This course is coordinated by Claudia Merli and Jakob Löfgren. Contact the teachers if you have questions about the course and the teaching. Claudia's webpage, and Jakob's webpage

For questions about admission, registration and the like, please contact our course administrator Angelika Holm.

About the course 

The course focuses on how anthropological and ethnological knowledge can be applied to working life outside academia and in the activities of private and public organisations. The course draws attention to the practical uses of anthropology and ethnology and the various careers that a Master's degree in cultural anthropology or ethnology can lead to. It also addresses how anthropological and ethnological knowledge and analytical tools can be used in various professional contexts, for example, to analyse and improve the work of companies and organisations. As anthropology and ethnology are both politically and socially engaged disciplines, time will be devoted to discussions of the subjects' roles in the public arena.

The course will be based on readings and lectures by academics and professionals with experience in applying anthropology and ethnology in private and public settings and in the work of government agencies, consulting firms and non-governmental organisations and the like. This is combined with practical assignments. such as how to use design anthropology to assess urban users interests, evaluating policy documents and reports, and preparing terms of reference, and assessing the challenges of actors that work with cultural heritage institutions.

We use books and articles that are available at the University Library and/or at book stores. In addition, articles and reports can be provided by the teachers during the course.

Articles/chapters will be selected from a number of books and journals, all available online:

You will find the full reading list here.

Course start

The course starts with an introductory lecture on Tuesday January, 20 at 13.15 (check the general timetable for exact location). The lecture/seminars will normally take place on Tuesdays sometime between 9.15 and 15.00. There will be individual and group assignments to fulfill between lecture/seminars.
It is very important that you attend the first introductory lecture so that you get up-dated information about the schedule. If you cannot attend but plan to take the course contact jakob.lofgren@etno.uu.se (first part of the course) or claudia.merli@antro.uu.se (second part of the course) on beforehand!

When you have registered you will find the course schedule in the left hand menu and on the page Weekly reading schedule with reading instructions.

Don't forget to register yourself on the course

To start the course, you need to be registered. Go to Ladok for students to register. It is not enough that you are only admitted to the course. On the page Admissions and registration there are instructions on how you do this. The registration periode is open December 11 2025 until January 11 2026.

Study Support

If you need special support in your studies, you need to obtain a certificate to receive it, a so-called NAIS certificate. You can read more and apply for support on our student page Study Support. If you have questions, contact Uppsala University’s coordinators for targeted study support. Apply as early as possible after you have registered on the course. That way you will get help the fastest.

Expectations

We expect you to read the assigned book chapters and articles before you come to class, and to participate actively in each class. Attendance in the seminars is mandatory. Read more about assignments, the attendance policy and the course examination here.

You will encounter engaged and knowledgeable teachers, who prepare each class carefully to meet your expectations. Your teachers on this course are Simon Poole, Tommy Kuusela, Katarzyna Herd,   Sten Hagberg, Mahmoud Keshavarz, and Katarina Graffman.

Get prepared

We look forward to meet you soon! Please prepare by reading the course information published under the module About the course and all other pages in this course, and by reading the texts assigned before class! 

Welcome!