Throughout Switzerland, numerous disciplines provide insight into the subject “Cultures and Societies”. The disciplines put different emphasis on topics, regions, research methods and issues. Depending on the location, subject combination or degree programme, specialisations and crossovers are possible and promote interdisciplinary exchange.
There are four focal areas within the diverse subjects studied in Switzerland. Social and cultural anthropology deals most directly with the subject of society and culture, comparing the cultures of different ethnic groups and considering specific aspects of culture and daily life (or “popular cultures”). Here, fundamental questions are considered. Other disciplines, like area studies, comparing regions, consider sociocultural phenomena in Africa, America or Asia. These look at the languages with which cultural assets and societal structures are conveyed, which means that many disciplines are also focused on philology, linguistics and literature. Finally, religions are also part of the subject area of culture and society, meaning degree programmes in this field (religious studies, Islamic studies, Judaism studies, India studies, Christian theology, etc.) are also presented here.