IB Social and Cultural Anthropology Topics: Full List

IB Social and Cultural Anthropology explores cultures, societies, identity, belief systems, social relationships, and contemporary global issues. Whether you're planning your revision, checking what you need to study, or making sure you've covered the full course, this guide explains the key topics in IB Social and Cultural Anthropology and shows how they are organised within the curriculum.

Key Takeaways

• IB Social and Cultural Anthropology combines core anthropological concepts with the study of real-world cultures and societies.

• The course is divided into two main areas: Engaging with Anthropology and Engaging with Ethnography.

• SL students study three ethnographic areas of inquiry, while HL students study four.

• Understanding how topics are organised can help you plan revision more effectively and identify gaps in your knowledge.

Why It's Important to Understand the Course Structure

IB Social and Cultural Anthropology is part of Group 3: Individuals and Societies in the IB Diploma Programme. This group includes humanities and social science subjects such as Geography, Psychology, and Business Management.  Consult our guide for a full list of IB subjects.

Understanding how the Social and Cultural Anthropology course is structured can help you plan your revision more effectively and make sure you've covered all the content studied in your course.

IB Social and Cultural Anthropology Topics

The IB Social and Cultural Anthropology (opens in a new tab) course is organised into two main components: 

• Engaging with Anthropology

• Engaging with Ethnography 

Together, these components introduce students to anthropological thinking, research methods, key concepts, and a wide range of cultures, societies, and contemporary issues.

SL students study one area of inquiry from each ethnographic group. HL students study one area from each group, plus a fourth area chosen from any group.

Engaging with Anthropology

This part of the course introduces the core ideas, methods, and perspectives used by anthropologists. You'll learn how anthropologists study cultures and societies, how anthropological knowledge is produced, and how different viewpoints can shape our understanding of the world.

Key topics include:

• The language of anthropology

• The practice of anthropology

• Anthropological thinking

Students also explore key anthropological concepts, including belief and knowledge, change, culture, identity, materiality, power, social relations, society, and symbolism.

Engaging with Ethnography

Ethnography is at the heart of IB Social and Cultural Anthropology. Ethnographic studies are detailed accounts of particular cultures, communities, and social groups. By exploring ethnographic material, you'll learn how anthropologists investigate real-world issues and apply key concepts to understand different ways of life.

The course organises ethnographic topics into three groups of areas of inquiry.

Group 1 Topics

Group 1 explores how people understand themselves, their bodies, and the world around them. These topics examine the ways societies classify experience, understand health and illness, and shape ideas about the human body.

Key topics include:

• Classifying the world

• Health, illness and healing

• The body

Group 2 Topics

Group 2 focuses on identity, relationships, communication, and how people experience the world around them. These topics explore how individuals and groups create meaning, express themselves, and navigate social life.

Key topics include:

• Belonging

• Communication, expression and technology

• Movement, time and space

Group 3 Topics

Group 3 examines some of the most important issues affecting societies today. These topics explore conflict, development, economic systems, and the ways people produce, exchange, and consume goods and resources.

Key topics include:

• Conflict

• Development

• Production, exchange, and consumption

How to Use Topic Lists for Revision

Using a topic list can make IB Social and Cultural Anthropology revision more focused and effective. Work through each topic and rate your confidence with it to identify areas that need more attention.

Create a revision checklist based on the course structure and keep track of which topics you've covered and which still need work. It can also be helpful to organise revision around the key anthropological concepts that run throughout the course. 

When revising, focus on understanding how concepts such as culture, identity, power, and social relations can be applied to ethnographic examples and contemporary issues. Practice using examples from the ethnographic material you've studied to support your explanations and arguments.

Looking at past papers and mark schemes can help you become familiar with the question style used in IB Social and Cultural Anthropology and understand what examiners look for in strong responses.

Save My Exams’ Learning Hub offers a wealth of IB revision tips, including how to make an IB revision timetable and how to study for IB exams.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to revise all IB Social and Cultural Anthropology topics for the exam?

Yes. Questions can draw on any part of the course, so it's important to revise both the core anthropological concepts and the areas of inquiry you have studied. Make sure you're familiar with the ethnographic material used in your course as well as the key ideas that connect different topics.

Are the topics the same at SL and HL?

SL and HL students study the same core course structure, but HL students study an additional area of inquiry. HL assessments also require a greater depth of analysis and evaluation.

How do I know which topics I struggle with most?

Practice questions, class assessments, and teacher feedback can help you identify weaker areas. Keep track of the topics and concepts that you find most difficult and prioritise these during revision.

Do all topics appear in every exam paper?

Not necessarily. Different assessment tasks focus on different aspects of the course. However, questions can be based on any of the topics and concepts you have studied, so it's important to revise the full range of course content.

Final Thoughts

Understanding the full IB Social and Cultural Anthropology topic list can help you plan your revision more effectively and feel more confident about what to expect in your assessments. The course explores a wide range of cultures, societies, and contemporary issues through an anthropological perspective.

Use the topic breakdown as a revision checklist, identify areas where you need more practice, and revisit key concepts regularly. A clear understanding of the course structure can make it easier to organise your revision and ensure you've covered all the content studied in your course.​​

​​References:

• DP anthropology - International Baccalaureate® (opens in a new tab)

• International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Subject Brief - Individuals and societies: Social and cultural anthropology (opens in a new tab)