Overview and entry requirements

The MA Anthropology of Food with a two-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.

Combine Anthropology of Food with Intensive Language

Language pathways: Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Persian, South East Asian languages (Burmese, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese), Swahili, Turkish.

Why study MA Anthropology of Food and Intensive Language at SOAS

• SOAS is ranked 5th in the UK in the 2021 QS World University Rankings for Anthropology, and 16th in the world
• 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
• thriving community of alumni and academics who have an impact on the world outside of academia
• 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 two-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.

For more information email: jk2@soas.ac.uk

See Department of Anthropology and Sociology

Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings

Start of programme: September

Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-time

May be combined with:

MA Anthropology of Food can be combined with the following Intensive Language pathways: 

• Arabic
• Japanese 
• Korean
• Persian
• South East Asian Languages: Burmese, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese
• Swahili
• Turkish 

Structure

Students on this two-year Intensive Language programme must take 315 credits in total, comprised of 255 taught credits (45 of which are taught abroad as part of a Summer School) and a 60-credit dissertation as outlined below.

In their first year, students on this two-year Intensive Language programme take 60 credits of intensive language instruction and 60 credits in the discipline. During the summer, they participate in a Summer School abroad. In the second year, they take another 30 language credits as well as 60 credits in the discipline; they also complete their dissertation in the discipline.

The structure of the programme can be adjusted for those who wish to take the programme part-time over a period of four years and/or for those who have a previous background in Anthropology. For more information email: anthsoc@soas.ac.uk

The structure of the four-year part-time version of the programme is detailed in the MA Anthropology of Food & Intensive Language programme specification (PDF).

The Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures and the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics offer information on the Intensive Language part of the programme.

Programme

Year 1 (two years full time)

Discipline Component

Compulsory Module

AND

Language Component

Students take 60 credits in the selected language.

Summer Abroad

Students participate in a Summer School abroad for the selected language.

Year 2 (two years full time)

Discipline Component

Compulsory Module

AND

Guided module(s) from the lists below, OR from the Postgraduate Open Options List, to the value of 45 credits.

AND

Language Component
Students take 30 credits in the selected language.

Dissertation

Students must complete a Dissertation (10,000 words) worth 60 credits.

List of modules (subject to availability)

Anthropology and Sociology

Development Studies

Programme Specification

• MA Anthropology of Food and Intensive Language Programme Specification (pdf; 529kb)

Important notice

Teaching & Learning

Course teachers Johan Pottier, Harry G. West, and Jakob Klein were awarded the 2009 Excellence in Instruction Award by the Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society. The SOAS MA in the Anthropology of Food was named a Finalist in the Best Food Initiative category in the BBC Food & Farming Awards in 2015.

Modules

During the academic year, modules are delivered through a combination of lectures, tutorials and/or seminars. Students can expect an average of two hours of classroom time per week for each module. Outside of the classroom, students explore topics of the module through independent study and through personal exchanges with teachers and fellow students. In some cases, modules are taught by several teachers within the department to provide students with an array of perpsectives on the subject. All modules involve the active participation of students in the discussion of ideas, viewpoints and readings.

Dissertation

The MA Anthropology of Food and Intensive Language culminates in a 10,000-word dissertation, based on original research on a topic of the student's own choosing and developed in discussion with a supervisor.

Year abroad

All students participate in a Summer School abroad for the selected language.

SOAS Library

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Employment

Students from SOAS’ Department of Anthropology and Sociology develop an in-depth understanding of the world. Employers value our graduates’ cultural awareness and global perspective, as well as their skills in analysis, data interpretation and problem-solving.

Recent Department of Anthropology and Sociology graduates have been hired by:

• Allen & Overy
• BBC
• British Council
• Deloitte
• Hackney Migrant Centre
• IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development)
• IOM- UN Migration
• Media 52
• New York Times
• Social Mobility Foundation
• The Week
• UNICEF
• United Nations Development Programme
• World Bank Group

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