Anthropology

Re-Thinking the World (Dis) Order: Anthropological perspectives on Geopolitics and Diplomacy

Module code: L6301A
Level 6
30 credits in autumn semester
Teaching method: Workshop
Assessment modes: Essay

The module examines debates in the anthropology of geopolitics. You’ll develop a systematic understanding of different expressions of geopolitical projects across space and time, focusing on:

• their spatial, cultural, political and social characteristics
• lived experiences of people in acutely affected world regions
• forms of "informal" diplomacy that enable communities to navigate world (dis)order.

We’ll analyse the ongoing implications of colonialism, the Cold War and China’s ‘Belt and Road’. And we’ll critically address the geopolitics of humanitarianism and international development, and highlight the diplomatic agency of migrants. 

You’ll be equipped with skills relevant to careers in international development, journalism, national and local government, and policy concerning
migrants and refugees.

Module learning outcomes

• demonstrate knowledge/understanding of anthropological approaches to geopolitics
• analyse/evaluate/assess critically main theoretical debates in the fields of the anthropology of geo-politics and diplomacy, and to have an awareness of the history of these debates and how specific theoretical trends have developed over time.
• relate theory to specific ethnographic contexts in the analysis of geopolitical processes, conflicts and projects
• evaluate/compare strengths and weaknesses of anthropological theories developed and deployed to understand urban spaces and urban lives.