Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology

How is climate change impacting people’s lives, not only in Europe, but also in countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America? Why are there people in Europe who label refugees as freeloaders?

In a world in which the differences between people are getting bigger, you, as an anthropologist, look for ways to help people better understand one another. You will get to work straight away on issues from your own surroundings, city, country or region. Your own senses are your research tools: you observe, listen, interview and sometimes follow people for even months at a time. As a student of Cultural Anthropology, your goal will be to discover what is going on under the surface. 

In the course of the Bachelor’s programme in Cultural Anthropology you will interact with people from different backgrounds. VU Amsterdam itself is also diverse and international, and you will see that in the lecture rooms. Internationalisation at home. Your fellow students come from all corners of the globe and are of many different origins. You learn from and with one another. You will also work with students from other disciplines to look for solutions to social challenges such as globalisation, diversity and digitalisation.