Welcome to the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology
Social and cultural anthropology adopts a comparative perspective to focus on the variety of forms that human coexistence takes in various places and at various times. In the past the field's attention was primarily given to small-scale societies outside of the industrial world. Nowadays, the focus of research is frequently on the processes related to colonialism, globalisation and the worldwide flows of migration seen in the present day, for example the redefinition of identities and cultural distinctions. The classical themes of local cultural interactions, organisational forms and world views are simultaneously developed, and intensive field research remains the field's defining characteristic in connection with the "participant observation" method.
Beyond scientific research, the practical application of cultural and social anthropological expertise is useful and sought after in many fields, including refugee work and integration, development cooperation, international missions, cultural mediation, exhibition and media work, tourism, and health care systems.
News & Events
on 23 October 2026 @ freiraum (Gumpendorfer Straße 23, 1060 Vienna)
on 13, 20 and 27 October 2026, starting at 6:30 pm each day
@ Sky Lounge, Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1
"The Making of the Radical Right: Political Economy, Moral Self-Worth and Organisational Power."
Lecture: 4 November 2026, 5.30 pm @CEU Auditorium
Q&A: 5 November 2026, 5.30 pm @ifk Arkade
16 October 2026, 11 am - 5:30 pm
@ IKSA, Hörsaal A
"Assembling Markers of Ethnicised Poverty in a Hungarian Village: An Ethnography of Everyday Social Services" by Amélie Renz.
published in February 2024
Event Tips
Hier finden sich die aktuellen Events des Instituts an der ÖAW
Hier finden sich die aktuellen Events des Instituts an der CEU
Hier finden sich aktuelle Veranstaltungen der Universität Wien
Jobs
We look forward to receiving your applications by June 26, 2026, at the latest.
Hier geht es zu den aktuellen Stellenausschreibungen der Uni Wien.
Calls
Interessierte (Jung-)Wissenschafter*innen können sich wieder für zahlreiche Preise, Förderungen und Stipendien bewerben.
Eine aktuelle Liste des Forschungsservice und der Nachwuchsförderung
Eine vom Forschungsservice und der Nachwuchsförderung zusammengestellte Liste aktueller Ausschreibungen.
