The aim of the course is to prepare students for their academic studies by equipping them with essential skills and strategies. The course is tailored for students in Sociology, Antropology and Folkloristics, providing training in academic competencies and guidance on organising their studies. The curriculum covers key aspects of data collection, resource management, academic writing, and communication in both written and spoken formats.

It also introduces study planning and effective study methods including time management, project planning, and productive study habits. Additionally, students are introduced to the various resource and support services available to them.

A particular emphasis is placed on the use of electronic data, including artificial intelligence tools, in accordance with academic regulations, to support research and academic writing. The course also addresses the limitations and ethical responsibilities associated with their use.

Students will gain foundational knowledge in resource management and data processing, with specific training in source evaluation, citation practises, and the proper formatting of references and bibliographies according to APA 7.0 standards. Furthermore, the course covers the principles of presenting academic content effectively both in written and spoken formats, ensuring that students can organise and communicate topics in a structured and academically rigorous manner.

By the end of the course, students will have a comprehensive understanding of the academic standards expected in Sociology, Anthropology, and Folkloristics studies, as well as the methods necessary to meet these standards.

An introductory course of the foundations of social and cultural anthropology. The role of anthropology is examined, as well as its history, leading theories, methodology and concepts. Furthermore the course deals with social organisation in general, relations between society and the environment and social change. Individual social structural features are also discussed, such as kinship, political systems, economic systems and religion as well as anthropological studies of the Icelandic Society.

In the course, students will read several classical anthropological ethnographies from the 20th century. Its main focus will be on the tradition of presenting anthropolocial research results as ethnography, in its historical context. At the end of the course, it is assumed, firstly, that the student will be able to present the main characteristics of the ethnographic text and its history. Secondly, to present ciritically the content and form of some specific ethnographies. Thirdly, to identify some basic characteristics and issues of anthropological fieldwork methods. Fourth, to discern in ethnographic texts their basic methods of presentation and how these have changed through time. And lastly, to present theoretically, in writing and orally, selected and important topics of anthropology.

Anthropologists use a variety of methods in their research. This course is meant to give an overview of the methods used in research within the social sciences and anthropology in particular. The main parts of qualitative and quantitative methods will be discussed. The background, limitations and possibilities to different methods will also be discussed as well as the relationship between methods and theories. This course is intended for first year students in social anthropology.

Theory in anthropology is surveyed from its emergence to the 1970s. The emergence of anthropological ideas in European ideological development is discussed and how other disciplines have influenced theory in anthropology. Evolutionism, functionalism and structuralism are examined in detail and the relation between research and theory is discussed throughout.

The course is a continuation from the course Etnógrafía I. Classical anthropological literary works, ethnographies, from the 20th century until today, will be read. There will be an emphasis on presenting the ethnography in a historical context as well as different writing traditions, built on and in continuation of what was read in Etnógrafía I. By the end of the course it is presumed that the student can account for what characterises ethnography and its historical context in a critical manner, as well as what characterises the present day's ethnography. The student should be able to show basic knowledge of anthropological field methods and the changes that have historically taken place. It is presumed that the student can express him/herself in a scholarly manner, in text and orally, about anthropological topics.

The main subject of the course is to learn about new and contemporary ethnographies, as well as to study recent research and writings on ethnographic practice. New ethnographies will be studied, and scholarly texts on contemporary ethnographic practice. The main goal of the course is for students to be able to acquire an understanding of contemporary ethnographies and analyse them, in contemporary as well as in a historical context, as one of the most important cornerstones of anthropology.

Introduction to the studies of human origin, the evolution of humans and their place in nature. Some aspects of human genetics are discussed. The prehistory of Homo Sapiens and the most important theories about human evolution and the living human groups are the central subject of the course, including a discussion of the Ice Age, the beginnings of cultivation and animal husbandry,the different living conditions in the world, the formation of cities and the beginning of states. The anthropology of Iceland also forms an important part of the course.

This course focuses on the main theoretical debates and approach in anthropology during the last six decades. This includes discussions of the pratice theory, feminism, post-structuralism, post-modernism and existential anthropology. The background, historical context and development of these theoretical approaches is discussed and contextualized in relation to today’s theoretical approaches in anthropology. By comparing different theoretical approaches, anthropology’s different stand on some key concept such as culture, agency, nature, gender and society should be revealed

The main goal of the course is to introduce students to qualitative research method, especially methods used by anthropologist, and to get some experience in use them. Historical and theoretical context and background of anthropological field methods will be disscused as well as the position of the anthropologist in the field. Students will be introduced to some of anthropology’s main methods such as participant observation, interviews, discourse and visual analysis. To gain skills and knowledge in how to use and apply these methods, students will work toghether on practical assignments such as observations in their own society and short field trips

The object is to assist students who are beginning work on their BA dissertation in the planning of their work. The emphasis will be on the structuring of their texts, the use of references and  the general workmanship

Student will present the disseration topic.

The object is to assist students who are beginning work on their BA dissertation in the planning of their work. The emphasis will be on the structuring of their texts, the use of references and  the general workmanship

Student will present the disseration topic.

The object is to assist students who are beginning work on their BA dissertation in the planning of their work. The emphasis will be on the structuring of their texts, the use of references and  the general workmanship

Students will present their dissertation topic in a seminar

BA thesis. see https://ugla.hi.is/cms/milli.php?sid=4221

BA thesis: See link here to the homepage of the Faculty of Sociology, Anthropology and Folkloristics.

BA thesis, see https://ugla.hi.is/kerfi/view/page.php?sid=3106

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 foreign students that would like to receive extra support to improve their performance and sustainability in their studies. The students in this course are mentors of the participants and are paired together based on a common field of interest. Mentors work in groups to support 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 once per semester and have to design and implement a learning experience for participants in Sprettur once in the course. 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 fill out a digital application form and the teacher will contact them. 

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

This course teaches the foundations of statistics for the social science. First, we discuss measures of central tendencies and distribution of variables. Second, we learn the concepts involved in statistical inference and the application of significance testing. Third, we introduce measures of association between variables, including crosstabulation and simple regression analysis. We conclude the course with a brief introduction of multivariate statistics, including the use of partial tables and partial correlation. Students will learn how to use Jamovi to analyze data.

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.

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. 

The main aim of this project is that students get a chance to work as volunteers with a NGO over the course of an academic year. The projects are chosen by student and teacher together. Students attend three discussion sessions with other students.

Students are expected to complete 40 hours of work.

Practical course designed to help students transfer knowledge and skills from undergraduate studies in anthropoligy to the labor market. Course projects are designed to increase self-knowledge and boost the occupational competence of students after their studies are completed, emphasizing the competence to connect academic and practical knowledge in creative and critical fashion. Students will acquaint themselves with the work that particular individuals, companies, and institutions do and gain insight into the different jobs of anthropoligists. Students pick two out of the consortium of partners introduced in the first weeks of the course. Students will spend 10-15 hours on site during the mid-semester project week. The course evaluation is based entirely on course projects, and class attendance is mandatory.

Ethnicity, nationality, multiculturalism, and migration are the main themes of this course. We examine how anthropologists have studied these issues in different ethnographic contexts and how they relate to many other aspects such as gender, class and culture. We raise questions such as under what circumstances nationality becomes important and examine how they appear in Iceland and in other parts of the world.

The anthropology of gender is often understood as synonymous for the anthropology of women, the anthropology of gender and culture, and feminist anthropology. The course discusses the origin and development of this branch of anthropology and traces the main emphases that characterize each period. These different stages, their research subjects and theoretical perspectives, are discussed. Lectures will cover the historical development of the discipline and its criticisms, with the focus ranging from biological perspectives, migration and multiculturalism, queer theory and masculinity.

In this course, the key concepts of gendered culture; sex, gender, and sexual orientation will be contextualized through anthropological research and knowledge. The goal is for students to gain a solid understanding of these concepts, how they are continuously reshaped, and how they shape societies and cultures everywhere. The course will explore how anthropological research in the early 20th century was influenced by dominating gender norms and examine the impact of feminist movements over the past half-century on the emergence and evolution of diverse anthropological studies. Emphasis will be placed on analyzing the characteristics of contemporary feminist and queer research, and students will engage with these topics through selected ethnographies, field texts, and review articles on gendered culture.

The main aim of this project is that students get a chance to work as volunteers with a NGO over the course of an academic year. The projects are chosen by student and teacher together. Students write a short report at the end of their internship detailing their experience and how it has served them as students of anthropology.

Students are expected to complete 40 hours of work.

The course deals with economic aspects of culture and society. The globalization of economic life has resulted in new research interests among anthropologists in their attempts to understand the relations between economic life, society and the meaning of products in the daily life. The course deals on the one hand with older research areas within economic anthropology on exchange systems and production among peasants and on the other hand with newer research on consumption patterns, commercial activities in modern society, about fair trade and about global production. We examine anthropological perspectives on concepts such as work, consumption and market.

The aim of the course is to give introduction to research on children. Theoretical and methodological approaches will be discussed, as well as culturally constructed ideas about children, children's status in society and their well-being. Research that focuses on children's point of view and their agency will be given particular attention.

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.

The course is intended to give the student a better understanding that we live in a culturally diverse world that is characterized by a multitude of global relations. What happens in one place impacts life and health elsewhere, exemplified for example by the recent Ebola epidemic, the influx of refugees in Europe, and now a COVID-19 pandemic. Further, poverty, inequality, and weak health and educational systems can result in conflicts and migration within and between countries and continents. The health and wellbeing of people is thus the result of a complex interplay of socio-economic factors where we live and prosper. Good health, prevention, and cure will thus not only be built on innovations within the health sciences.

The aim of the course is to introduce the student to the field of global health and its key components and activities, with particular emphasis on middle- and low-income countries. During the course, issues addressed and discussed will include for example the concept of global health, inequality and other determinants for health and wellbeing, health systems, development assistance, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2016-2030, the contribution of social sciences to the discipline and ethical dilemmas.

The course is taught in English and is intended for in-class and distance learners.

Muslims in the West: History and Status. The history and status of Muslims in Iceland; cultural diversity; connection with Icelandic society; Icelandic New Muslims; Islamophobia

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.

In this course, we examine how places in cities, rural areas, and the wilderness acquire meaning for individuals and groups. We explore how both personal memories and cultural memory shape perceptions and understanding of the landscape. We consider how place names, stories, and legends—such as those about elf churches, cursed spots, and past events—influence the value and meaning of places, as well as how emplaced experiences and memories tend to stick to locations. Why do some places become sacred sites, while others remain merely spaces people pass through on their way elsewhere? Why do people feel at ease in some places but experience discomfort or fear in others? How do individuals form connections to places during short visits or longer stays? Does it matter whether one is a newcomer or a native? What does it mean to feel a sense of belonging or to consider a particular place home? How refugees and other immigrants form attachment to the places where they settle and how they maintain or sever ties with the places they leave behind. What does it mean for people to have been forced to leave their homes due to wars or natural disasters, facing uncertainty about whether they can return? Attention will be given to how discourse and social dynamics shape people-place relationships, as well as the role of experience, perception, memories, aesthetics, and diverse narratives in giving meaning to place, forming place attachment, and defining who can lay claim to a place—and how.

Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

This course discusses the sociological perspective and its topical application. The aim of the course is that students gain an overview of the existing knowledge on important sociological topics. The course will emphasize the relation between theory and findings from recent research. In addition to studying classical theory, modernization and central concepts such as social structure and culture, students will learn about research on a range of important topics, such as stratification, organizations, social movements, deviance and illness, children and youth, gender, immigration and the life course.

We will begin with a discussion about the theoretical premises of sociology and psychology and their connection in social psychology. The creation of groups and interaction within groups are key elements of the discussion. Specific attention will be devoted to methods in social psychological research i.e. participant observations and experiments. We will also discuss practical applications of social psychology within for example the criminal system, the labour market and human capital development. Students will be required to do a project on the basis researchtexts with the aim of increasing understanding of the interconnection of theory, methods and practical applications.

After completing the course students should know the key concepts within social psychology and be able to use them when analysing contemporary issues.

The aim of the course is to introduce the students to the main topics in masculinity theory and research. Three main approaches in this century will be discussed, psychoanalysis, social psychology ("role" theory) and recent development centring on the masculinities will be discussed and how their creation and destruction is linked to other social structures. Specific attention will be paid to the participation of males in child care and domestic work and an Icelandic survey on males and family relations will be discussed.

The main aim of this course is to introduce the student to the field of Criminology. The subjects covered can be roughly divided into two broad categories. First: Criminological research and theoretical explanations, determining both what constitutes crime in society, in addition to the causes of crime, are explored and discussed. For this task, various perspectives are analysed and evaluated, such as Classical and Positivistic theories. Second: Four specific types of crime are closely analysed in terms of their nature and impact in society, theoretical explanations and finally their containment.

The objective of this course is to provide students with knowledge of the social basis of the media. To begin with, the course will discuss the history of communications and the historical background of contemporary media. Special attention is given to the control systems of media and relevant theories on such systems. Questions of pluralism in contents and control will be discussed in the light of ownership trends, competition and market concentration. Classic theories are introduced, along with recent researches, and terms like ownership, independence and news productions are examined. Agenda, framing, moral panic, propoganda, image production and discourse analysis are among the subjects scrutinised.

In this course we apply a sociological perspective to analyse themes in movies, tv-shows, popular music and other entertainment media. The course goals are for students to develop further understanding of how social structures and social interaction work and social change occur. This is to be achieved by allowing students to practice using the sociological perspective and sociological theories on mainstream issues in different social contexts, from popular culture media.

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?

This course aims to increase professionals‘ and students‘ knowledge and understanding of refugees and asylum seekers from the perspective of social work, law and anthropology. The course will provide an overview of:

• Current issues in the field of refugees and asylum seekers with an emphasis on Iceland
• Key  theories and concepts in  forced migration
• Rights of refugees and asylum seekers in Icelandic legislation, internationall legislation and the relationship between human rights and the protection in legislation
• How  gender and age  and other social characteristics such as sexuality, disability, etc. shape positions and experiences
• Of different groups of refugees and asylum seekers s, such as quota refugees, asylum seekers, failed asylum seekers,  victims of human trafficking etc.
• Of how multiple factors shape settlement experiences of individuals and families 

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. 

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.

An introduction to the subject of Folkloristics as an academic discipline both in Iceland and in other countries.The main concepts behind Folkloristics are introduced: the different fields that come under the headings of Folkloristics, the folkloristics view, the concept of culture, folk culture, folk customs and so on. The position of folkloristics within the humanities is discussed, as is its close relationship to other disciplines. A detailed examination is also made of the history of folkloristic research in Iceland and its neighbouring countries. Particular emphasis is placed on the discussion of the concept of folk beliefs, and in relation to this, an examination is made of Icelandic folk beliefs, past and present, their development and its individual characteristics. Material is drawn in part from articles from three of the following central academic journals: Ethnologia Scandinavica, Arv, Ethnologia Europea, Fabula, the Journal of Folklore Research, and the Journal of American Folklore.

This course involves an analysis of the social culture involved in games, entertainments, sports and festivals. Among other things, an examionation will be made of life festivals and seasonal festivals as well as games and leisure activities past and present, as well as other forms of activities like the banquets and dances known of the rural Icelandic society of the past. In addition to Icelandic festivals, attention will also be paid to comparable European festivals such as Halloween, and Mardi Gras. These activities involve a variety of folkloristic elements and have often formed one of the chief areas of folkloristic research. The aim is to introduce the wide range of research that has been carried out into the field in the last few years, students reading both key works and new researches. A great deal of source material is available on Icelandic festivals, games, sports and entertainments and the aim is to examine this material in the light of new theories and approaches.

In this course we will examine the role of folkloristic material in modern western society, examining in particular its presence in the media, films and the internet, as well as in the oral and practical tradition. Among other things, an examination will be made of modern migratory legends and the modern role of fairy tales, belief and prejudice, games and festivals, graffiti and jokes, and all sort of other modern customs and traditions. The aim is to increase our understanding of the popular basis of modern culture and extend our conciousness of all the "trivial" which has such a central role to play in shaping our attitudes within society and our views with regard to our fellow people. Reference will be made to recent and modern research work that has been undertaken in folkloristics, cultural studies and related subjects.

In this course, a number of  wonder tales will be read and analysed, especially from the viewpoint of what they have to say about society. Emphasis will be placed on the folk tale tradition, the performances of storytellers, the way they regularly recreate stories, and then the various motifs that they use in this process. The wonder tales will also be analysed from the viewpoint of the variety of raw material that was available for use in such recreation, and with regard to the range of variants and story types that were known, different motifs being compared in the process. Following this, attempts will be made to consider the "meaning" of different wonder tales. They will also be examined with regard to their social meaning and context, especially with regard to the nature of the society that helped shape them, and then how they are now reused and recreated in different media.

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 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.

Please note, this course is a reading course only 

This course deals in more detail with a subset of the topics covered in the course Introduction to Archaeology and Biological Anthropology. The geographical, ecological and social context of hominin evolution is explored. We examine contrasting hypotheses about the origin of anatomically modern humans, based on research in paleoanthropology and genetics. Particular attention is given to recent genetic studies that shed light on the origin and dispersal history of our species and its evolutionary relationships to other extant and extinct species. The topics covered include the isolation and analysis of DNA from ancient remains and studies in comparative linguistics and the light they can shed on human migration history. We review theories about the origin of culture and social behaviour and the extent to which the behaviour of humans is shaped by their evolutionary history.

The 21st century is increasingly characterized by growing discontent and xenophobia, fueled by a pervasive sense of an uncertain and threatened future. This perception of an apocalyptic or dystopian future is intertwined with a strong demand for reconciliation with the injustices and violence of the past. These tensions highlight the need to critically examine how history, memory, and power shape contemporary crises and the futures that are often envisioned in the present. This class examines the crises and visions of the future that characterize the 21st century while also reflecting on recent efforts to confront and reconcile with the past. Through recent scholarly writings, we explore how crises are experienced and how the future is both imagined and contested in the present. In doing so, we consider ruins of the past provide ways for understanding today’s challenges. One aspect of the course involves engaging with decolonial perspectives. Decolonization, in this context, is not only a political process of undoing colonial systems but also an intellectual and cultural effort to challenge the enduring legacies of colonialism in shaping global inequalities, epistemologies, and imaginaries of the future. By interrogating how colonial histories continue to manifest in modern crises—such as environmental destruction, economic disparity, and systemic racism—we seek to understand if decolonial approaches seek to offer pathways toward more equitable futures. What is the source of anxiety in the present? How do the ruins of colonial pasts inform present crises? Do critical theories provide alternatives to the dystopian trajectories often predicted for our world? How does the concept of polycrisis—interconnected crises spanning ecological, economic, and social domains—help us make sense of our collective experiences in the 21st century? By grappling with these questions, this course invites students to critically examine the intersections of crisis, memory, and future-making, offering tools to navigate and reimagine the complexities of the present.

Introduction to the anthropological discussion of kinship (family relations), which has a particular history within the discipline that is both related to the development of theoretical perspectives and wider changes in regard to attitudes to gender and personal liberty. The main focus is on the various manifestations of family relations in contemporary societies following a short historical overview.

This course focuses on arts and artistic methods and their role as a subject of anthropological inquiry, anthropological method and form of knowledge dissemination. Firstly, it considers different forms of artistic expression (literature, film, performance) as analytical lens that helps anthropologists to read into contemporary society. Secondly, it explores how artistic and creative practice can contribute to anthropological research and ways of doing ethnography. Finally, it examines how different artistic forms can be used to communicate research findings beyond conventional academic writing.

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.

The course focuses on contemporary theories through particular theoretical themes. The class teachers share with students’ readings, relating to recent research projects. Students’ active participation is strongly emphasized.

The main aim of this project is that students get a chance to work as volunteers with a NGO over the course of an academic year. The projects are chosen by student and teacher together. Students attend three discussion sessions with other students.

Students are expected to complete 40 hours of work.

In the course theories on religion in anthropology are examined and discussed as are different religious beliefs and practices. Topical focus is on the reading of symbols, the understanding of religious action and the historical dynamics of religion, as well as the intersection of religion, magic, and witchcraft.

The main aim of this project is that students get a chance to work as volunteers with a NGO over the course of an academic year. The projects are chosen by student and teacher together. Students write a short report at the end of their internship detailing their experience and how it has served them as students of anthropology.

Students are expected to complete 40 hours of work.

The aim of the course is to give introduction to research on children. Theoretical and methodological approaches will be discussed, as well as culturally constructed ideas about children, children's status in society and their well-being. Research that focuses on children's point of view and their agency will be given particular attention.

In this course, anthropogenic climate change is examined as a social and cultural phenomenon. Anthropological theories based on ecological thinking serve as a backdrop to introducing students to writing about global warming within anthropology and related disciplines. How can we understand climate politics? Specifically, through conceptualizations such as climate justice, governance, responsibility, and political imagination in the Anthropocene. We will touch on various aspects of climate change as a political category, from emission reduction to adaptation, and international agreements to ethical consumption.

Despite the end of the Cold War and the breakdown of the Eastern bloc, the division between East and West continues to form an inter-European axis of difference. What is the nature of this polarization? What constitutes and characterise Central and Eastern Europe? How is it imagined and conceptualized (from outside and within)? The course engages with the idea of Central and Eastern Europe from anthropological perspective. It discusses socio-cultural implications of the region’s ambiguous position and its perceived otherness. The main focus is on transition from state socialism to capital democracy in the Central and East Europe, introducing students to critical debate around the issues of political transformation. The course intends to prioritize (though not limit to) locally produced ethnographies of east-central Europe that examine experiences and lived realities of people after the dismantling of the communist states. It considers identity struggles and various socio-economic challenged faced in the region. The concepts of postsocialism and postcommunism are presented in relation to postcolonial theories.

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

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.

Humor is a fundamental aspect of social life and an important form of creative human communication. The course will consider how humor affects our perspectives on issues such as race, ethnicity, gender, class, group identity, and popular culture, as well as its uses in the face of illness, death, and tragedy. Humor is often the first artistic response to contemporary events, such as disasters, scandals, and political upheaveals. As such, it merits the closest serious attention. Folklorists have been at the forefront of the ethnographic study of humor for more than a century, focusing their attention on jokes that circulate among the general population or in particular segments of it. In addition to jokes, the course will draw on material from popular culture, arts, and the media.

Young people’s lives are increasingly measured by the standards of a mobile living. This changed way of living arrived in the wake of populations growth, technological advancements, global information access, and precarious living conditions. While the length of the period of migration varies, this experience influences identities, social relations, and aspirational opportunities. Still, opportunities for mobile endeavors are affected by gender, class, education, sexuality, ethnicity, and citizenship status. Examples of such youth migration are found in Erasmus exchanges, au-pair, sports, volunteerism, love migration, health migration, forced migration, grassroot activism, criminalities, and nomadism.

Consequently, new knowledge on youth migration has been emerging within sociology. These studies generally refer to people in the age between 15-30. Collectively these works demonstrate what indicators influence the push and pull in migration patterns. Additionally, these studies illuminate what social networks, imaginaries, and temporal situations, such as local economic crisis or participation in activism, can be a push for young people to migrate or a pull to return. Thus, the recent works show what institutional, social, and economic obstacles, young people face, how such obstacles are situationally negotiated and finally acted on. Lastly, recent studies shed a light on what kind of effect the migration has on the migrants themselves, on their family members and the localities they inhabit. 

This course will highlight the main theories of youth migration and introduce recent works published in this field. The course is constructed as an introduction into the field of social and geographical mobilities in contemporary societies. The aim is to draw forth varied experiences of youth migration while deconstructing the intersectional positionality of persons within the specific youth group. Therefore, a critical light will be cast on intersectionality in relation to global events, media outlets and fragile citizenships status. Students will be encouraged to engage with the topic through the material provided, own experiences and future visions for the Icelandic society

The course addresses deviance, social control, and marginalization from a sociological perspective. It explores key theories about individual motivations and social pressures that lead to deviance, as well as theories on how societies define deviance and label certain individuals as deviants. Emphasis is placed on power relations and struggles in defining deviance based on gender, age, class status, and other forms of social stratification, as well as cultural conflicts.The course also addresses the historical struggles between different social institutions over the ownership of specific forms of deviance, with a focus on the medicalization of deviance. Furthermore, it examines the normalization of certain traits, attitudes, and behaviors that were previously considered social deviance. Specific examples of deviance are discussed, such as substance use, sexual behavior, and self-harm, along with societal responses to certain ideas and physical characteristics as social deviance. Students in the course have the opportunity to reflect on these topics in larger and smaller groups and to explore a specific subject of their choice in greater depth.

Surveillance society and risk society are concepts that have become increasingly prominent in sociology. Furthermore there is growing interest in understanding how new technology shapes society; work arrangements, social interaction, social capital, and social sorting. The theories and writings of scholars like Manue Castells, Bruno Latour, Ursula Huws, David Lyon, Juliet Webster, Kristie Ball and Kevin Haggerty will be introduced. The attacks of 11 September 2001 were a watershed in terms of the surveillance society. A lot of capital is now spent on technology that can be used to observe people at work and play. The demand for increased productivity and increased corporate competition has led to comparable technology increasingly being used to observe employees, their efficiency and work behaviour. The consequences for the protection of the person are multifarious and indicate both increases in limits and liberties. The lines between personal and professional life have been blurred, as well as the limits between the material and the semiotic. Space has taken on new meaning as well as the body. New kinds of social media and online communities have given rise to new kinds of surveillance, what is known in the field as social surveillance.

The aim of the course is to analyse research and theories on the multifarious and paradoxical effects information and computer technology has on individuals and societies. Students read chosen texts on the above discussed issues and acquaint themselves with foreign and domestic research in the field.

Inequality has long been among the major concepts of sociology, as the focus of the discipline is often on how resources are divided in society with what consequences. Iceland was often considered a relatively equal society, but historical reconsiderations have shown that inequality was greater than we wanted to acknowledge. What is perhaps more important is that income inequality has varied over time, and the last decade has been characterized of great fluctuations in income, wealth, and economic hardship. Sociology offers a broad perspective on societal inequality, for example based on gender, age, nationality, race and sexuality. 

In this course, we will look at the major theories and research in sociology about inequality and put them into an Icelandic context. We will consider what kind of inequality exists in society and whether certain types of inequality will matter more in the future, for example due to changes in societal and population structures. In addition, we will look at the consequences of inequality on individual lives, for example regarding health, power, income and societal participation.

The course is a continuation of Theories in Sociology. Some major theoretical perspective in sociology and political science in the 20th century are discussed in this course, including the scientific and philosophical premises of the theories of social science, communications thories and conflict thories and functionalism and value thories. Finally, the main features of positvism and its applications in the social sciences are discussed and evaluated.

The course handles the emergence of social media as a governing force in modern communication, both on macro and micro-level. The sociological angle is scrutinized and institutions, communications between groups and individuals, politics, cultural production etc are all under the microscope. Recent researches relating to these fields are presented and examined. 

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.

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. 

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

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

Both fixed and relative, lived and imagined, the North has been a reservoir of imaginary potential. In this potentiality, modern subjects -- local and distant -- might regenerate and reinvigorate. The North contains apparent contradictions: beautiful and terrifying, invigorating and deadly. The imagery of such an imagined and real north, read through history, folklore, literature, film, is the subject of this course. Comparative, interdisciplinary, and multi-sited, our investigations focus on the ways in which the construction of the North has been a contested field representing different agendas and offering divergent outcomes.

Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

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

The course will focus on various cases from the nineteenth century onwards of cultural elements that have been considered adversary to culture and civilisation in Iceland. Ideas, behaviour and artefacts that have been seen to be threats to Icelandic culture or a menace to a sound and healthy cultural life (such as jazz, popular fiction, avant-garde art) will be reflected upon, and the nature of the assumed dangers explored. As part of the discussion, the interconnection between social power and culture will be taken into careful consideration and questions about who defines cultural menace, by what means and for what purpose will be asked. Do such threats have aspects in common and in what ways have definitions been influenced by interests, ideals and moral standards that are subject to change? To what extent have ideas about cultural menace played a role in fashioning and defining Icelandic culture?

To what extent has Icelandic culture been formed through normative ideas about cultivated behaviour and civilisation? To what extent has Icelandic culture been shaped through resistance to foreign mass culture that has been seen to present itself in the Icelandic community in the guise of, for example, Danish dress fashion and American soap-operas?

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) and interactive AI systems will inevitably have profound effects on individuals and societies. Just as the machines of the industrial revolution shaped modern society by revolutionizing the means of production, AI will very likely transform the information and service society of today. While doomsday predictions about world domination by sentient AI often capture the public's imagination, this course will focus on the more mundane AI systems that have already emerged, which can nonetheless creatively disrupt the patterns and structures of contemporary society. At this historical crossroads, the social sciences and humanities play a crucial role, and we therefore heartily welcome students from various disciplines to this interdisciplinary course. The course begins with a short, general introduction to interactive AI systems such as Bard, Copilot, Claude, and ChatGPT, as well as more specialized programs and system add-ons (plugins). Practical, theoretical, and ethical issues related to the use of AI in everyday life will also be discussed. However, the main emphasis will be on the social impact of AI in the present and its likely impact in the future. The latest research in this field will be covered, and students will have the opportunity to closely examine specific topics of their choice, such as the impact of AI on higher education, work and labor markets, democracy and equality, art, design and creative writing, media and communication, transportation, various services, law enforcement and security, and recreation and leisure. The course concludes with student presentations of their course projects.

The course examines how the social appears in objects, homes, and human bodies. The focus ison the making of modern society and modern persons in Iceland and neighboring countries in order to better understand who we are and what we do today. Among topics covered are clothes and fashion, foodways, landscape, homes, hygiene and the stuff with which we surround ourselves in everyday life. To open these topics up to critical understanding students will become familiar with various theories and perspectives relating to concepts such as the body, class and taste, power and hegemony, affect and emotions, sex and gender.

The course examines how the social appears in objects, homes, and human bodies. The focus ison the making of modern society and modern persons in Iceland and neighboring countries in order to better understand who we are and what we do today. Among topics covered are clothes and fashion, foodways, landscape, homes, hygiene and the stuff with which we surround ourselves in everyday life. To open these topics up to critical understanding students will become familiar with various theories and perspectives relating to concepts such as the body, class and taste, power and hegemony, affect and emotions, sex and gender.

This course introduces students to the history of museums and to key debates within the fields of museology and museography.  The course discusses contemporary practice in museums, like collecting, preservation and cataloguing, research and mediation in the twenty-first century.  The course explores museums’ missions and their roles in a variety of museums including art, cultural history, and natural history. 

This course provides an introduction to the study of folk narrative as a particular genre within the overall field of folkloristics. Students will be introduced to the main theories concerning the origins, features and distribution of folk tales, their role in society, their collection, methods of classification and means of preservation. Among others, students will be introduced to the work of Antti Aarne, Inger M. Boberg, Bruno Bettleheim, Linda Dégh, Stith Thompson, Timothy Tangherlini and Alan Dundes. Particular attention will be laid to the main forms of oral narrative, particular attention being paid to the form and analysis of legends and fairy tales from the viewpoint of the main arguments concerning these aspects of study, among others the work of Algirdas Greimas, Bengt Holbek, Max Lüthi, Axel Olrik and Vladimir Propp.

This course provides an introduction to the study of folk narrative as a particular genre within the overall field of folkloristics. Students will be introduced to the main theories concerning the origins, features and distribution of folk tales, their role in society, their collection, methods of classification and means of preservation. Among others, students will be introduced to the work of Antti Aarne, Inger M. Boberg, Bruno Bettleheim, Linda Dégh, Stith Thompson, Timothy Tangherlini and Alan Dundes. Particular attention will be laid to the main forms of oral narrative, particular attention being paid to the form and analysis of legends and fairy tales from the viewpoint of the main arguments concerning these aspects of study, among others the work of Algirdas Greimas, Bengt Holbek, Max Lüthi, Axel Olrik and Vladimir Propp.

Independent assignment.

Essay

Essay

Independent assignment.

Independent assignment.

The aim of the course is to prepare students for their academic studies by equipping them with essential skills and strategies. The course is tailored for students in Sociology, Antropology and Folkloristics, providing training in academic competencies and guidance on organising their studies. The curriculum covers key aspects of data collection, resource management, academic writing, and communication in both written and spoken formats.

It also introduces study planning and effective study methods including time management, project planning, and productive study habits. Additionally, students are introduced to the various resource and support services available to them.

A particular emphasis is placed on the use of electronic data, including artificial intelligence tools, in accordance with academic regulations, to support research and academic writing. The course also addresses the limitations and ethical responsibilities associated with their use.

Students will gain foundational knowledge in resource management and data processing, with specific training in source evaluation, citation practises, and the proper formatting of references and bibliographies according to APA 7.0 standards. Furthermore, the course covers the principles of presenting academic content effectively both in written and spoken formats, ensuring that students can organise and communicate topics in a structured and academically rigorous manner.

By the end of the course, students will have a comprehensive understanding of the academic standards expected in Sociology, Anthropology, and Folkloristics studies, as well as the methods necessary to meet these standards.

An introductory course of the foundations of social and cultural anthropology. The role of anthropology is examined, as well as its history, leading theories, methodology and concepts. Furthermore the course deals with social organisation in general, relations between society and the environment and social change. Individual social structural features are also discussed, such as kinship, political systems, economic systems and religion as well as anthropological studies of the Icelandic Society.

In the course, students will read several classical anthropological ethnographies from the 20th century. Its main focus will be on the tradition of presenting anthropolocial research results as ethnography, in its historical context. At the end of the course, it is assumed, firstly, that the student will be able to present the main characteristics of the ethnographic text and its history. Secondly, to present ciritically the content and form of some specific ethnographies. Thirdly, to identify some basic characteristics and issues of anthropological fieldwork methods. Fourth, to discern in ethnographic texts their basic methods of presentation and how these have changed through time. And lastly, to present theoretically, in writing and orally, selected and important topics of anthropology.

Anthropologists use a variety of methods in their research. This course is meant to give an overview of the methods used in research within the social sciences and anthropology in particular. The main parts of qualitative and quantitative methods will be discussed. The background, limitations and possibilities to different methods will also be discussed as well as the relationship between methods and theories. This course is intended for first year students in social anthropology.

Theory in anthropology is surveyed from its emergence to the 1970s. The emergence of anthropological ideas in European ideological development is discussed and how other disciplines have influenced theory in anthropology. Evolutionism, functionalism and structuralism are examined in detail and the relation between research and theory is discussed throughout.

The course is a continuation from the course Etnógrafía I. Classical anthropological literary works, ethnographies, from the 20th century until today, will be read. There will be an emphasis on presenting the ethnography in a historical context as well as different writing traditions, built on and in continuation of what was read in Etnógrafía I. By the end of the course it is presumed that the student can account for what characterises ethnography and its historical context in a critical manner, as well as what characterises the present day's ethnography. The student should be able to show basic knowledge of anthropological field methods and the changes that have historically taken place. It is presumed that the student can express him/herself in a scholarly manner, in text and orally, about anthropological topics.

The main subject of the course is to learn about new and contemporary ethnographies, as well as to study recent research and writings on ethnographic practice. New ethnographies will be studied, and scholarly texts on contemporary ethnographic practice. The main goal of the course is for students to be able to acquire an understanding of contemporary ethnographies and analyse them, in contemporary as well as in a historical context, as one of the most important cornerstones of anthropology.

Introduction to the studies of human origin, the evolution of humans and their place in nature. Some aspects of human genetics are discussed. The prehistory of Homo Sapiens and the most important theories about human evolution and the living human groups are the central subject of the course, including a discussion of the Ice Age, the beginnings of cultivation and animal husbandry,the different living conditions in the world, the formation of cities and the beginning of states. The anthropology of Iceland also forms an important part of the course.

This course focuses on the main theoretical debates and approach in anthropology during the last six decades. This includes discussions of the pratice theory, feminism, post-structuralism, post-modernism and existential anthropology. The background, historical context and development of these theoretical approaches is discussed and contextualized in relation to today’s theoretical approaches in anthropology. By comparing different theoretical approaches, anthropology’s different stand on some key concept such as culture, agency, nature, gender and society should be revealed

The main goal of the course is to introduce students to qualitative research method, especially methods used by anthropologist, and to get some experience in use them. Historical and theoretical context and background of anthropological field methods will be disscused as well as the position of the anthropologist in the field. Students will be introduced to some of anthropology’s main methods such as participant observation, interviews, discourse and visual analysis. To gain skills and knowledge in how to use and apply these methods, students will work toghether on practical assignments such as observations in their own society and short field trips

The object is to assist students who are beginning work on their BA dissertation in the planning of their work. The emphasis will be on the structuring of their texts, the use of references and  the general workmanship

Student will present the disseration topic.

The object is to assist students who are beginning work on their BA dissertation in the planning of their work. The emphasis will be on the structuring of their texts, the use of references and  the general workmanship

Student will present the disseration topic.

The object is to assist students who are beginning work on their BA dissertation in the planning of their work. The emphasis will be on the structuring of their texts, the use of references and  the general workmanship

Students will present their dissertation topic in a seminar

BA thesis. see https://ugla.hi.is/cms/milli.php?sid=4221

BA thesis: See link here to the homepage of the Faculty of Sociology, Anthropology and Folkloristics.

BA thesis, see https://ugla.hi.is/kerfi/view/page.php?sid=3106

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 foreign students that would like to receive extra support to improve their performance and sustainability in their studies. The students in this course are mentors of the participants and are paired together based on a common field of interest. Mentors work in groups to support 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 once per semester and have to design and implement a learning experience for participants in Sprettur once in the course. 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 fill out a digital application form and the teacher will contact them. 

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

This course teaches the foundations of statistics for the social science. First, we discuss measures of central tendencies and distribution of variables. Second, we learn the concepts involved in statistical inference and the application of significance testing. Third, we introduce measures of association between variables, including crosstabulation and simple regression analysis. We conclude the course with a brief introduction of multivariate statistics, including the use of partial tables and partial correlation. Students will learn how to use Jamovi to analyze data.

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.

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. 

The main aim of this project is that students get a chance to work as volunteers with a NGO over the course of an academic year. The projects are chosen by student and teacher together. Students attend three discussion sessions with other students.

Students are expected to complete 40 hours of work.

Practical course designed to help students transfer knowledge and skills from undergraduate studies in anthropoligy to the labor market. Course projects are designed to increase self-knowledge and boost the occupational competence of students after their studies are completed, emphasizing the competence to connect academic and practical knowledge in creative and critical fashion. Students will acquaint themselves with the work that particular individuals, companies, and institutions do and gain insight into the different jobs of anthropoligists. Students pick two out of the consortium of partners introduced in the first weeks of the course. Students will spend 10-15 hours on site during the mid-semester project week. The course evaluation is based entirely on course projects, and class attendance is mandatory.

Ethnicity, nationality, multiculturalism, and migration are the main themes of this course. We examine how anthropologists have studied these issues in different ethnographic contexts and how they relate to many other aspects such as gender, class and culture. We raise questions such as under what circumstances nationality becomes important and examine how they appear in Iceland and in other parts of the world.

The anthropology of gender is often understood as synonymous for the anthropology of women, the anthropology of gender and culture, and feminist anthropology. The course discusses the origin and development of this branch of anthropology and traces the main emphases that characterize each period. These different stages, their research subjects and theoretical perspectives, are discussed. Lectures will cover the historical development of the discipline and its criticisms, with the focus ranging from biological perspectives, migration and multiculturalism, queer theory and masculinity.

In this course, the key concepts of gendered culture; sex, gender, and sexual orientation will be contextualized through anthropological research and knowledge. The goal is for students to gain a solid understanding of these concepts, how they are continuously reshaped, and how they shape societies and cultures everywhere. The course will explore how anthropological research in the early 20th century was influenced by dominating gender norms and examine the impact of feminist movements over the past half-century on the emergence and evolution of diverse anthropological studies. Emphasis will be placed on analyzing the characteristics of contemporary feminist and queer research, and students will engage with these topics through selected ethnographies, field texts, and review articles on gendered culture.

The main aim of this project is that students get a chance to work as volunteers with a NGO over the course of an academic year. The projects are chosen by student and teacher together. Students write a short report at the end of their internship detailing their experience and how it has served them as students of anthropology.

Students are expected to complete 40 hours of work.

The course deals with economic aspects of culture and society. The globalization of economic life has resulted in new research interests among anthropologists in their attempts to understand the relations between economic life, society and the meaning of products in the daily life. The course deals on the one hand with older research areas within economic anthropology on exchange systems and production among peasants and on the other hand with newer research on consumption patterns, commercial activities in modern society, about fair trade and about global production. We examine anthropological perspectives on concepts such as work, consumption and market.

The aim of the course is to give introduction to research on children. Theoretical and methodological approaches will be discussed, as well as culturally constructed ideas about children, children's status in society and their well-being. Research that focuses on children's point of view and their agency will be given particular attention.

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.

The course is intended to give the student a better understanding that we live in a culturally diverse world that is characterized by a multitude of global relations. What happens in one place impacts life and health elsewhere, exemplified for example by the recent Ebola epidemic, the influx of refugees in Europe, and now a COVID-19 pandemic. Further, poverty, inequality, and weak health and educational systems can result in conflicts and migration within and between countries and continents. The health and wellbeing of people is thus the result of a complex interplay of socio-economic factors where we live and prosper. Good health, prevention, and cure will thus not only be built on innovations within the health sciences.

The aim of the course is to introduce the student to the field of global health and its key components and activities, with particular emphasis on middle- and low-income countries. During the course, issues addressed and discussed will include for example the concept of global health, inequality and other determinants for health and wellbeing, health systems, development assistance, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2016-2030, the contribution of social sciences to the discipline and ethical dilemmas.

The course is taught in English and is intended for in-class and distance learners.

Muslims in the West: History and Status. The history and status of Muslims in Iceland; cultural diversity; connection with Icelandic society; Icelandic New Muslims; Islamophobia

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.

In this course, we examine how places in cities, rural areas, and the wilderness acquire meaning for individuals and groups. We explore how both personal memories and cultural memory shape perceptions and understanding of the landscape. We consider how place names, stories, and legends—such as those about elf churches, cursed spots, and past events—influence the value and meaning of places, as well as how emplaced experiences and memories tend to stick to locations. Why do some places become sacred sites, while others remain merely spaces people pass through on their way elsewhere? Why do people feel at ease in some places but experience discomfort or fear in others? How do individuals form connections to places during short visits or longer stays? Does it matter whether one is a newcomer or a native? What does it mean to feel a sense of belonging or to consider a particular place home? How refugees and other immigrants form attachment to the places where they settle and how they maintain or sever ties with the places they leave behind. What does it mean for people to have been forced to leave their homes due to wars or natural disasters, facing uncertainty about whether they can return? Attention will be given to how discourse and social dynamics shape people-place relationships, as well as the role of experience, perception, memories, aesthetics, and diverse narratives in giving meaning to place, forming place attachment, and defining who can lay claim to a place—and how.

Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

This course discusses the sociological perspective and its topical application. The aim of the course is that students gain an overview of the existing knowledge on important sociological topics. The course will emphasize the relation between theory and findings from recent research. In addition to studying classical theory, modernization and central concepts such as social structure and culture, students will learn about research on a range of important topics, such as stratification, organizations, social movements, deviance and illness, children and youth, gender, immigration and the life course.

We will begin with a discussion about the theoretical premises of sociology and psychology and their connection in social psychology. The creation of groups and interaction within groups are key elements of the discussion. Specific attention will be devoted to methods in social psychological research i.e. participant observations and experiments. We will also discuss practical applications of social psychology within for example the criminal system, the labour market and human capital development. Students will be required to do a project on the basis researchtexts with the aim of increasing understanding of the interconnection of theory, methods and practical applications.

After completing the course students should know the key concepts within social psychology and be able to use them when analysing contemporary issues.

The aim of the course is to introduce the students to the main topics in masculinity theory and research. Three main approaches in this century will be discussed, psychoanalysis, social psychology ("role" theory) and recent development centring on the masculinities will be discussed and how their creation and destruction is linked to other social structures. Specific attention will be paid to the participation of males in child care and domestic work and an Icelandic survey on males and family relations will be discussed.

The main aim of this course is to introduce the student to the field of Criminology. The subjects covered can be roughly divided into two broad categories. First: Criminological research and theoretical explanations, determining both what constitutes crime in society, in addition to the causes of crime, are explored and discussed. For this task, various perspectives are analysed and evaluated, such as Classical and Positivistic theories. Second: Four specific types of crime are closely analysed in terms of their nature and impact in society, theoretical explanations and finally their containment.

The objective of this course is to provide students with knowledge of the social basis of the media. To begin with, the course will discuss the history of communications and the historical background of contemporary media. Special attention is given to the control systems of media and relevant theories on such systems. Questions of pluralism in contents and control will be discussed in the light of ownership trends, competition and market concentration. Classic theories are introduced, along with recent researches, and terms like ownership, independence and news productions are examined. Agenda, framing, moral panic, propoganda, image production and discourse analysis are among the subjects scrutinised.

In this course we apply a sociological perspective to analyse themes in movies, tv-shows, popular music and other entertainment media. The course goals are for students to develop further understanding of how social structures and social interaction work and social change occur. This is to be achieved by allowing students to practice using the sociological perspective and sociological theories on mainstream issues in different social contexts, from popular culture media.

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?

This course aims to increase professionals‘ and students‘ knowledge and understanding of refugees and asylum seekers from the perspective of social work, law and anthropology. The course will provide an overview of:

• Current issues in the field of refugees and asylum seekers with an emphasis on Iceland
• Key  theories and concepts in  forced migration
• Rights of refugees and asylum seekers in Icelandic legislation, internationall legislation and the relationship between human rights and the protection in legislation
• How  gender and age  and other social characteristics such as sexuality, disability, etc. shape positions and experiences
• Of different groups of refugees and asylum seekers s, such as quota refugees, asylum seekers, failed asylum seekers,  victims of human trafficking etc.
• Of how multiple factors shape settlement experiences of individuals and families 

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. 

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.

An introduction to the subject of Folkloristics as an academic discipline both in Iceland and in other countries.The main concepts behind Folkloristics are introduced: the different fields that come under the headings of Folkloristics, the folkloristics view, the concept of culture, folk culture, folk customs and so on. The position of folkloristics within the humanities is discussed, as is its close relationship to other disciplines. A detailed examination is also made of the history of folkloristic research in Iceland and its neighbouring countries. Particular emphasis is placed on the discussion of the concept of folk beliefs, and in relation to this, an examination is made of Icelandic folk beliefs, past and present, their development and its individual characteristics. Material is drawn in part from articles from three of the following central academic journals: Ethnologia Scandinavica, Arv, Ethnologia Europea, Fabula, the Journal of Folklore Research, and the Journal of American Folklore.

This course involves an analysis of the social culture involved in games, entertainments, sports and festivals. Among other things, an examionation will be made of life festivals and seasonal festivals as well as games and leisure activities past and present, as well as other forms of activities like the banquets and dances known of the rural Icelandic society of the past. In addition to Icelandic festivals, attention will also be paid to comparable European festivals such as Halloween, and Mardi Gras. These activities involve a variety of folkloristic elements and have often formed one of the chief areas of folkloristic research. The aim is to introduce the wide range of research that has been carried out into the field in the last few years, students reading both key works and new researches. A great deal of source material is available on Icelandic festivals, games, sports and entertainments and the aim is to examine this material in the light of new theories and approaches.

In this course we will examine the role of folkloristic material in modern western society, examining in particular its presence in the media, films and the internet, as well as in the oral and practical tradition. Among other things, an examination will be made of modern migratory legends and the modern role of fairy tales, belief and prejudice, games and festivals, graffiti and jokes, and all sort of other modern customs and traditions. The aim is to increase our understanding of the popular basis of modern culture and extend our conciousness of all the "trivial" which has such a central role to play in shaping our attitudes within society and our views with regard to our fellow people. Reference will be made to recent and modern research work that has been undertaken in folkloristics, cultural studies and related subjects.

In this course, a number of  wonder tales will be read and analysed, especially from the viewpoint of what they have to say about society. Emphasis will be placed on the folk tale tradition, the performances of storytellers, the way they regularly recreate stories, and then the various motifs that they use in this process. The wonder tales will also be analysed from the viewpoint of the variety of raw material that was available for use in such recreation, and with regard to the range of variants and story types that were known, different motifs being compared in the process. Following this, attempts will be made to consider the "meaning" of different wonder tales. They will also be examined with regard to their social meaning and context, especially with regard to the nature of the society that helped shape them, and then how they are now reused and recreated in different media.

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 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.

Please note, this course is a reading course only 

This course deals in more detail with a subset of the topics covered in the course Introduction to Archaeology and Biological Anthropology. The geographical, ecological and social context of hominin evolution is explored. We examine contrasting hypotheses about the origin of anatomically modern humans, based on research in paleoanthropology and genetics. Particular attention is given to recent genetic studies that shed light on the origin and dispersal history of our species and its evolutionary relationships to other extant and extinct species. The topics covered include the isolation and analysis of DNA from ancient remains and studies in comparative linguistics and the light they can shed on human migration history. We review theories about the origin of culture and social behaviour and the extent to which the behaviour of humans is shaped by their evolutionary history.

The 21st century is increasingly characterized by growing discontent and xenophobia, fueled by a pervasive sense of an uncertain and threatened future. This perception of an apocalyptic or dystopian future is intertwined with a strong demand for reconciliation with the injustices and violence of the past. These tensions highlight the need to critically examine how history, memory, and power shape contemporary crises and the futures that are often envisioned in the present. This class examines the crises and visions of the future that characterize the 21st century while also reflecting on recent efforts to confront and reconcile with the past. Through recent scholarly writings, we explore how crises are experienced and how the future is both imagined and contested in the present. In doing so, we consider ruins of the past provide ways for understanding today’s challenges. One aspect of the course involves engaging with decolonial perspectives. Decolonization, in this context, is not only a political process of undoing colonial systems but also an intellectual and cultural effort to challenge the enduring legacies of colonialism in shaping global inequalities, epistemologies, and imaginaries of the future. By interrogating how colonial histories continue to manifest in modern crises—such as environmental destruction, economic disparity, and systemic racism—we seek to understand if decolonial approaches seek to offer pathways toward more equitable futures. What is the source of anxiety in the present? How do the ruins of colonial pasts inform present crises? Do critical theories provide alternatives to the dystopian trajectories often predicted for our world? How does the concept of polycrisis—interconnected crises spanning ecological, economic, and social domains—help us make sense of our collective experiences in the 21st century? By grappling with these questions, this course invites students to critically examine the intersections of crisis, memory, and future-making, offering tools to navigate and reimagine the complexities of the present.

Introduction to the anthropological discussion of kinship (family relations), which has a particular history within the discipline that is both related to the development of theoretical perspectives and wider changes in regard to attitudes to gender and personal liberty. The main focus is on the various manifestations of family relations in contemporary societies following a short historical overview.

This course focuses on arts and artistic methods and their role as a subject of anthropological inquiry, anthropological method and form of knowledge dissemination. Firstly, it considers different forms of artistic expression (literature, film, performance) as analytical lens that helps anthropologists to read into contemporary society. Secondly, it explores how artistic and creative practice can contribute to anthropological research and ways of doing ethnography. Finally, it examines how different artistic forms can be used to communicate research findings beyond conventional academic writing.

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.

The course focuses on contemporary theories through particular theoretical themes. The class teachers share with students’ readings, relating to recent research projects. Students’ active participation is strongly emphasized.

The main aim of this project is that students get a chance to work as volunteers with a NGO over the course of an academic year. The projects are chosen by student and teacher together. Students attend three discussion sessions with other students.

Students are expected to complete 40 hours of work.

In the course theories on religion in anthropology are examined and discussed as are different religious beliefs and practices. Topical focus is on the reading of symbols, the understanding of religious action and the historical dynamics of religion, as well as the intersection of religion, magic, and witchcraft.

The main aim of this project is that students get a chance to work as volunteers with a NGO over the course of an academic year. The projects are chosen by student and teacher together. Students write a short report at the end of their internship detailing their experience and how it has served them as students of anthropology.

Students are expected to complete 40 hours of work.

The aim of the course is to give introduction to research on children. Theoretical and methodological approaches will be discussed, as well as culturally constructed ideas about children, children's status in society and their well-being. Research that focuses on children's point of view and their agency will be given particular attention.

In this course, anthropogenic climate change is examined as a social and cultural phenomenon. Anthropological theories based on ecological thinking serve as a backdrop to introducing students to writing about global warming within anthropology and related disciplines. How can we understand climate politics? Specifically, through conceptualizations such as climate justice, governance, responsibility, and political imagination in the Anthropocene. We will touch on various aspects of climate change as a political category, from emission reduction to adaptation, and international agreements to ethical consumption.

Despite the end of the Cold War and the breakdown of the Eastern bloc, the division between East and West continues to form an inter-European axis of difference. What is the nature of this polarization? What constitutes and characterise Central and Eastern Europe? How is it imagined and conceptualized (from outside and within)? The course engages with the idea of Central and Eastern Europe from anthropological perspective. It discusses socio-cultural implications of the region’s ambiguous position and its perceived otherness. The main focus is on transition from state socialism to capital democracy in the Central and East Europe, introducing students to critical debate around the issues of political transformation. The course intends to prioritize (though not limit to) locally produced ethnographies of east-central Europe that examine experiences and lived realities of people after the dismantling of the communist states. It considers identity struggles and various socio-economic challenged faced in the region. The concepts of postsocialism and postcommunism are presented in relation to postcolonial theories.

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

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.

Humor is a fundamental aspect of social life and an important form of creative human communication. The course will consider how humor affects our perspectives on issues such as race, ethnicity, gender, class, group identity, and popular culture, as well as its uses in the face of illness, death, and tragedy. Humor is often the first artistic response to contemporary events, such as disasters, scandals, and political upheaveals. As such, it merits the closest serious attention. Folklorists have been at the forefront of the ethnographic study of humor for more than a century, focusing their attention on jokes that circulate among the general population or in particular segments of it. In addition to jokes, the course will draw on material from popular culture, arts, and the media.

Young people’s lives are increasingly measured by the standards of a mobile living. This changed way of living arrived in the wake of populations growth, technological advancements, global information access, and precarious living conditions. While the length of the period of migration varies, this experience influences identities, social relations, and aspirational opportunities. Still, opportunities for mobile endeavors are affected by gender, class, education, sexuality, ethnicity, and citizenship status. Examples of such youth migration are found in Erasmus exchanges, au-pair, sports, volunteerism, love migration, health migration, forced migration, grassroot activism, criminalities, and nomadism.

Consequently, new knowledge on youth migration has been emerging within sociology. These studies generally refer to people in the age between 15-30. Collectively these works demonstrate what indicators influence the push and pull in migration patterns. Additionally, these studies illuminate what social networks, imaginaries, and temporal situations, such as local economic crisis or participation in activism, can be a push for young people to migrate or a pull to return. Thus, the recent works show what institutional, social, and economic obstacles, young people face, how such obstacles are situationally negotiated and finally acted on. Lastly, recent studies shed a light on what kind of effect the migration has on the migrants themselves, on their family members and the localities they inhabit. 

This course will highlight the main theories of youth migration and introduce recent works published in this field. The course is constructed as an introduction into the field of social and geographical mobilities in contemporary societies. The aim is to draw forth varied experiences of youth migration while deconstructing the intersectional positionality of persons within the specific youth group. Therefore, a critical light will be cast on intersectionality in relation to global events, media outlets and fragile citizenships status. Students will be encouraged to engage with the topic through the material provided, own experiences and future visions for the Icelandic society

The course addresses deviance, social control, and marginalization from a sociological perspective. It explores key theories about individual motivations and social pressures that lead to deviance, as well as theories on how societies define deviance and label certain individuals as deviants. Emphasis is placed on power relations and struggles in defining deviance based on gender, age, class status, and other forms of social stratification, as well as cultural conflicts.The course also addresses the historical struggles between different social institutions over the ownership of specific forms of deviance, with a focus on the medicalization of deviance. Furthermore, it examines the normalization of certain traits, attitudes, and behaviors that were previously considered social deviance. Specific examples of deviance are discussed, such as substance use, sexual behavior, and self-harm, along with societal responses to certain ideas and physical characteristics as social deviance. Students in the course have the opportunity to reflect on these topics in larger and smaller groups and to explore a specific subject of their choice in greater depth.

Surveillance society and risk society are concepts that have become increasingly prominent in sociology. Furthermore there is growing interest in understanding how new technology shapes society; work arrangements, social interaction, social capital, and social sorting. The theories and writings of scholars like Manue Castells, Bruno Latour, Ursula Huws, David Lyon, Juliet Webster, Kristie Ball and Kevin Haggerty will be introduced. The attacks of 11 September 2001 were a watershed in terms of the surveillance society. A lot of capital is now spent on technology that can be used to observe people at work and play. The demand for increased productivity and increased corporate competition has led to comparable technology increasingly being used to observe employees, their efficiency and work behaviour. The consequences for the protection of the person are multifarious and indicate both increases in limits and liberties. The lines between personal and professional life have been blurred, as well as the limits between the material and the semiotic. Space has taken on new meaning as well as the body. New kinds of social media and online communities have given rise to new kinds of surveillance, what is known in the field as social surveillance.

The aim of the course is to analyse research and theories on the multifarious and paradoxical effects information and computer technology has on individuals and societies. Students read chosen texts on the above discussed issues and acquaint themselves with foreign and domestic research in the field.

Inequality has long been among the major concepts of sociology, as the focus of the discipline is often on how resources are divided in society with what consequences. Iceland was often considered a relatively equal society, but historical reconsiderations have shown that inequality was greater than we wanted to acknowledge. What is perhaps more important is that income inequality has varied over time, and the last decade has been characterized of great fluctuations in income, wealth, and economic hardship. Sociology offers a broad perspective on societal inequality, for example based on gender, age, nationality, race and sexuality. 

In this course, we will look at the major theories and research in sociology about inequality and put them into an Icelandic context. We will consider what kind of inequality exists in society and whether certain types of inequality will matter more in the future, for example due to changes in societal and population structures. In addition, we will look at the consequences of inequality on individual lives, for example regarding health, power, income and societal participation.

The course is a continuation of Theories in Sociology. Some major theoretical perspective in sociology and political science in the 20th century are discussed in this course, including the scientific and philosophical premises of the theories of social science, communications thories and conflict thories and functionalism and value thories. Finally, the main features of positvism and its applications in the social sciences are discussed and evaluated.

The course handles the emergence of social media as a governing force in modern communication, both on macro and micro-level. The sociological angle is scrutinized and institutions, communications between groups and individuals, politics, cultural production etc are all under the microscope. Recent researches relating to these fields are presented and examined. 

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.

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. 

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

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

Both fixed and relative, lived and imagined, the North has been a reservoir of imaginary potential. In this potentiality, modern subjects -- local and distant -- might regenerate and reinvigorate. The North contains apparent contradictions: beautiful and terrifying, invigorating and deadly. The imagery of such an imagined and real north, read through history, folklore, literature, film, is the subject of this course. Comparative, interdisciplinary, and multi-sited, our investigations focus on the ways in which the construction of the North has been a contested field representing different agendas and offering divergent outcomes.

Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

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

The course will focus on various cases from the nineteenth century onwards of cultural elements that have been considered adversary to culture and civilisation in Iceland. Ideas, behaviour and artefacts that have been seen to be threats to Icelandic culture or a menace to a sound and healthy cultural life (such as jazz, popular fiction, avant-garde art) will be reflected upon, and the nature of the assumed dangers explored. As part of the discussion, the interconnection between social power and culture will be taken into careful consideration and questions about who defines cultural menace, by what means and for what purpose will be asked. Do such threats have aspects in common and in what ways have definitions been influenced by interests, ideals and moral standards that are subject to change? To what extent have ideas about cultural menace played a role in fashioning and defining Icelandic culture?

To what extent has Icelandic culture been formed through normative ideas about cultivated behaviour and civilisation? To what extent has Icelandic culture been shaped through resistance to foreign mass culture that has been seen to present itself in the Icelandic community in the guise of, for example, Danish dress fashion and American soap-operas?

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) and interactive AI systems will inevitably have profound effects on individuals and societies. Just as the machines of the industrial revolution shaped modern society by revolutionizing the means of production, AI will very likely transform the information and service society of today. While doomsday predictions about world domination by sentient AI often capture the public's imagination, this course will focus on the more mundane AI systems that have already emerged, which can nonetheless creatively disrupt the patterns and structures of contemporary society. At this historical crossroads, the social sciences and humanities play a crucial role, and we therefore heartily welcome students from various disciplines to this interdisciplinary course. The course begins with a short, general introduction to interactive AI systems such as Bard, Copilot, Claude, and ChatGPT, as well as more specialized programs and system add-ons (plugins). Practical, theoretical, and ethical issues related to the use of AI in everyday life will also be discussed. However, the main emphasis will be on the social impact of AI in the present and its likely impact in the future. The latest research in this field will be covered, and students will have the opportunity to closely examine specific topics of their choice, such as the impact of AI on higher education, work and labor markets, democracy and equality, art, design and creative writing, media and communication, transportation, various services, law enforcement and security, and recreation and leisure. The course concludes with student presentations of their course projects.

The course examines how the social appears in objects, homes, and human bodies. The focus ison the making of modern society and modern persons in Iceland and neighboring countries in order to better understand who we are and what we do today. Among topics covered are clothes and fashion, foodways, landscape, homes, hygiene and the stuff with which we surround ourselves in everyday life. To open these topics up to critical understanding students will become familiar with various theories and perspectives relating to concepts such as the body, class and taste, power and hegemony, affect and emotions, sex and gender.

The course examines how the social appears in objects, homes, and human bodies. The focus ison the making of modern society and modern persons in Iceland and neighboring countries in order to better understand who we are and what we do today. Among topics covered are clothes and fashion, foodways, landscape, homes, hygiene and the stuff with which we surround ourselves in everyday life. To open these topics up to critical understanding students will become familiar with various theories and perspectives relating to concepts such as the body, class and taste, power and hegemony, affect and emotions, sex and gender.

This course introduces students to the history of museums and to key debates within the fields of museology and museography.  The course discusses contemporary practice in museums, like collecting, preservation and cataloguing, research and mediation in the twenty-first century.  The course explores museums’ missions and their roles in a variety of museums including art, cultural history, and natural history. 

This course provides an introduction to the study of folk narrative as a particular genre within the overall field of folkloristics. Students will be introduced to the main theories concerning the origins, features and distribution of folk tales, their role in society, their collection, methods of classification and means of preservation. Among others, students will be introduced to the work of Antti Aarne, Inger M. Boberg, Bruno Bettleheim, Linda Dégh, Stith Thompson, Timothy Tangherlini and Alan Dundes. Particular attention will be laid to the main forms of oral narrative, particular attention being paid to the form and analysis of legends and fairy tales from the viewpoint of the main arguments concerning these aspects of study, among others the work of Algirdas Greimas, Bengt Holbek, Max Lüthi, Axel Olrik and Vladimir Propp.

This course provides an introduction to the study of folk narrative as a particular genre within the overall field of folkloristics. Students will be introduced to the main theories concerning the origins, features and distribution of folk tales, their role in society, their collection, methods of classification and means of preservation. Among others, students will be introduced to the work of Antti Aarne, Inger M. Boberg, Bruno Bettleheim, Linda Dégh, Stith Thompson, Timothy Tangherlini and Alan Dundes. Particular attention will be laid to the main forms of oral narrative, particular attention being paid to the form and analysis of legends and fairy tales from the viewpoint of the main arguments concerning these aspects of study, among others the work of Algirdas Greimas, Bengt Holbek, Max Lüthi, Axel Olrik and Vladimir Propp.

Independent assignment.

Essay

Essay

Independent assignment.

Independent assignment.

The aim of the course is to prepare students for their academic studies by equipping them with essential skills and strategies. The course is tailored for students in Sociology, Antropology and Folkloristics, providing training in academic competencies and guidance on organising their studies. The curriculum covers key aspects of data collection, resource management, academic writing, and communication in both written and spoken formats.

It also introduces study planning and effective study methods including time management, project planning, and productive study habits. Additionally, students are introduced to the various resource and support services available to them.

A particular emphasis is placed on the use of electronic data, including artificial intelligence tools, in accordance with academic regulations, to support research and academic writing. The course also addresses the limitations and ethical responsibilities associated with their use.

Students will gain foundational knowledge in resource management and data processing, with specific training in source evaluation, citation practises, and the proper formatting of references and bibliographies according to APA 7.0 standards. Furthermore, the course covers the principles of presenting academic content effectively both in written and spoken formats, ensuring that students can organise and communicate topics in a structured and academically rigorous manner.

By the end of the course, students will have a comprehensive understanding of the academic standards expected in Sociology, Anthropology, and Folkloristics studies, as well as the methods necessary to meet these standards.

An introductory course of the foundations of social and cultural anthropology. The role of anthropology is examined, as well as its history, leading theories, methodology and concepts. Furthermore the course deals with social organisation in general, relations between society and the environment and social change. Individual social structural features are also discussed, such as kinship, political systems, economic systems and religion as well as anthropological studies of the Icelandic Society.

In the course, students will read several classical anthropological ethnographies from the 20th century. Its main focus will be on the tradition of presenting anthropolocial research results as ethnography, in its historical context. At the end of the course, it is assumed, firstly, that the student will be able to present the main characteristics of the ethnographic text and its history. Secondly, to present ciritically the content and form of some specific ethnographies. Thirdly, to identify some basic characteristics and issues of anthropological fieldwork methods. Fourth, to discern in ethnographic texts their basic methods of presentation and how these have changed through time. And lastly, to present theoretically, in writing and orally, selected and important topics of anthropology.

Anthropologists use a variety of methods in their research. This course is meant to give an overview of the methods used in research within the social sciences and anthropology in particular. The main parts of qualitative and quantitative methods will be discussed. The background, limitations and possibilities to different methods will also be discussed as well as the relationship between methods and theories. This course is intended for first year students in social anthropology.

Theory in anthropology is surveyed from its emergence to the 1970s. The emergence of anthropological ideas in European ideological development is discussed and how other disciplines have influenced theory in anthropology. Evolutionism, functionalism and structuralism are examined in detail and the relation between research and theory is discussed throughout.

The course is a continuation from the course Etnógrafía I. Classical anthropological literary works, ethnographies, from the 20th century until today, will be read. There will be an emphasis on presenting the ethnography in a historical context as well as different writing traditions, built on and in continuation of what was read in Etnógrafía I. By the end of the course it is presumed that the student can account for what characterises ethnography and its historical context in a critical manner, as well as what characterises the present day's ethnography. The student should be able to show basic knowledge of anthropological field methods and the changes that have historically taken place. It is presumed that the student can express him/herself in a scholarly manner, in text and orally, about anthropological topics.

The main subject of the course is to learn about new and contemporary ethnographies, as well as to study recent research and writings on ethnographic practice. New ethnographies will be studied, and scholarly texts on contemporary ethnographic practice. The main goal of the course is for students to be able to acquire an understanding of contemporary ethnographies and analyse them, in contemporary as well as in a historical context, as one of the most important cornerstones of anthropology.

Introduction to the studies of human origin, the evolution of humans and their place in nature. Some aspects of human genetics are discussed. The prehistory of Homo Sapiens and the most important theories about human evolution and the living human groups are the central subject of the course, including a discussion of the Ice Age, the beginnings of cultivation and animal husbandry,the different living conditions in the world, the formation of cities and the beginning of states. The anthropology of Iceland also forms an important part of the course.

This course focuses on the main theoretical debates and approach in anthropology during the last six decades. This includes discussions of the pratice theory, feminism, post-structuralism, post-modernism and existential anthropology. The background, historical context and development of these theoretical approaches is discussed and contextualized in relation to today’s theoretical approaches in anthropology. By comparing different theoretical approaches, anthropology’s different stand on some key concept such as culture, agency, nature, gender and society should be revealed

The main goal of the course is to introduce students to qualitative research method, especially methods used by anthropologist, and to get some experience in use them. Historical and theoretical context and background of anthropological field methods will be disscused as well as the position of the anthropologist in the field. Students will be introduced to some of anthropology’s main methods such as participant observation, interviews, discourse and visual analysis. To gain skills and knowledge in how to use and apply these methods, students will work toghether on practical assignments such as observations in their own society and short field trips

The object is to assist students who are beginning work on their BA dissertation in the planning of their work. The emphasis will be on the structuring of their texts, the use of references and  the general workmanship

Student will present the disseration topic.

The object is to assist students who are beginning work on their BA dissertation in the planning of their work. The emphasis will be on the structuring of their texts, the use of references and  the general workmanship

Student will present the disseration topic.

The object is to assist students who are beginning work on their BA dissertation in the planning of their work. The emphasis will be on the structuring of their texts, the use of references and  the general workmanship

Students will present their dissertation topic in a seminar

BA thesis. see https://ugla.hi.is/cms/milli.php?sid=4221

BA thesis: See link here to the homepage of the Faculty of Sociology, Anthropology and Folkloristics.

BA thesis, see https://ugla.hi.is/kerfi/view/page.php?sid=3106

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 foreign students that would like to receive extra support to improve their performance and sustainability in their studies. The students in this course are mentors of the participants and are paired together based on a common field of interest. Mentors work in groups to support 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 once per semester and have to design and implement a learning experience for participants in Sprettur once in the course. 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 fill out a digital application form and the teacher will contact them. 

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

This course teaches the foundations of statistics for the social science. First, we discuss measures of central tendencies and distribution of variables. Second, we learn the concepts involved in statistical inference and the application of significance testing. Third, we introduce measures of association between variables, including crosstabulation and simple regression analysis. We conclude the course with a brief introduction of multivariate statistics, including the use of partial tables and partial correlation. Students will learn how to use Jamovi to analyze data.

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.

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. 

The main aim of this project is that students get a chance to work as volunteers with a NGO over the course of an academic year. The projects are chosen by student and teacher together. Students attend three discussion sessions with other students.

Students are expected to complete 40 hours of work.

Practical course designed to help students transfer knowledge and skills from undergraduate studies in anthropoligy to the labor market. Course projects are designed to increase self-knowledge and boost the occupational competence of students after their studies are completed, emphasizing the competence to connect academic and practical knowledge in creative and critical fashion. Students will acquaint themselves with the work that particular individuals, companies, and institutions do and gain insight into the different jobs of anthropoligists. Students pick two out of the consortium of partners introduced in the first weeks of the course. Students will spend 10-15 hours on site during the mid-semester project week. The course evaluation is based entirely on course projects, and class attendance is mandatory.

Ethnicity, nationality, multiculturalism, and migration are the main themes of this course. We examine how anthropologists have studied these issues in different ethnographic contexts and how they relate to many other aspects such as gender, class and culture. We raise questions such as under what circumstances nationality becomes important and examine how they appear in Iceland and in other parts of the world.

The anthropology of gender is often understood as synonymous for the anthropology of women, the anthropology of gender and culture, and feminist anthropology. The course discusses the origin and development of this branch of anthropology and traces the main emphases that characterize each period. These different stages, their research subjects and theoretical perspectives, are discussed. Lectures will cover the historical development of the discipline and its criticisms, with the focus ranging from biological perspectives, migration and multiculturalism, queer theory and masculinity.

In this course, the key concepts of gendered culture; sex, gender, and sexual orientation will be contextualized through anthropological research and knowledge. The goal is for students to gain a solid understanding of these concepts, how they are continuously reshaped, and how they shape societies and cultures everywhere. The course will explore how anthropological research in the early 20th century was influenced by dominating gender norms and examine the impact of feminist movements over the past half-century on the emergence and evolution of diverse anthropological studies. Emphasis will be placed on analyzing the characteristics of contemporary feminist and queer research, and students will engage with these topics through selected ethnographies, field texts, and review articles on gendered culture.

The main aim of this project is that students get a chance to work as volunteers with a NGO over the course of an academic year. The projects are chosen by student and teacher together. Students write a short report at the end of their internship detailing their experience and how it has served them as students of anthropology.

Students are expected to complete 40 hours of work.

The course deals with economic aspects of culture and society. The globalization of economic life has resulted in new research interests among anthropologists in their attempts to understand the relations between economic life, society and the meaning of products in the daily life. The course deals on the one hand with older research areas within economic anthropology on exchange systems and production among peasants and on the other hand with newer research on consumption patterns, commercial activities in modern society, about fair trade and about global production. We examine anthropological perspectives on concepts such as work, consumption and market.

The aim of the course is to give introduction to research on children. Theoretical and methodological approaches will be discussed, as well as culturally constructed ideas about children, children's status in society and their well-being. Research that focuses on children's point of view and their agency will be given particular attention.

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.

The course is intended to give the student a better understanding that we live in a culturally diverse world that is characterized by a multitude of global relations. What happens in one place impacts life and health elsewhere, exemplified for example by the recent Ebola epidemic, the influx of refugees in Europe, and now a COVID-19 pandemic. Further, poverty, inequality, and weak health and educational systems can result in conflicts and migration within and between countries and continents. The health and wellbeing of people is thus the result of a complex interplay of socio-economic factors where we live and prosper. Good health, prevention, and cure will thus not only be built on innovations within the health sciences.

The aim of the course is to introduce the student to the field of global health and its key components and activities, with particular emphasis on middle- and low-income countries. During the course, issues addressed and discussed will include for example the concept of global health, inequality and other determinants for health and wellbeing, health systems, development assistance, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2016-2030, the contribution of social sciences to the discipline and ethical dilemmas.

The course is taught in English and is intended for in-class and distance learners.

Muslims in the West: History and Status. The history and status of Muslims in Iceland; cultural diversity; connection with Icelandic society; Icelandic New Muslims; Islamophobia

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.

In this course, we examine how places in cities, rural areas, and the wilderness acquire meaning for individuals and groups. We explore how both personal memories and cultural memory shape perceptions and understanding of the landscape. We consider how place names, stories, and legends—such as those about elf churches, cursed spots, and past events—influence the value and meaning of places, as well as how emplaced experiences and memories tend to stick to locations. Why do some places become sacred sites, while others remain merely spaces people pass through on their way elsewhere? Why do people feel at ease in some places but experience discomfort or fear in others? How do individuals form connections to places during short visits or longer stays? Does it matter whether one is a newcomer or a native? What does it mean to feel a sense of belonging or to consider a particular place home? How refugees and other immigrants form attachment to the places where they settle and how they maintain or sever ties with the places they leave behind. What does it mean for people to have been forced to leave their homes due to wars or natural disasters, facing uncertainty about whether they can return? Attention will be given to how discourse and social dynamics shape people-place relationships, as well as the role of experience, perception, memories, aesthetics, and diverse narratives in giving meaning to place, forming place attachment, and defining who can lay claim to a place—and how.

Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

This course discusses the sociological perspective and its topical application. The aim of the course is that students gain an overview of the existing knowledge on important sociological topics. The course will emphasize the relation between theory and findings from recent research. In addition to studying classical theory, modernization and central concepts such as social structure and culture, students will learn about research on a range of important topics, such as stratification, organizations, social movements, deviance and illness, children and youth, gender, immigration and the life course.

We will begin with a discussion about the theoretical premises of sociology and psychology and their connection in social psychology. The creation of groups and interaction within groups are key elements of the discussion. Specific attention will be devoted to methods in social psychological research i.e. participant observations and experiments. We will also discuss practical applications of social psychology within for example the criminal system, the labour market and human capital development. Students will be required to do a project on the basis researchtexts with the aim of increasing understanding of the interconnection of theory, methods and practical applications.

After completing the course students should know the key concepts within social psychology and be able to use them when analysing contemporary issues.

The aim of the course is to introduce the students to the main topics in masculinity theory and research. Three main approaches in this century will be discussed, psychoanalysis, social psychology ("role" theory) and recent development centring on the masculinities will be discussed and how their creation and destruction is linked to other social structures. Specific attention will be paid to the participation of males in child care and domestic work and an Icelandic survey on males and family relations will be discussed.

The main aim of this course is to introduce the student to the field of Criminology. The subjects covered can be roughly divided into two broad categories. First: Criminological research and theoretical explanations, determining both what constitutes crime in society, in addition to the causes of crime, are explored and discussed. For this task, various perspectives are analysed and evaluated, such as Classical and Positivistic theories. Second: Four specific types of crime are closely analysed in terms of their nature and impact in society, theoretical explanations and finally their containment.

The objective of this course is to provide students with knowledge of the social basis of the media. To begin with, the course will discuss the history of communications and the historical background of contemporary media. Special attention is given to the control systems of media and relevant theories on such systems. Questions of pluralism in contents and control will be discussed in the light of ownership trends, competition and market concentration. Classic theories are introduced, along with recent researches, and terms like ownership, independence and news productions are examined. Agenda, framing, moral panic, propoganda, image production and discourse analysis are among the subjects scrutinised.

In this course we apply a sociological perspective to analyse themes in movies, tv-shows, popular music and other entertainment media. The course goals are for students to develop further understanding of how social structures and social interaction work and social change occur. This is to be achieved by allowing students to practice using the sociological perspective and sociological theories on mainstream issues in different social contexts, from popular culture media.

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?

This course aims to increase professionals‘ and students‘ knowledge and understanding of refugees and asylum seekers from the perspective of social work, law and anthropology. The course will provide an overview of:

• Current issues in the field of refugees and asylum seekers with an emphasis on Iceland
• Key  theories and concepts in  forced migration
• Rights of refugees and asylum seekers in Icelandic legislation, internationall legislation and the relationship between human rights and the protection in legislation
• How  gender and age  and other social characteristics such as sexuality, disability, etc. shape positions and experiences
• Of different groups of refugees and asylum seekers s, such as quota refugees, asylum seekers, failed asylum seekers,  victims of human trafficking etc.
• Of how multiple factors shape settlement experiences of individuals and families 

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. 

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.

An introduction to the subject of Folkloristics as an academic discipline both in Iceland and in other countries.The main concepts behind Folkloristics are introduced: the different fields that come under the headings of Folkloristics, the folkloristics view, the concept of culture, folk culture, folk customs and so on. The position of folkloristics within the humanities is discussed, as is its close relationship to other disciplines. A detailed examination is also made of the history of folkloristic research in Iceland and its neighbouring countries. Particular emphasis is placed on the discussion of the concept of folk beliefs, and in relation to this, an examination is made of Icelandic folk beliefs, past and present, their development and its individual characteristics. Material is drawn in part from articles from three of the following central academic journals: Ethnologia Scandinavica, Arv, Ethnologia Europea, Fabula, the Journal of Folklore Research, and the Journal of American Folklore.

This course involves an analysis of the social culture involved in games, entertainments, sports and festivals. Among other things, an examionation will be made of life festivals and seasonal festivals as well as games and leisure activities past and present, as well as other forms of activities like the banquets and dances known of the rural Icelandic society of the past. In addition to Icelandic festivals, attention will also be paid to comparable European festivals such as Halloween, and Mardi Gras. These activities involve a variety of folkloristic elements and have often formed one of the chief areas of folkloristic research. The aim is to introduce the wide range of research that has been carried out into the field in the last few years, students reading both key works and new researches. A great deal of source material is available on Icelandic festivals, games, sports and entertainments and the aim is to examine this material in the light of new theories and approaches.

In this course we will examine the role of folkloristic material in modern western society, examining in particular its presence in the media, films and the internet, as well as in the oral and practical tradition. Among other things, an examination will be made of modern migratory legends and the modern role of fairy tales, belief and prejudice, games and festivals, graffiti and jokes, and all sort of other modern customs and traditions. The aim is to increase our understanding of the popular basis of modern culture and extend our conciousness of all the "trivial" which has such a central role to play in shaping our attitudes within society and our views with regard to our fellow people. Reference will be made to recent and modern research work that has been undertaken in folkloristics, cultural studies and related subjects.

In this course, a number of  wonder tales will be read and analysed, especially from the viewpoint of what they have to say about society. Emphasis will be placed on the folk tale tradition, the performances of storytellers, the way they regularly recreate stories, and then the various motifs that they use in this process. The wonder tales will also be analysed from the viewpoint of the variety of raw material that was available for use in such recreation, and with regard to the range of variants and story types that were known, different motifs being compared in the process. Following this, attempts will be made to consider the "meaning" of different wonder tales. They will also be examined with regard to their social meaning and context, especially with regard to the nature of the society that helped shape them, and then how they are now reused and recreated in different media.

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 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.

Please note, this course is a reading course only 

This course deals in more detail with a subset of the topics covered in the course Introduction to Archaeology and Biological Anthropology. The geographical, ecological and social context of hominin evolution is explored. We examine contrasting hypotheses about the origin of anatomically modern humans, based on research in paleoanthropology and genetics. Particular attention is given to recent genetic studies that shed light on the origin and dispersal history of our species and its evolutionary relationships to other extant and extinct species. The topics covered include the isolation and analysis of DNA from ancient remains and studies in comparative linguistics and the light they can shed on human migration history. We review theories about the origin of culture and social behaviour and the extent to which the behaviour of humans is shaped by their evolutionary history.

The 21st century is increasingly characterized by growing discontent and xenophobia, fueled by a pervasive sense of an uncertain and threatened future. This perception of an apocalyptic or dystopian future is intertwined with a strong demand for reconciliation with the injustices and violence of the past. These tensions highlight the need to critically examine how history, memory, and power shape contemporary crises and the futures that are often envisioned in the present. This class examines the crises and visions of the future that characterize the 21st century while also reflecting on recent efforts to confront and reconcile with the past. Through recent scholarly writings, we explore how crises are experienced and how the future is both imagined and contested in the present. In doing so, we consider ruins of the past provide ways for understanding today’s challenges. One aspect of the course involves engaging with decolonial perspectives. Decolonization, in this context, is not only a political process of undoing colonial systems but also an intellectual and cultural effort to challenge the enduring legacies of colonialism in shaping global inequalities, epistemologies, and imaginaries of the future. By interrogating how colonial histories continue to manifest in modern crises—such as environmental destruction, economic disparity, and systemic racism—we seek to understand if decolonial approaches seek to offer pathways toward more equitable futures. What is the source of anxiety in the present? How do the ruins of colonial pasts inform present crises? Do critical theories provide alternatives to the dystopian trajectories often predicted for our world? How does the concept of polycrisis—interconnected crises spanning ecological, economic, and social domains—help us make sense of our collective experiences in the 21st century? By grappling with these questions, this course invites students to critically examine the intersections of crisis, memory, and future-making, offering tools to navigate and reimagine the complexities of the present.

Introduction to the anthropological discussion of kinship (family relations), which has a particular history within the discipline that is both related to the development of theoretical perspectives and wider changes in regard to attitudes to gender and personal liberty. The main focus is on the various manifestations of family relations in contemporary societies following a short historical overview.

This course focuses on arts and artistic methods and their role as a subject of anthropological inquiry, anthropological method and form of knowledge dissemination. Firstly, it considers different forms of artistic expression (literature, film, performance) as analytical lens that helps anthropologists to read into contemporary society. Secondly, it explores how artistic and creative practice can contribute to anthropological research and ways of doing ethnography. Finally, it examines how different artistic forms can be used to communicate research findings beyond conventional academic writing.

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.

The course focuses on contemporary theories through particular theoretical themes. The class teachers share with students’ readings, relating to recent research projects. Students’ active participation is strongly emphasized.

The main aim of this project is that students get a chance to work as volunteers with a NGO over the course of an academic year. The projects are chosen by student and teacher together. Students attend three discussion sessions with other students.

Students are expected to complete 40 hours of work.

In the course theories on religion in anthropology are examined and discussed as are different religious beliefs and practices. Topical focus is on the reading of symbols, the understanding of religious action and the historical dynamics of religion, as well as the intersection of religion, magic, and witchcraft.

The main aim of this project is that students get a chance to work as volunteers with a NGO over the course of an academic year. The projects are chosen by student and teacher together. Students write a short report at the end of their internship detailing their experience and how it has served them as students of anthropology.

Students are expected to complete 40 hours of work.

The aim of the course is to give introduction to research on children. Theoretical and methodological approaches will be discussed, as well as culturally constructed ideas about children, children's status in society and their well-being. Research that focuses on children's point of view and their agency will be given particular attention.

In this course, anthropogenic climate change is examined as a social and cultural phenomenon. Anthropological theories based on ecological thinking serve as a backdrop to introducing students to writing about global warming within anthropology and related disciplines. How can we understand climate politics? Specifically, through conceptualizations such as climate justice, governance, responsibility, and political imagination in the Anthropocene. We will touch on various aspects of climate change as a political category, from emission reduction to adaptation, and international agreements to ethical consumption.

Despite the end of the Cold War and the breakdown of the Eastern bloc, the division between East and West continues to form an inter-European axis of difference. What is the nature of this polarization? What constitutes and characterise Central and Eastern Europe? How is it imagined and conceptualized (from outside and within)? The course engages with the idea of Central and Eastern Europe from anthropological perspective. It discusses socio-cultural implications of the region’s ambiguous position and its perceived otherness. The main focus is on transition from state socialism to capital democracy in the Central and East Europe, introducing students to critical debate around the issues of political transformation. The course intends to prioritize (though not limit to) locally produced ethnographies of east-central Europe that examine experiences and lived realities of people after the dismantling of the communist states. It considers identity struggles and various socio-economic challenged faced in the region. The concepts of postsocialism and postcommunism are presented in relation to postcolonial theories.

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

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.

Humor is a fundamental aspect of social life and an important form of creative human communication. The course will consider how humor affects our perspectives on issues such as race, ethnicity, gender, class, group identity, and popular culture, as well as its uses in the face of illness, death, and tragedy. Humor is often the first artistic response to contemporary events, such as disasters, scandals, and political upheaveals. As such, it merits the closest serious attention. Folklorists have been at the forefront of the ethnographic study of humor for more than a century, focusing their attention on jokes that circulate among the general population or in particular segments of it. In addition to jokes, the course will draw on material from popular culture, arts, and the media.

Young people’s lives are increasingly measured by the standards of a mobile living. This changed way of living arrived in the wake of populations growth, technological advancements, global information access, and precarious living conditions. While the length of the period of migration varies, this experience influences identities, social relations, and aspirational opportunities. Still, opportunities for mobile endeavors are affected by gender, class, education, sexuality, ethnicity, and citizenship status. Examples of such youth migration are found in Erasmus exchanges, au-pair, sports, volunteerism, love migration, health migration, forced migration, grassroot activism, criminalities, and nomadism.

Consequently, new knowledge on youth migration has been emerging within sociology. These studies generally refer to people in the age between 15-30. Collectively these works demonstrate what indicators influence the push and pull in migration patterns. Additionally, these studies illuminate what social networks, imaginaries, and temporal situations, such as local economic crisis or participation in activism, can be a push for young people to migrate or a pull to return. Thus, the recent works show what institutional, social, and economic obstacles, young people face, how such obstacles are situationally negotiated and finally acted on. Lastly, recent studies shed a light on what kind of effect the migration has on the migrants themselves, on their family members and the localities they inhabit. 

This course will highlight the main theories of youth migration and introduce recent works published in this field. The course is constructed as an introduction into the field of social and geographical mobilities in contemporary societies. The aim is to draw forth varied experiences of youth migration while deconstructing the intersectional positionality of persons within the specific youth group. Therefore, a critical light will be cast on intersectionality in relation to global events, media outlets and fragile citizenships status. Students will be encouraged to engage with the topic through the material provided, own experiences and future visions for the Icelandic society

The course addresses deviance, social control, and marginalization from a sociological perspective. It explores key theories about individual motivations and social pressures that lead to deviance, as well as theories on how societies define deviance and label certain individuals as deviants. Emphasis is placed on power relations and struggles in defining deviance based on gender, age, class status, and other forms of social stratification, as well as cultural conflicts.The course also addresses the historical struggles between different social institutions over the ownership of specific forms of deviance, with a focus on the medicalization of deviance. Furthermore, it examines the normalization of certain traits, attitudes, and behaviors that were previously considered social deviance. Specific examples of deviance are discussed, such as substance use, sexual behavior, and self-harm, along with societal responses to certain ideas and physical characteristics as social deviance. Students in the course have the opportunity to reflect on these topics in larger and smaller groups and to explore a specific subject of their choice in greater depth.

Surveillance society and risk society are concepts that have become increasingly prominent in sociology. Furthermore there is growing interest in understanding how new technology shapes society; work arrangements, social interaction, social capital, and social sorting. The theories and writings of scholars like Manue Castells, Bruno Latour, Ursula Huws, David Lyon, Juliet Webster, Kristie Ball and Kevin Haggerty will be introduced. The attacks of 11 September 2001 were a watershed in terms of the surveillance society. A lot of capital is now spent on technology that can be used to observe people at work and play. The demand for increased productivity and increased corporate competition has led to comparable technology increasingly being used to observe employees, their efficiency and work behaviour. The consequences for the protection of the person are multifarious and indicate both increases in limits and liberties. The lines between personal and professional life have been blurred, as well as the limits between the material and the semiotic. Space has taken on new meaning as well as the body. New kinds of social media and online communities have given rise to new kinds of surveillance, what is known in the field as social surveillance.

The aim of the course is to analyse research and theories on the multifarious and paradoxical effects information and computer technology has on individuals and societies. Students read chosen texts on the above discussed issues and acquaint themselves with foreign and domestic research in the field.