Courses / Module

Cultural Awareness denotes the recognition of one's own culture and the culture of others. Cultural Awareness training is now common in key societal areas where institutions meet complex, diverse publics, and in situations where conflict is possible. In this module the aim is to explore and (critically) evaluate Cultural Awareness training, amplifying its positive potential by undergirding it with anthropological knowledge. The module focuses on conflict intervention and targets civilians, police, and military staff intending to work areas where Cultural Awareness and Competence will be of great importance. The module takes as its starting point the need to bridge different areas of professional expertise, and the need to learn from existing knowledge acquired over generations. To build this bridge, the module takes the concepts, practices and ethics of anthropology and brings them into dialogue with the operational requirements of modern-day conflict intervention operators.

Note: AN617 (Cultural Awareness) will not be available at online registration. Interested students should contact the Department of Anthropology (anthropology.office@mu.ie) for more details.