Overview

Anthropology of Food:

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.

Intensive Language (Chinese):

This module is a core component of the two-year programmes with Intensive Language (Chinese). Classes are taught in Chinese by academic staff at a university in China over a period of six weeks during the summer (July/August). Assessment is conducted at SOAS upon return. The intensive classroom environment and immersion experience of living and studying in China is designed to facilitate the student’s ability to build fluency within the appropriate daily social and cultural contexts.

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.