - 15PANC089 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Culture and Society of East Africa - 15PANC084 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Culture and Society of Japan - 15PANC086 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Culture and Society of South Asia - 15PANC087 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Culture and Society of South East Asia - 15PANC088 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Culture and Society of West Africa - 15PANC083 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Culture and Society of the Near & Middle East - 15PANC097 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Ethnographic Research Methods - 15PANH002 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Anthropological approaches to agriculture, food and nutrition - 15PANH053 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• Field School in Tourism Development - 15PANH054 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Issues in Psychoanalysis and Anthropology - 15PANH032 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Issues in the Anthropology of Film - 15PANH022 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• Issues in the Anthropology of Gender - 15PANH024 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not to be combined with 15PDSH010 Gender & Development.
• Perspectives On Development - 15PANH033 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Research Methods in Anthropology - 15PANC011 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Therapy and Culture - 15PANH027 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Theoretical Approaches to Social Anthropology - 15PANC008 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Analysing World Music: Transcription & Analysis in Ethnomusicology - 15PMUH004 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not Running 2013/2014

Department of Music

• Atlantic Africa: (P)Layers of Mediation in African Popular Music (PG) - 15PMUC009 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2013/2014
• Central Asian Music - 15PMUH008 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Ethnomusicology in Practice - 15PMUC004 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Music in South Asian Culture (Masters) - 15PMUC005 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2013/2014
• Musical Traditions of East Asia (Masters) - 15PMUH016 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• Popular and Fusion Music in South East Asia (PG) - 15PMUH018 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not Running 2013/2014
• Klezmer Music: Roots and Revival - 15PMUH011 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• The Music Business (Masters) - 15PMUH003 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

Programme Specification

• Programme Specification (pdf; 39kb)

Teaching & Learning

Teaching & Learning

The course aims to (a) place the anthropological study of travel, tourism, and pilgrimage within in a general anthropological context (b) explore the historical roots of contemporary pilgrimage and tourism  (c) identify some of the classical issues in social theory that have influenced the development of the subject and assess what contribution tourism studies are making to contemporary theoretical debates (d) establish the primacy in the anthropology of travel, tourism, and pilgrimage of good ethnography and to enable students to compose a field research project with tourism as a dominant theme (e) ground the course in awareness of the global political economy of travel, tourism, and pilgrimage (f) draw out the policy implications of the subject  and critically to evaluate the work of those who have ‘intervened’ (as consultants and advisors to governments and/or international agencies, for example) in tourism strategy or policy (g) call upon the work of others such as cultural geographers, historians, and development studies specialists and/but to draw out the distinctions between the work of such colleagues and that of anthropologists.(h) develop understanding of contemporary consumerism and commodification in with regard to contemporary tourist related spaces and places.

Destinations

Students who study MA Anthropology of Travel, Tourism and Pilgrimage develop a wide range of transferable skills including research, analysis, oral and written communication skills.  

The communication skills of anthropologists transfer well to areas such as information and technology, the media and tourism. Other recent SOAS career choices have included commerce and banking, government service, the police and prison service, social services and health service administration. Opportunities for graduates with trained awareness of the socio-cultural norms of minority communities also arise in education, local government, libraries and museums.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website.

How to apply

How to apply

• How to Apply
• Online Application
• Funding options
• English language requirements
• Tuition Fees
• Admissions Contacts

Scholarships

For further information visit the Scholarships section