Arabic and Social Anthropology

Course description

Arabic is the main language of more than 350 million people inhabiting a huge swathe of land extending from the Atlantic to the Persian Gulf. It is the sixth most widely spoken language in the world and is one of the six official languages of the United Nations.

Combining Arabic with Social Anthropology enables you to learn the Arabic language while engaging in the comparative study of human behaviour and ideas in a range of contexts:

* social

* cultural

* religious

* political

**Arabic**

Our programme is designed to give you a thorough grounding in both classical and modern Arabic. It enables you to access a wide range of original material, from pre-Islamic poetry and Islamic religious texts to contemporary sources, Arabic novels, newspapers, and television.

You do not currently need to know any Arabic, as Year 1 courses are suitable for beginners. By Year 3, you will have the skills to spend the year studying in a country in which Arabic is spoken.

You will learn to:

* read, write and translate Arabic

* listen to and speak the language

Our courses open the door to a fascinating and varied region, shining a light on its history, societies and cultures. You will study aspects of the Arabic-speaking world, past and present.

**Social Anthropology**

At the heart of Social Anthropology is the common humanity that underlies the world's many different societies.

The discipline overlaps with sociology, human geography, and development studies, and is also closely linked to history and philosophy.

On our courses, you will learn what anthropology contributes to some of the most important issues facing us today.

You will also build up the theoretical tools and practical techniques to engage in your own original anthropological research.

**Why Edinburgh?**

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.

Our programme is flexible. In Year 2, for example, in addition to your core subjects, you will choose an option course from a wide range of disciplines. You will specialise as you progress through the programme and spend a year studying abroad.

You will have the opportunity to learn from researchers who are international leaders in their field. You will also engage in original anthropological research, which may be library-based or involve fieldwork.

When you graduate, you will have the combination of intercultural competence and specialist knowledge valued by employers worldwide.

Subjects

• Arabic studies
• Social anthropology