Social Anthropology and Music

Social anthropology and music is a combination that takes two of the richest approaches to human culture and places them in dialogue. Social anthropology is the comparative study of human societies and cultures, examining how people live, believe, organise themselves, and make meaning in radically different ways across the world. It is a discipline of careful observation, rigorous analysis, and reflexive awareness of the scholar's own cultural assumptions.

Music, from the anthropological perspective, is a universal human practice that varies enormously in form, function, and meaning from one society to another, making it one of the most powerful windows into cultural life.

At the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London you will study this three-year programme at an institution with extraordinary breadth and depth in the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The combination of social anthropology and music at SOAS gives you access to non-Western musical traditions, ethnomusicology, and the anthropological study of musical practice alongside comparative social analysis, fieldwork methods, and the global scope of the SOAS curriculum. The programme includes a foundation year option for students who need additional preparation.

You will engage with music from a wide range of cultures and historical periods, developing critical and analytical skills alongside your understanding of social structure, kinship, religion, and the politics of representation.

Graduates of social anthropology and music work in music and cultural organisations, international development, the voluntary and NGO sectors, journalism and broadcasting, heritage, education, arts administration, cultural diplomacy, and a wide range of roles in public and private organisations where cross-cultural understanding is valued. Ethnomusicology, cultural policy, and development work in music and the arts are particular strengths of this combination. Postgraduate study in ethnomusicology, social anthropology, international development, or museum studies is a natural extension for those who wish to pursue specialist research or academic careers.