Master of Arts (Honours) - Scottish Ethnology (V910)

Scotland's past can be uncovered and its future shaped through the study of human cultures, with skills gained that are applicable to any culture. This joint honors program combines two distinct approaches to the study of human cultures, past and present, offering an innovative opportunity.

The discipline of Ethnology focuses on the culture and traditions of developed societies, serving as a meeting point between history and anthropology. While Ethnology is commonly offered in universities across Europe, this program is the only full undergraduate program of its kind available in the UK.

The program primarily focuses on Scotland, but also includes comparative material from other regions. Students will examine the various ways in which a modern European nation expresses its cultural identity.

Key questions explored in the program include the role of customs, beliefs, social organization, language, music, and song in shaping identity in the modern world. Additionally, students will learn how to utilize and interpret the past within the context of the present, and how this understanding can contribute to shaping the future.

A notable aspect of the program is the opportunity to work with the extensive collection of materials in the School of Scottish Studies Archives. These resources encompass thousands of hours of recordings featuring songs, music, stories, rhyme, and verse in Scots, Gaelic, English, and now extinct dialects.