Curricula (ED&I)

To see our current curricula for the BA Archaeology & Anthropology click here, for the postgraduate taught courses click here.  

We oversee the content and structure of our curricula through our undergraduate and graduate teaching committees, which meet twice each term, including student representatives. In 2020-21 we are undergoing a process of reviewing our curricula from the perspective of diversity and inclusivity, through a working group making recommendations to the teaching committees. In the longer term this process will be taken forward by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity committee, in collaboration with the teaching committees.

Key to our efforts to diversify our curricula is the work of our subject librarian, Helen Worrell, the Archaeology and Tylor Anthropology Librarian at the Bodleian Libraries.

Helen Worrell's Diversifying Portraiture Project

Helen Worrell created this exhibition of posters which debuted at the ASA conference in September, 2018. Helen's academic interests lie in LGBTQ studies, which she specialised in when studying for a MA (Hons) in Sociology at the University of Edinburgh.  She also holds an MA in Information and Library Management.    She is also EDI co-ordinator for Academic Library Services in the Bodleian Libraries. The Tylor Library moved to the Social Science Library in 2022.  It was part of the Bodleian Libraries and situated in the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography.  The Library had busts of Evans-Pritchard, Frazer, and Godfrey Lienhardt.  Whilst their contribution to the discipline remains invaluable, the Library and the School were keen to celebrate anthropologists from communities that have been overlooked.

Staff and students were invited to nominate an anthropologist who has inspired them from communities currently under-represented, for example people of colour, women, LGBTIQ+, disabled communities. The posters are now on permanent display throughout the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography. 

Helen is currently involved in the ‘We are our history: towards racial equity’ Mellon funded project at the Bodleian Libraries.  She supports the Project Manager in delivering the project and also leads on the Collection Development workstream.  More information on the project is here We Are Our History | Bodleian Libraries (ox.ac.uk)

Helen led the project Changing the narrative: championing inclusive collection development for the Bodleian Libraries. 

Across the University many Departments are now undergoing changes to rectify historic gaps in teaching and enhance inclusivity.  In addition to top down curricula changes, students and researchers are setting up networks to examine these issues within Oxford University and campaign for change, see for example ‘Common Ground Oxford’ or TORCH’s ‘Queer Studies Network’.   Other GLAM institutions are also addressing the historic bias of their collections, for example the Pitt Rivers’ Public Engagement with Research strategy includes a focus on decolonisation of the museum and its collections, and the Ashmolean has promoted diversity through object-based learning. 

Inspired by this, the Social Sciences and Humanities Libraries wish to take a more proactive approach to collection development that enables us to think critically about the collections we currently hold so that we are aware of the gaps and the narrative these collections tell.  This will ensure the collections we build are used and useful, and continue their transformational impact. 

This project will champion diversifying our collection development across the Social Sciences and Humanities Subject Librarians’ network , and with the aim of enhancing collections in areas such as LGBT+ Studies, Disability Studies, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BME) Studies and the intersections between these identities.  

The project will seek input from those already working in these areas across the University to help identify gaps and concerns regarding our collections. 

If you have any questions, comments or want further information please email the project lead, Helen Worrell at Helen.Worrell@bodleian.ox.ac.uk