The Master’s programme in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology at Leiden University covers one year. The programme offers two specialisations:
The Leiden MA in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (CA-DS) is personal and internationally orientated. Unique in Leiden are the specialisations, and it is the only MA CA-DS where students can graduate by using audiovisual methods (like film) both as research and reporting tools. The master’s programme offers:
Visual Ethnography:
Visual Ethnography as a Method is a methodological option that can be combined with both specialisations. It teaches students how to use photo’s, video and audio both as research and reporting tools as part of anthropological research. The exact programme and course descriptions of this methodological track within both specialisations can be found on the e-prospectus pages of the specialisations.
If you have any question regarding the admission to ‘Visual Ethnography as a Method’, please check our website.
Regional Focus – Fieldschools:
The Leiden Institute of CA-DS has a lot of expertise on South-East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, and of course the Netherlands. The MA students are also encouraged to conduct their research in one of our field schools located in Indonesia (Java), Ghana, or the Netherlands.
Nevertheless, students are not strictly limited to these regions and can focus their research on another region about which they have some expertise and speak the local language. In such cases it is advisable to contact the institute’s coordinator and discuss the feasibility of your research plans.
Objectives of the MA:
To provide master’s students with general theoretical knowledge of the discipline and thorough knowledge of culture and society in a certain region. This will enable them to analyse the social problems of that region, to report on them in an academically sound way and to offer advice on policies;
To equip master’s students with the scientific skills required to independently design and execute fundamental and applied research;
To provide master’s students with the knowledge, skills and instruments required for the job market, both in societies that are culturally familiar and in those that are new and different.