how might a college undergraduate benefit from taking a course in cultural anthropology?

by Trisha Huels V 8 min read

An education in anthropology provides the holistic perspective and analytical skills needed to understand human culture, which is increasingly valued in our interconnected and multicultural world. Above all, studying anthropology requires a sense of adventure and a willingness to transform your understanding of other people and yourself.

You'll gain really interesting insights about how and why people behave so differently in different cultures. Better yet, the knowledge you gain has very practical applications in business and other fields today.

Full Answer

Why take a cultural anthropology course?

The sensitivity that you gain by studying Cultural Anthropology can prepare you for greater success. So you see, there are some pretty compelling reasons why taking a course in Cultural Anthropology can increase your chances of success today. Ready to get on the road to your degree?

What is the difference between social anthropology and cultural anthropology?

For example, a social anthropologist might do a research on domestic life with a focus on the dimensions of its organization, and s/he will give secondary importance to culture. This is in contrast to cultural anthropology which prioritises its ethnography to study culture holistically.

What should I look for when choosing an undergraduate anthropology school?

When considering an undergraduate school, it would be wise to also find out if the school offers a masters degree in anthropology or cultural anthropology, or perhaps a coterminal degree program. A coterminal program allows students to graduate with a bachelors and masters degree at the same time.

What classes do you take in cultural anthropology at Duke University?

Duke's cultural anthropology program offers courses specifically for cultural anthropology, which focus on teaching social awareness and cross-cultural knowledge. Students can study areas like anthropology and activism, nationalism and cultural anthropology theories.

Why do you need to take an anthropology class?

What do you learn in anthropology?

Is Anthropology required for general education?

Is anthropology a good course?

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What are the benefits of studying cultural anthropology?

However, cultural anthropology has gave us a understanding of world affairs and world problems, the way to interpret the meaning of social actions by putting them in as much context as possible, and a deeper insight of humankind-at all times, in all places and of yourself as part of a culture.

What are the benefits of anthropology to you as a student?

Students who major in anthropology are curious about other cultures and other times. They are inquisitive and enjoy solving puzzles. Anthropology majors gain a broad knowledge of other cultures as well as skills in observation, analysis, research, critical thinking, writing, and dealing with people from all cultures.

What practical benefits will be gained from taking a course in anthropology?

A degree in anthropology will give you a range of skills useful to many job roles and industries. In addition to anthropology-related skills, you'll improve in other areas such as communication, research, problem-solving, reasoning writing, independent and collaborative work, and information organisation.

Why would someone study anthropology as a major in college?

Anthropology is a broad field that equips graduates for an array of jobs in various settings, including government agencies, nonprofits, museums and laboratories. Those who want to work for the government at the local, state or federal level can find jobs in planning and research.

What is the importance of learning social anthropology for university student?

Depending upon the proportion of social anthropology within their degree programme, students will be able to demonstrate the following: an ability to understand how human beings interact with their social, cultural and physical environments, and an appreciation of their social and cultural diversity.

What are the benefits of being an anthropologist?

There are a number of areas you can focus on based on your interests, such as medical aspects or museum artifacts. Anthropologists also contribute value to society in a number of different ways. For example, one of the benefits of being a forensic anthropologist is that you can help solve crimes.

What do you learn in cultural anthropology class?

Cultural anthropologists systematically explore topics such as technology and material culture, social organization, economies, political and legal systems, language, ideologies and religions, health and illness, and social change.

What can you do with an undergraduate degree in anthropology?

But graduates with an anthropology degree are well-suited for a career in any number of fields, including: education, health care, museum curation, social work, international development, government, organizational psychology, non-profit management, marketing, publishing, and forensics.

How does anthropology contribute to society?

Anthropologists, help us to understand how different societies organize themselves politically and economically. Anthropologists, increasingly shed light on how complex social systems are created, established and maintained. It offers insight into the key political and social issues affecting the world today.

Why is the study of anthropology important to today’s world?

“Anthropology? So what, you want to be like Indiana Jones when you grow up?” Sadly, this has been the response of not one person, but dozens of peers, parents, and former teachers, to my telling them i am

Is biological anthropology a difficult major? - Quora

Answer (1 of 2): That entirely depends on what university or college you are attending. And what you consider ‘difficult’. Look at their course list. Some departments stress skeletal and archeological data and methods, others studies of living primates or primate and human behavior, others fossi...

On the Relevance of Anthropology - JSTOR

ON THE RELEVANCE OF ANTHROPOLOGY: A REVIEW ESSAY 1971[1923]: 118, original emphasis). Good Hegelian Marxist that he was, Lukacs identified the second path with the world-historical revolutionary mission of the

What Are Examples of Applied Anthropology? - Reference.com

An example of applied anthropology would be a professional or scholar hired by a government to dwell among a native tribe and analyze ways in which the tribe communicates and to bridge gaps with the client. Applied anthropology refers to any action-oriented anthropological project that aims to solve practical problems.

Why do you need to take an anthropology class?

If you haven't had a chance to travel outside of the country, taking an anthropology course will help make you a bit more familiar with the way that other cultures do things. Other cultures have other traditions that you may be fascinated to learn about. While travelling is the best way to become familiar with another culture, anthropology class is the ideal way for those who cannot get time away from the U.S.

What do you learn in anthropology?

1. You will learn a lot about humans and society. Anthropology is the study of people and their behaviors, so you will be mostly focused on people and their societies. But, you can also study many different aspects of human life like traditions, entertainment, architecture, and language.

Is Anthropology required for general education?

americananthro.org. In college, there are many different courses in many different subject areas. Some colleges require a variety of general education classes while some just require electives. Anthropology is a course that may be required for general education, but it is required for a good reason.

Is anthropology a good course?

Anthropology is a course that may be required for general education, but it is required for a good reason. If you have ever considered taking an introductory anthropology course but haven't had a real reason to do so, here are some to help convince you. 1. You will learn a lot about humans and society.

What is cultural anthropology?

Introduction to Cultural Anthropology. Cultural anthropology is the study of human ways of life in the broadest possible comparative perspective. Cultural anthropologists are interested in all types of societies, from hunting and gathering bands to modern industrial states.

What is the premier method of empirical research in cultural anthropology?

This course will introduce students to the premier method of empirical research in cultural anthropology: participant observation, and associated informal dialogue and interviewing. We will study techniques for planning and carrying out such research, and for recording, checking validity and reliability, storing, coding, analyzing and writing up of ethnographic data. Students will undertake "mini" research projects, and become familiar with basic ethical issues, informed consent, writing of research proposals, formulating research contracts, and sharing results with cooperating individuals and groups. Prerequisite: Anthropology 1 or 3 or one ethnography/culture area course.

What is ethnographic film?

Ethnographic film crosses the boundaries between academic anthropology, art history, and popular media. This course will address the construction of meaning in ethnographic films in relation to the parallel concerns of anthropology. The course focuses on individual films, analyzing their significance from the perspectives of filmmakers and audiences. This course considers various approaches to film art, the relation of other visual media to ethnographic representation, and the challenges these pose to traditional texts. The class appeals to students of anthropology and film as well as others interested in international studies and the politics of cross-cultural representation.

What is the Anthropology of Health and Illness?

The Anthropology of Health and Illness. This course introduces students to the cross-cultural study and analysis of health, illness, and medical systems, conceptions of the body, the nature of disease, and the values of medicine.

What is socio-historical framework?

This course introduces a global socio-historical framework within which to examine Africa in relation to multiple African Diasporas and notions of mobility. Considering the historical contexts of contact between Africa, Europe, and the Americas, we examine cultural, economic, and philosophic aspects of Africa. We will examine how ideas of what it means to be African culturally, racially, and politically are continually produced and contested. The moment of independence of many African nation-states from European colonial rule in the mid 20th century operates as a centering point from which we will examine economics, race, politics, and artistic expressions. We will consider ideas of “tradition” and “modernity,” representations of Africa, more recent processes of commodification, as well as various cultural and political responses to them.

What is the study of human language?

This course will introduce students to the study of human language as a species-specific endowment of humankind. In this investigation we will examine such issues as: 1) the relationship between language use (e.g. metaphoric creativity) and cultural values, 2) the relationships between language diversity and ethnic, political, economic stratification, 3) language use and the communicating of individual identity, thoughts, and intentions in face-to-face interaction, 4) the cultural patterning of speech behavior, and 5) whether or not the structure of specific languages affects the characteristics of culture, cognition, and thought in specific ways.

What is the place of religion in human society?

From Sacred to Salvation: The Place of Religion in Human Societies. In this course religions are seen as cultural systems which give shape and meaning to the world in which people live and provide a means, in the form of rituals, by which they can attempt to manipulate those worlds.

How has anthropology influenced other disciplines?

The discipline of anthropology has influenced other disciplines in the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, and in turn has been influenced by multidisciplinary approaches integrating these modes of inquiry.

What are some methods that anthropologists use?

Therefore, in addition to ethnographic methods, anthropologists will sometimes employ more quantitative social science methods (such as surveys), natural science methods (such as laboratory research), and methods associated with the humanities (such as textual and visual studies).

What is Princeton University's anthropology department?

The Anthropology Department at Princeton regularly offers courses and advising in sociocultural and biological anthropology; additional instruction is available through cross-lists, cognates, and special offerings by visitors.

What is the characteristic methodology of anthropology?

The characteristic methodologies of anthropology inform an understanding of human experiences and practices, illuminating their interconnectedness and interdependence. For sociocultural anthropologists, such connections are discovered mainly through long-term ethnographic research.

What is the study of human development, culture, and change throughout the world?

Anthropology is the comprehensive study of human development, culture, and change throughout the world, past and present. The comprehensiveness of anthropology stems from its emphasis on context, reflected in the perspectives offered by the discipline’s four fields: sociocultural, biological, linguistic anthropology , and archaeology.

Outstanding Job Placement Track Record

We encourage, and assist, students to seek job placement of multiple types, in and beyond the academy. We have graduates running museums, directing NGOs, working in university administration, and pursuing careers as public writers; this is true for 17% of our graduates including those not currently in a waged job.

Vibrant Colloquium Series

The department also hosts a regular colloquium series, in which outstanding national and international scholars present their work.

Why do we study anthropology?

Why Study Anthropology? Anthropology is about experiencing the amazing expression of human culture, whether by interacting with other cultures through travel; studying clothing, artwork, and tools; or seeking clues to the lives of past people through archaeological excavation .

What is the most rewarding part of anthropology?

One of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of anthropology is the extent to which it allows you to make meaningful connections with a wide range of other disciplines. A career in the medical field is enriched by an awareness of cultural conceptions of healing practices; addressing the planet’s environmental issues requires an understanding of the different ways humans view their place within the natural world. Similarly, using high tech remote sensing methods to investigate a prehistoric earthen mound requires you to draw on principles of geophysics and documenting traditional medicine in east Africa utilizes knowledge of organic chemistry and botany.

What is Luther's anthropology degree?

The anthropology education at Luther will help you develop the critical thinking skills, holistic perspective, and cultural competency that will provide you with the foundation for success in a wide range of potential career paths. Regardless of whether you ultimately define your life’s work as anthropology, you can join many of our alumni who have successfully applied their anthropology education to rewarding careers in public health, environmental studies, museums, non-profit organizations, education, law, and cultural resource management, to name a few.

What degree do you need to become a cultural anthropologist?

Cultural anthropologists are social scientists, and students who want to work as social scientists generally must have a master's degree. When considering an undergraduate school, it would be wise to also find out if the school offers a masters degree in anthropology or cultural anthropology, or perhaps a coterminal degree program.

What are the majors in anthropology?

University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI 1 Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology 2 Bachelor of Science in Anthropology 3 Master of Arts in Anthropology 4 Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology

What is a coterminal degree?

A coterminal program allows students to graduate with a bachelors and masters degree at the same time. Other things to consider are if the program offers field or laboratory study to help increase research experience.

Cultural Anthropology Faculty

Lisa Cliggett Ecological and economic anthropology, livelihoods, household, gender, kin networks and social organization, political economy and ecology, migration, aging, anthropological demography, GIS and remote sensing; sub-Saharan Africa, Zambia, Haiti, Caribbean.

Affiliated Faculty

Srimati Basu, Gender and Women’s Studies and Department of Anthropology. Gender, law and the State, marriage and kinship, development, social movements; South Asia.

Why do you need to take an anthropology class?

If you haven't had a chance to travel outside of the country, taking an anthropology course will help make you a bit more familiar with the way that other cultures do things. Other cultures have other traditions that you may be fascinated to learn about. While travelling is the best way to become familiar with another culture, anthropology class is the ideal way for those who cannot get time away from the U.S.

What do you learn in anthropology?

1. You will learn a lot about humans and society. Anthropology is the study of people and their behaviors, so you will be mostly focused on people and their societies. But, you can also study many different aspects of human life like traditions, entertainment, architecture, and language.

Is Anthropology required for general education?

americananthro.org. In college, there are many different courses in many different subject areas. Some colleges require a variety of general education classes while some just require electives. Anthropology is a course that may be required for general education, but it is required for a good reason.

Is anthropology a good course?

Anthropology is a course that may be required for general education, but it is required for a good reason. If you have ever considered taking an introductory anthropology course but haven't had a real reason to do so, here are some to help convince you. 1. You will learn a lot about humans and society.