Are you curious about the origins, formation and development of different societies? Do you wonder about the role of politics in these processes? Our Social Anthropology and Politics joint honours programme offers a comprehensive approach for the study of political systems in societies around the world and across time. 

Kent’s School of Anthropology and Conservation has a range of experts working on social anthropology in regions as diverse as the Middle East, Europe, China and Amazonia.

Politics at Kent encourages you to think critically about political events, ideas and institutions while engaging with the key issues of today. 

You learn to understand and address the challenges of our time and are given skills to contribute to society in a wide range of exciting careers after you graduate.

Our degree programme

In your first year, you start by studying the fundamentals of social anthropology and political science. You then continue to learn about different quantitative and qualitative research methods relevant for both disciplines. There is a special focus on ethnography, a method used by social anthropology to understand diverse social worlds.

During all stages of your studies you have the opportunity to choose specialist modules that suit your interests and include topics like South East Asian societies, ethnicity and nationalism, visual anthropology, and international politics.

In your final year of study, there is an option to take a dissertation module on a subject of your choice, presenting your findings in writing or in the form of a visual or digital essay. This allows you to focus in detail on an area you are particularly passionate about.

In this video, students and staff discuss their experiences of the course.

Study resources

Kent’s School of Anthropology and Conservation has a number of excellent subject-specific facilities to help your learning. These include:

• a state-of-the-art visual anthropology room with a suite of computers equipped for editing film and cameras made available for student use
• an ethnobiology lab for studying human-related plant material
• a teaching laboratory with first-rate equipment
• for students interested in Biological Anthropology we have an excellent fossil cast collection with hundreds of casts, including multiple entire skeletons of extant and extinct primates and hominins.

You have access to a wide range of topical journals and books in hard copy and digital format through Kent’s Templeman Library. You can also view content from the European Documentation Centre, a useful resource for studying European politics and policy.

Your designated academic advisor provides guidance for your studies and academic development. Our Student Learning Advisory Service also offers useful workshops on topics like essay writing and academic referencing.

Extra activities

There are a number of student-led societies which you may want to join such as:

• Anthropology Society
• Debating Society
• Feminist Society
• Kent Amnesty International
• Politics and International Relations Society.

The School of Anthropology and Conservation puts on many events that you are welcome to attend. We host two public lectures a year for which we have been able to attract leading anthropological figures from around the world. In 2017 we hosted paleoanthropologist Professor Lee Berger, one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people.

You are also encouraged to get involved in the programme of events and activities run by the School of Politics and International Relations, which focuses on bridging the gap between academic study and real-life politics.