Social and Cultural Anthropology
Student testimonial: Gijs
Why have you chosen the master Social and Cultural Antropology?
During my teenage years I understood that I will not allow myself to be a bystander in the unmaking process of human kind. I have always been deeply moved and angered with stories and images of war and other bloodshed. As a result of my curious nature I have been wondering for years why people are involved in widespread violence, as either a victim or the aggressor.
Anthropological theories and methods give us the tools to just this; to analyze why people do what they do, and how they come to their actions. The analysis is based on the assumption that people are social and as such behavior is a social process, in which meaning is attached to human action. I think uncovering the meaning attached to violence as well as the social process underlying it, either from perspective of the aggressor or the victim, is what can be the key to end violence.
Why VU University Amsterdam?
The main reason I chose to study at VU University is that they are especially equipped to deal with matters of violence. The paradigm of Human Security, which the VU chose as the perspective through which they want to conduct anthropological research, is a tool which provides for a subjective interpretation of violence. The paradigm views security as defined and interpreted differently by different people in different situations.
What is your main focus now?
My research focuses on the workings of memory of this intifada as a tool for the interpretation of the present situation adolescent Palestinian refugees are facing, and how this interpretation shapes their outlook on the future and as such informs their current everyday life.
With my study I want to contribute to an understanding of Palestinian life under occupation. In the West knowledge about the problems Palestinians are facing is very scarce in the public opinion.
Instead the Palestinians are often portrayed as mere terrorists and not as people with lives and dreams. I hope to show people how the future generation of Palestine is experiencing Israel’s occupation, and how this possibly shapes the future of the Middle East conflict.
What do you think about the study programme?
The study programme allows students to develop their own research project right from the start of the academic year. Everything is possible and the staff does their utter best to assign the most suitable personal supervisor to every student. I think almost all of them can be characterized by a great heart for the students.
Besides the intensive fieldwork preparation students are theoretically educated concerning human security theory, general social theories, and anthropological methods. A vast study load is the result, but it is worth the effort in becoming a worldly critical analyst of sociopolitical problems.
Do you have any remarks about the study?
The Master Programme Social and Cultural Anthropology of the VU is especially fit for people that are interested in the link between politics and people. The focus on Human Security emphasizes the connection between national and /or international politics and people’s interpretation of the consequences of those politics.
In my opinion this a worthwhile as well as a unique feature of the VU’s anthropology master programme. Besides that the staff is great. They enthusiastically insist on choosing a fieldwork which you are passionate about, and leave you all the space to carry out your own plans. Also, they have the ability to inspire on a personal level as well as on a theoretical level. The programme is demanding, but rewarding in the end.
Gijs Verbossen, Master's student Social and Cultural Anthropology, 2010-2011
