As part of our third year Independent Study module, students complete a series of popular science articles, addressing topical issues from an anthropological perspective. This week, our featured article is by Cerys Savinkina. Cerys’s bio: I am a third-year anthropology student with both Welsh and Ukrainian heritage. I have a variety of interests, with dietary Read More…
Category: health
HIV/AIDS & Global Health: Social responsibility and Stigmatisation of Sex Workers in Ruili, China
Our third year HIV/AIDS and Global Health module, which explores broader anthropological questions around HIV/AIDS, illness and healing, sexual and reproductive relationships, and global health. As part of the module students are required to design a HIV awareness poster or research proposal. This week, we are featuring a research proposal by Nanchang Gadong on HIV Read More…
Being Human: The anthropology of menstruation
As part of our first year Being Human module, students write an essay where they consider social and biological anthropological perspectives on a key topic in anthropology. This week, our featured essay is by Vlada Sosis. Vlada’s bio: I am a first year anthropology student, originally from Ukraine. After I finished a Fine Arts degree Read More…
Being Human: Is obesity best understood as a social or biologically/evolutionarily-driven phenomenon?
As part of our first year Being Human module, students write an essay where they consider social and biological anthropological perspectives on a key topic in anthropology. This week we are featuring an essay by Katie Goode. Katie’s bio: I am a first-year anthropology student from Berkshire. I came across anthropology unexpectedly when looking for Read More…
Culture, Madness and Medicalisation: COVID, communities of colour and mental health
In our third year Culture, ‘Madness’ and Medicalisation module, students receive a critical introduction to today’s dominant psychological/clinical practices such as psychoanalysis, bio-psychiatry, psychotherapy, counselling and clinical psychology and the importance of anthropology in illuminating how psychological/clinical practices are dramatically shaping contemporary subjectivities and wider socio/cultural life. This year, our featured essay from the module Read More…
CRESIDA webinar by Dr Derek Summerfield on the globalisation of western mental health
On 18 November 2020, Dr Derek Summerfield from the Institute of Psychiatry presented a webinar in the CRESIDA seminar series titled ‘Globalising Western ‘mental health’: psychiatry, spirits, ancestors and poverty. Case studies from UK, Zimbabwe, Cambodia’. Abstract The ongoing globalisation of Western psychiatry and psychology trades on universalistic assumptions about ‘mind’. These are at odds Read More…
Spotlight on… Nadine Beckmann
Position: Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology Bio: A native German, Nadine completed her undergraduate training and Master’s degree at the University of Muenster in Germany. She received her DPhil in anthropology from the University of Oxford in 2008, based on a dissertation on life with HIV/AIDS in a Muslim society, notions of morality and uncertainty, Read More…
HIV/AIDS & Global Health: HIV among older adults in South Africa
Our third year HIV/AIDS and Global Health module, which explores broader anthropological questions around HIV/AIDS, illness and healing, sexual and reproductive relationships, and global health. As part of the module students are required to design a HIV awareness poster or research proposal. This week, we are featuring a poster assignment by Hovnan Gulbenkian Eayrs on HIV among Read More…
Studying the effects of virtual substitutes for social interactions in a time of coronavirus
Human beings are social animals who rely heavily on face-to-face interactions and touch to deal with everyday stresses. Socially well-connected individuals are healthier, live longer and are generally less stressed. However, due to the social restrictions engendered by the Covid-19 pandemic, most people are suddenly cut off from physical contact with their friends and must Read More…
‘It’s a kind of magic’: Coronavirus attire, mimesis and the limits of rationalism[1]
By Kirsten Bell Over the past few weeks, airport travel has had the feel of a global game of musical chairs, with everyone scrambling to find their seat (i.e., return home) before the music stops – namely, countries close their borders and airlines suspend international flights. Many remain standing (stranded), but I was one of Read More…
