Anthropology Minor

FACULTY:
Heather Fitz Gibbon, Chair
Anne Nurse, Chair
Christa Craven
Elizabeth Derderian
Pamela Frese
Setsuko Matsuzawa
Michael Miyawaki
Olivia Navarro-Farr
Zareen Thomas

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology offers a diverse curriculum exploring the institutions and processes that maintain and change human societies. Our program places special emphasis on the development of students’ ability to analyze contemporary social and cultural issues, and their problem-solving and research skills. Students choose a major in either Sociology or Anthropology, but all majors are introduced to the concepts, methods and theories appropriate to research in both disciplines. Anthropology explores the variety of human groups and cultures that have developed across the globe and throughout time. Anthropologists hope that by seeing ourselves in the mirror of alternative cultural and historical possibilities, we can come to a better understanding of our own assumptions, values and patterns of behavior.

Anthropology

Anthropology explores the variety of human groups and cultures that have developed across the globe and throughout time. Anthropologists rigorously deploy varied field-based research methods - grounded in a particular subfield - in an effort to account for, investigate, and contextualize the tremendous variability in the human experience. The hope is that by seeing the self in the mirror of alternative cultural and historical possibilities, students of anthropology can come to a better understanding of their/our own assumptions, values, and patterns of behavior. Students with training in anthropology receive excellent training for continuing graduate study in social sciences, humanities, or biological fields, and Anthropology majors are sought after by NGOs, medicine, law, business, technology, museums, education, and government.