Those who travel to other countries are often surprised by how much is different from their familiar surroundings. Their own society could appear just as foreign and peculiar. Cultural anthropologists aim to make these differences visible and understandable. They examine everyday cultural practices and investigate the influences of gender, sexuality, racism, social strata and inequalities, ethnicity and nationalism, time, region, social environment, age, and much more on social and cultural conditions.

During your program of study in Cultural Studies/European Ethnology, you will gain an overview of various cultural theories and deepen your knowledge of European societies. You will learn how to approach Cultural Studies questions both theoretically and practically, conduct research (e.g., historical source work in archives, ethnographic observations, interviews, surveys, and social media data collection), and reflect on and interpret data:

• What self-images and perceptions of others do people create – yesterday as today – in daily encounters, in films, novels, museums, monuments, and music?
• How do cultures function in times of crisis? For example, why are conspiracy theories popular in a modern knowledge society during crises?
• What societal and individual ideas lie behind a “healthy” diet? How are they, for example, staged on social media channels?

Cultural anthropologists find answers to these and similar questions within broadly defined thematic areas (e.g., migration, globalization, Europeanization, rituals, media, health and nutrition, fashion, gender, childhood and youth, etc.). They thus help to see the world anew and to understand each other better.

The program of study at JGU is characterised by an interdisciplinary approach: It is the only program of study in Germany that combines content from Film, Theater, Media, and Cultural Studies with Cultural Studies/European Ethnology. Thus, you acquire broad training in Cultural Studies work. Close supervision by lecturers and a strong practical relevance with field trips and contacts to non-university partners in the Rhine–Main area and beyond complete the program of study.

In the major (subject) program of study for Cultural Studies/European Ethnology, Bachelor students are required to complete an internship in a professional field of Cultural Studies. The internship must have a duration of 4.5 weeks full-time equivalent or 180 working hours (in Module VIII of the 2024 examination regulations) or 6 weeks full-time equivalent or 240 working hours (in Module 09 of the 2016 examination regulations) and must be coordinated with the academic advisory team. The responsible contact person for Module VIII | Module 09 is Dr. Taylor McConnell (mcconnell@uni-mainz.de).

You are responsible for finding a suitable internship yourself, but you will be gladly supported by the academic advisory team and the JGU Career Service during your search. The internship can be completed at any time during your program of study, but due to time constraints and the specialist knowledge to be acquired, an internship from the third or fourth academic semester is recommended. An Erasmus+ funded internship abroad is also possible; for this, please arrange a consultation appointment directly with Dr. McConnell or with the Erasmus+ departmental coordinator, Dr. Grit Wesser (erasmus.kulturanthropologie@uni-mainz.de). As proof of the internship, an internship agreement must be signed by the academic advisory team, by you, and finally by your employer, and submitted with the internship report as an appendix. The form can be downloaded below.

Attendance of the tutorial in Career Perspectives is mandatory for all Bachelor students of Cultural Studies/European Ethnology, i.e., in the major (Module VII | Module 09) and in the minor (Module IV | Module 06). The practice class can be attended from the third academic semester and does not necessarily have to be completed after the internship, as the specialist knowledge gained through the practice class is highly relevant for finding a suitable intern position.

To complete the module, major (subject) students from both examination regulations must submit an ungraded internship report of 4 to 5 pages; students subject to the 2016 minor examination regulations must submit either an internship or a project report, while in the 2024 examination regulations, no examination is required for minor students. The report must include a reflective discussion of previous professional experiences and future career and life goals. Questions regarding the content of the module examination will be answered during the practical class.

Further information can be found on page 10 of the module handbook for students in the Cultural Studies major (2016 examination regulations) or page 13 for the 2024 examination regulations.

In the required elective module “Research Fields,” students develop the ability to apply cultural anthropological perspectives to selected fields of research in practice, as well as to describe, contextualize, and debate relevant subject-specific offerings (e.g., conferences, field trips, etc.).

The first elective module (VI-1) includes, in addition to a seminar on international research perspectives, a practice-oriented subject-specific specialization (practice class), within which students can participate in a specialized event (e.g., institute colloquium).

• Mainz Colloquium in European Ethnology (Winter/Summer Semester)

The BA academic advisory team can provide assistance in advance.

For all advising cases, please use only the advising email address studienfachberatung-kaee@uni-mainz.de! Our advising team is happy to help with questions regarding:

• Subject content and programs of study at JGU
• Program structure and planning
• Recognition of study and examination credits when changing programs of study or transferring between universities
• Examination procedure

For questions regarding the mandatory internship in Module 9 (2016 examination regulations) or Module VIII (2024 examination regulations) for the major in Cultural Studies/European Ethnology, please contact Dr. Taylor McConnell.

For organizational questions regarding courses and examinations, please refer to the pages of the Institute’s student advising office.