Anthropology is the comparative study of human societies in all their diversity. It seeks to understand cultural life in a wide range of social activities. Anthropologists carry out their research through long-term, in-depth fieldwork in their places of regional expertise.

At Aberdeen, our staff specialise in regions as diverse as Canada, the Central Asian Republics, Iceland and Scandinavia, North Africa, Siberia, Scotland and the UK, South America, and Tibet and the Himalayas. Along with our undergraduate degrees, we have a large contingent of postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers. A particular strength of Anthropology at Aberdeen is the study of the circumpolar North, and we also have research themes on Environment and Perception, Creativity and Knowledge, and Religion, Belief and Practice.

We currently have two European Research Council Advanced Grants: Arctic Domus and Knowing From the Inside. The Narrative Objects project is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

The Head of Anthropology is Dr Johan Rasanayagam. Please email socsci@abdn.ac.uk if you have any enquiries about studying or working with us.

If you're new to the subject, why not Discover Anthropology?