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Anthropology MinorThe American Anthropology Association defines Anthropology as follows: The word anthropology itself tells the basic story — from the Greek anthropos ("human") and logia ("study") — it is the study of humankind, from its beginnings millions of years ago to the present day.
Nothing human is alien to anthropology. Indeed, of the many disciplines that study our species, Homo sapiens, only anthropology seeks to understand the whole panorama — in geographic space and evolutionary time — of human existence. Though easy to define, anthropology is difficult to describe. Its subject matter is both exotic (e.g., star lore of the Australian aborigines) and commonplace (anatomy of the foot). And its focus is both sweeping (the evolution of language) and microscopic (the use-wear of obsidian tools). Anthropologists may study ancient Mayan hieroglyphics, the music of African Pygmies, and the corporate culture of a U.S. car manufacturer. But always, the common goal links these vastly different projects: to advance knowledge of who we are, how we came to be that way — and where we may go in the future. Curiosity. In a sense, we all "do" anthropology because it is rooted in a universal human trait: curiosity. We are curious about ourselves and about other people, the living as well as the dead, here and around the globe. We ask anthropological questions:
Such questions are part of a folk anthropology practiced in school yards, office buildings and neighborhood cafes. But if we are all amateur anthropologists, what do the professionals study? How does the science of anthropology differ from ordinary opinion sharing and "common sense?" Comparative Method. As a discipline, anthropology begins with a simple yet powerful idea: any detail of our behavior can be understood better when it is seen against the backdrop of the full range of human behavior. This, the comparative method, attempts to explain similarities and differences among people holistically, in the context of humanity as a whole. Any detail of our behavior can best be understood when it is seen in the context provided by the full range of human behavior.
Anthropology seeks to uncover principles of behavior that apply to all human communities. To an anthropologist, diversity itself — seen in body shapes and sizes, customs, clothing, speech, religion, and worldview — provides a frame of reference for understanding any single aspect of life in any given community. To illustrate, imagine having our entire lives in a world of red. Our food, our clothing, our car — even the street we live on — everything around us a different shade of red. And yet ironically, in a scarlet world, isn't it true that we will have no real grasp of the color red itself, nor even the concept of color, without being able to compare red with yellow, blue, green, and all the hues of the rainbow?
There are two full-time faculty with Ph.D.’s in Anthropology in the Sociology and Urban Studies Department. We also borrow from several other departments including a Geneticist from Biology and an expert in Archeology from Classics. Careers in Anthropology
Requirements for a Minor in AnthropologyStudents may complete a minor in Anthropology by taking a minimum of 18 credits beginning with So284, Cultural Anthropology. Courses taken for a minor in Anthropology may not also count for a minor in International and Intercultural Studies. Requirements: (3 Courses – 9 Credits)
Electives: (3 Courses – 9 Credits)
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