Making Sense of Humanity (L6067)
Making Sense of Humanity: Key Concepts in Anthropology
Module L6067
Module details for 2025/26.
15 credits
FHEQ Level 4
Module Outline
Making Sense of Humanity - Anthropology’s contribution to knowledge is more than documenting the
way people live in different societies. Anthropologists also theorise, interpret, analyse and explain
different ways of life both to make them understandable to outsiders - e.g. to inform policy and
development - and to build a picture of the nature, capacity, and variation of humankind as a whole.
This module will teach you the different ways in which they have done this, as well as giving you a
critical understanding of the limitations and assumptions of each approach.
Module learning outcomes
A basic grasp of the development of Social Anthropology in the twentieth century
A constructively critical approach to key terms of social analysis, especially society, culture, individual
A basic grasp of some of the major paradigms of anthropological thought, including functionalism, structuralism, marxism
Practice in using key concepts in discussion and writing
| Type | Timing | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Essay (1500 words) | Semester 1 Assessment Week 1 Thu 16:00 | 100.00% |
Timing
Submission deadlines may vary for different types of assignment/groups of students.
Weighting
Coursework components (if listed) total 100% of the overall coursework weighting value.
| Term | Method | Duration | Week pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn Semester | Lecture | 2 hours | 11111100000 |
| Autumn Semester | Seminar | 1 hour | 00000011111 |
| Autumn Semester | Lecture | 1 hour | 00000011111 |
How to read the week pattern
The numbers indicate the weeks of the term and how many events take place each week.
Dr James McMurray
Convenor, Assess convenor
/profiles/244445
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