Anthropology is the study of people — how we live, organise our societies, create meaning, and make sense of the world. From rituals and migration to markets, media and everyday habits, anthropology asks big questions about culture, identity and belonging. If you’ve ever enjoyed documentaries about different communities, films exploring unfamiliar worlds, or stories that reveal how people live differently across the globe, you’ve already touched on anthropological thinking.
Our evening anthropology courses offer an accessible, commitment-free way to explore these ideas. There are no essays to submit or long-term obligations — just engaging sessions that introduce key concepts and encourage thoughtful discussion. Whether you’re curious about cultural traditions, urban life, global change or how societies evolve, these short courses create space to look at the world with fresh eyes.
For some, a short course can even open unexpected doors. Juliet, one of our former students, began with evening classes out of pure interest, only to be encouraged to pursue further study and eventually complete postgraduate research exploring the changing community around Camden Lock Market — describing the experience as “such fun”. Whether you want to satisfy your curiosity or see where anthropology might lead, these courses provide a welcoming starting point.
On this course we will examine some of the ways people think and act in different cultures, including our own.
"After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world,” said author Philip Pullman. Another writer, Robert McKee, added, “Stories are how we remember; we tend to forget lists and bullet points.” Stories are important: they are powerful and can be dangerous – Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche warns us about the danger of a single story. And stories told through visual art can be particularly powerful - sometimes in a good way (e.g. Henri Matisse’s Bonheure de Vivre); sometimes bad (e.g. Nazi propaganda cartoons). We will look at a wide range of examples from our own and other cultures. The emphasis on this course will be on discussion, sharing ideas based on the cross-cultural material provided in class as well as our own individual experiences.
Bill Clinton’s Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, said 'us' and 'them' were the two most dangerous words in the human vocabulary because they drive us apart. An example from our own society could be Brexiteers versus Remainers. An example from traditional Nuer society in South Sudan could be one clan versus another. Why doesn’t this division split society apart? We’ll look at the sorts of cross-cutting ties that can hold us together. The emphasis will be on discussion, sharing ideas based on the cross-cultural material provided in class as well as our own individual experiences