Skip to main contentCambridge University Reporter

No 6404

Wednesday 18 November 2015

Vol cxlvi No 9

pp. 158–168

Form and conduct of examinations, 2016

Notices by Faculty Boards, or other bodies concerned, of changes to the form and conduct of certain examinations to be held in 2016, by comparison with those examinations in 2015, are published below. Complete details of the form and conduct of all examinations are available from the Faculties or Departments concerned.

Human, Social, and Political Sciences Tripos, Part II, 2016

The Faculty Board of Human, Social, and Political Science give notice that, with effect from the examinations to be held in 2015–16, the form of the examinations for certain papers in the Human, Social, and Political Sciences Tripos will be as follows.

Part II: Biological anthropology

BAN2: Behavioural ecology

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination paper. The paper will be divided into four sections, each section containing two or three questions, and candidates are asked to answer three questions, not more than one from each section.

BAN3: Human origins

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination paper. The paper will be divided into four sections, each section containing two or three questions, and candidates are asked to answer three questions, not more than one from each section.

BAN4: Health and disease

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination paper. The paper will be divided into four sections, each section containing two or three questions, and candidates are asked to answer three questions, not more than one from each section.

BAN5: Theory and practice in biological anthropology

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination paper. The paper will be divided into four sections, each section containing two or three questions, and candidates are asked to answer three questions, not more than one from each section.

BAN6: Human variation and adaptation

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination paper. The paper will be divided into four sections, each section containing two or three questions, and candidates are asked to answer three questions, not more than one from each section.

BAN7: Advanced behaviour

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination paper. The paper will be divided into two sections, each section containing two or three questions, and candidates are asked to answer three questions, at least one from each section.

Part II: Politics and international relations

POL2: The foundations of international society (International relations I)

The examination will consist of a three-hour written paper. Candidates will be required to answer three questions from a choice of sixteen. The paper will be divided into two sections, with candidates required to answer at least one question from each section. Section 1 will include questions on the themes of the history of the international system, and of war. Section 2 will include questions on the themes of order, and of the ethical dilemmas of international relations. There will be no questions focusing exclusively on theory, but candidates will be expected to refer to theory in their answers, depending on the problem under consideration.

POL4: Comparative politics

The paper examines a range of issues, substantive and methodological, in comparative politics. The paper is divided into two parts: (1) general comparative politics; (2) a range of country-specific case studies. Candidates will be required to take a three-hour written examination. The exam paper will be divided into six sections. Section A will consist of nine questions covering general comparative politics. Sections B–F will cover the individual case studies with each case study being a section and there being two questions in each section. Candidates will be required to answer three questions from three different sections, taking one question from section A. A sample exam paper is available on the Department of Politics and International Studies website.

POL6: Statistics and methods

This is a new paper, focusing on statistical methods. The examination will consist of three questions, consisting of several parts each. Candidates will answer two questions: one mandatory question and one optional question (taken from the other two questions). A practice exam will be provided.

POL9: Conceptual issues and texts in modern politics

The examination will consist of a three-hour written paper. There will be eight questions, four of which will be passages and four of which will be general questions. Candidates will be required to answer one question.

POL10: The history of political thought from c. 1700–1890

The examination will consist of a three-hour written paper. The paper will be divided into two sections, and candidates can expect that a question will be set on each of the prescribed authors in section A and on each of the historical topics in section B. Candidates will be required to answer three questions, including at least one from each section.

POL11: Political philosophy and the history of political thought since c. 1890

The examination will consist of a three-hour written paper. The paper will include at least one question on each of the twenty-nine topics in the paper guide. The paper will be divided into A and B sections. Candidates must answer three questions, including at least one from each section. Overlap between answers will be penalized.

POL12: A subject in politics and international relations I: The politics of the Middle East

The examination will consist of a three-hour written paper. Candidates will be required to answer three questions from a choice of at least thirteen, including questions on the politics of the Middle East, the international relations of the Middle East, and the politics of Muslim societies. There will be at least one question on Turkey’s politics and regional policy, and at least one question on sectarian politics in Iraq and Syria. The paper will be undivided. A sample exam paper is available on the Department of Politics and International Studies website (http://www.polis.cam.ac.uk/).

POL13: The politics of Europe

The examination will be divided into three sections, covering: (A) British politics; (B) Contemporary issues in Western European politics; and (C) European integration. Candidates are required to answer three questions taken from at least two sections of the paper.

POL14: The politics of Asia

The examination will consist of a three-hour written paper. Candidates will be required to answer three questions from a choice of sixteen, including questions on democracy and dictatorship in Southeast Asia and questions on state formation and plural societies in Southeast Asia. The paper will be undivided.

POL15: The politics of Africa

The examination will consist of a three-hour written paper. Candidates will be required to answer three questions from a choice of at least twelve, including questions on all six sections of the paper. The paper will be undivided.

POL16: Conflict and peacebuilding

The examination will consist of a three-hour written paper. Candidates will be required to answer three questions from a choice of at least twelve, including questions on conflict and questions on peacebuilding. There will be at least one question on the Great Lakes region of Africa and one on Yemen. The paper will be undivided.

POL17: Politics and gender

The examination will consist of a three-hour written paper. Candidates will be required to answer three questions from a choice of at least ten questions. The paper will be undivided.

POL18: The idea of a European Union

The examination will consist of a three-hour written paper. Candidates will be required to answer three questions from a choice of twelve.

POL19: China in the international order

There will be a three-hour unseen examination paper, in which students will be required to answer four questions. Students will be expected to apply international relations theories in answering the questions.

Part II: Social Anthropology

SAN2: Foundations of social anthropology I: Kinship and economics

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination paper containing between ten and fourteen questions. Candidates are asked to answer three questions. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a range of ethnographic knowledge in their answers, and to show a depth of knowledge of some specific ethnographic examples.

SAN3: Foundations of social anthropology II: Politics and religion

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination paper containing between ten and fourteen questions. Candidates are asked to answer three questions. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a range of ethnographic knowledge in their answers, and to show a depth of knowledge of some specific ethnographic examples.

SAN4: Theory, methods, and enquiry in social anthropology

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination paper containing between ten and fourteen questions. Candidates are asked to answer three questions. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a range of ethnographic knowledge in their answers, and to show a depth of knowledge of some specific ethnographic examples.

SAN5: Advanced social anthropology I: Thought, belief, and ethics

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination paper containing between ten and fourteen questions. Candidates are asked to answer three questions. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a range of ethnographic knowledge in their answers, and to show a depth of knowledge of some specific ethnographic examples.

SAN6: Advanced social anthropology II: Political economy and social transformations

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination paper containing between ten and fourteen questions. Candidates are asked to answer three questions. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a range of ethnographic knowledge in their answers, and to show a depth of knowledge of some specific ethnographic examples.

SAN7A: Ethnographic areas: Europe

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination paper containing between ten and fourteen questions. Candidates are asked to answer three questions. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a range of ethnographic knowledge in their answers, and to show a depth of knowledge of some specific ethnographic examples.

SAN7B: Ethnographic areas: South Asia

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination paper containing between ten and fourteen questions. Candidates are asked to answer three questions. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a range of ethnographic knowledge in their answers, and to show a depth of knowledge of some specific ethnographic examples.

SAN7C: Ethnographic areas: Africa

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination paper containing between ten and fourteen questions. Candidates are asked to answer three questions. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a range of ethnographic knowledge in their answers, and to show a depth of knowledge of some specific ethnographic examples.

SAN9: Science and society

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination paper containing between ten and fourteen questions. Candidates are asked to answer three questions. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a range of ethnographic knowledge in their answers, and to show a depth of knowledge of some specific ethnographic examples.

SAN10: The anthropology of post-Socialist societies

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination paper containing between ten and fourteen questions. Candidates are asked to answer three questions. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a range of ethnographic knowledge in their answers, and to show a depth of knowledge of some specific ethnographic examples.

SAN11: Anthropology of media and visual culture

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination paper containing between ten and fourteen questions. Candidates are asked to answer three questions. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a range of ethnographic knowledge in their answers, and to show a depth of knowledge of some specific ethnographic examples.

Part II: Sociology

SOC3: Modern societies II: Global problems and dynamics of resistance

This paper will be examined by one three-hour examination paper, divided into two sections. Candidates will be required to answer three questions, including at least one from each section. All questions are of equal value.

SOC6: Advanced social theory

This paper will be examined by one three-hour examination paper; candidates will be required to answer three questions.

SOC7: Media, culture, and society

This paper will be examined by one three-hour examination paper; candidates will be required to answer three questions.

SOC8: Revolution, war, and militarism

This paper will be examined by one three-hour examination paper, divided into two sections. Candidates will be required to answer three questions, including one from Section I and two from Section II. All questions are of equal value.

SOC9: Modern capitalism

This paper will be examined by one three-hour examination paper, divided into two sections. Candidates will be required to answer ten questions from section A; and one question from section B. Section A and Section B are each worth 50% of the final mark.

SOC10: Gender

This paper will be examined by one three-hour examination paper; candidates will be required to answer three questions.

SOC11: Racism, race, and ethnicity

This paper will be examined by one three-hour examination paper; candidates will be required to answer three questions.

SOC12: Modern Britain

This paper will be examined by one three-hour examination paper; candidates will be required to answer three questions.

SOC13: Health, medicine, and society

This paper will be examined by one three-hour examination paper; candidates will be required to answer three questions.

The Notices for Part II papers in Archaeology were published on Wednesday, 29 July 2015 (Reporter, 6395, 2014–15, p. 824), and the Notices for all other papers remain unchanged.