Advertisement

Beyond the local context

Often described as on the boundary between humanities and social sciences, a degree in anthropology – the study of cultures and what it means to be human – can lead to a wide range of work opportunities in everything from marketing and research to journalism or even police work.

Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0
Beyond the local context

Often described as on the boundary between humanities and social sciences, a degree in anthropology – the study of cultures and what it means to be human – can lead to a wide range of work opportunities in everything from marketing and research to journalism or even police work.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) began its master’s programme in anthropology in 1999 believing that it would really spark the interest of those who chose it.

During the early years, programme director and graduate division head Professor Joseph Bosco found that many students had a strong interest in Chinese culture, specifically around topics like heritage management or archaeology in mainland China, though their approach was somewhat parochial. Now, the interests tend to be much broader, with one reason being that more students come from solid middle-class families where there is less concern about just having a job and more inclination to find meaningful work.

“Besides that, more people travel independently and, in general, globalisation has changed our knowledge of and interaction with other countries and communities,” Bosco says. “The outcome is that more students want to learn and analyse and be thorough in their studies.”

The CUHK master’s course includes electives from undergraduate programmes, which are supplemented with additional research and specialised tutorials. There are only two required classes, one of which focuses on field methods, so that students learn how to do ethnographic or field research.

In choosing electives, students create their own learning experience. Many of the classes are small and cover topics such as the anthropology of China; medicine, health and culture; political violence and human rights. The schedule can make it difficult to study part-time while holding down a full-time job.

Advertisement