AANA18105U Political Anthropology, Advanced Course: Anthropology, International Relations and Diplomacy

The aim of this Advanced Course in Political Anthropology, Anthropology, International Relations and Diplomacy, is to investigate relations between the fields of political anthropology and international relations.

The course will introduce students to the study of international relations and diplomacy through an anthropological lens, focusing on how human political (inter)actions and everyday negotiations shape state politics and impact on current developments on the global political scene. The purpose is to explore both how political anthropology can contribute to the body of international relations studies and how, in turn, the study of international relations and diplomacy can inspire the thinking and professional practice of anthropologists. The course will be highly focused on practical application, striving to prepare students for internationally oriented careers by discussing concrete tools and testing them through use of interactive elements (see below).

International relations (IR) is a well-established academic discipline studying relations and interactions between national governments, NGO’s, international organizations and multinational corporations. Students will gain an understanding of some of the central elements of IR such as international security, state power, diplomacy and human rights. At the same time, they will explore how the study of foreign policy and sovereign states can be grasped anthropologically, approaching global changes through the study of local phenomena and applying central concepts from political anthropology including rituals, authority and negotiation.