AANB05058U International Consultancy, Anthropology in Practice

Ever wondered how to transform your anthropological knowledge into concrete action? In this course, we will be anthropologists on consultancy team missions. Through concrete cases, students will need to respond to a call (Terms of Reference) from Danish NGO’s or consultancy companies. The cases will primarily be taken from different regions in the global south (i.e. the so-called “developing” countries). Where partners in Denmark provide the cases, the students are expected to present their work to the partner after the end of the course. 

In groups, the students will practice the art of searching information and research data about the concrete area and theme of the consultancy, thus transforming their anthropological knowledge into concrete action. Their main task during the course will be to produce a technical proposal to one of the aforementioned agencies and deliver it as a final report, which has to be presented to a panel of external reviewers from well-known consultancies groups. 

The focus of the course will be on learning the tools of participatory research methods and the workflow of international consultancy work, while at the same time keeping a critical view of the consultancy business. Participatory research methods can be used in most anthropological endeavours and the course offers insight to a wide range of areas where to apply these.

More and more, anthropologists are recruited as consultants and we will also explore the problems, issues and dilemmas surrounding the consultant role. Engaging in consultancy work raises ethical and political issues about “whose problems” and “whose solutions”. At the end of each class and based on selected literature, we will focus on and debate these issues as well.