Anthropology and Sociology major

Anthropology and Sociology is the fascinating study of the nature of humanity itself along with the complexities of human social relationships. This major incorporates the study of the cultures, institutions, social behaviours, economies and systems of meaning of all human societies. It includes the topics of religions, politics, kinship, gender, education, health, migration, landscapes and the media. Students investigate various cultural theories and a range of studies on behaviours and beliefs that are used to explore the great diversity of past and present societies. Your study furthers your understanding of your place in the world and results in useful skills for living and working in a changing, multicultural society. Anthropology and Sociology studied together in this major offers a way of understanding the whole context of human experiences.

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) demonstrate an understanding of key concepts in anthropology and sociology including cultural diversity, social inequality, the nature of social relationships and institutions, systems of symbolic meaning, and processes that underpin social and cultural change; (2) demonstrate knowledge of anthropology and sociology as academic disciplines in historical context including principal concepts and theories; (3) demonstrate an ability to critically review, analyse, summarize and synthesize anthropological and sociological research and theory; (4) demonstrate an ability to formulate, investigate and discuss anthropologically and sociologically informed research questions and develop arguments based on a critical evaluation of evidence; and (5) demonstrate an ability to communicate anthropological and sociological ideas, principles and knowledge to specialist and non-specialist audiences using a range of formats (written, oral, visual etc.).

Broadening guidelines

All students studying towards a Bachelor's Degree at UWA are required to Broaden their studies by completing a minimum of four units (24 points) of study outside their degree specific major. Broadening is your opportunity to explore other areas of interest, investigate new disciplines and knowledge paradigms and to shape your degree to suit your own aspirations and interests. Many of you will be able to undertake more than this minimum amount of broadening study and we encourage you to do so if this suits your aspirations. Over the next few months you will find here some broadening suggestions related to your degree-specific major. While we know that many students value guidance of this sort, these are only suggestions and students should not lose sight of the opportunity to explore that is afforded by your Broadening Choices. Advice can also be sought from your Allocated Student Advising Office.

Anthropology and Sociology can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

BP001 Bachelor of Arts
BH005 Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)

Overview of unit sequence

Anthropology and Sociology is a degree-specific single major comprising:

  • two Level 1 units
  • three Level 2 units
  • three Level 3 units
Key to availability of units:
S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; N/A = not available in 2021; NS = non-standard teaching period

Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2022 or 2023.

Level 1

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (12 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 ANTH1001 Being Human: Culture, Identity and Society
Incompatibility:
ANTH1101 Being Human: Culture, Identity and Society
S2 ANTH1002 Global Change, Local Responses
Incompatibility:
ANTH1102 Global Change, Local Responses

Level 2

Degree-specific major units
Take the following unit:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 ANTH2001 Social Thought
Prerequisites:
any Level 1 ANTH unit
Incompatibility:
ANTH2214 Development of Social Thought
Degree-specific major units
Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
N/A ANTH2401 Constructing Cultures Through Media
Prerequisites:
any Level 1 ANTH unit
Incompatibility:
ANTH2204 Visual Representations of Cultures, ANTH2239 Anthropology of Media
N/A ANTH2402 Religion in Society
Prerequisites:
any Level 1 ANTH unit
Incompatibility:
ANTH2203 Religion
S2 ANTH2405 Sex, Gender and Social Life
Prerequisites:
any Level 1 ANTH unit
or
GEND1901 Days of our Lives: Gender in Australia
Incompatibility:
ANTH2217 Anthropology of Gender and Sexuality
S2 ANTH2406 Society, Law and Politics
Prerequisites:
any Level 1 ANTH unit
or
LAWS1110 Crime and Society
N/A ANTH2407 Australian Society
Prerequisites:
any Level 1 arts unit
Incompatibility:
ANTH2219 Australian Society: Facts and Fantasies
S2 ANTH2701 Culture, Ecologies, Extinction: Environment and Society in a Time of Crisis
Incompatibility:
ANTH3701 Environmental Anthropology
S1 ANTH2801 Migrants, Refugees and Travellers: Mobility and Immobility in Transnational Lives
Prerequisites:
any Level 1 ANTH unit
Incompatibility:
HUMA2236 Refugees and Human Rights
N/A ANTH2902 Aboriginal Art and Society
Prerequisites:
any Level 1 Arts unit
Incompatibility:
ANTH2224 Aboriginal Art: Production of Meaning
S1, NS ASIA2004 Popular Culture in Asia
Prerequisites:
any Level 1
or
Level 2 ASIA, KORE, JAPN, CHIN, INDO, ENGL, HIST, PHIL, ARCY, COMM, LING, ANTH, LAW, VISA, MUSC, SOCS
or
POLS unit.
Incompatibility:
SOCS2216 Popular Culture in Asia

Level 3

Degree-specific major units
Take the following unit:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 ANTH3001 Ethnography: Methodological Perspectives
Prerequisites:
ANTH2001 Social Thought
or
ANTH2214 Development of Social Thought
or
ANTH2406 Society, Law and Politics
Degree-specific major units
Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
N/A ANTH3401 Engaged Anthropology
Prerequisites:
any Level 2 ANTH unit
Incompatibility:
ANTH2209 Applied Anthropology
N/A ANTH3402 Contemporary Social Thought
Prerequisites:
ANTH2001 Social Thought
or
ANTH2214 Development of Social Thought
Incompatibility:
ANTH2220 Contemporary Social Thought
S2 ANTH3501 Mind, Body, Culture
Prerequisites:
any Level 2 ANTH unit; any first year psychology unit.
Incompatibility:
ANTH2228 Health and Illness in Australian Society, ANTH2408 Psychological Anthropology
S1 ANTH3601 Indigenous Australia
Prerequisites:
12 points (Social Science and Humanities) at level 2

Choosing your degree-specific major

Specialised degrees – Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science (Honours), Bachelor of Automation and Robotics, Bachelor of Environmental Design, Bachelor of Music

You must satisfy the requirements of the degree-specific major in your degree before you complete your course.

Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics

This comprehensive degree does not require you to choose a degree-specific major.

General degrees

You must satisfy the requirements of a degree-specific major before you complete your course. The flexible structure of an undergraduate course allows you to try out a number of different subjects to see what interests you before nominating your degree-specific major. You have the choice to either nominate your degree-specific major when you first enrol in the course or delay nominating it until your second year.

To plan the first year of your study without nominating a degree-specific major, you are advised to choose units that will pave the way to two or more degree-specific majors that are of interest to you. For examples of the choice of units available in first year, search the first-year study plans .

To fully understand the structure of an undergraduate course, read the course structure information and the Undergraduate Degree Course Rules.

The following example illustrates how the Anthropology and Sociology degree-specific major can be included in the Bachelor of Arts course.

Example: Course Study Plan: CSP001-ANTSC

There are more choices open to you. For more examples, search the study plans .

Choosing a second major

You also have the option to choose a second major from those available in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Design Only available to re-enrolling students. and Bachelor of Science courses, giving you the opportunity to pursue your interests no matter how different they are.

The following example illustrates how the Anthropology and Sociology degree-specific major can be combined with a second major in the Bachelor of Arts course.

Example: Course Study Plan: CSP001-ANTSC-Generic

For more examples of combinations of majors, search the study plans .