‘Us’ and ‘Them’: An Anthropological Perspective

The course is for anyone who is interested in finding out what Anthropology can contribute to our understanding of relationships between ‘us’ and ‘them’. The only requirement is that you are open-minded, prepared to contribute to discussion, and interested in people and their ideas.

Anthropologists take a holistic view of human development and diversity. They gather evidence from many sources including popular culture – art, films, literature, magazines, music, galleries, museums, the internet - as well as from direct observation and academic texts. They use this evidence to compare the ways people in different communities behave and the beliefs underlying that behavior. One important and interesting area of study concerns ‘Us and Them’. What similarities and differences do we find in beliefs and behavior around ideas about ‘Us’ and ‘Them’ in different cultures across space and time? What is the effect of those different traditions? What happens when those traditions change – whether through drift or intent? What about the values involved?

By the end of the course you should be able to:

• Use examples to compare beliefs and behavior about ‘us and them’ in different cultures.

• Analyse at least two examples of the relationship between ‘us’ and ’them’ in particular societies.

• Evaluate the usefulness of anthropology in understanding different approaches to managing relationships between ‘us’ and ‘them’.