Social Anthropology and Chinese

Social anthropology is the comparative study of human societies and cultures, asking how people in different parts of the world organise their social lives, construct meaning, manage power, and make sense of their experience. It is a discipline that takes difference seriously, using long-term ethnographic fieldwork to understand societies from the inside, and using that understanding to reflect critically on assumptions about what is natural or universal in human life. Chinese is one of the world's great languages and cultural traditions, spoken by over a billion people and carrying a civilisational history of extraordinary depth and complexity.

At the School of Oriental and African Studies, you will study social anthropology with the global, non-Eurocentric scope that SOAS's particular expertise makes possible, alongside Chinese language and culture. You will develop anthropological methods and theoretical frameworks alongside Chinese language proficiency, and you will engage with the social, cultural, and historical dimensions of Chinese society in ways that the language opens up directly. The programme includes a foundation year and runs over four years full-time.

Graduates of social anthropology and Chinese programmes pursue careers in international development, diplomacy, journalism, business in China-related markets, NGOs, academia, and cultural institutions. The combination of anthropological insight and Chinese-language proficiency is particularly valued in roles that require genuine understanding of Chinese society and culture beyond surface-level observation. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in anthropology, Chinese studies, international relations, or development studies.