The course covers recent writings and currents of thought that mark, or are likely to mark, turning points in social and cultural theory. Particular care will be taken to situate theories in their historical and social contexts. Attendance to weekly 40 min. discussion classes throughout the course is compulsory. Distance learning students attend in person or via the Internet (with Zoom).

In the course we examine the field methods and train students in their application. The focus is on ethical issues, research design, the fieldwork setting, participant observation, different kinds of interviews, use of visual material and the analysis of data and presentation of research results.

The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.

The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.

The aim of the seminar is to aid students who are writing their thesis. We will discuss how to approach a final thesis and the students will have the opportunity to discuss their research issues. This seminar creates a forum for master students to discuss their research projects and receive support, encouragement and feedback in the work process. The seminar will be flexible to meet the needs of the group of students attending at each time.

In the seminar each student works or their own project and the teaching method is built on a “shut up and write!” ideology. The instructor has a short introduction in each meeting followed by some productive writing of the students in a supportive environment.   In the second part of the seminar each student will present and discuss their project for about 20 minutes.

Note that this course is only taught in the spring semester and is intended both for students that enroll in the MA thesis course in the spring semester or the following fall semester.

Taught every other week.

Einkunn: Staðið/Fall

The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.

The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.

MA thesis

MA thesis

MA thesis

In the course, the student's task consists in being a mentor for participants that are upper secondary school students and university students in the project "Sprettur". Mentors' main role is to support and encourage participants in their studies and social life. As well as creating a constructive relationship with the participants, being a positive role model, and participating in events organized in Sprettur. The mentor role centers around building relationships and spending meaningful time together with the commitment to support participants. 

Sprettur is a project that supports students with an immigrant or refugee background who come from families with little or no university education. The students in this course are mentors of the participants and are paired together based on a common field of interest. Each mentor is responsible for supporting two participants. Mentors plan activities with participants and spend three hours a month (from August to May) with Sprettur’s participants, three hours a month in a study group and attend five seminars that are spread over the school year. Students submit journal entries on Canvas in November and March. Diary entries are based on reading material and students' reflections on the mentorship. Compulsory attendance in events, study groups, and seminars. The course is taught in Icelandic and English. 

Students must apply for a seat in the course. Applicants go through an interview process and 15-30 students are selected to participate. 

See the digital application form. 

More information about Sprettur can be found here: www.hi.is/sprettur  

The course focuses on anthropological research on nature and the environment, as well as ideas from other human and social sciences, on the relationship between people and their environment. Various basic terms and theories central to environmental anthropology and related fields will be introduced and discussed.

The course explores several attempts to throw light on the emergence and characteristics of various cultural and social institutions and practices by reference to ecological systems and material relations as their foundation. It will also address critique of such attempts. 

A particular emphasis will be placed on changing views on the environment that have emerged in recent years, including ideas of resource extraction and management and several forms of environmentalisms.

Last but not least the many interactions of climate change causes and effects and societies will be explored as they are materialising all over the globe. Climate, climate change and society and culture, and their mutual influences, will also be investigated as a historical theoretical issue, from various points of view.

Several ethnographic examples of human-environment interaction will be examined throughout the course.

New theories and studies on globalization and global processes are presented in the class. The course aims at giving a general overview of important themes related to globalization processes. Studies that shed light on the diverse economic, social and political aspects of global processes are furthermore examined. A critical examination of main concepts is an important aspect of the course but studies that show how people are agents/victims in globalized world are also presented.

The teaching consists of lecture and class discussions. 

 The course is taught in English.

This course treats the debate on aid effectiveness, and institutions and actors within international aid, approaches to development cooperation, and their strengths and weaknesses. Multilateral institutions, bilateral donors, non-governmental organizations and emerging donors will be presented. Important approaches to aid, such as project support, sector-wide approach, budget support, result-based management, participatory methods and gender sensitive approaches will be introduced. as well as challenges in environmental and resource management and disaster aid.

Note: The course is only open to students that are yet to complete this course as a mandatory option, i.e. students registered for a postgraduate diploma in Development studies or Global health, and Global study MA-students with development studies as area of specialization.

Vocational training in global studies and anthropology aims to provide students with increased skills through vocational training and to strengthen their connections with the labour market. This is a practical course that provides insight into the activities of institutions, non-governmental organizations, companies and other parties in-line with the aims of the course.

An agreement is made between the study program in anthropology and the relevant field of work. Students can make suggestions for a field of work or receive suggestions from the study program about a suitable field for internships. Subjects should be related to different aspects of anthropology and global science (electives: migration and multiculturalism, global health and development studies). For example, there could be one or two more important projects as well as various incidental projects. It is desirable that the student becomes acquainted with as many areas of work as possible in his / her field of work. The study program does not pay wages for the working hours, but the course is eligible for credits.

The student must contact the study program before the internship begins and have the plan approved. A special agreement is made with the person responsible for the worksite.

The scope of the internship shall be 250-300 hours divided between while working in the workplace and writing a report.

Before starting work in the field, the student compiles a reading list in consultation with the supervisor/supervisory teacher about the type of activity that the student intends to become involved with and the field itself. The student submits a draft summary of reading material before the internship begins. At the end of the participation in the worksite, the student writes a report on the internship where the activities are described and analysed.

In order to get credits evaluated for the internship, the student must hand in:

1. A letter from a supervisor, which includes a confirmation that the internship has lasted for at least 4 months along with a short stutta statement about the student and his tasks.
2. A statement that includes: 
   1. A descrption of the main tasks conducted during the internship periods,
   2. Weekly reports based on the student's journal entries,
   3. A description how the internhsip is useful for his/her study programme.
   4. tasks where a specific part of the work is examined and put into a theoretical perspective.

Vocational training in global studies and anthropology aims to provide students with increased skills through vocational training and to strengthen their connections with the labour market. This is a practical course that provides insight into the activities of institutions, non-governmental organizations, companies and other parties in-line with the aims of the course.

An agreement is made between the study program in anthropology and the relevant field of work. Students can make suggestions for a field of work or receive suggestions from the study program about a suitable field for internships. Subjects should be related to different aspects of anthropology and global science (electives: migration and multiculturalism, global health and development studies). For example, there could be one or two more important projects as well as various incidental projects. It is desirable that the student becomes acquainted with as many areas of work as possible in his / her field of work. The study program does not pay wages for the working hours, but the course is eligible for credits.

The student must contact the study program before the internship begins and have the plan approved. A special agreement is made with the person responsible for the worksite. 

The scope of the internship shall be 125-150 hours divided between while working in the workplace and writing a report. 

Before starting work in the field, the student compiles a reading list in consultation with the supervisor/supervisory teacher about the type of activity that the student intends to become involved with and the field itself. The student submits a draft summary of reading material before the internship begins. At the end of the participation in the worksite, the student writes a report on the internship where the activities are described and analysed.

In order to get credits evaluated for the internship, the student must hand in:

1. A letter from a supervisor, which includes a confirmation that the internship has lasted for at least 4 months along with a short stutta statement about the student and his tasks.
2. A statement that includes: 
   1. A descrption of the main tasks conducted during the internship periods,
   2. Weekly reports based on the student's journal entries,
   3. A description how the internhsip is useful for his/her study programme.
   4. tasks where a specific part of the work is examined and put into a theoretical perspective.

Missing

The reading material be based on on essential theoretical works as well as recent research. The history of the field will be critically examined in light of trends at the beginning of the 21^st century. The course is intended for students at masters and diploma levels. 

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussion.

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

This course covers a detailed overview of theories in criminology and sociology of deviance. Students will read empirical research testing these theories in Iceland and elsewhere.

Different types of crimes and topics will be discussed in criminological/sociological light, such as gender and crime, immigration and crime.

Emphasis is placed on linking theoretical discussion with empirical research.

The reading material be based on on essential theoretical works as well as recent research. The history of the field will be critically examined in light of trends at the beginning of the 21^st century. The course is intended for students at masters and diploma levels. 

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussion.

In this course the focus will be on the diversity of human material cultures and the manifold meanings objects have in different cultural contexts. The social aspects of things, their agency and their sometimes gender will be considered. The inalienability of certain things will be discussed as will the way the meaning of objects is often altered as they move from one social context to another. The utility of things such as tools will be pondered as well as man’s varied use of animals. In short: The course combines anthropological material culture studies with symbolic anthropology and a consideration of humanimal relations.

Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

Aim

The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

Missing

In this course the focus is upon anthropologists' discussion of art. Different definitions of the concept will be considered and, in that context, the relation of art to aesthetics and ethics. Answers will be sought to the question of whether all work that appears artistic to westernized perception is indeed so to those who produce this work. Authorship, authenticity and problems arising from the interaction between different cultural traditions will be considered. In order to shed light on these issues various ethnographic studies throughout the world will be studied.

In this course, the focus will be on the cultural relativity of perception. A central concept here is that of the mode of perception, which refers to a particular integration of the sensorium in a certain cultural context. Visualism, aural cultures, and the multiple possibilities of smell, taste and touch for cultural expression will be among the topics of discussion. The main theories of perception that have provided anthropologists with inspiration will be introduced. There will also be an emphasis on practical experimentation with the students' perception of the various phenomena of the world.

Aim: To make students aware of the social constitution of perception and its cross-cultural relativity.

Global health priorities are the focus of this course. The global burden of disease across countries will be scrutinized, as well as inequality and other important socio-economic determinants of health in a globalized world. Particular focus will be given to maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health from a global perspective, as well as health systems designed to provide good and timely services. Global nutritional challenges and mental health issues will be discussed as well as prevention and impact of infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, cholera, Ebola and COVID-19. Other subjects for discussion and analysis with importance for health include violence, environment, culture, disaster and complex emergencies, as well as ethical issues. In addition, the work and policies of international institutions and development organizations will be discussed, including the Sustainable Development Goals.

In this course the focus will be on the diversity of human material cultures and the manifold meanings objects have in different cultural contexts. The social aspects of things, their agency and their sometimes gender will be considered. The inalienability of certain things will be discussed as will the way the meaning of objects is often altered as they move from one social context to another. The utility of things such as tools will be pondered as well as man’s varied use of animals. In short: The course combines anthropological material culture studies with symbolic anthropology and a consideration of humanimal relations.

This course introduces students to the theoretical foundations of managing cultural institutions, such as museums, and government cultural administration with the aim of providing an insight into important cultural work in society. Culture is discussed in a historical context, along with state and city government cultural policies, the legal framework of cultural activities and policy making. The role and unique status of cultural government and museums will be discussed as well as the organizational framework of the state and regions. Students will also be introduced to project and institutional management, the importance of professional governance of project management, financial management and human resource management. The above will be discussed within the framework of Iceland, the Nordic region and globally, and in relation to democracy and public accessibility to cultural heritage

The course focuses on a number of key areas of Icelandic society and culture from an anthropological perspective. The course will build upon a set of themes that have a long tradition within the anthropology of Iceland, but a particular emphasis will be placed upon the contemporary context and emergent issues that are confronting Icelandic society.  The instruction will be in English in order to make the course accessible to non-Icelandic speaking students, but also to strengthen the English academic writing skills of non-native speakers of English.

Taught in August 2022

An investigation into the role of apparel in the formation of cultural boundaries and national identity in Iceland during the long 19th century (c.1790-1920). Clothing-practices, male and female, are considered in terms of defining a visible Icelandic identity in response to international fashions and style-trends. Special emphasis is placed on female costume. Theories on the development of cultural boundaries are introduced, as well as an approach toward investigating and interpreting primary sources in a cultural investigation. Travelogues and correspondences as well as historical journals and newspapers will be looked at to consider the dialogue across –and the development of— cultural boundaries in the conscious establishment of a national identity. Students will utilize the sources presented in a final written exam to illustrate evaluate and explain the effect and use of apparel by groups and individuals in the formation and establishment of cultural boundaries.

Instructor:  Dr. Karl Aspelund, Associate Professor, University of Rhode Island.

The course will explore the ethnography of organizations from a theoretical and a practical perspective. The first part of the course will introduce students to the anthropology of bureaucracy and organizations, beginning with some of the classic work in the early social sciences and tracing developments in the field until recent times. An emphasis will be placed upon topics such as organizational power relations, bureaucratic governance, and organizational knowledge making. Examples of ethnographic research on and with organizations will include, among others, governmental organizations, security and border control, NGOs and charities, and social welfare agencies. The latter part of the course will be methodological in nature, with a focus on how ethnographic research is conducted within organisations, drawing upon the instructor’s research experiences and the anthropological literature. 

This course covers a detailed overview of theories in criminology and sociology of deviance. Students will read empirical research testing these theories in Iceland and elsewhere.

Different types of crimes and topics will be discussed in criminological/sociological light, such as gender and crime, immigration and crime.

Emphasis is placed on linking theoretical discussion with empirical research.

Our daily life may seem boringly traditional and predictable. Social psychology shows that it is an exciting and multifaceted phenomenon resting on a complicated interplay of individual factors and social structures. In this course we will use theories and findings by social psychologists to shed light on what is behind the glitter of the obvious. We will go from what is public to the aspects that we conceal and hide, study what advertisers, salespeople and influencers do to bend us and turn and look at the degree to which variables like gender, class and ethnicity influence and control what we see, how we see and how we respond to the stimulus of everyday life.

Students will work on diverse small assignments connected to the main thrust of the course, individually or in groups. Even though social psychology relies on both qualitative and quantitative methods the emphasis in the assignments will be on qualitative methods such as visual analysis, conversation analysis and participatory observations.

Course Description

What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

In this course, students are introduced to concepts and methods for planning, monitoring and evaluating projects/activities. It covers developing a problem statement, mapping stakeholders, development of a project plan, design of project evaluations, introduction to data collection, and reporting on project progress. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of stakeholder participation and gender mainstreaming. Approaches taught in the course are rooted in international development but are useful in the planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects/activities across all sectors. This course is designed to be practical and develop skills that are directly applicable in many workplaces. The teaching is based on a combination of theoretical instruction, discussion of real-life applications, interactive workshops, and guided group work. 

The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. The course is intended for students at the masters and diploma levels (but is open to BA students in their final year).

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

Teaching format

• The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.

Human mobility and multicultural societies are often seen as the main characteristics of the contemporary world. In the course, we look at main theories approaching mobility and multicultural society, critically addressing them and analyzing their utility. The concept of multiculturalism and related concepts such as culture, assimilation and integration are critically evaluated, as well as mobility in the past and the relationship between mobility and multiculturalism. Different approaches in the social sciences are introduced and main research themes in anthropology in particular and social sciences in general will be examined.

The teaching methods are lectures and discussions.

Main theories for understanding conflicts will be presented, and concepts and methodological approaches introduced. Recent anthropological studies will be discuessed. Particual conflicts and possibilities for peace resolution will be examined.

The course focuses on fashion as a manifestation of material culture resulting from the behavior of individuals in society. Students investigate theories on fashion in industrialized market-economies, while considering various theories in philosophy, sociology, ethnology and anthropology. Concepts of influential factors in the development of apparel fashions will be critically reviewed and analyzed with a view toward students’ local community. The relationship of fashion development to different demographics, specifically in terms of gender, class, sexuality, age, and other significant demographics of social differentiation will be especially noted. An investigation into the “spirit of our time” (the “Zeitgeist”), and a field-study on the fashions of specific groups or locations will be conducted. These lead to a consideration of findings in the light of the theories presented. The investigations and discussions all lead to a final project resulting in a definition and analysis of the development and nature of current fashions as well as a formal forecast of future fashions and fashion–culture.

The course focuses on stereotypes and prejudice as manifestations of Othering processes and racism, by using the lens of critical race theories and postcolonial perspectives. The course emphasizes the interlinking of past and present discourses and images about those categorized as Others and how Othering takes place. For this purpose, it analyses colonial imaginaries and of the historical connection of orientalism with key concepts such as culture, identity, and development. It thus highlights the connection between older colonial discourses, nationalism, and contemporary imageries that target marginalized groups, with a specific focus on the European context.  

The course asks how discourses shape bodies and identities of specific groups or categories of people, as well as the social and physical spaces they inhabit. The course also addresses the issue of agency and strategies of resistance against Othering processes and racism, and explores the delicate role that anthropological knowledge, and social theory more in general, plays in this scenario.  

 The course will be taught in English. 

According to the United Nation’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs, slightly over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. This is projected to be 66% percent by the year 2050, with Africa and Asia accounting for 90% of this new urban growth. Urban anthropology has increasingly played a critically important role in the development of the discipline of anthropology in terms of theory, research methods and social justice movements. This course provides an historical overview of the development of urban anthropology and on through to recent developments. An emphasis will be placed on anthropological theory and research methods, but also issues such as social justice, architecture, design and urban planning. The course will cover, among others, the early Chicago ethnographers and early urban poverty research, utopian and modernist urban planning, power and built form, divisions and gated communities, crime and urban fear, urban homelessness, and the governance of built spaces. The course will conclude with a section on cities in transition, which includes a focus on the post-industrial/global city, the effects of neoliberalism on urban spaces, and a discussion of the possible future(s) of urbanism and the role of anthropology in understanding these developments.

Students must have completed 120 ECTS in their BA study before attending this course

Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

Curating is a fast growing discipline within various types of museums, like art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums. In this course different approches to curating, exhibition making and exhibition design in such museums will be examined from critical perspectives, with emphasis on management, different narrative strategies, scripting and mediation. Past and present exhibitions of art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums, in Iceland and abroad, will be critically addressed and analyzed.

An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

Teaching format

• The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.

The field of Folklore, emerging out of the phenomena collectively referred to as  Modernity, has a complicated and problematic relationship with gender, both in the material that circulates and the subsequent academic treatment of that material. This seminar combines theoretical perspectives from Gender Studies and Folkloristics to better understand the interconnectedness of popular cultural forms, analyses, and the operations of power, specifically gender relations. Beginning with a feminist critique of Folkloristics from within (a historical reference point), we will examine more recent work on the relationship between gender and genre, between the empowering acts of ordinary rituals (so-called women‘s genres), and how the old, debunked Nature/Culture divide, in which women‘s genres were debased and denigrated, may, looked at from a different perspective, suggest alternate approaches to some contemporary global issues.

Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

In this course, the focus will be on the cultural relativity of perception. A central concept here is that of the mode of perception, which refers to a particular integration of the sensorium in a certain cultural context. Visualism, aural cultures, and the multiple possibilities of smell, taste and touch for cultural expression will be among the topics of discussion. The main theories of perception that have provided anthropologists with inspiration will be introduced. There will also be an emphasis on practical experimentation with the students' perception of the various phenomena of the world.

Aim: To make students aware of the social constitution of perception and its cross-cultural relativity.

Vocational training in global studies and anthropology aims to provide students with increased skills through vocational training and to strengthen their connections with the labour market. This is a practical course that provides insight into the activities of institutions, non-governmental organizations, companies and other parties in-line with the aims of the course.

An agreement is made between the study program in anthropology and the relevant field of work. Students can make suggestions for a field of work or receive suggestions from the study program about a suitable field for internships. Subjects should be related to different aspects of anthropology and global science (electives: migration and multiculturalism, global health and development studies). For example, there could be one or two more important projects as well as various incidental projects. It is desirable that the student becomes acquainted with as many areas of work as possible in his / her field of work. The study program does not pay wages for the working hours, but the course is eligible for credits.

The student must contact the study program before the internship begins and have the plan approved. A special agreement is made with the person responsible for the worksite. 

The scope of the internship shall be 250-300 hours divided between while working in the workplace and writing a report.. 

Before starting work in the field, the student compiles a reading list in consultation with the supervisor/supervisory teacher about the type of activity that the student intends to become involved with and the field itself. The student submits a draft summary of reading material before the internship begins. At the end of the participation in the worksite, the student writes a report on the internship where the activities are described and analysed.

In order to get credits evaluated for the internship, the student must hand in:

1. A letter from a supervisor, which includes a confirmation that the internship has lasted for at least 4 months along with a short stutta statement about the student and his tasks.
2. A statement that includes: 
   1. A descrption of the main tasks conducted during the internship periods,
   2. Weekly reports based on the student's journal entries,
   3. A description how the internhsip is useful for his/her study programme.
   4. tasks where a specific part of the work is examined and put into a theoretical perspective.

What is criminology? Criminological data and what criminologists do.

Crime definitions and how crime can be explained and understood. Examples of different theoretical perspectives will be covered in class: Classical Criminology and Social & Psychological Theories. What kind of criminological research and research questions are used with different theories? 

Using this theoretical background, a number of crime types and topics within Icelandic criminology will be presented and discussed in class, including the following: Physical and sexual violence, alcohol and drugs in society, crime and punishment, public attitudes to crime and punishment, and social crisis and crime. 

Students write a seminar paper and a diary (portfolio) of the topics presented in class. Final exam on-site.

Vocational training in global studies and anthropology aims to provide students with increased skills through vocational training and to strengthen their connections with the labour market. This is a practical course that provides insight into the activities of institutions, non-governmental organizations, companies and other parties in-line with the aims of the course.

An agreement is made between the study program in anthropology and the relevant field of work. Students can make suggestions for a field of work or receive suggestions from the study program about a suitable field for internships. Subjects should be related to different aspects of anthropology and global science (electives: migration and multiculturalism, global health and development studies). For example, there could be one or two more important projects as well as various incidental projects. It is desirable that the student becomes acquainted with as many areas of work as possible in his / her field of work. The study program does not pay wages for the working hours, but the course is eligible for credits.

The student must contact the study program before the internship begins and have the plan approved. A special agreement is made with the person responsible for the worksite. 

The scope of the internship shall be 125-150 hours divided between while working in the workplace and writing a report. 

Before starting work in the field, the student compiles a reading list in consultation with the supervisor/supervisory teacher about the type of activity that the student intends to become involved with and the field itself. The student submits a draft summary of reading material before the internship begins. At the end of the participation in the worksite, the student writes a report on the internship where the activities are described and analysed.

In order to get credits evaluated for the internship, the student must hand in:

1. A letter from a supervisor, which includes a confirmation that the internship has lasted for at least 4 months along with a short stutta statement about the student and his tasks.
2. A statement that includes: 
   1. A descrption of the main tasks conducted during the internship periods,
   2. Weekly reports based on the student's journal entries,
   3. A description how the internhsip is useful for his/her study programme.
   4. tasks where a specific part of the work is examined and put into a theoretical perspective.

This course engages with museum and heritage ecologies and entanglements of nature and culture. The course draws on posthuman and new materialist theories to examine entanglements and human/non-human agencies in relation to heritage ecologies and museums in the present. Particular attention is payed to heritage as a dynamic human/non-human construct that encourages connections and change. To this end, the course draws on lcelandic cases and research led teaching.

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

Over the past years, public discussion on how to address cases of sexual violence has been heated, particularly in the aftermath of the #MeToo Movement. Research shows that only a small percentage of such cases are reported to the police and only a small number of those cases lead to a conviction. This has been called a justice gap. Increasingly, we see victim-survivors of sexual violence tell their stories on social media, or in the media, and in some cases alleged offenders are named publicly which has evoked different responses amongst the public and had various consequences.

In this course, these societal developments will be explored from the perspective of sociology of law. Sociology of law uses theories and methods from the social sciences to examine the law, legal institutions, and legal behaviours, in the effort to analyse legal phenomena in their social, cultural, and historical contexts. To shed further light on the treatment of sexual violence cases, this course will also include readings from criminology, victimology, gender studies and the health sciences.

The course will seek answers to the following questions and more: Who commits sexual violence and why? How are men’s experiences of being subjected to sexual violence different from women’s experiences? Why is the legal status and rights of defendants different from that of victims? How is law in the books different from law in practice? How has the criminal justice system developed historically? What characterises legal education and the legal profession? What is the difference between legal consciousness and legal culture? How does legal justice differ from social justice? What are the advantages and disadvantages to non-traditional justice systems in comparison to traditional justice systems?

The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. The course is intended for students at the masters and diploma levels (but is open to BA students in their final year).

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

This course is scheduled to be taught in the spring of 2026.

The objective of this course is to gain methodological knowledge, understanding and practical skills to analyze images and visual data (photographs, films, drawings, advertisements, online media, etc.). We will discuss various methods of analysis of the visual content, consider visual databases and how to work with them. Students receive practical training in visual methodological studies and how to evaluate them. The course is based on practical assignments, where students prepare and design research proposals, collect data and how to analyze. The course is interdisciplinary and is suitable for students of humanities and social sciences, and other related fields.

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

The course covers recent writings and currents of thought that mark, or are likely to mark, turning points in social and cultural theory. Particular care will be taken to situate theories in their historical and social contexts. Attendance to weekly 40 min. discussion classes throughout the course is compulsory. Distance learning students attend in person or via the Internet (with Zoom).

In the course we examine the field methods and train students in their application. The focus is on ethical issues, research design, the fieldwork setting, participant observation, different kinds of interviews, use of visual material and the analysis of data and presentation of research results.

The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.

The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.

The aim of the seminar is to aid students who are writing their thesis. We will discuss how to approach a final thesis and the students will have the opportunity to discuss their research issues. This seminar creates a forum for master students to discuss their research projects and receive support, encouragement and feedback in the work process. The seminar will be flexible to meet the needs of the group of students attending at each time.

In the seminar each student works or their own project and the teaching method is built on a “shut up and write!” ideology. The instructor has a short introduction in each meeting followed by some productive writing of the students in a supportive environment.   In the second part of the seminar each student will present and discuss their project for about 20 minutes.

Note that this course is only taught in the spring semester and is intended both for students that enroll in the MA thesis course in the spring semester or the following fall semester.

Taught every other week.

Einkunn: Staðið/Fall

The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.

The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.

MA thesis

MA thesis

MA thesis

In the course, the student's task consists in being a mentor for participants that are upper secondary school students and university students in the project "Sprettur". Mentors' main role is to support and encourage participants in their studies and social life. As well as creating a constructive relationship with the participants, being a positive role model, and participating in events organized in Sprettur. The mentor role centers around building relationships and spending meaningful time together with the commitment to support participants. 

Sprettur is a project that supports students with an immigrant or refugee background who come from families with little or no university education. The students in this course are mentors of the participants and are paired together based on a common field of interest. Each mentor is responsible for supporting two participants. Mentors plan activities with participants and spend three hours a month (from August to May) with Sprettur’s participants, three hours a month in a study group and attend five seminars that are spread over the school year. Students submit journal entries on Canvas in November and March. Diary entries are based on reading material and students' reflections on the mentorship. Compulsory attendance in events, study groups, and seminars. The course is taught in Icelandic and English. 

Students must apply for a seat in the course. Applicants go through an interview process and 15-30 students are selected to participate. 

See the digital application form. 

More information about Sprettur can be found here: www.hi.is/sprettur  

The course focuses on anthropological research on nature and the environment, as well as ideas from other human and social sciences, on the relationship between people and their environment. Various basic terms and theories central to environmental anthropology and related fields will be introduced and discussed.

The course explores several attempts to throw light on the emergence and characteristics of various cultural and social institutions and practices by reference to ecological systems and material relations as their foundation. It will also address critique of such attempts. 

A particular emphasis will be placed on changing views on the environment that have emerged in recent years, including ideas of resource extraction and management and several forms of environmentalisms.

Last but not least the many interactions of climate change causes and effects and societies will be explored as they are materialising all over the globe. Climate, climate change and society and culture, and their mutual influences, will also be investigated as a historical theoretical issue, from various points of view.

Several ethnographic examples of human-environment interaction will be examined throughout the course.

New theories and studies on globalization and global processes are presented in the class. The course aims at giving a general overview of important themes related to globalization processes. Studies that shed light on the diverse economic, social and political aspects of global processes are furthermore examined. A critical examination of main concepts is an important aspect of the course but studies that show how people are agents/victims in globalized world are also presented.

The teaching consists of lecture and class discussions. 

 The course is taught in English.

This course treats the debate on aid effectiveness, and institutions and actors within international aid, approaches to development cooperation, and their strengths and weaknesses. Multilateral institutions, bilateral donors, non-governmental organizations and emerging donors will be presented. Important approaches to aid, such as project support, sector-wide approach, budget support, result-based management, participatory methods and gender sensitive approaches will be introduced. as well as challenges in environmental and resource management and disaster aid.

Note: The course is only open to students that are yet to complete this course as a mandatory option, i.e. students registered for a postgraduate diploma in Development studies or Global health, and Global study MA-students with development studies as area of specialization.

Vocational training in global studies and anthropology aims to provide students with increased skills through vocational training and to strengthen their connections with the labour market. This is a practical course that provides insight into the activities of institutions, non-governmental organizations, companies and other parties in-line with the aims of the course.

An agreement is made between the study program in anthropology and the relevant field of work. Students can make suggestions for a field of work or receive suggestions from the study program about a suitable field for internships. Subjects should be related to different aspects of anthropology and global science (electives: migration and multiculturalism, global health and development studies). For example, there could be one or two more important projects as well as various incidental projects. It is desirable that the student becomes acquainted with as many areas of work as possible in his / her field of work. The study program does not pay wages for the working hours, but the course is eligible for credits.

The student must contact the study program before the internship begins and have the plan approved. A special agreement is made with the person responsible for the worksite.

The scope of the internship shall be 250-300 hours divided between while working in the workplace and writing a report.

Before starting work in the field, the student compiles a reading list in consultation with the supervisor/supervisory teacher about the type of activity that the student intends to become involved with and the field itself. The student submits a draft summary of reading material before the internship begins. At the end of the participation in the worksite, the student writes a report on the internship where the activities are described and analysed.

In order to get credits evaluated for the internship, the student must hand in:

1. A letter from a supervisor, which includes a confirmation that the internship has lasted for at least 4 months along with a short stutta statement about the student and his tasks.
2. A statement that includes: 
   1. A descrption of the main tasks conducted during the internship periods,
   2. Weekly reports based on the student's journal entries,
   3. A description how the internhsip is useful for his/her study programme.
   4. tasks where a specific part of the work is examined and put into a theoretical perspective.

Vocational training in global studies and anthropology aims to provide students with increased skills through vocational training and to strengthen their connections with the labour market. This is a practical course that provides insight into the activities of institutions, non-governmental organizations, companies and other parties in-line with the aims of the course.

An agreement is made between the study program in anthropology and the relevant field of work. Students can make suggestions for a field of work or receive suggestions from the study program about a suitable field for internships. Subjects should be related to different aspects of anthropology and global science (electives: migration and multiculturalism, global health and development studies). For example, there could be one or two more important projects as well as various incidental projects. It is desirable that the student becomes acquainted with as many areas of work as possible in his / her field of work. The study program does not pay wages for the working hours, but the course is eligible for credits.

The student must contact the study program before the internship begins and have the plan approved. A special agreement is made with the person responsible for the worksite. 

The scope of the internship shall be 125-150 hours divided between while working in the workplace and writing a report. 

Before starting work in the field, the student compiles a reading list in consultation with the supervisor/supervisory teacher about the type of activity that the student intends to become involved with and the field itself. The student submits a draft summary of reading material before the internship begins. At the end of the participation in the worksite, the student writes a report on the internship where the activities are described and analysed.

In order to get credits evaluated for the internship, the student must hand in:

1. A letter from a supervisor, which includes a confirmation that the internship has lasted for at least 4 months along with a short stutta statement about the student and his tasks.
2. A statement that includes: 
   1. A descrption of the main tasks conducted during the internship periods,
   2. Weekly reports based on the student's journal entries,
   3. A description how the internhsip is useful for his/her study programme.
   4. tasks where a specific part of the work is examined and put into a theoretical perspective.

Missing

The reading material be based on on essential theoretical works as well as recent research. The history of the field will be critically examined in light of trends at the beginning of the 21^st century. The course is intended for students at masters and diploma levels. 

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussion.

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

This course covers a detailed overview of theories in criminology and sociology of deviance. Students will read empirical research testing these theories in Iceland and elsewhere.

Different types of crimes and topics will be discussed in criminological/sociological light, such as gender and crime, immigration and crime.

Emphasis is placed on linking theoretical discussion with empirical research.

The reading material be based on on essential theoretical works as well as recent research. The history of the field will be critically examined in light of trends at the beginning of the 21^st century. The course is intended for students at masters and diploma levels. 

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussion.

In this course the focus will be on the diversity of human material cultures and the manifold meanings objects have in different cultural contexts. The social aspects of things, their agency and their sometimes gender will be considered. The inalienability of certain things will be discussed as will the way the meaning of objects is often altered as they move from one social context to another. The utility of things such as tools will be pondered as well as man’s varied use of animals. In short: The course combines anthropological material culture studies with symbolic anthropology and a consideration of humanimal relations.

Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

Aim

The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

Missing

In this course the focus is upon anthropologists' discussion of art. Different definitions of the concept will be considered and, in that context, the relation of art to aesthetics and ethics. Answers will be sought to the question of whether all work that appears artistic to westernized perception is indeed so to those who produce this work. Authorship, authenticity and problems arising from the interaction between different cultural traditions will be considered. In order to shed light on these issues various ethnographic studies throughout the world will be studied.

In this course, the focus will be on the cultural relativity of perception. A central concept here is that of the mode of perception, which refers to a particular integration of the sensorium in a certain cultural context. Visualism, aural cultures, and the multiple possibilities of smell, taste and touch for cultural expression will be among the topics of discussion. The main theories of perception that have provided anthropologists with inspiration will be introduced. There will also be an emphasis on practical experimentation with the students' perception of the various phenomena of the world.

Aim: To make students aware of the social constitution of perception and its cross-cultural relativity.

Global health priorities are the focus of this course. The global burden of disease across countries will be scrutinized, as well as inequality and other important socio-economic determinants of health in a globalized world. Particular focus will be given to maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health from a global perspective, as well as health systems designed to provide good and timely services. Global nutritional challenges and mental health issues will be discussed as well as prevention and impact of infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, cholera, Ebola and COVID-19. Other subjects for discussion and analysis with importance for health include violence, environment, culture, disaster and complex emergencies, as well as ethical issues. In addition, the work and policies of international institutions and development organizations will be discussed, including the Sustainable Development Goals.

In this course the focus will be on the diversity of human material cultures and the manifold meanings objects have in different cultural contexts. The social aspects of things, their agency and their sometimes gender will be considered. The inalienability of certain things will be discussed as will the way the meaning of objects is often altered as they move from one social context to another. The utility of things such as tools will be pondered as well as man’s varied use of animals. In short: The course combines anthropological material culture studies with symbolic anthropology and a consideration of humanimal relations.

This course introduces students to the theoretical foundations of managing cultural institutions, such as museums, and government cultural administration with the aim of providing an insight into important cultural work in society. Culture is discussed in a historical context, along with state and city government cultural policies, the legal framework of cultural activities and policy making. The role and unique status of cultural government and museums will be discussed as well as the organizational framework of the state and regions. Students will also be introduced to project and institutional management, the importance of professional governance of project management, financial management and human resource management. The above will be discussed within the framework of Iceland, the Nordic region and globally, and in relation to democracy and public accessibility to cultural heritage

The course focuses on a number of key areas of Icelandic society and culture from an anthropological perspective. The course will build upon a set of themes that have a long tradition within the anthropology of Iceland, but a particular emphasis will be placed upon the contemporary context and emergent issues that are confronting Icelandic society.  The instruction will be in English in order to make the course accessible to non-Icelandic speaking students, but also to strengthen the English academic writing skills of non-native speakers of English.

Taught in August 2022

An investigation into the role of apparel in the formation of cultural boundaries and national identity in Iceland during the long 19th century (c.1790-1920). Clothing-practices, male and female, are considered in terms of defining a visible Icelandic identity in response to international fashions and style-trends. Special emphasis is placed on female costume. Theories on the development of cultural boundaries are introduced, as well as an approach toward investigating and interpreting primary sources in a cultural investigation. Travelogues and correspondences as well as historical journals and newspapers will be looked at to consider the dialogue across –and the development of— cultural boundaries in the conscious establishment of a national identity. Students will utilize the sources presented in a final written exam to illustrate evaluate and explain the effect and use of apparel by groups and individuals in the formation and establishment of cultural boundaries.

Instructor:  Dr. Karl Aspelund, Associate Professor, University of Rhode Island.

The course will explore the ethnography of organizations from a theoretical and a practical perspective. The first part of the course will introduce students to the anthropology of bureaucracy and organizations, beginning with some of the classic work in the early social sciences and tracing developments in the field until recent times. An emphasis will be placed upon topics such as organizational power relations, bureaucratic governance, and organizational knowledge making. Examples of ethnographic research on and with organizations will include, among others, governmental organizations, security and border control, NGOs and charities, and social welfare agencies. The latter part of the course will be methodological in nature, with a focus on how ethnographic research is conducted within organisations, drawing upon the instructor’s research experiences and the anthropological literature. 

This course covers a detailed overview of theories in criminology and sociology of deviance. Students will read empirical research testing these theories in Iceland and elsewhere.

Different types of crimes and topics will be discussed in criminological/sociological light, such as gender and crime, immigration and crime.

Emphasis is placed on linking theoretical discussion with empirical research.

Our daily life may seem boringly traditional and predictable. Social psychology shows that it is an exciting and multifaceted phenomenon resting on a complicated interplay of individual factors and social structures. In this course we will use theories and findings by social psychologists to shed light on what is behind the glitter of the obvious. We will go from what is public to the aspects that we conceal and hide, study what advertisers, salespeople and influencers do to bend us and turn and look at the degree to which variables like gender, class and ethnicity influence and control what we see, how we see and how we respond to the stimulus of everyday life.

Students will work on diverse small assignments connected to the main thrust of the course, individually or in groups. Even though social psychology relies on both qualitative and quantitative methods the emphasis in the assignments will be on qualitative methods such as visual analysis, conversation analysis and participatory observations.

Course Description

What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

In this course, students are introduced to concepts and methods for planning, monitoring and evaluating projects/activities. It covers developing a problem statement, mapping stakeholders, development of a project plan, design of project evaluations, introduction to data collection, and reporting on project progress. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of stakeholder participation and gender mainstreaming. Approaches taught in the course are rooted in international development but are useful in the planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects/activities across all sectors. This course is designed to be practical and develop skills that are directly applicable in many workplaces. The teaching is based on a combination of theoretical instruction, discussion of real-life applications, interactive workshops, and guided group work. 

The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. The course is intended for students at the masters and diploma levels (but is open to BA students in their final year).

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

Teaching format

• The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.

Human mobility and multicultural societies are often seen as the main characteristics of the contemporary world. In the course, we look at main theories approaching mobility and multicultural society, critically addressing them and analyzing their utility. The concept of multiculturalism and related concepts such as culture, assimilation and integration are critically evaluated, as well as mobility in the past and the relationship between mobility and multiculturalism. Different approaches in the social sciences are introduced and main research themes in anthropology in particular and social sciences in general will be examined.

The teaching methods are lectures and discussions.

Main theories for understanding conflicts will be presented, and concepts and methodological approaches introduced. Recent anthropological studies will be discuessed. Particual conflicts and possibilities for peace resolution will be examined.

The course focuses on fashion as a manifestation of material culture resulting from the behavior of individuals in society. Students investigate theories on fashion in industrialized market-economies, while considering various theories in philosophy, sociology, ethnology and anthropology. Concepts of influential factors in the development of apparel fashions will be critically reviewed and analyzed with a view toward students’ local community. The relationship of fashion development to different demographics, specifically in terms of gender, class, sexuality, age, and other significant demographics of social differentiation will be especially noted. An investigation into the “spirit of our time” (the “Zeitgeist”), and a field-study on the fashions of specific groups or locations will be conducted. These lead to a consideration of findings in the light of the theories presented. The investigations and discussions all lead to a final project resulting in a definition and analysis of the development and nature of current fashions as well as a formal forecast of future fashions and fashion–culture.

The course focuses on stereotypes and prejudice as manifestations of Othering processes and racism, by using the lens of critical race theories and postcolonial perspectives. The course emphasizes the interlinking of past and present discourses and images about those categorized as Others and how Othering takes place. For this purpose, it analyses colonial imaginaries and of the historical connection of orientalism with key concepts such as culture, identity, and development. It thus highlights the connection between older colonial discourses, nationalism, and contemporary imageries that target marginalized groups, with a specific focus on the European context.  

The course asks how discourses shape bodies and identities of specific groups or categories of people, as well as the social and physical spaces they inhabit. The course also addresses the issue of agency and strategies of resistance against Othering processes and racism, and explores the delicate role that anthropological knowledge, and social theory more in general, plays in this scenario.  

 The course will be taught in English. 

According to the United Nation’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs, slightly over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. This is projected to be 66% percent by the year 2050, with Africa and Asia accounting for 90% of this new urban growth. Urban anthropology has increasingly played a critically important role in the development of the discipline of anthropology in terms of theory, research methods and social justice movements. This course provides an historical overview of the development of urban anthropology and on through to recent developments. An emphasis will be placed on anthropological theory and research methods, but also issues such as social justice, architecture, design and urban planning. The course will cover, among others, the early Chicago ethnographers and early urban poverty research, utopian and modernist urban planning, power and built form, divisions and gated communities, crime and urban fear, urban homelessness, and the governance of built spaces. The course will conclude with a section on cities in transition, which includes a focus on the post-industrial/global city, the effects of neoliberalism on urban spaces, and a discussion of the possible future(s) of urbanism and the role of anthropology in understanding these developments.

Students must have completed 120 ECTS in their BA study before attending this course

Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

Curating is a fast growing discipline within various types of museums, like art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums. In this course different approches to curating, exhibition making and exhibition design in such museums will be examined from critical perspectives, with emphasis on management, different narrative strategies, scripting and mediation. Past and present exhibitions of art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums, in Iceland and abroad, will be critically addressed and analyzed.

An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

Teaching format

• The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.

The field of Folklore, emerging out of the phenomena collectively referred to as  Modernity, has a complicated and problematic relationship with gender, both in the material that circulates and the subsequent academic treatment of that material. This seminar combines theoretical perspectives from Gender Studies and Folkloristics to better understand the interconnectedness of popular cultural forms, analyses, and the operations of power, specifically gender relations. Beginning with a feminist critique of Folkloristics from within (a historical reference point), we will examine more recent work on the relationship between gender and genre, between the empowering acts of ordinary rituals (so-called women‘s genres), and how the old, debunked Nature/Culture divide, in which women‘s genres were debased and denigrated, may, looked at from a different perspective, suggest alternate approaches to some contemporary global issues.

Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

In this course, the focus will be on the cultural relativity of perception. A central concept here is that of the mode of perception, which refers to a particular integration of the sensorium in a certain cultural context. Visualism, aural cultures, and the multiple possibilities of smell, taste and touch for cultural expression will be among the topics of discussion. The main theories of perception that have provided anthropologists with inspiration will be introduced. There will also be an emphasis on practical experimentation with the students' perception of the various phenomena of the world.

Aim: To make students aware of the social constitution of perception and its cross-cultural relativity.

Vocational training in global studies and anthropology aims to provide students with increased skills through vocational training and to strengthen their connections with the labour market. This is a practical course that provides insight into the activities of institutions, non-governmental organizations, companies and other parties in-line with the aims of the course.

An agreement is made between the study program in anthropology and the relevant field of work. Students can make suggestions for a field of work or receive suggestions from the study program about a suitable field for internships. Subjects should be related to different aspects of anthropology and global science (electives: migration and multiculturalism, global health and development studies). For example, there could be one or two more important projects as well as various incidental projects. It is desirable that the student becomes acquainted with as many areas of work as possible in his / her field of work. The study program does not pay wages for the working hours, but the course is eligible for credits.

The student must contact the study program before the internship begins and have the plan approved. A special agreement is made with the person responsible for the worksite. 

The scope of the internship shall be 250-300 hours divided between while working in the workplace and writing a report.. 

Before starting work in the field, the student compiles a reading list in consultation with the supervisor/supervisory teacher about the type of activity that the student intends to become involved with and the field itself. The student submits a draft summary of reading material before the internship begins. At the end of the participation in the worksite, the student writes a report on the internship where the activities are described and analysed.

In order to get credits evaluated for the internship, the student must hand in:

1. A letter from a supervisor, which includes a confirmation that the internship has lasted for at least 4 months along with a short stutta statement about the student and his tasks.
2. A statement that includes: 
   1. A descrption of the main tasks conducted during the internship periods,
   2. Weekly reports based on the student's journal entries,
   3. A description how the internhsip is useful for his/her study programme.
   4. tasks where a specific part of the work is examined and put into a theoretical perspective.

What is criminology? Criminological data and what criminologists do.

Crime definitions and how crime can be explained and understood. Examples of different theoretical perspectives will be covered in class: Classical Criminology and Social & Psychological Theories. What kind of criminological research and research questions are used with different theories? 

Using this theoretical background, a number of crime types and topics within Icelandic criminology will be presented and discussed in class, including the following: Physical and sexual violence, alcohol and drugs in society, crime and punishment, public attitudes to crime and punishment, and social crisis and crime. 

Students write a seminar paper and a diary (portfolio) of the topics presented in class. Final exam on-site.

Vocational training in global studies and anthropology aims to provide students with increased skills through vocational training and to strengthen their connections with the labour market. This is a practical course that provides insight into the activities of institutions, non-governmental organizations, companies and other parties in-line with the aims of the course.

An agreement is made between the study program in anthropology and the relevant field of work. Students can make suggestions for a field of work or receive suggestions from the study program about a suitable field for internships. Subjects should be related to different aspects of anthropology and global science (electives: migration and multiculturalism, global health and development studies). For example, there could be one or two more important projects as well as various incidental projects. It is desirable that the student becomes acquainted with as many areas of work as possible in his / her field of work. The study program does not pay wages for the working hours, but the course is eligible for credits.

The student must contact the study program before the internship begins and have the plan approved. A special agreement is made with the person responsible for the worksite. 

The scope of the internship shall be 125-150 hours divided between while working in the workplace and writing a report. 

Before starting work in the field, the student compiles a reading list in consultation with the supervisor/supervisory teacher about the type of activity that the student intends to become involved with and the field itself. The student submits a draft summary of reading material before the internship begins. At the end of the participation in the worksite, the student writes a report on the internship where the activities are described and analysed.

In order to get credits evaluated for the internship, the student must hand in:

1. A letter from a supervisor, which includes a confirmation that the internship has lasted for at least 4 months along with a short stutta statement about the student and his tasks.
2. A statement that includes: 
   1. A descrption of the main tasks conducted during the internship periods,
   2. Weekly reports based on the student's journal entries,
   3. A description how the internhsip is useful for his/her study programme.
   4. tasks where a specific part of the work is examined and put into a theoretical perspective.

This course engages with museum and heritage ecologies and entanglements of nature and culture. The course draws on posthuman and new materialist theories to examine entanglements and human/non-human agencies in relation to heritage ecologies and museums in the present. Particular attention is payed to heritage as a dynamic human/non-human construct that encourages connections and change. To this end, the course draws on lcelandic cases and research led teaching.

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

Over the past years, public discussion on how to address cases of sexual violence has been heated, particularly in the aftermath of the #MeToo Movement. Research shows that only a small percentage of such cases are reported to the police and only a small number of those cases lead to a conviction. This has been called a justice gap. Increasingly, we see victim-survivors of sexual violence tell their stories on social media, or in the media, and in some cases alleged offenders are named publicly which has evoked different responses amongst the public and had various consequences.

In this course, these societal developments will be explored from the perspective of sociology of law. Sociology of law uses theories and methods from the social sciences to examine the law, legal institutions, and legal behaviours, in the effort to analyse legal phenomena in their social, cultural, and historical contexts. To shed further light on the treatment of sexual violence cases, this course will also include readings from criminology, victimology, gender studies and the health sciences.

The course will seek answers to the following questions and more: Who commits sexual violence and why? How are men’s experiences of being subjected to sexual violence different from women’s experiences? Why is the legal status and rights of defendants different from that of victims? How is law in the books different from law in practice? How has the criminal justice system developed historically? What characterises legal education and the legal profession? What is the difference between legal consciousness and legal culture? How does legal justice differ from social justice? What are the advantages and disadvantages to non-traditional justice systems in comparison to traditional justice systems?

The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. The course is intended for students at the masters and diploma levels (but is open to BA students in their final year).

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

This course is scheduled to be taught in the spring of 2026.

The objective of this course is to gain methodological knowledge, understanding and practical skills to analyze images and visual data (photographs, films, drawings, advertisements, online media, etc.). We will discuss various methods of analysis of the visual content, consider visual databases and how to work with them. Students receive practical training in visual methodological studies and how to evaluate them. The course is based on practical assignments, where students prepare and design research proposals, collect data and how to analyze. The course is interdisciplinary and is suitable for students of humanities and social sciences, and other related fields.

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

The course covers recent writings and currents of thought that mark, or are likely to mark, turning points in social and cultural theory. Particular care will be taken to situate theories in their historical and social contexts. Attendance to weekly 40 min. discussion classes throughout the course is compulsory. Distance learning students attend in person or via the Internet (with Zoom).

In the course we examine the field methods and train students in their application. The focus is on ethical issues, research design, the fieldwork setting, participant observation, different kinds of interviews, use of visual material and the analysis of data and presentation of research results.

The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.

The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.

The aim of the seminar is to aid students who are writing their thesis. We will discuss how to approach a final thesis and the students will have the opportunity to discuss their research issues. This seminar creates a forum for master students to discuss their research projects and receive support, encouragement and feedback in the work process. The seminar will be flexible to meet the needs of the group of students attending at each time.

In the seminar each student works or their own project and the teaching method is built on a “shut up and write!” ideology. The instructor has a short introduction in each meeting followed by some productive writing of the students in a supportive environment.   In the second part of the seminar each student will present and discuss their project for about 20 minutes.

Note that this course is only taught in the spring semester and is intended both for students that enroll in the MA thesis course in the spring semester or the following fall semester.

Taught every other week.

Einkunn: Staðið/Fall

The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.

The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.

MA thesis

MA thesis

MA thesis

In the course, the student's task consists in being a mentor for participants that are upper secondary school students and university students in the project "Sprettur". Mentors' main role is to support and encourage participants in their studies and social life. As well as creating a constructive relationship with the participants, being a positive role model, and participating in events organized in Sprettur. The mentor role centers around building relationships and spending meaningful time together with the commitment to support participants. 

Sprettur is a project that supports students with an immigrant or refugee background who come from families with little or no university education. The students in this course are mentors of the participants and are paired together based on a common field of interest. Each mentor is responsible for supporting two participants. Mentors plan activities with participants and spend three hours a month (from August to May) with Sprettur’s participants, three hours a month in a study group and attend five seminars that are spread over the school year. Students submit journal entries on Canvas in November and March. Diary entries are based on reading material and students' reflections on the mentorship. Compulsory attendance in events, study groups, and seminars. The course is taught in Icelandic and English. 

Students must apply for a seat in the course. Applicants go through an interview process and 15-30 students are selected to participate. 

See the digital application form. 

More information about Sprettur can be found here: www.hi.is/sprettur  

The course focuses on anthropological research on nature and the environment, as well as ideas from other human and social sciences, on the relationship between people and their environment. Various basic terms and theories central to environmental anthropology and related fields will be introduced and discussed.

The course explores several attempts to throw light on the emergence and characteristics of various cultural and social institutions and practices by reference to ecological systems and material relations as their foundation. It will also address critique of such attempts. 

A particular emphasis will be placed on changing views on the environment that have emerged in recent years, including ideas of resource extraction and management and several forms of environmentalisms.

Last but not least the many interactions of climate change causes and effects and societies will be explored as they are materialising all over the globe. Climate, climate change and society and culture, and their mutual influences, will also be investigated as a historical theoretical issue, from various points of view.

Several ethnographic examples of human-environment interaction will be examined throughout the course.

New theories and studies on globalization and global processes are presented in the class. The course aims at giving a general overview of important themes related to globalization processes. Studies that shed light on the diverse economic, social and political aspects of global processes are furthermore examined. A critical examination of main concepts is an important aspect of the course but studies that show how people are agents/victims in globalized world are also presented.

The teaching consists of lecture and class discussions. 

 The course is taught in English.

This course treats the debate on aid effectiveness, and institutions and actors within international aid, approaches to development cooperation, and their strengths and weaknesses. Multilateral institutions, bilateral donors, non-governmental organizations and emerging donors will be presented. Important approaches to aid, such as project support, sector-wide approach, budget support, result-based management, participatory methods and gender sensitive approaches will be introduced. as well as challenges in environmental and resource management and disaster aid.

Note: The course is only open to students that are yet to complete this course as a mandatory option, i.e. students registered for a postgraduate diploma in Development studies or Global health, and Global study MA-students with development studies as area of specialization.

Vocational training in global studies and anthropology aims to provide students with increased skills through vocational training and to strengthen their connections with the labour market. This is a practical course that provides insight into the activities of institutions, non-governmental organizations, companies and other parties in-line with the aims of the course.

An agreement is made between the study program in anthropology and the relevant field of work. Students can make suggestions for a field of work or receive suggestions from the study program about a suitable field for internships. Subjects should be related to different aspects of anthropology and global science (electives: migration and multiculturalism, global health and development studies). For example, there could be one or two more important projects as well as various incidental projects. It is desirable that the student becomes acquainted with as many areas of work as possible in his / her field of work. The study program does not pay wages for the working hours, but the course is eligible for credits.

The student must contact the study program before the internship begins and have the plan approved. A special agreement is made with the person responsible for the worksite.

The scope of the internship shall be 250-300 hours divided between while working in the workplace and writing a report.

Before starting work in the field, the student compiles a reading list in consultation with the supervisor/supervisory teacher about the type of activity that the student intends to become involved with and the field itself. The student submits a draft summary of reading material before the internship begins. At the end of the participation in the worksite, the student writes a report on the internship where the activities are described and analysed.

In order to get credits evaluated for the internship, the student must hand in:

1. A letter from a supervisor, which includes a confirmation that the internship has lasted for at least 4 months along with a short stutta statement about the student and his tasks.
2. A statement that includes: 
   1. A descrption of the main tasks conducted during the internship periods,
   2. Weekly reports based on the student's journal entries,
   3. A description how the internhsip is useful for his/her study programme.
   4. tasks where a specific part of the work is examined and put into a theoretical perspective.

Vocational training in global studies and anthropology aims to provide students with increased skills through vocational training and to strengthen their connections with the labour market. This is a practical course that provides insight into the activities of institutions, non-governmental organizations, companies and other parties in-line with the aims of the course.

An agreement is made between the study program in anthropology and the relevant field of work. Students can make suggestions for a field of work or receive suggestions from the study program about a suitable field for internships. Subjects should be related to different aspects of anthropology and global science (electives: migration and multiculturalism, global health and development studies). For example, there could be one or two more important projects as well as various incidental projects. It is desirable that the student becomes acquainted with as many areas of work as possible in his / her field of work. The study program does not pay wages for the working hours, but the course is eligible for credits.

The student must contact the study program before the internship begins and have the plan approved. A special agreement is made with the person responsible for the worksite. 

The scope of the internship shall be 125-150 hours divided between while working in the workplace and writing a report. 

Before starting work in the field, the student compiles a reading list in consultation with the supervisor/supervisory teacher about the type of activity that the student intends to become involved with and the field itself. The student submits a draft summary of reading material before the internship begins. At the end of the participation in the worksite, the student writes a report on the internship where the activities are described and analysed.

In order to get credits evaluated for the internship, the student must hand in:

1. A letter from a supervisor, which includes a confirmation that the internship has lasted for at least 4 months along with a short stutta statement about the student and his tasks.
2. A statement that includes: 
   1. A descrption of the main tasks conducted during the internship periods,
   2. Weekly reports based on the student's journal entries,
   3. A description how the internhsip is useful for his/her study programme.
   4. tasks where a specific part of the work is examined and put into a theoretical perspective.

Missing

The reading material be based on on essential theoretical works as well as recent research. The history of the field will be critically examined in light of trends at the beginning of the 21^st century. The course is intended for students at masters and diploma levels. 

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussion.

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

This course covers a detailed overview of theories in criminology and sociology of deviance. Students will read empirical research testing these theories in Iceland and elsewhere.

Different types of crimes and topics will be discussed in criminological/sociological light, such as gender and crime, immigration and crime.

Emphasis is placed on linking theoretical discussion with empirical research.

The reading material be based on on essential theoretical works as well as recent research. The history of the field will be critically examined in light of trends at the beginning of the 21^st century. The course is intended for students at masters and diploma levels. 

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussion.

In this course the focus will be on the diversity of human material cultures and the manifold meanings objects have in different cultural contexts. The social aspects of things, their agency and their sometimes gender will be considered. The inalienability of certain things will be discussed as will the way the meaning of objects is often altered as they move from one social context to another. The utility of things such as tools will be pondered as well as man’s varied use of animals. In short: The course combines anthropological material culture studies with symbolic anthropology and a consideration of humanimal relations.

Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

Aim

The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

Missing

In this course the focus is upon anthropologists' discussion of art. Different definitions of the concept will be considered and, in that context, the relation of art to aesthetics and ethics. Answers will be sought to the question of whether all work that appears artistic to westernized perception is indeed so to those who produce this work. Authorship, authenticity and problems arising from the interaction between different cultural traditions will be considered. In order to shed light on these issues various ethnographic studies throughout the world will be studied.

In this course, the focus will be on the cultural relativity of perception. A central concept here is that of the mode of perception, which refers to a particular integration of the sensorium in a certain cultural context. Visualism, aural cultures, and the multiple possibilities of smell, taste and touch for cultural expression will be among the topics of discussion. The main theories of perception that have provided anthropologists with inspiration will be introduced. There will also be an emphasis on practical experimentation with the students' perception of the various phenomena of the world.

Aim: To make students aware of the social constitution of perception and its cross-cultural relativity.

Global health priorities are the focus of this course. The global burden of disease across countries will be scrutinized, as well as inequality and other important socio-economic determinants of health in a globalized world. Particular focus will be given to maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health from a global perspective, as well as health systems designed to provide good and timely services. Global nutritional challenges and mental health issues will be discussed as well as prevention and impact of infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, cholera, Ebola and COVID-19. Other subjects for discussion and analysis with importance for health include violence, environment, culture, disaster and complex emergencies, as well as ethical issues. In addition, the work and policies of international institutions and development organizations will be discussed, including the Sustainable Development Goals.

In this course the focus will be on the diversity of human material cultures and the manifold meanings objects have in different cultural contexts. The social aspects of things, their agency and their sometimes gender will be considered. The inalienability of certain things will be discussed as will the way the meaning of objects is often altered as they move from one social context to another. The utility of things such as tools will be pondered as well as man’s varied use of animals. In short: The course combines anthropological material culture studies with symbolic anthropology and a consideration of humanimal relations.

This course introduces students to the theoretical foundations of managing cultural institutions, such as museums, and government cultural administration with the aim of providing an insight into important cultural work in society. Culture is discussed in a historical context, along with state and city government cultural policies, the legal framework of cultural activities and policy making. The role and unique status of cultural government and museums will be discussed as well as the organizational framework of the state and regions. Students will also be introduced to project and institutional management, the importance of professional governance of project management, financial management and human resource management. The above will be discussed within the framework of Iceland, the Nordic region and globally, and in relation to democracy and public accessibility to cultural heritage

The course focuses on a number of key areas of Icelandic society and culture from an anthropological perspective. The course will build upon a set of themes that have a long tradition within the anthropology of Iceland, but a particular emphasis will be placed upon the contemporary context and emergent issues that are confronting Icelandic society.  The instruction will be in English in order to make the course accessible to non-Icelandic speaking students, but also to strengthen the English academic writing skills of non-native speakers of English.

Taught in August 2022

An investigation into the role of apparel in the formation of cultural boundaries and national identity in Iceland during the long 19th century (c.1790-1920). Clothing-practices, male and female, are considered in terms of defining a visible Icelandic identity in response to international fashions and style-trends. Special emphasis is placed on female costume. Theories on the development of cultural boundaries are introduced, as well as an approach toward investigating and interpreting primary sources in a cultural investigation. Travelogues and correspondences as well as historical journals and newspapers will be looked at to consider the dialogue across –and the development of— cultural boundaries in the conscious establishment of a national identity. Students will utilize the sources presented in a final written exam to illustrate evaluate and explain the effect and use of apparel by groups and individuals in the formation and establishment of cultural boundaries.

Instructor:  Dr. Karl Aspelund, Associate Professor, University of Rhode Island.

The course will explore the ethnography of organizations from a theoretical and a practical perspective. The first part of the course will introduce students to the anthropology of bureaucracy and organizations, beginning with some of the classic work in the early social sciences and tracing developments in the field until recent times. An emphasis will be placed upon topics such as organizational power relations, bureaucratic governance, and organizational knowledge making. Examples of ethnographic research on and with organizations will include, among others, governmental organizations, security and border control, NGOs and charities, and social welfare agencies. The latter part of the course will be methodological in nature, with a focus on how ethnographic research is conducted within organisations, drawing upon the instructor’s research experiences and the anthropological literature. 

This course covers a detailed overview of theories in criminology and sociology of deviance. Students will read empirical research testing these theories in Iceland and elsewhere.

Different types of crimes and topics will be discussed in criminological/sociological light, such as gender and crime, immigration and crime.

Emphasis is placed on linking theoretical discussion with empirical research.

Our daily life may seem boringly traditional and predictable. Social psychology shows that it is an exciting and multifaceted phenomenon resting on a complicated interplay of individual factors and social structures. In this course we will use theories and findings by social psychologists to shed light on what is behind the glitter of the obvious. We will go from what is public to the aspects that we conceal and hide, study what advertisers, salespeople and influencers do to bend us and turn and look at the degree to which variables like gender, class and ethnicity influence and control what we see, how we see and how we respond to the stimulus of everyday life.

Students will work on diverse small assignments connected to the main thrust of the course, individually or in groups. Even though social psychology relies on both qualitative and quantitative methods the emphasis in the assignments will be on qualitative methods such as visual analysis, conversation analysis and participatory observations.

Course Description

What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

In this course, students are introduced to concepts and methods for planning, monitoring and evaluating projects/activities. It covers developing a problem statement, mapping stakeholders, development of a project plan, design of project evaluations, introduction to data collection, and reporting on project progress. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of stakeholder participation and gender mainstreaming. Approaches taught in the course are rooted in international development but are useful in the planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects/activities across all sectors. This course is designed to be practical and develop skills that are directly applicable in many workplaces. The teaching is based on a combination of theoretical instruction, discussion of real-life applications, interactive workshops, and guided group work. 

The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. The course is intended for students at the masters and diploma levels (but is open to BA students in their final year).

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

Teaching format

• The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.

Human mobility and multicultural societies are often seen as the main characteristics of the contemporary world. In the course, we look at main theories approaching mobility and multicultural society, critically addressing them and analyzing their utility. The concept of multiculturalism and related concepts such as culture, assimilation and integration are critically evaluated, as well as mobility in the past and the relationship between mobility and multiculturalism. Different approaches in the social sciences are introduced and main research themes in anthropology in particular and social sciences in general will be examined.

The teaching methods are lectures and discussions.

Main theories for understanding conflicts will be presented, and concepts and methodological approaches introduced. Recent anthropological studies will be discuessed. Particual conflicts and possibilities for peace resolution will be examined.

The course focuses on fashion as a manifestation of material culture resulting from the behavior of individuals in society. Students investigate theories on fashion in industrialized market-economies, while considering various theories in philosophy, sociology, ethnology and anthropology. Concepts of influential factors in the development of apparel fashions will be critically reviewed and analyzed with a view toward students’ local community. The relationship of fashion development to different demographics, specifically in terms of gender, class, sexuality, age, and other significant demographics of social differentiation will be especially noted. An investigation into the “spirit of our time” (the “Zeitgeist”), and a field-study on the fashions of specific groups or locations will be conducted. These lead to a consideration of findings in the light of the theories presented. The investigations and discussions all lead to a final project resulting in a definition and analysis of the development and nature of current fashions as well as a formal forecast of future fashions and fashion–culture.

The course focuses on stereotypes and prejudice as manifestations of Othering processes and racism, by using the lens of critical race theories and postcolonial perspectives. The course emphasizes the interlinking of past and present discourses and images about those categorized as Others and how Othering takes place. For this purpose, it analyses colonial imaginaries and of the historical connection of orientalism with key concepts such as culture, identity, and development. It thus highlights the connection between older colonial discourses, nationalism, and contemporary imageries that target marginalized groups, with a specific focus on the European context.  

The course asks how discourses shape bodies and identities of specific groups or categories of people, as well as the social and physical spaces they inhabit. The course also addresses the issue of agency and strategies of resistance against Othering processes and racism, and explores the delicate role that anthropological knowledge, and social theory more in general, plays in this scenario.  

 The course will be taught in English. 

According to the United Nation’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs, slightly over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. This is projected to be 66% percent by the year 2050, with Africa and Asia accounting for 90% of this new urban growth. Urban anthropology has increasingly played a critically important role in the development of the discipline of anthropology in terms of theory, research methods and social justice movements. This course provides an historical overview of the development of urban anthropology and on through to recent developments. An emphasis will be placed on anthropological theory and research methods, but also issues such as social justice, architecture, design and urban planning. The course will cover, among others, the early Chicago ethnographers and early urban poverty research, utopian and modernist urban planning, power and built form, divisions and gated communities, crime and urban fear, urban homelessness, and the governance of built spaces. The course will conclude with a section on cities in transition, which includes a focus on the post-industrial/global city, the effects of neoliberalism on urban spaces, and a discussion of the possible future(s) of urbanism and the role of anthropology in understanding these developments.

Students must have completed 120 ECTS in their BA study before attending this course

Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

Curating is a fast growing discipline within various types of museums, like art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums. In this course different approches to curating, exhibition making and exhibition design in such museums will be examined from critical perspectives, with emphasis on management, different narrative strategies, scripting and mediation. Past and present exhibitions of art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums, in Iceland and abroad, will be critically addressed and analyzed.

An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

Teaching format

• The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.

The field of Folklore, emerging out of the phenomena collectively referred to as  Modernity, has a complicated and problematic relationship with gender, both in the material that circulates and the subsequent academic treatment of that material. This seminar combines theoretical perspectives from Gender Studies and Folkloristics to better understand the interconnectedness of popular cultural forms, analyses, and the operations of power, specifically gender relations. Beginning with a feminist critique of Folkloristics from within (a historical reference point), we will examine more recent work on the relationship between gender and genre, between the empowering acts of ordinary rituals (so-called women‘s genres), and how the old, debunked Nature/Culture divide, in which women‘s genres were debased and denigrated, may, looked at from a different perspective, suggest alternate approaches to some contemporary global issues.

Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

In this course, the focus will be on the cultural relativity of perception. A central concept here is that of the mode of perception, which refers to a particular integration of the sensorium in a certain cultural context. Visualism, aural cultures, and the multiple possibilities of smell, taste and touch for cultural expression will be among the topics of discussion. The main theories of perception that have provided anthropologists with inspiration will be introduced. There will also be an emphasis on practical experimentation with the students' perception of the various phenomena of the world.

Aim: To make students aware of the social constitution of perception and its cross-cultural relativity.

Vocational training in global studies and anthropology aims to provide students with increased skills through vocational training and to strengthen their connections with the labour market. This is a practical course that provides insight into the activities of institutions, non-governmental organizations, companies and other parties in-line with the aims of the course.

An agreement is made between the study program in anthropology and the relevant field of work. Students can make suggestions for a field of work or receive suggestions from the study program about a suitable field for internships. Subjects should be related to different aspects of anthropology and global science (electives: migration and multiculturalism, global health and development studies). For example, there could be one or two more important projects as well as various incidental projects. It is desirable that the student becomes acquainted with as many areas of work as possible in his / her field of work. The study program does not pay wages for the working hours, but the course is eligible for credits.

The student must contact the study program before the internship begins and have the plan approved. A special agreement is made with the person responsible for the worksite. 

The scope of the internship shall be 250-300 hours divided between while working in the workplace and writing a report.. 

Before starting work in the field, the student compiles a reading list in consultation with the supervisor/supervisory teacher about the type of activity that the student intends to become involved with and the field itself. The student submits a draft summary of reading material before the internship begins. At the end of the participation in the worksite, the student writes a report on the internship where the activities are described and analysed.

In order to get credits evaluated for the internship, the student must hand in:

1. A letter from a supervisor, which includes a confirmation that the internship has lasted for at least 4 months along with a short stutta statement about the student and his tasks.
2. A statement that includes: 
   1. A descrption of the main tasks conducted during the internship periods,
   2. Weekly reports based on the student's journal entries,
   3. A description how the internhsip is useful for his/her study programme.
   4. tasks where a specific part of the work is examined and put into a theoretical perspective.

What is criminology? Criminological data and what criminologists do.

Crime definitions and how crime can be explained and understood. Examples of different theoretical perspectives will be covered in class: Classical Criminology and Social & Psychological Theories. What kind of criminological research and research questions are used with different theories? 

Using this theoretical background, a number of crime types and topics within Icelandic criminology will be presented and discussed in class, including the following: Physical and sexual violence, alcohol and drugs in society, crime and punishment, public attitudes to crime and punishment, and social crisis and crime. 

Students write a seminar paper and a diary (portfolio) of the topics presented in class. Final exam on-site.

Vocational training in global studies and anthropology aims to provide students with increased skills through vocational training and to strengthen their connections with the labour market. This is a practical course that provides insight into the activities of institutions, non-governmental organizations, companies and other parties in-line with the aims of the course.

An agreement is made between the study program in anthropology and the relevant field of work. Students can make suggestions for a field of work or receive suggestions from the study program about a suitable field for internships. Subjects should be related to different aspects of anthropology and global science (electives: migration and multiculturalism, global health and development studies). For example, there could be one or two more important projects as well as various incidental projects. It is desirable that the student becomes acquainted with as many areas of work as possible in his / her field of work. The study program does not pay wages for the working hours, but the course is eligible for credits.

The student must contact the study program before the internship begins and have the plan approved. A special agreement is made with the person responsible for the worksite. 

The scope of the internship shall be 125-150 hours divided between while working in the workplace and writing a report. 

Before starting work in the field, the student compiles a reading list in consultation with the supervisor/supervisory teacher about the type of activity that the student intends to become involved with and the field itself. The student submits a draft summary of reading material before the internship begins. At the end of the participation in the worksite, the student writes a report on the internship where the activities are described and analysed.

In order to get credits evaluated for the internship, the student must hand in:

1. A letter from a supervisor, which includes a confirmation that the internship has lasted for at least 4 months along with a short stutta statement about the student and his tasks.
2. A statement that includes: 
   1. A descrption of the main tasks conducted during the internship periods,
   2. Weekly reports based on the student's journal entries,
   3. A description how the internhsip is useful for his/her study programme.
   4. tasks where a specific part of the work is examined and put into a theoretical perspective.

This course engages with museum and heritage ecologies and entanglements of nature and culture. The course draws on posthuman and new materialist theories to examine entanglements and human/non-human agencies in relation to heritage ecologies and museums in the present. Particular attention is payed to heritage as a dynamic human/non-human construct that encourages connections and change. To this end, the course draws on lcelandic cases and research led teaching.

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

Over the past years, public discussion on how to address cases of sexual violence has been heated, particularly in the aftermath of the #MeToo Movement. Research shows that only a small percentage of such cases are reported to the police and only a small number of those cases lead to a conviction. This has been called a justice gap. Increasingly, we see victim-survivors of sexual violence tell their stories on social media, or in the media, and in some cases alleged offenders are named publicly which has evoked different responses amongst the public and had various consequences.

In this course, these societal developments will be explored from the perspective of sociology of law. Sociology of law uses theories and methods from the social sciences to examine the law, legal institutions, and legal behaviours, in the effort to analyse legal phenomena in their social, cultural, and historical contexts. To shed further light on the treatment of sexual violence cases, this course will also include readings from criminology, victimology, gender studies and the health sciences.

The course will seek answers to the following questions and more: Who commits sexual violence and why? How are men’s experiences of being subjected to sexual violence different from women’s experiences? Why is the legal status and rights of defendants different from that of victims? How is law in the books different from law in practice? How has the criminal justice system developed historically? What characterises legal education and the legal profession? What is the difference between legal consciousness and legal culture? How does legal justice differ from social justice? What are the advantages and disadvantages to non-traditional justice systems in comparison to traditional justice systems?

The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. The course is intended for students at the masters and diploma levels (but is open to BA students in their final year).

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

This course is scheduled to be taught in the spring of 2026.

The objective of this course is to gain methodological knowledge, understanding and practical skills to analyze images and visual data (photographs, films, drawings, advertisements, online media, etc.). We will discuss various methods of analysis of the visual content, consider visual databases and how to work with them. Students receive practical training in visual methodological studies and how to evaluate them. The course is based on practical assignments, where students prepare and design research proposals, collect data and how to analyze. The course is interdisciplinary and is suitable for students of humanities and social sciences, and other related fields.

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.