Arabic and Social Anthropology MA (Hons)

Arabic is the main language of more than 250 million people inhabiting a huge swathe of land extending from the Atlantic to the Persian Gulf. It is the fifth most widely spoken language in the world and is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Social anthropology is the comparative study of human behaviour and ideas in their social, cultural, religious, and political contexts. While the subject matter overlaps with that of sociology, human geography, and development studies, it is also closely linked to history and philosophy. Given the importance of the Arab world as the immediate neighbour of Europe on the southern and eastern sides of the Mediterranean, Arabic and Social Anthropology make an excellent combination. The University of Edinburgh is recognised in the UK and internationally as a leading institution for the research-led study of Arabic, together with Persian, Islam, and the Middle East. You will have the opportunity to learn from researchers who are international leaders in their field, and will also engage in original anthropological research, which may be library-based or involve fieldwork.