Anthropology and International Relations

Anthropology and international relations is a pairing that combines two disciplines with complementary approaches to understanding human societies and the forces that connect and divide them. Anthropology examines culture, kinship, ritual, belief, economy, and the extraordinary diversity of ways in which human groups organise their lives, and has always been concerned with understanding societies on their own terms rather than through a single external framework. International relations analyses the political, economic, and security dynamics of the world system, asking how states interact, why conflicts arise, and how power is distributed and exercised globally.

Together they offer an unusually rich interdisciplinary perspective on contemporary cultures, societies, and international affairs.

At Queen's University of Belfast, this three-year full-time programme provides an in-depth understanding of international affairs in their political, historical, social, cultural, economic, and legal dimensions. You will explore globalisation, the rise of major emerging powers, European integration, humanitarian issues including poverty, development, and migration, and the role of media in conflict, alongside anthropological engagement with the cultures, societies, and lived experiences of people across the world. The combination asks you to bring cultural sensitivity and anthropological method to bear on questions of international politics, and to contextualise political analysis within an understanding of the human realities that political structures shape and are shaped by.

You will develop research skills, theoretical analytical capacity, intercultural awareness, and strong written communication across both disciplines.

Graduates pursue careers in international organisations, the foreign service, NGOs, development work, journalism, academic research, human rights, and a range of other fields where the combination of cultural understanding and international political knowledge is valued. Postgraduate study in international relations, anthropology, development, or area studies is a natural continuation.