Social Anthropology and Africa and Black Diaspora

Social anthropology and Africa and Black Diaspora studies is a combination that brings together two disciplines with a shared commitment to understanding human societies and cultures on their own terms rather than through the distorting lens of colonial or Eurocentric frameworks. Social anthropology is the comparative study of how people live, organise their societies, make meaning, and relate to one another across the full diversity of human experience. Africa and Black Diaspora studies examines the history, cultures, politics, and creative expression of African peoples and their diasporas across the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, and beyond, addressing the legacies of the Atlantic slave trade, colonialism, and the ongoing dynamics of race, identity, and belonging.

At the School of Oriental and African Studies, you will study both disciplines within an institution that has a particular depth of expertise in African and diaspora studies and that takes seriously the global diversity of human experience. The social anthropology strand develops your theoretical understanding of kinship, exchange, religion, politics, and social organisation across a wide range of societies, giving you analytical tools of broad applicability. The Africa and Black Diaspora strand grounds you in specific histories, literatures, and cultural productions, developing your understanding of how African and diaspora communities have shaped and continue to shape the modern world.

The programme includes a foundation year, providing additional preparation before the main degree begins.

Graduates move into careers in international development and NGOs, policy research, journalism, education, cultural organisations, community development, and the civil service. The combination of anthropological analysis and specific African and diaspora expertise is particularly valuable in roles that require deep understanding of these regions and communities. Postgraduate study in anthropology, African studies, development studies, or cultural studies is a natural route for those who wish to continue their research.