UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

A Major in Anthropology?

Students who major in anthropology become familiar with the ways of life and cultures of societies throughout the world, both those currently existing and those known only from the archaeological record.  They also explore the biological complexity of humanity and comparative perspectives from nonhuman primate behavior, ecology, and evolution.  Through their studies, students often develop specialized interests in a particular area of the world, in the relationship between archaeological and historical materials, in the relationship between culture and behavior, or in the mutual influences of biology and culture.

Students of anthropology not only acquire basic information about Homo sapiens as a thinking, creative animal, but also explore the diversity of human culture.  They will encounter ideas that challenge their own beliefs or behaviors and problems of interpretation for which there are no “right” answers, only probable answers.  Students who find complexity, uncertainty, and challenges to their beliefs exciting will find themselves well suited to a major in anthropology.

The major is designed to expose students to a wide range of anthropological topics and information.  It is an exploration, a route toward discovering a student=s own interests, not toward specializing them.  While some specialization-in biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, or archaeology-is possible, basic work in all three fields is required.

There are no specific language requirements for a major in anthropology, but language can be a tool of great importance to the anthropologist.  Students considering graduate work who are interested in a particular area of the world should begin work on a language appropriate to that area as soon as their decision is firm.  Studying other languages, especially Chinese, Hindi, Urdu, Thai, Swahili, Quechua, or Indonesian, can open the door to many possibilities for future work.  In addition to specific languages, a basic knowledge of linguistics and the techniques of working with unwritten languages is strongly recommended.

Students planning a professional career in anthropology usually determine their specialized interests through exploration within the major program.  Students majoring in anthropology should not expect their undergraduate training to make them professional anthropologists.  Nor should they assume that the major will provide them with ready solutions to the problems of existence.  Instead, they should expect a broad introduction to the range of solutions to problems humans have developed during their habitation of earth.  They can anticipate training that will sharpen their awareness of themselves and society in relation to the rest of the world and that will provide the basis for advanced, graduate?]level work in the discipline.  Advanced graduate work is virtually a necessity for anyone planning a career as a professional anthropologist or archaeologist.

Why Major in Anthropology?

Anthropology is one of the few major fields to combine fascinating course work and practical career training in one academic package.

Anthropology-the study of “who we are and how we came to be that way”-not only provides a sound Liberal Arts education but also gives students a needed edge in today's fiercely competitive world of careers and jobs. 

In these times of narrow specialization, anthropological study is refreshingly broad.  Topics range from tribal New Guinea politics to chimpanzee “language” to issues in providing health care for urban America's poor.  As a result, anthropology majors frequently adopt outlooks on life that are as broad as the discipline itself.

Indeed, as an anthropology student you will be encouraged to see the world “holistically,” as the sum of biological, social and cultural parts.  In your education as an “anthro” major you will learn to use perspective as a problem?]solving tool.  At each step toward your BA degree you will be urged to bring the holistic viewpoint to bear in projects and research papers in the major's four subfields: cultural anthropology or ethnology, archaeology, biological anthropology, and linguistics.

Holism-the all?]encompassing “Big Picture”-is what distinguishes anthropology as a major from more technical and specialized fields such as marketing, finance, economics, math and other majors that view the world through narrower lenses.

Moreover, your training in anthropology will help sensitize you to the mosaic of ethnic  differences found on planet Earth.  You will study the world's societies-groups from the Pacific,  North and South America, Asia, Africa, Europe, and the former Soviet Union-as well as our own nation's Hispanic, Laotian, Japanese, Native American and other ethnic minority groups.  Exposure to inter?]ethnic ways of thinking and feeling will help you understand the diverse contending motivations at work in today's global economy.

To the career?]minded student, few concepts are as useful, at all levels of the corporate pyramid, as the anthropological concept of culture.  Understand the inner assumptions and unvoiced axioms of the people you work with-glimpse the world as their culture teaches them to picture it-and you will be able relate across “class” lines and across ethnic boundaries as if you had a natural gift for bridging communication gaps.

Yet another tangible benefit of being an anthropology major is the training you will receive in a distinctive method known as participant observation.  You will learn how to record and describe complex social scenes as they happen, “on line,” and maintain an attitude of objectivity as you watch.  Anthropologists have used the participant observation technique to study diverse groups from the Jivaro Indians in South America to the peaceful Semai of Malaya.

Today's anthropologists now count modern business organizations among the groups they have studied through participant observation.  Findings on “corporate culture”-on how power is actually wielded and symbolized, or how decisions are made outside official boardrooms-enable us to see beneath the flattering portraits shown in annual reports.

Anthropology majors further hone and sharpen their powers of observation on archaeological digs and in osteology (“bone”) labs.  Archaeology students develop Sherlock?]Homesian keen eyes for the telling detail.  For example, a barely visible percussion “bulb” on a shard of flint may show the flake was used as a primitive tool.  The subtle curve of a skull's bony eye orbit could be evidence that the skeleton is female.  Or an ash layer tracing through a thin band of sediment, while invisible to the layman, could be used to date stone artifacts buried beneath it.

Studying other people helps us see ourselves more clearly.  And being able to view the big picture while seeing minute detail at the same time-the anthropologist's special skill-will help the student at all stages in a future career.