Are you interested in traveling to see how other people live; looking at National Geographic; or visiting a King Tut exhibit? Would you read a book titled, In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio? If so, majoring in Anthropology might be just up your alley.
Anthropology is the study of people, their evolution, culture and social relations, material products, languages, music, art and architecture. It includes four branches: cultural anthropology, physical anthropology, linguistics, and archaeology. Students take introductory classes in each of the four branches and then usually focus on an area of interest. Courses might include such offerings as Personality and Culture, Religion and Society, Language and Culture, Primate Behavior, and Archaeology of the New World. Many anthropologists specialize in one or more geographic areas of the world and may focus on particular populations in a locale or region.
If this seems about as practical as studying basket weaving, think again. Courses in anthropology teach skills that transfer to a wide range of occupations and settings. Graduates can think critically and express themselves effectively, both orally and in writing. They’re able to formulate and test hypotheses, apply theories, and employ research methods. Careful record keeping, attention to details, analytical reading, and clear thinking are also taught by anthropology courses. Perhaps even more importantly, students of anthropology develop cultural sensitivity and respect for diversity, both of which are in high demand in our global society.
Even if you have no desire to spend your life in the Savannah of Africa or curating a museum, anthropology can be an extremely useful course of study. The increasing globalization of business, science, medicine, agriculture and public policy increases the demand for professionals who can generate and manage data effectively, think critically, and work with diverse populations, while demonstrating cultural fluency. The future marketplace requires the type of global, holistic knowledge that an anthropological perspective brings.
About half of Ph.D. anthropologists accept academic positions, and the job market for academic anthropologists is relatively steady. But more interestingly, since 1985 the demand for non-academic anthropologists has increased. State and local governmental organizations use anthropologists in planning, research and managerial capacities. Non-governmental organizations, such as international health organizations and development banks, employ anthropologists to help design and implement a wide variety of programs, worldwide and nationwide. Many corporations look explicitly for anthropologists, recognizing the utility of their perspective on a corporate team.
The demand for anthropologists is expected to be higher than average. Anthropologists secure jobs as teachers, professors, government analysts, medical researchers, museum curators, park rangers, Peace Corps workers, and translators. To learn more about the field of anthropology and career options, visit www.aaanet.org/resources/students/Anthrodegree.cfm
Famous Anthropologists
Liza Crihfield Dalby – American anthropologist and novelist specializing in Japanese culture. Her first book, Geisha, was based on her early research. Dalby acted as consultant to novelist Arthur Golden and film-maker Rob Marshall for the novel and film Memoirs of a Geisha.
Dian Fossey – studied gorilla groups in the mountain forests of Rwanda for more than 18 years. Her work is highlighted in the movie, Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey, starring Sigourney Weaver.
Zora Neale Hurston – celebrated African-American female author of Their Eyes Were Watching God from the Harlem Renaissance period. While most recognized for her contributions to the literary world, Hurston was also a cultural anthropologist who studied with some of the most preeminent minds in the field.
Margaret Mead – brought recognition of the field to the general public. Her easy-to-follow style of writing, controversial research regarding sex and her outspoken personality heightened her fame. Her Coming of Age in Samoa is a classic.
Barbara Myerhoff – athropologist, filmmaker, and founder of the Center for Visual Anthropology at the University of Southern California. Myerhoff is best known for her work with the Jewish community in Venice, California. This was first documented in the 1976 ethnographic film, Number Our Days.
